Check out this exclusive look at Wayne and Jacob Fowler’s upcoming pattern book
SSW contributors Wayne and Jacob Fowler’s upcoming book, Ultimate Book of Scroll Saw Patterns, contains over 200 fretwork patterns and designs for scrollers of all levels. Find inspiration for scroll saw projects year round from snowflakes and Christmas ornaments to seashells and animal portraits. This pattern book also includes scroll saw basics, wood selection, tips and techniques, cutting, and finishing. Preorder the book now and find a sneak peak below with an excerpt of safety tips and two free patterns!
Safety FirstThe most important aspect of scroll sawing is to keep it safe for you and your family. Here are a few tips on how to make that happen. Doing fretwork with a scroll saw involves three stages: drilling holes, cutting the interior and exterior of the pattern, and completing the resulting piece by sanding and adding a finishing product. Here are a few thoughts on safety for drilling and cutting the pattern. Preorder the book to find out about safety tips relating to sanding and finishing a project. |
DrillingWhile you could use a power drill to create blade-entry holes for fretwork, a drill press is safer and more efficient. A handheld power drill is difficult to keep at 90 degrees for small holes, and you are likely to break a lot of small drill bits. I use a low-cost drill press from one of the big box home improvement stores and have never had any safety issues, because I do the following: • Always place a board, usually pine or another soft wood, on the drilling platform so you can drill through the workpiece without hitting the metal platform. • Always hold the workpiece firmly with one hand while you lower the drill to make the hole in the piece. You could also clamp the workpiece to the drill press table; however, you’ll have to shift position and reclamp for each new hole. • Always keep your hand holding the piece away from the moving drill bit. |
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ScrollingWhile scroll saws are relatively safe to use, it is important to be mindful of where your fingers are at any given time to avoid injury. Here are some ways to stay safe: • If you don’t have one, invest in a foot pedal to operate your saw. While it is a great timesaver, it is also an important safety feature. Scroll saw blades break regularly, and you sometimes lose your grip on a piece and need to stop the saw immediately. Searching for the off switch can take longer than simply taking your foot off the pedal. • When you are working under the table on the saw, always move your foot away from the foot pedal to avoid accidentally starting the saw and damaging your fingers. This should become an ingrained habit, so do it consciously until it is. • Dust is your enemy, so invest in some sort of dust collector. I have an overhead dust filter with a remote control that helps keep dust from the rest of the house. I also recommend wearing a dust mask rated to filter small airborne particles. These are readily available from local home improvement stores and online. • Fretwork involves fine blades, and you use your thumb to push the blade into the blade holder for each individual fret. This can do damage to the thumb that you use to push the blade, so put a bandage on that thumb to protect it. You will understand why when you see the bandage after an extended cutting session. |
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ConclusionIn addition to safety tips for the scroll saw, Ultimate Book of Scroll Saw Patterns also includes a variety of tips and techniques relating to tool selection, finishing, and how to display your work once it is finished. This book also contains hundreds of additional fretwork patterns that will keep any scroller busy for months to come. Find all this and more with Wayne and Jacob Fowler’s new upcoming pattern book! |
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