The Scroll Saw Lady

I love my DEWALT DW788 1.3 Amp 20-Inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw, it is amazing. I used to use a very old Dremel scroll saw and you know what, didn't know I wasn't getting the best cut around until after I tried the DeWalt. Hey, being in the dark is not always a bad place to be. I scrolled for a long time using that Dremel and did a pretty good job too.

But once I sawed on a DEWALT DW788 1.3 Amp 20-Inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw, boy was I amazed at how little I really knew about scroll sawing and scroll saws themselves. It was like night and day. I tell you now, if you have the money and can afford a little nicer saw than the Dewalt is the one you want. If you don't have the money, than I wouldn't worry about it because you won't know the difference until one day you try a better a saw. For now.... a Dremel or Craftsman should do you just fine!

You can see one of these beauties at Amazon, where they have a great price on this saw.

I would love for anyone who decides they want to try scroll sawing, or any woodworking project, to send me a picture of your project and I will post it under Your Bragging Page. I want your beginning pictures and then we can all watch as you grow in your skills. I would like everyone to get as excited as I am about scroll sawing and wood working.

Send those pictures in, and if you would like a name and where you are from posted I will do that too. Send your pictures to; theladyscroller@yahoo.com

The best Scroll Saw book hands down is by Patrick Spielman, if you would like to start in Scroll Sawing and would like a good book that you can go through and really learn some great things from this is a must have book.

I would highly recommend this book. I used it when I first got started.

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Here is my latest work, which I did for my niece for this coming Christmas, so… be quiet and don’t tell her!

I know I definately am not a photographer but I think you can see some of the detail in this work, all done on a scroll saw.  Remember again, I taught myself how to do this.  It is not that hard to do, very safe to work with a scroll saw. (the most I have ever done is cut a finger nail and I have cut off more finger nails while chopping food for dinner).

My niece Breann just loves horses, and takes riding lessons so I know she will just love this picture.  She got her love of horses from my brother (her father) so, I am going to work on the little boy and his horse next for him.  Wonder if I can get it done in time for Christmas too?

I don’t come up with the idea’s for these pictures, I get them from “Scrollsaw” magazine, or buy them from one of many woodworking outlets that sell scrollsaw designs.  So, you don’t have to be some artsy fartsy to come up with this stuff yourself, I wish I could come up with this stuff myself, I would be making some money selling my designs.  But, no luck, no drawing skills what so ever in my future!

Some basics you should have if you are going to get started in woodworking.  Again, don’t spend a lot of money on these tools till you know you are going to love woodworking and know which tools you are going to use all the time.  Till this day, I still buy tools, I think I need at outlet stores, then if I find I really use them all the time I will replace them with better tools.  But, why pay a lot of money for something you only use occasionally?  (Unless you have a lot of money and just like nice things!)

Basics; My Dollar Store hammer works as good as any-one’s I am very sure, how do I know this?  Because I can pound a nail into a board just as good as the guy next door! So there.  You should have a couple of different size saws, now, here is one of those places where Dollar Store might be a problem, if you want to make clean cuts you might want to think about buying better saw.  There is definitely a difference in cheaper saws.  Also, give some consideration to a Japanese pull saw, they cut much easier and if you are going to start out with just hand saws in the beginning (as I did) then a Japanese pull saw is a good choice.

Okay, let’s go back to Dollar Store or outlet type items; get a set of chisels, a set of screw drivers, needle noise pliers, wrenches, different grit sandpaper, couple of sizes paint brushes (for staining and painting projects), metal straight edge and a combination square (to measure angles).

Go look for bag o clamps, not kidding, plastic clamps or all sizes and you will use them everyday.  And very handy to have around are small files.  These are the minimum tools you can probably get along with.

You are also going to need some type of surface to work on.  I started with some old cabinets someone had taken out of their kitchen and through a thick piece of plywood on it.  Not the best workbench in the world but it worked!  You could also go to Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, or any of those home improvement place and pick up what is called a Workmate, it is sort of cross between a sawhorse and a portable vise.  It is a sturdy little bugger and I have one in my shop for small jobs, I use it all the time.  You can start out with that as your workbench though.

Okay, there is your shopping list for today.  Next I will talk about scroll saws (oh it gives me tingles just to say scroll saw!) : )