Free Pattern - Birds - Kingfisher

I found this free online project over at the website for the folks at Creative Woodworks & Crafts Magazine. The pattern is by Roy King, Scott Kochendorfer, and Bob Valle of White Tail Designs, Ltd.

I really like the shape of this plaque, very unique from your average run of the mill square, round and rectangular framing. I also like the idea of using a Kingfisher for the design, very different from all of the Cardinal, Bluejay and Hummingbird patterns that are available.

If you love to do birds & wildlife scenes this should be right up your alley. The fret work plaque that you see above measures 1/4" x 10" x 7" and was cut from Maple.

If you would like to make one of these, you can read the instructions here, and download a pdf here.

If you like to learn more about these small, brightly colored birds you can visit the Kingfisher page at Wikipedia .

Free Pattern - Equestrian - "Grazing"

I'm always on the lookout for more new places to get patterns, I found another great source for scroll saw patterns, Old Griz Scroll Art. The patterns are the design of Tom Mullane, Tom is a prolific designer and has some beautiful patterns available for sale, there must be something her for just about everyone, wild animals, farm animals, pets, antique and steam tractors, cars, boats, cartoons, religious, and just about everything else under the sun.

Looks like Tom has reduced his prices to help us fight inflation, most of the patterns appear to be $5.00 and are delivered by email or can be sent snail mail(extra$$)

If your a horse lover & fanatic, or know someone who is, this would make a welcome gift. Tom has been gracious enough to provide this pattern free, the pattern is titled "Grazing" and you can get a free download here>>>> "Grazing"

Woodsmith's Weekly Tips

Woodsmith magazine has a free weekly tip that you can get delivered right to your inbox each week . These tips are not the same old stuff, recycled month after month, these are some great tips and helpful techniques from the pages of Woodsmith, Workbench & Shop Notes magazines. Check out this flush trim tip. Simple Flush Trim Fence

If you'd like to sign up, the sign up page is here.

Working With Reverse Tooth Blades - Tips

Personally I prefer cutting with skip tooth blades for the majority of my projects, but sometimes you want a nice clean splinter free cut on the backside too, especially when using plywood. Quite a few people don't like reverse tooth blades because they make the work vibrate and jump up and down to much. Saws that are sold in the U.S. have a hold down foot. I removed mine because it's always in the way, and if you look at pictures that others have posted of their scroll saws on the internet, they have probably removed their hold down feet for the same reason.

There are a couple of things you can do to reduce the vibration from this type of blade.

• Select a smaller blade than you would normally cut with, one with more t.p.i, the first tooth facing up will be smaller and lift up on your workpiece with less force than a larger more aggressive blade would, you'll also get a better finish with a few more teeth.
  
• I run my reverse tooth blades a little bit faster than other styles of blades, this also seems to help reduce vibration.
• Only use the first 2 - 3 reverse cut teeth of the blade.
• Consider using a reverse skip tooth blade.
  
• Don't force the cut, take your time and let the blade do the work, your using this type of blade because it will save you lots of time from sanding later on.

Another suggestion that I have to make using reverse tooth blades easier to use is to take a couple of minutes and mark the first upward cutting tooth with a bright, contrasting color such as white, red, orange or any other color that you are comfortable with, this will make that first tooth much easier to see when adjusting the blade.

When adjusting the blade, don't use more than the first 2 - 3 reverse teeth on the bottom and bring them just above the surface of the piece that you are cutting, there is no benefit in using more, or all of the teeth, doing this and it will only cause more vibration.

Please note that I don't condone removing guards and other safety devices, always use guards and other safety devices such as safety glasses, hold downs, feather boards, push sticks, etc. were appropriate.

I removed the hold down foot on my scroll saw because I believe that it's only function is to help hold the work piece to the table, which I can do with my hands/fingers. I don't consider it a safety device and as such have removed it. I have kept it for future use if needed.

Note: The blade pictured above is an Olson - FR446R - #5R Reverse Skip Tooth Blade, Width.038 - Thick - .016 , TPI - 12.5 , with the first reverse tooth painted red by me.

Caring For Your Scroll Saw

Here are some basics for taking care of your scroll saw. Your new saw is an investment and should be treated as such. Before you do anything take some time to read and understand the user's manual, doing so will save you time, money and possibly a painful personal injury.

