Monday, June 29, 2020

Initial Door Decoration Scroll Saw Patterns.


Download Below

I have had several requests to do more of the initial patterns. They always get more downloads than almost any other pattern. Most requests were for a fancier font. I tend to stay away from complex fonts because some letters by themselves are difficult to recognize. Most of these look reasonably like the letter they represent but a few are a little iffy. I'll let you decide.

All of these patterns are designed to print on a single page. If you want a larger initial plaque you can use the Poster Print feature of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. The pattern will then be enlarged over more than one sheet. You will have to cut and tape the pattern together.

You can also take this digital pattern to a print shop and let them enlarge on to large size paper. Because of copyright issues, the print shop may not want to print the document for you. I put permission on the bottom of the title page so you can show that to them. That will usually let them print the document. You probably don't want to print the complete PDF. It is 56 pages and will cost a fortune to print oversize. Just tell them the pages you need.

Print Permission at the bottom of the title page.


Do you need a Table Saw for you Scroll Saw Hobby? No room? Limited budget? You have options.

Buy On Amazon, Currently $279
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There are many folks who start their woodworking journey with a scroll saw. The good news is that the scroll saw is so versatile that many projects can be completed with the scroll saw alone. If scrolling is your primary interest then you don't need too many extra tools to get the job done. I said "need" not "want".

Every extra tool you add to your shop will give you more options. If you have an 8" X 12" X 1/4" board and you only need a 4" X 4" X 1/4" board, you can cut it down on the scroll saw but it will be sloppy and leave uneven edges. A table saw will give you precise straight cuts and get the job done much faster. If you have large boards then the scroll saw is not very useful for cutting them down. A table saw is much better suited for large boards.

To a very limited degree, you can also use the table saw to change the thickness of the board. This is only a safe cut if you know the proper technique so read your manual first. Even better, take a class. If you set the table saw blade to its maximum height, you can resaw twice the height of that distance. You run the board through the blade then flip it and run the other edge. Watch the video below to see one safe technique to resaw on the table saw.

Resawing a board on a table saw.

There are other safety precautions that can be taken but Stumpy uses a tall fence which is the primary precaution.

So what do you need and what do you want?

If your space is limited or you don't want to empty your wallet then you still have options. A small contractor saw will take care of most of the tasks you need for your scroll saw projects. These saws are more accurate than they used to be but they don't compete with a cabinet table saw for accuracy. We don't always need to cut to 100th of an inch for our scroll saw projects so we can deal with some inaccuracy. We just want it to be safe, decent quality, and decent accuracy.

There is also a big difference in price. A nice contractor saw is going to start at over $1000 and go way up from there. A small contractor saw will run around $250 to over $500. The Dewalt in the picture above is $279 on Amazon and is just about as inexpensive as I would go.

You can visit Harbor Freight and pick up a table saw for under $150. I know some people can make do with these saws but I don't recommend them if you can go just a bit more expensive. The quality does take a step up with most of the name brands in the $250 plus range. 

So what if you are ready to spend some significant money and have lots of space. In my opinion, the Saw Stop sets the standard for dedicated hobbyist/small business table saws. The safety features are some of the best and the build quality is fantastic. 

The Saw Stop in the picture below is the 110vac version. Most of their saws are 220vac. If your shop has the capability then go with the 220vac model. The motors are bigger and give you more power. They are also slightly more efficient. 

In my shop, I still use an older Craftsman contractor saw. It has received some upgrades over the years but it is still a contractor saw. At the time I think I paid under $1000 for the saw(10+ years ago). It has some accuracy problems and the motor is underpowered but I have made thousands of projects with the saw. A few of them even turned out good :)

I probably don't need a better saw for the work I do now. I am able to get my jobs done with what I have. If/When I upgrade I will go with the Saw Stop in the picture below. It is the 110vac model. It has 1.75 HP motor which is significantly more power than what I have. 

The main reason I will likely upgrade is safety. The Saw Stop is loaded with safety features that my saw does not have. The primary safety feature that I want is their blade brake system(See video below). If you have never seen the hot dog test on the Saw Stop then make sure you watch the video below. It will make you a believer in the safety capabilities of the saw.

The main reason I don't want/need the Saw Stop is the price. The model below goes for close to $2900. Where is that rich uncle when you need him?

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There are more options out there than I can mention so just do some homework and buy the table saw that best meets your needs. Like I said at the top of this post. It will give you more options to complete a project.

Opinions about power tools are as varied as the number of people who own power tools. The saws I mentioned above are just a starting point. I like these saws but your experience may vary. 


$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping
Inlay with a 1" Forstner Bit.
The perfect way to sign your work.

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Email Newsletter Readers: Remember that the Newsletter is just a copy of the daily blog post. To see the post in its proper formatting click this link. If you ever misplace a pattern or any item you see here you can always find it on the blog. Everything stays on the blog forever. 

Products for your consideration:


Every Scrollsaw Workshop Pattern from 2007-2019 on DVD


Purchase the entire Scrollsaw Workshop pattern catalog for offline access.

This DVD has over 2,900 patterns published from 2007 thru 2019.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
If you use the DVD on a Windows PC there is a simple viewer program to browse through the patterns.

The DVD also works fine on a MAC. The viewer program is not MAC compatible but there is an included PDF with all the patterns shown as thumbnails for easy viewing.

Now Available on USB Thumb Drive

Don't have a DVD drive on your new computer. No problem. Buy the catalog on a USB thumb drive.
All the same file but in an easy to use thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.


Unique Wooden Vases:
Want to create beautiful wooden vases on the scroll saw?
My two "Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw" books make it easy.

The books are $12 each and available for instant download after purchase. Click for Video Demonstration.


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