New Scroller... any info on learning?

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mbeach

New User
Mike
I am getting a scroll saw in the next week or so. I have never done this before and want to learn. Any websites? videos? books? etc. to learn from that people recommend?

Thanks

Mike
 

sawduster

New User
Robert
Rick has a really good site for getting your feet wet
http://www.scrollsaws.com/

I will be more than happy to help any way I can and we've got some dang good scrollers on this site :icon_thum


ooooooooooooo you're gonna love it !! :icon_cheers :banana:
 

PChristy

New User
Phillip
I am getting a scroll saw in the next week or so. I have never done this before and want to learn. Any websites? videos? books? etc. to learn from that people recommend?

Thanks

Mike

Hey Mike congrats on the new toyl - Pics you know we have got to have those pics - I don't live to far from you - just give me a holler and I will help you in anyway I can - I have alot of magz that you can look through to see if you want to try any of the patterns -
 

CarvedTones

Board of Directors, Vice President
Andy
Practice, practice, practice...

Some things to remember:

1) Assuming you aren't using spiral blades (I don't care for them, but some folks I respect use them a lot), only the front edge where the teeth are can cut wood. This seems quite intuitive, but it seems instinctive to try to push the workpiece sideways sometimes. It doesn't work; I have tried several thousand times.

2) Most blades have a drift like bandsaws but usually worse. The natural tendency is to fight it by pushing sideways (see item 1). The better way is to keep orienting the workpiece so that the place you want to cut next will flow naturally into the blade. Feeding it diagonal is fine if that is how it wants to be fed; there is no fence and no jigs for most work and going to a bunch of trouble to try to get your blades drift free really doesn't gain anything.

3) When you get off line, most of the time a gradual return to the line is best. In some rare circumstances where you have pieces that must fit something besides the piece they are being cut away from you do need to get back on line immediately. But in most patterns being slightly off but having the line the right general shape is better than having even a tiny zig zag correction.

4) I recommend learning with 1/4" scrap ply, but also try some thicker and thinner pieces. I think you will quickly see why 1/4" is good. You want a little resistance or things happen too fast. Thick stock requires you to learn to go at a slow pace and is a lot more finnicky about having the tension right. It "bellies" if too loose and breaks easily if too tight because it heats up so much when you try to push it sideways.

5) You don't need to start with "real" patterns. Draw a squiggly line on some scrap and try to follow it. Glue the funnies to some scrap. Kids love it if you let them draw something and cut it out.
 

cskipper

Moderator
Cathy
A new scroll - Terrific!!!!!

Andy has given you a lot of good information. I agree that practicing with 1/4" plywood is a good idea. There is a great deal of difference in plywood bought from the BORG's (Lowes, etc) and from wood suppliers. The Borg's plywood tends to have a lot of voids, and doesn't lend itself to scrolling very well. After you have practiced some, and before you cut a "real" piece in hardwood, practice with the hardwood first. Blades tend to want to follow the grain so learning to anticipate that tendency and accommodate it is worth the practice.

Blades - if any came with your saw I would suggest throwing them away. Cheap and/or poorly made blades can make you hate scrolling. I'd also suggest that you don't buy any from the BORG's. Personally I love the Flying Dutchman's modifications (the link for Mike's workshop was listed in an earlier post - contact him and let him know what you are cutting and he'll often recommend a blade and probably send you a couple of samples), or PSWood's precision ground if I don't want the reverse teeth. Sometimes new scrollers break blades more often because they are forcing the blade, it's too loose or too tight. We all break blades on occasion, just don't worry about it. And don't hesitate on changing the blade - you will be able to tell when sawing seems to be taking more effort on your part to follow the pattern, or it seems that it's gnawing its way through the wood instead of slicing through it. Blades are fairly inexpensive, frustration is not. And every now and then you get a poor quality blade.

Know when to take a break. If you start thinking things like "I'm tired, but I only have a little more and I'd be done" stop. That's the time that I make my worst [STRIKE]mistakes.[/STRIKE] pattern modifications.

We do have some awesome scrollers on this site. Please don't hesitate to ask questions. Even if we've heard them before, we all need to think through them again. You can post here, or send us pm's. I promise to do better about checking in.

Most important thing to remember - is to have fun! Walk away for a few minutes if your start getting frustrated.
 

sawduster

New User
Robert
Re: Scroll Saw Workshop

Take a look at these contest entrants:

http://www.scrollsawer.com/features/2009-best-project-design-contest-voting.html

Robert,

Did you enter a portrait? I wasn't sure if there was one by you, so I voted for the one that looks like it might be of you instead - the guy with the horned helmet. :)

Naaaaw , that whole forum and magazine has changed so much over the last couple years that I'm not even renewing my subscription this year and I hardly ever go to the forum anymore :nah:
As for the horned helmet, how else am I gonna hold up my halo ? :rolleyes:

I also want to give a major +1 for Steve Good's site . http://www.scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/ I visit it almost every day and he has an incredible variety of plans and projects :icon_thum
 

CarvedTones

Board of Directors, Vice President
Andy
Re: Scroll Saw Workshop

I should check that out for inspiration. Lately it seems like all I do with my saw is cut carving blanks and waste blocks.
 
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