Care of the Table Top:

• Your scroll saw table is not a workbench or storage unit, don't pile junk on it or perform repair work on it.
• Do not set or spill liquids on it.
• Don't drop tools and other hard objects that can ding and gouge up the tabletop.
• If you use nails or screws to stack cut make sure that they don't protrude through the bottom of your workpiece and scratch up the tabletop.

One of the first things that you should consider, especially if you have a cast iron or aluminum scroll saw table is to clean and apply a protectant, such as a product like Top-Coat or a good quality past wax to inhibit rust and corrosion. My saws table is made of cast iron, I prefer Johnson paste wax. First I clean the top with a light solvent like mineral spirits, thoroughly dry the top and apply a light coat of wax, let it dry and then buff off the excess, this will protect your table from rust and make wood easier to move. Don't apply to much or the wax will come off on your projects, less is more here. Another option here is a product like topcoat, some people don't like products that contain silicone as they can cause problems finishing later on, so keep that in mind when choosing products like these.

As hard as we might try, most people end up with some rust, especially if your shop is in an unheated garage or in the basement. If the rust is very light I like to use green scotch-brite pads either buy hand or clamped into my 1/4 sheet sander to remove the corrosion. For heavier rust or to remove some scratches use 400 wet/dry paper or an equivalent grade of emery cloth in a flat sanding block or glued to a block of wood, along with a light lubricant like WD-40 to remove the imperfections from your top. Sand in the direction of the machining marks that are already in the table or if you want to remove those too, use a circular motion till you remove the imperfections, be careful not to make low spots, move evenly all over the top. then clean thoroughly with a solvent, dry, and apply a coat of your favorite protectant.

If your saw has a table top made of aluminum, another good option to clean, lubricate and protect it is a product called Never - Dull "Magic Wading Polish", this is some great stuff, works on all non-ferrous metals, brass, gold, silver, etc. You can find it at car care stores or at a local boat shop. Wear gloves when using this product, because you won't believe how black it will make your hands. After cleaning with the Never Dull I would still apply a light coat of wax, this will prevent the black oxide streaks on your project. I have an aluminum router table that I clean like this, for just that reason.

Clean is Good !

Every time you use the saw you should vacuum the entire saw top too bottom, sawdust attracts moisture which creates corrosion.

Next up is the places that you can't vacuum. Depending on how much scrolling that you do and the frequency this might be best done every day, week, month, quarterly, etc. Make a schedule and stick to it. This will require you to remove the saw if bolted down to a stand, remove access covers and brush and blow accumulated dust with compressed air in areas that are normally inaccessible. This will make your saw last longer, perform better and be worth more when and if you want to trade up.

Lubricate

Follow the manufacturers instructions specifically for your saw on what kinds of lubricant, and where to use them, carefully wipe off the excess as it will only attract sawdust and dirt. If you find something that you think needs to be lubed but is not in the book, try paraffin wax or a dry lubricant like Liquid Wrench dry lube, etc.

Shake -n - Rattle

Take a few moments and go over the entire saw and look for loose screws nuts and bolts. If your scroll saw isn't bolted down to the stand or table, take the time to properly fasten it, you will be amazed at how this reduces vibration. If you can't bolt the machine down, try using C or F clamps to hold it to your work surface.

Cords

Do a visual inspection of your cords for fraying, missing insulation etc. If you don't have the saw plugged into a GFI outlet, but you have one somewhere else in the house/shop, plug it in to test the saw.

A little prevention should go a long way to keep you scrolling smoothly!

"In His Arms" - Plaque

I finished making this Plaque the other day, I really like it for it's simplicity. The plaque is cut from 3/4" Red Oak and has 3 coats of clear oil based polyurethane to protect it. It was cut with #3 skip tooth Pegus blades.

The pattern is the original artwork of Robin Balls, Malvern, England; his inspiration for this artwork came from Mark 10:14; the famous "Suffer the little children to come unto me..." verse.

If you are interested in making a plaque like this for yourself the pattern can be found in the Holiday 2007 (pg. 54) issue of Scrollsaw Woodworking & Crafts magazine.

If you would like to view a larger picture of this project you can visit my photo gallery