CRAFTS CRAFTS CRAFTS SPRING 2023 ISSUE 90 10 Cutting-Edge Saws to Check Out! FULL-SIZE Patterns Super Easy Stackable Dinosaur Puzzle Master Your Fretwork Cutting Skills Scroll Your Own Birds, Bugs, & Butterflies DISPLAY UNTIL APRIL 10, 2023 29 Compound Cut Flowers in Under an Hour! PLUS
12 Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts A good scrolling experience has everything to do with your choice of saw, so it’s important to find one that suits your needs and lifestyle. It can be exhausting to sift through hundreds of online reviews, so let us cut through the noise to break down ten saws you should know about—by feature, function, and price. What do You Saw? When considering which scroll saw to buy, think about the projects you’ll be making with it. If you mostly cut fine fretwork, ornaments, and smaller items, like Wayne Fowler (see his projects on pages 23 and 45), you may prefer a low-vibration saw that allows for top feeding and toolless blade changes. If, like Charles Hand (see his project on page 34), your fretwork projects include hundreds of tiny cuts, a built-in arm lifter and a quality dust blower are a must. Perhaps, like Rita Cels (see her upcoming project on page 9), toys are more your standard fare; if so, you might prefer a saw with a tilting arm to reduce the need for multitasking during bevel cuts. And no “ For cutting fine fretwork, I value low vibration, the ability to attach blades without a tool, top-feeding capability, and an easy-to-use variable speed control.” —Wayne Fowler Scroll Saw Roundup Check out our latest breakdown of saws to try, from budget to top-tier By Kaylee Schofield matter what you’re making, if you regularly work with thin plywood, a big table will provide even support to larger projects. If, like Judy Gale Roberts (see her project in the next issue), you specialize in intarsia, consider a saw with a perfectly flat table free of dips, as this is key to a tight fit between pieces. Carole Rothman, on the other hand, uses her saw primarily for boxes and bowls (check out her project on page 27). Thus, much like a compound cutter, she prefers a saw that excels at accurate cuts in thick wood. When you’re making scrolled bowls requiring precise angled cuts (like Dave Van Ess's project on page 58), you’ll also want to look for a table or arm that offers a wide range of cutting angles. The same applies if you favor inlay and marquetry. Things to Consider Price: Buy the best saw for your needs and budget. There is no perfect saw—just the perfect saw for you. Throat Depth: The horizontal distance from the blade to the saw arm. This determines the size of projects you can cut. Depth of Cut: The vertical distance between the table and the arm of the saw at its lowest position. “ I value a saw that cuts true, without much sideto-side or rocking-forward movement. A flat table is important, too.” —Judy Gale Roberts
I wanted this piece to capture the essence of a healthy partnership: relaxed, supportive, and happy in each other’s company. Cut one to give to the special person in your life, or make several to have on hand as wedding and anniversary gifts. Getting Started Choose your wood varieties; I used light walnut for the man and maple for the woman, but you can use any hardwoods you prefer. Cover the blanks with masking tape or blue painter’s tape, and then apply the patterns to the tape with a repositionable glue stick, making sure that the grain runs vertically on the man and horizontally on the woman (i.e. with the direction of the legs). Drill the holes for the eyes. The Couple Celebrate your sweetheart with a simple yet impactful cutout By Jean-Bernard Germe (“2virgule5d”)
Electric Guitar Puzzles Fire up the scroll saw and “shred” on these rockin’ designs By Tim Gilman I designed this puzzle as a gift for my brother, the lead singer of the rock band Greg in Good Company. At his suggestion, I then designed a bass, too! The main difference between a guitar and a bass is the length of the neck and the number of strings. The bass has a longer neck and only four tuning knobs, one for each string; a guitar has six. Either puzzle would make a perfect gift for the music enthusiast in your life. scrollsawer.com n SPRING 2023 49
scrollsawer.com n SPRING 2023 27 No need to gamble with your keepsakes; these scrolled vessels are a safe bet By Carole Rothman Pivot Lid Dice Boxes Little boxes that look like real objects are both fun and challenging to make. Attractive enough to be stand-alone gifts, they can also be used as containers for rings, keys, or other small items. These dice boxes, with their pivot lids and secure magnetic closures, add an element of mystery since the manner in which they’re opened is not readily apparent. The project is not difficult, but precision in all operations is needed for the pips (dots) to align correctly. Use a fence and clamps for drilling and be sure that the belt sander’s table and miter gauge are set accurately to the specified angles. I’ve provided detailed shaping instructions for the version shown, as well as design options that are less complex but equally attractive. The opposite faces of a six-sided die always add up to seven. Did You Know?
scrollsawer.com n SPRING 2023 41 Robin Segmentation This well-known songbird makes for a stunning stylized portrait By Anatoly Obelets The saying “the early bird gets the worm” may as well have been written about the American robin: these beloved birds can often be seen poking about in suburban backyards before sunrise, singing while it is still dark. I made my version using dyed pine, but you can use a combination of colorful hardwoods if you wish. Either way, it’s a fitting project for spring.
scrollsawer.com n SPRING 2023 45 Getting Started Using your method of choice, transfer the pattern to the wood. I covered the wood with clear packaging tape, and then adhered the pattern to the tape with spray adhesive. I prefer using clear tape because it allows me to see the wood underneath and properly place the pattern. Drill the blade-entry holes. Cherry Blossom Cross Adorn a hardwood symbol of the season with simple botanical shapes By Wayne Fowler Designed by Jacob Fowler When Jacob showed me this sweet floral pattern, I wondered how I might be able to use it. I later acquired a piece of cherry, which I found particularly beautiful, and decided it would be perfect for the job. Since cherry blossoms are a symbol of spring and renewal, a cross seemed a perfect subject, but you can apply the floral pattern to practically anything. It can easily be sized up or down depending on your needs.
