Full-Time RV - Scroll Saw or Woodturning

[BKind2Anmls]

My husband and I are preparing to sell our house and move into an RV full time to see the country for 15 to 20 years before we settle down to stationary retirement.

Space is at a premium but I did want to take a little bit of woodworking along to do while he is out trying out all of the golf courses.

I need to decide between my midi lathe or my scroll saw. I'm hoping some of you may be willing to give me some considerations I have not thought of.

The pros of a lathe is that I can grab a branch on the side of the road and make something out of it. I will take my chuck, carbide tools, sand paper, etc and set the lathe up on a folding WorkMate.

With the scroll saw, I like marquetry. I have a lot of veneer and could carry enough in a box to last me the rest of my life. I could purchase plywood along the way and create pictures that could be framed. I have a portable vacuum bag that uses a pump to create pressure. Also, the only accessories I really need are the blades...unlike a lathe.

I will not have my bandsaw, drill press, grinder or any other large tool and very few small tools. Maybe an ROS and a basic toolbox for repairs.

Has anyone traveled with either tool and does anyone have any ideas?

BTW, I will be setting up outside to do my actual woodworking when we stop somewhere.

 

[ehpoole]

I would expect a scrollsaw to travel very nicely. Many apartment dwellers use scroll saws indoors as a means of woodworking without any formal shop space, simply setting up on the kitchen table or in a spare bedroom. Back in the days before the mechanical scrollsaw, fretwork was a common indoor hobby practiced by housewives and children as a past time during spare time, alone or with friends, around the kitchen table using fret saws. Better still, if you use a true sine wave inverter (as opposed to modified sine wave) it should not tax the inverter nor your house batteries as the power requirements of a scrollsaw are pretty modest and will run just fine from such, so you do not have to be limited to running a generator or being near "shore" power to use the scrollsaw.

But I do envy you as there is apart of me that would love to do the same, though I doubt that I could ever truly part with much of my "stuff" (I'm too much of a "collector" at heart I suppose). Though, if I did, it would be my amateur radio gear that I would bring with me, along with all my photography gear as it would be a great opportunity for some wonderful photos of our great country.

 

[Raymond]

Susan, if it were me, I would take the scroll saw. The midi-lathe would still need more space and weight due to the other tools necessary to operate the lathe. If you have one, an 18 or 20 volt drill/driver with an accessory pack would complete your needs (drill bits, screw driving bits, and impact sockets). Whichever one you decide on, you have to consider the weight of lifting and shoving that tools along with its supporting equipment.

 

[BKind2Anmls]

Power requirement is a very good point. Both are 110 but I'm sure the lathe would draw more power. Thanks.

 

[BKind2Anmls]

You're right about the weight. Lifting the scroll saw in and out should be a little easier than the lathe. Especially when I'm in my 70's! I currently have the Hawk but don't know if that is the one I would be taking with me.

Thanks.

 

[Jim M.]

Well if it were me, I'd take the one which gives me the most pleasure using. Also if you get the itch to do something different than scrolling or turning, many Woodcraft stores around the country have wood shops and classes, you could grab a class or too to keep your skills up and then be on your way to the next adventure.

 

[TENdriver]

Susan, You'd lose some capability but you might gain a little portability by stepping down from a midi lathe to a mini lathe.

 

[ScottM]

I am a scroller 1st and foremost. Have you given any thought to pyrography or carving? Both are truly portable and mobile.

 

[McRabbet]

Susan,

I am considering a similar option. I purchased a 25' travel trailer this spring and plan some solo trips to see areas of the country and Canada I'd like to revisit or see for the first time. I'm not a turner so no lathe for me, but travelling with my Hegner scrollsaw opens many fun opportunities without lots of supporting equipment. I want to do more intarsia, so a Dremel tool, a supply of craft woods (Richardscraftwoods.com), sanding supplies and Deft spray lacquer are easy to carry; I also like the marquetry option and have plenty of veneer, a good vacuum system and bag to do that as well. And there are always ww stores to visit or the occasional shipment from Klingspor.

I have a good dual fuel inverter generator (Champion 3400 Watt) if I need boondocking power.

Enjoy your freedom -- are you doing your travels in a coach, a TT or a 5th wheel?

Rob Payne

 

[PeteStaehling]

It would seem to me as if the scroll saw would be more easily taken along even if you don't consider the gouges and sharpening stuff needed for the lathe.

