My First Scoll Saw & Test Piece

[PeteG]

This isn't a review as such, just a few piccies of my new scroll saw, a Sealey SM1302, and my first test piece.

And here is the little beauty variable speed, 120W motor, throat depth is 406mm, maximum cut is 50mm and the stroke is 15mm.
It took me a couple of days to realise that the lever at the back not only releases tension, but if you turn it before locking, it increases blade tension.



Blade change is very easy with pinned and pin less, here's a few images of above and below.







The left hand blade was the one supplied, on the right is a number 7H 15 tpi from Hobbies.



My first test piece, probably a little too ambitious but I had great fun. The blades I ordered from Hobbies took a week to turn up, so I used the supplied pinned blade. The plywood was a scrap piece, 1/2", and not very good quality, the veneer was quite thin and prone to peeling, but there again the blade may not have helped. Not sure how long it took me, at least a couple of hours, I was standing so the back ached like a goodun after wards. Will need to sort a chair out once the shed is a little more oragnised, and better glasses



I nearly forgot I'd like to thank Jonluv for all his help and advice Thank you John, I'm a happy man.

 

[Claymore]

..........

 

[PeteG]

Eh Up Pete another scrolling addict! lol well done with the 1st attempt, my first attempt at scrolling fretwork rather than the Intarsia was so bad i gave up on it and now stick to Intarsia as the bits of wood are bit more chunky and less fragile to cut. I have cut a few bits of plywood and found it varies in quality as to if it will split/seperate but i only use it as backboards for the Intarsia projects so providing it doesn't chip big chunks out i'm happy with it.
One thing i have found very useful is a head magnifier with built in led lights for when i'm following fine lines on patterns and i have found it relieves eye strain. Nowt expensive just a cheap one off Ebay does the job.
Look forward to seeing more work
Cheers
Brian

Thanks Brian A head magnifier sounds good, will definitely put that on the list. I had to look what Intaria was after seeing it mentioned, again, it's another area of woodwork that amazes me after see what some folk make. I have a some Oak off cuts, only small pieces, but I'm going to try and make a few pieces of jewellery for our lass now have I the pin less blades. All the plywood I have is from builders yards, although I do need some nice stuff for my next project, so I'll try again with the ply, hopefully it'll be alright
Our lass reckons I should start making a few presents for Christmas, but I think I'll save that for next year when I have an idea of what I'm doing

 

[jonluv]

Hi Pete,
Glad you enjoyed the experience--- you will find the pinless blades easier to work with. Regarding magnification my first magnifier was using a plastic A4 page magnifier glued to an old lamp I had been given--- worked for years!

John

 

[PeteG]

Hi Pete,
Glad you enjoyed the experience--- you will find the pinless blades easier to work with. Regarding magnification my first magnifier was using a plastic A4 page magnifier glued to an old lamp I had been given--- worked for years!

John

Hello John I really enjoyed it thank you, and think it's a great little machine which should be even better now I have a selection of decent blades. I can see there will be a lot to learn, and lots of questions
Appreciate the tip on the magnifier, thinking about it, I may splash out and buy one with a built in light, it'll be handy for tying flies too

 

[Chippygeoff]

Well done Pete. I hope it brings you many hours of joy and you make some really nice things. It's nice to meet another fly tier. Reading your post it sounds as if you are well and truly hooked, as many have said, scrolling is addictive but looking at your first test piece I can see you will be a dab hand. Decent wood is also a great help, a lot of plywood is a bit dodgy and if you want to make some Christmas decs your best bet would be baltic birch ply, there are no voids in it and it's nice to work with as well. The cheap ply you find on building sites has no plaice in the workshop really but it's okay to practice on.

 

[jamiecrawford]

That's a lot more adventurous than my first pieces Pete! Is that your own design? It's great, like a William Morris print.
Question about ply - is all birch 'Baltic' or are they separate beasts? And if my local suppliers don't stick Baltic, what's the next best think to ask for? I'm looking for 6mm.

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Jamie. Baltic birch ply can be found in a lot of place's. A good builders merchant should sell it. Hobbies sell small pieces. In your shoes I would get the telephone directory out and look under timber and then make some calls. For value for money it would pay you to buy a full 8 x 4 sheet and have them cut to the sizes you want. You will find that one side of the sheet is perfect while the other side may not be so good but still okay, also you may spot the odd small oval shape on the back side, this is where there has been a fault and they have inserted an oval piece during production.

When I use 6mm birch ply I use a number 5 blade to cut the outside shapes and a number 3 blade for the internal cuts. After cutting the back will ned to be sanded to remove the fuzzies and also lightly sand the front, especially if you are going to paint some of the things you make. Acrylic paints are the best and birch ply really does take paint well, two coats will give you a professional finish but the secret to a good finish is having a really good brush and 24 hours between coats. Hope this helps.