Scroll a sturdy vessel for your favorite flower By Sue Mey Cut by Joe Pascucci Easy Vases This spring, why not display a favorite flower in a handsome vase you’ve made yourself? The designs are relatively simple to cut and can be completed in an afternoon; the hollow center houses a glass tube insert for water. Finish them as desired; you can use acrylics, stains, and dyes, or leave them natural as I did. Getting Started Cut the pattern blank to size, making sure that the sides are flat and at a 90° angle to each other. Cover two adjacent faces of the blank with masking or blue painter’s tape. Then use spray adhesive or a glue stick to attach the pattern to the surface of the tape, lining the centerline of the pattern up with the corner of the blank. scrollsawer.com n SPRING 2023 51
scrollsawer.com n SPRING 2023 53 Bold shapes and exquisite kerf details combine in this twisty, turny portrait By Fiona Kingdon Green Man Fretwork The Green Man, long seen as a symbol of rebirth, has appeared in many guises, notably as a motif in churches across Europe. Perhaps he’s there as a bridge between Christianity and the pagan beliefs that came before it. Foliate ‘green people’ of different names pop up in many cultures as malevolent nature spirits to be appeased, a representation of fear at the mystery of wild things, or a cheeky trickster who provides aid in scary circumstances (when he feels like it). Then again, perhaps Green Men are simply a product of our tendency to see faces in everything, even the trees!
56 Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Kids on Swings Eager to venture outdoors after a long winter? These intarsia children on swings embody that feeling perfectly. Have fun with this pattern and adapt it any way you want; customize the hair, skin, clothing, and leaves based on what you have available. It would make a great gift for a family member or friend—anyone in need of a little whimsy in their life. Cutting and Shaping Make as many photocopies of the pattern as there are types of wood. Apply the patterns to the blanks using repositionable spray adhesive, paying attention to the grain direction lines. Then cut the pieces on a scroll saw. For a simpler version, you could cut the girl's shirt from one piece of wood and omit the stripe. Remove the patterns. Shape the individual pieces with the sanders of your choice; round the branch, hair, arms, and clothing folds. Flatten and smooth the swing, and then create ripples on the surface of the leaves. Remove dust with a tack cloth and assemble the pieces on a length of tempered hardboard. Sketch around the perimeter of each section (the branch section and the swing section) with a pencil, remove the pieces, and cut the backers on the scroll saw, staying slightly inside the line. Glue the pieces to the backers and finish as desired. Once the finish is dry, hang the swing section from the branch section with rope. Add a hanger to the back of the branch and display. Sick of being cooped up inside? These intarsia pieces are a breath of fresh air By Kathy Wise Patterns for the Kids on Swings are in the pullout section. Advanced Project
scrollsawer.com n SPRING 2023 61 I developed this project for design and technology schools in the UK, as it is a fun way to help pupils develop woodworking skills and learn how to control movement using cams. The construction allows the duck to “waddle” as the wheels turn. The default design can be easily adapted, including to that of another bird. Make a wooden wonder that waddles back and forth By Philip Wilkinson Cut by Jon Deck Mechanical Mallard Getting Started Cover the blanks with blue painter’s tape, and then attach the patterns to the surface of the tape. Drill all holes as marked on the patterns, except for the two countersunk holes on the body right pattern. Be sure to drill the two vertical holes, centering them in the body center blank. Then cut all pattern pieces on a scroll saw. Cut along the perimeter lines (marked in red) for the head left, head right, body left, and body right; they will be cut to shape in later steps. Then sand the side of the wheel cam and lower beak to reduce their thicknesses by about 1/16" (2mm) so they can move freely within the toy. Sand the lower beak.
72 Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts I’ve had a fascination with flowers since I was a child. I enjoy learning about the many varieties—there are more than 400,000 in the world—and admiring their colors, shapes, and scents. Whenever I am a guest at someone’s home, I bring a bouquet of flowers as a thank-you to my hosts. This wooden arrangement will hold up for years to come—no special care or watering required. Getting Started Cover the surface of the blank with blue painter’s tape. If stack cutting, secure the edges of the stack with tape. Attach the pattern to the top of the stack, making sure it is centered, with repositionable spray adhesive or removable shelf paper. Drill the blade-entry holes for the frets, and then sand the back of the stack smooth with an orbital sander. SAWDUST (Continued on page 70) Fretwork Bouquet Stack-cut thin hardwoods to make multiples of this chic wall piece Designed by Daria Alyoshkina Cut by Robert Carpentier