Just food for thought, but another option that may be worth considering is a basic set or hand tools that can fit in a small-ish tool bag can pretty capable. I've seen some pretty ambitious projects done with no more than what came out of a little tool bag. Also carving can be done with very little in the way of tools if you keep it simple.

Another thing to consider is the size of the projects and what you will do with them in the limited space of an RV. That may steer you one way or another depending on your interests.

 

[sawman101]

Scrolling is my #1 love! I also enjoy pyrography. Nice thing about either is very little, or no mess to clean up, and you wouldn't need a dust collector either. The Hawk is physically bigger and heavier than almost any other saw, but definitely my favorite machine; I use a Hawk G-426, my #1 go to saw because it is the very best for top feeding, a real advantage on very fine patterns. Sounds like a great plan, woodworking your way across North America. Enjoy Susan!

 

[nn4jw]

I'll also agree that a scroll saw is probably a more portable choice for full time RVers. You might also consider that setting up a scroll saw outside your RV is probably going to draw a lot of interest and depending on what kind of things you make you might just pick up a fair number of sales right there in the camp ground. Maybe enough to make rent. Every little bit helps when you're full timing.

 

[Berta]

I would never give up my SCROLLSAW. I would get a mini lathe and a wood burner. Take them with my SCROLLSAW and go.

 

[junquecol]

Susan do you have a back up plan? What happens if one of your's health goes south? RV has to be replaced due to mechanical problems (not covered by insurance.) When you finally settle down, where are you going to live? Housing will be A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE in 15 years. Can you rent house while on the road, and still have enough to live on? Both fuel, and fees, along with replacement of RV will only increase in time. Will your income be able to handle this? The reason I ask this is a couple in Campers on a Mission did the same. Sold their house, and his very successful business, then hit the road. After a couple years, money started to run out, plus RV needed replacement. Now they live in a friend's driveway (dry docked), and he works for someone else. Things didn't turn out exactly as planned. Hate to be a spoil sport, just looking at friends experience.

 

[BKind2Anmls]

I've tried both burning and chip carving once and didn't do well at either. I figured I had enough to learn about woodworking without adding another discipline. However, I hadn't thought about picking up and learning an entire new craft. I also thought about giving up the scroll saw and using only hand tools for marquetry. I haven't tried this except for straight-line mosaic projects, but they did some beautiful work before electricity was even invented.

 

[BKind2Anmls]

We have about decided on a super c from Nexus. We like the safety of a C-class although there is more cargo carrying capacity in an A.

 

[BKind2Anmls]

Project size is one of the big reasons I was swinging toward scroll saw. Marquetry can be veneered to a box, a cabinet or put on a flat surface and hung as a picture. Like I do now, anything I make I would probably be giving it away and other RV'rs wouldn't have room for bowls, vases, etc. any more than I would.

 

[BKind2Anmls]

LOL, Berta. If you did that in a motorhome, you wouldn't have enough weight left over for groceries! The approximate 2,500 pounds most often available after the motorhome has been built has to include your water, propane, food, passengers, pots and pans and everything else. It's amazing that most of the blogs I read say that they fill up their CCC with only the "necessities."

 

[BKind2Anmls]

We've gone over all of that, I hope. People think that living in an RV is less expensive, but many times it costs the same as living in a house. Our plan is to sell our place and buy an RV with the proceeds. Then live on our military retirement and social security. There are many wonderful things to see and do in this country that cost little to nothing. We plan on doing this for ten to 15 years, then finally moving into an apartment when we get too old or too ill to want to do it anymore. We don't plan on going crazy with the travel and, being retired military, we can stay at Air Force and Navy Base RV parks. We want to spend 2-3 months in Washington, DC; then a couple of months in Maine, a couple more in Philadelphia, Canada, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia National Forest, etc....wherever and whenever we feel like visiting. We want to take our time in each location and really get to know the area. If you stay in a park for a month, nightly rates are generally 50% less than normal. The coach we picked out also comes with solar and a 90 gallon fresh water tank for boondocking.

After 10-15 years we should have seen enough of the country to know where we want to settle down. We just don't want to be spending most of the time we have left on a house and yard. It's wonderful for many people, but we want to try something different.

I know this section of the forum is about "General Woodworking" and I apologize to the moderators for this thread becoming an RV chat. But I do enjoy talking about RVing full time and getting other ideas about it.

Now, back to woodworking!

 

[Berta]

You, my friend, are living the dream!