 

[PeteG]

Well done Pete. I hope it brings you many hours of joy and you make some really nice things. It's nice to meet another fly tier. Reading your post it sounds as if you are well and truly hooked, as many have said, scrolling is addictive but looking at your first test piece I can see you will be a dab hand. Decent wood is also a great help, a lot of plywood is a bit dodgy and if you want to make some Christmas decs your best bet would be baltic birch ply, there are no voids in it and it's nice to work with as well. The cheap ply you find on building sites has no plaice in the workshop really but it's okay to practice on.

Appreciate the comments Geoff I called the timber merchants I've been using and they only have Marine grade ply apart from what I've been buying, not sure how this differs from birch ply? Out of interest Geoff, have you done anything fishy with your scroll saw

That's a lot more adventurous than my first pieces Pete! Is that your own design? It's great, like a William Morris print.
Question about ply - is all birch 'Baltic' or are they separate beasts? And if my local suppliers don't stick Baltic, what's the next best think to ask for? I'm looking for 6mm.

Hello Jamie Sadly not my design, something I found searching heart patterns, although I did incorporate the eye at the top

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Jamie. I have only used marine ply when I used to build boats and can't remember much about it now but it is very expensive and I would stick to birch ply. Other plywoods are not so good because of the voids. Yes. I have done many fishy things and the enclosed photo is my best seller. I did make a large fish for a mad keen sea angler last year, he wanted the name of his boat along the centre line and then a couple of weeks later he came into the craft fair and showed me a photo.

Talking of fishy things I was fly fishing on a lovely lake when 3 old boys wandered round, I had a couple of open fly boxes on view by my gear and one of the old boys asked if he could have a look, he admired the flies I had made and said that his grandad used to make flies, "of course," he said, "in those days they were all made by hand."

 

[jamiecrawford]

Cheers for the advice Geoff. I'm lucky where I live as I have a good timber yard, a Wickes, Screwfix, a great independent tool guy and a second hand tool shop, all five minutes away. Regarding painting, I was a decorator for years so appreciate a good brush Never painted anything this small before though! I'm also considering half-dipping some pieces, once I have a little stockpile. I have it on good authority that half dipped wood is in at the moment, and I'm doing a Christmas fair of my other stuff next month so it'll be interesting to see if the scrolled pieces sell. I know a couple who run two *cough* adult stores and they've asked me to make some bits for their trees. This is what I've come up with so far...

 

[PeteG]

Hi Jamie. I have only used marine ply when I used to build boats and can't remember much about it now but it is very expensive and I would stick to birch ply. Other plywoods are not so good because of the voids. Yes. I have done many fishy things and the enclosed photo is my best seller. I did make a large fish for a mad keen sea angler last year, he wanted the name of his boat along the centre line and then a couple of weeks later he came into the craft fair and showed me a photo.

Talking of fishy things I was fly fishing on a lovely lake when 3 old boys wandered round, I had a couple of open fly boxes on view by my gear and one of the old boys asked if he could have a look, he admired the flies I had made and said that his grandad used to make flies, "of course," he said, "in those days they were all made by hand."

That's very nice Geoff. Did you make that from one solid piece, or have you glued a few boards together? It was a question I had about glueing boards, if there was anything you had to watch out for when using the scroll saw?
I sometimes wish I hadn't started tying my own, but I had too many shop bought ones falling apart after a few casts. Probably spent more on tying materials than I have on tackle, but there's something a bit special catching on your own. I plan to make a nice fly box next year, once I have mastered a few skills.

 

[jonluv]

Hi Pete,
You could try Steve Good at Scroll Saw Workshop he handsome"Fishy" patterns not too difficult

Bye
John

 

[Chippygeoff]

I don't know what you have cut in the photo Jamie, never seen anything like that before but nicely cut. Glad to hear you are well catered for in the way of wood suppliers in your area and I hope you do well at the craft fair. A good tip. Take absolutely everything you have made on the scroll saw, you will be surprised, as an item is sold replace from your box of goodies.

Pete. The fish plaque is made from one solid piece of oak 20mm thick and that's a rainbow trout on the top. A tip for you, if you are glueing pieces together I would use some good clamps and leve them in the clamps for a good 12 hours but then that depends on what glue you are using.

Yes, it's very rewarding tying your own flies, especially when you get the big one. I used to supply some fisheries with their flies and in return have a free days fishing. One day one of the fishery people called on me at home to pick an order up they had placed and the guy came into my study/office and he saw the photo copier in the corner and asked if that was the machine that made the flies.

 

[PeteG]

One day one of the fishery people called on me at home to pick an order up they had placed and the guy came into my study/office and he saw the photo copier in the corner and asked if that was the machine that made the flies.

Absolutely fantastic Geoff, I hope you said it was :lol:

Hi Pete,
You could try Steve Good at Scroll Saw Workshop he handsome"Fishy" patterns not too difficult

Bye
John

Thank you John Just had a look and found this one http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.co.uk ... ttern.html

 

[martinka]

I don't know what you have cut in the photo Jamie, never seen anything like that before but nicely cut.

Geoff, look at the picture from the right hand side.

 

[jamiecrawford]

I don't know what you have cut in the photo Jamie, never seen anything like that before but nicely cut.

Geoff, look at the picture from the right hand side.

Like I said, they have two adult shops