# What do you guys do ?



## thecoder (8 Nov 2011)

I'm intrigued at what kind of work you guys can do with a scroll saw what in general terms are they used for ?

Dave


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## Chippygeoff (9 Nov 2011)

Hi Dave.

I believe there are two kinds of scroll saw people, one is where people just do it for their own pleasure and can take several days and many hours to create an intricate work of art like a bridge, the Eiffel tower and other items with many different parts. I really do admire the skill involved in a lot of the things I have seen displayed on the site for it takes a long time to acquire the skill and no how, it can only be learnt with practice, there are no short cuts. Then you get people like me who make things on the scroll saw to sell to craft centres and to sell at craft fairs. Basically I make anything that sells and there are many people like me who make things to sell but sadly items made will never realise there true value because of the time it takes to make a single item. Scroll sawing will never make anyone rich, I do it mainly because I love scroll sawing, I find it addictive and the things I sell are a bonus, it helps pay for the materials I use.

As to what I make. I make children's name signs. I am just starting to make framed pictures. At the moment I am making a lot Christmas tree decorations and other items related to Christmas. I have several craft fairs coming up so I am spending 12-14 hours a day at the scroll saw and loving every moment. I also do well with house numbers and house names. Over the Christmas period I will be designing new things for the new years craft fairs. I hope this has answered your question.

Geoff


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## puzzler (9 Nov 2011)

very well explained. could not have put it better
Regards Puzzler


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## thecoder (9 Nov 2011)

Chippygeoff":1i3tj3tn said:


> Hi Dave.
> 
> I believe there are two kinds of scroll saw people, one is where people just do it for their own pleasure and can take several days and many hours to create an intricate work of art like a bridge, the Eiffel tower and other items with many different parts. I really do admire the skill involved in a lot of the things I have seen displayed on the site for it takes a long time to acquire the skill and no how, it can only be learnt with practice, there are no short cuts. Then you get people like me who make things on the scroll saw to sell to craft centres and to sell at craft fairs. Basically I make anything that sells and there are many people like me who make things to sell but sadly items made will never realise there true value because of the time it takes to make a single item. Scroll sawing will never make anyone rich, I do it mainly because I love scroll sawing, I find it addictive and the things I sell are a bonus, it helps pay for the materials I use.
> 
> ...



Many Thanks for the explanation Geoff much appreciated...If I may stretch the original question a bit further and ask what would constitute a good scroll saw and what price range would expect to pay for it and any other associated tools blades etc..

Cheers

Dave


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## bugbear (9 Nov 2011)

thecoder":ghcu8wkw said:


> I'm intrigued at what kind of work you guys can do with a scroll saw what in general terms are they used for ?
> 
> Dave



In 1911 one was used for this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/norfolkodyssey/3322191797/

BugBear


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## thecoder (9 Nov 2011)

bugbear":2gt0jskt said:


> thecoder":2gt0jskt said:
> 
> 
> > I'm intrigued at what kind of work you guys can do with a scroll saw what in general terms are they used for ?
> ...



WOW ! :shock:


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## Chippygeoff (9 Nov 2011)

Hi Dave.

With regard to scroll saws it is a bit like, "How long is a piece of string." There are so many scroll saws on the market and sadly most originate in the far east and are mass produced to supply companies like Draper, Machine Mart, Sealy and so many others, they may look like different machines and on close inspection you can see that in many cases it is one and the same machine. If you are going to spend a lot of time at the scroll saw it will pay dividends to get the best you can afford for several reasons as I will explain, but firstly, many of the good scroll saws in use are not available in this country, saws like Dewalt, Delta etc. There are two really good saws available here in this country, the Excalibur range, of which there are three, basically the same machine with different throat depths. Then there is the Hegner range, considered by many to be the rolls royce of scroll saws, although I would differ on this and say the excalibur is better, having tried all three and this morning I ordered an excalibur 21 to go with my Dewalt 788. A third option is the AWFS 18 which is a clone of the Hegner scroll saw and there have been some very good reports on this machine and it is available from Axminster tools.

There are a couple of mid-range scroll saws available. I quite like the SIP machine. The problem with the cheaper machines is the vibration they cause when cutting, in fact some are so bad that cutting at full speed is almost impossible. This is why it is strongly recommended that all scroll saws are securely bolted to a solid bench as this will greatly reduce vibration. Another problem is blade changing, when you are on the scroll saw as much as I am you don't want to be fiddling with allen keys to change the blade so quick release clamps are essential in my book but they only come with the better machines. Another problem with the cheaper machines is that many do not come with variable speed and I find this facility quite important. Success with the scroll saw relies on three basic things. The right blade to suit the material being cut. The right speed and last but not least a whole lot of practice. You are not going to create works of art at the first go, it can take months of practice for some people, others can tackle more complex patterns in a matter of weeks. The best thing is to get a scrap piece of wood, something like 4-9mm ply and draw lines on it with some tight curves, tight corners and long straight lines and just practice. It may seem daunting at first but you will get there. If I can do it then anyone can.


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## chrispuzzle (13 Nov 2011)

I make jigsaw puzzles almost exclusively, and sell a few from time to time, although with a growing number of younger relatives I seem to be quite busy just making them as presents.

A very important issue when choosing a scrollsaw is the size of the throat, which will dictate the overall maximum size of the work you can do - unless you find ways to get sneaky.


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## TRUSTINGGIBBSIE (13 Nov 2011)

I'm more into the fretwork type of projects, like boxes, small tables etc. I once made a totally wooden clock that gave a lot of enjoyment as well as a LOT of frustration!! lol. I have it adjusted now so that it's accurate to within a minute or so a day. This is a pic. I think one of the most important aspect of the saw is it's smoothness, if you are going to spend any time on it. And blade changing speed.

Noel


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## mac1012 (21 Nov 2011)

i agree with chippygeoff about what people do i make craft items to sell in my spare time small child rocking horses , love hearts , celtic type crosses , wooden angels, wooden words etc, 

i have a hegner single speed 16 inch throat great little machine only thing i can fault is the markings for altering table cutting angle are not dead accurate but i usually line up with try square anyway. cost 375

used for a year now with no prob
my bit of advice would be buy decent blades no good having a great machine and rubbish blade !! also sturdy surface bolted down is better

i guess it what you want to do and what rocks your boat intricate patterns and projects that take days dont rock my boat but i admire the skill.

Start simple loads of patterns out there and you will master basic cutting in pretty quick time just take it steady you can produce good work relativley quickly you will learn a lot quickly and more you do better you will get !

Dont buy cheap machine the excalibur looks good i would have got a dewalt if were sold uk if i brought a bigger machine would go for excalibur purely because hegner large machines you pay about the same as a nearly new car !!!!

i was making and selling items pretty much soon after i started it not rocket science just patience and learning basics !!

Mark


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## scrimper (13 Dec 2011)

bugbear":1h9keavi said:


> thecoder":1h9keavi said:
> 
> 
> > I'm intrigued at what kind of work you guys can do with a scroll saw what in general terms are they used for ?
> ...



Late to this thread, My late grandfather made a lords prayer plaque exactly as the one in the photo, it came from a design by the Handicrafts company and was still being advertised in their 1932 annual, the actual size is 32" x 23 1/2" the plan cost one shilling plus 1 penny postage.

I have an original copy of this design sheet (No A12) by handicrafts however it is in very poor condition.


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