Early this month we had a bear sighting in Lexington Ky. It is not unusual for a bear sighting in rural Kentucky. It is very unusual for one to be in the center of Lexington and on the UK campus. This bear had to travel a few miles across neighborhoods and business centers to get to the campus.
He was the talk of the town for a few days. I don't know if they ever captured him. I never saw another news report so hopefully, he made back outside city limits.
This Bear Mountain pattern comes in two sizes. The small one is six inches in diameter. The large pattern is eight inches. I cut the six-inch pattern from 1/8" thick Baltic birch plywood. It would probably look okay cut from 1/4" thick BB ply but it will be too thick for the included stand.
Tips for cutting very thin wood on the scroll saw:
I cut the project from 1/8" thick Baltic birch plywood. Wood this thin can be a challenge to cut on the scroll saw because there is so little resistance to the blade. Your cuts will tend to get away from you fast. Staying on the pattern line and turning corners takes some practice. There are a few tips that can help.
The number one and most effective tip for cutting thin wood is to not cut thin wood. Stack cut more than one at a time. If you don't mind having two projects cut then stack cutting eliminates the difficulty of cutting thin boards. As a second benefit, you get two of the projects for the time of one.
What can you do if you really don't want two projects or don't have enough wood for two?
Don't use a new sharp blade. Keep a few of your used blades handy for this situation. If the blade is not too worn out is will provide a little resistance and slow the cut down.
If you go to a used blade you may also have to choke up on the blade. I mean you will need to get your fingers very close to the blade to prevent the wood from chattering. This is not an unsafe practice if you keep your fingers out of line with the front of the blade.
I have always considered the most important scroll saw technique was the ability to stop the blade from cutting while the saw is still running. You do this by using the side and back edges of the blade.
When cutting this wood this technique is critical. It is the technique that will prevent the blade from running away for you. Watch the video below to see this technique demonstrated.
$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping
Inlay with a 1" Forstner Bit.
The perfect way to sign your work.
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
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.
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.
All the same file but in an easy to use thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.
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.
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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Make Scrolling Easier and Safer with a Footswitch and Magnifying Inspection Lamp
The Magnifying lamp and footswitch are probably the two most important accessories you can buy for your scroll saw. Bear Woods sell a combo pack with both for $102.
Included in this pack: 2 essentials to make scrolling easier and more fun! (Click on any Product to read more)
- A bright, High Quality Lamp with a powerful magnifying lens (yes, it has a cover too)
- A Deadman Style Footswitch - don't take your hands off your work to shut off your scroll saw! Always use a footswitch - this is a safer way to scroll.
- Our lamp can be clamped to your saw, or to a table or shelf nearby.
- The footswitch works with any scroll saw - just plug your saw into the footswitch, and then the footswitch into the wall!