Monday, July 21, 2014

Dirk Boelman, master scrollsaw pattern designer passes away.

I just received word that Dirk Boelman passed away unexpectedly last week . Dirk was a master pattern designer and a great friend to many in the scroll saw community. He and his wife Karen run http://www.theartfactory.com/. They also ran the Midwest Trade show that so many scrollers looked forward to attending. Dirk was involved is the scroll sawing for veterans project. He impacted many lives with his pleasant smile and giving nature.

I only had the pleasure to meet Dirk and Karen once but it was an honor to shake their hand. Their contribution to our hobby is truly great. I want to send my sincere condolences to Karen and the rest of their family.

If you would like to send your condolences to Karen and her family you can visit this link. I know they would appreciate the support.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 21, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. at the STAFFORD FUNERAL HOME in Richland Center. Visitation will be held on Monday at the funeral home from 4 p.m. until the time of service.

Where can I buy boards for my scroll saw projects? Here are a few suggestions.

This word art pattern is 15 inches long and 5 inches tall.  Cut it from 3/4" wood and hang it on the wall.

Scroll Saw Ready Boards:

A question that I hear very often is " Where can I get cheap boards for scroll saw projects ?". Unfortunately there is no easy answer for that question. Lumber is expensive. Especially if you want to buy nice hardwoods.

If you have the tools available the cheapest way is to buy lumber in the rough and mill it to the thickness you need. The problem with this approach is that the tools to mill lumber are expensive. You need at a minimum a band saw with a re-saw ability of 6 inches or more. More is better. Then you need a planner that has a 12" capacity. It takes a pretty decent band saw to re-saw 12" boards so you are looking at above $1000 for that. If you go with a 6" re-saw capacity you are still looking at around $600.  You have to be pretty invested in the hobby to spend that kind of money. If you are very active with your scroll saw this is definitely the way to go for the long run. 

If you are very lucky you may find a lumber yard who will mill the boards for you but they are hard to find. They will also charge a milling fee so that's added expense. Even with the milling charge it will be cheaper than buying from Woodcraft or the big box stores.

The big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes sell a very limited supply of what they call craft boards. They usually only have Oak and Poplar. They will have 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" boards. I will sometimes buy these boards just for the convenience. I have all the tools in my shop to mill rough lumber but it's a lot of work and sometimes it's worth the extra money just to buy the boards ready to go. You often don't need a lot of wood to make a project on the scroll saw so that keeps the cost down.

The next option is to buy scroll saw ready boards online. There are a few suppliers who are very trust worthy and offer excellent boards. One such supplier is http://www.ocoochhardwoods.com/  . They have been around for quite a while and have a good reputation. They carry a nice selection of different species. The width's for the different species will vary from 6" to 12" and you can get them in 1/8" to 3/4" thicknesses. All the scroll saw ready boards they sell come in 24" lengths. A couple examples of pricing are: Walnut 1/4" thick X 8" wide X 24" long is $12. The same size Poplar board is $7.25. Of course the more exotic species can get more expensive. Wenge in the same size is $26.50. These are all fair prices considering they are ready to go. There will be shipping charges to add to the cost you have to consider.

Another source is Ebay.com. This one is a little trickier because you have to do your research on the seller. It's really not that difficult because Ebay gives you the tools you need to check out the seller before you buy. It's a good idea to only buy a small quantity from  an Ebay seller until you become more comfortable with them. To get started just do a search for "Thin Lumber"

Just the other day I purchased some boards from an Ebay seller. I bought 10 boards of Maple. They are 1/4" thick X 24" long in widths from 7-8 inches. The cost was $27.70 + $8.62 for shipping. This is the first order I placed with this particular seller so I looked at their feed back. They have a rating of 99.2% satisfied. That's good but not great. In the last year they have had 1669 positive, 17 neutral and 9 negative feed-backs. My order is small so I'm not too concerned and I'll make my judgement after I get my boards. I purchased on July 19th and the expected arrival date is between the July 25th and Aug 4th. That's just a tad slower than my normal seller I buy from on Ebay but not terrible if they follow through.

There is good news for scroller's when it comes to buying lumber. We often only need a small amount of material to build a project. Back before I started the Scrollsaw Workshop I would build furniture in my shop. The sticker shock for buying enough lumber to build a project was just plain scary. That was one of the major reasons I started spending more time on the scroll saw. I could still get the fun of working in the shop without spending hundreds on lumber.

It might take a little effort but you can find the boards you need for your scroll saw projects. For the novice scroller with a limited set of tools, online buying is a great option. If you are more hardcore then milling your own boards is going to be the cheapest and you will have more options available to buy your lumber.    

    
The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated. Make A Donation

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=KVD43MBSX969Q
Click book to purchase.

If you would like to have all the patterns in the Scrollsaw Workshop catalog you can buy the first six years DVD and the 2013 update DVD at this link. DVD #1 is $20 and contains over 1,100 patterns. The 2013 update DVD is $7.50 and has another 178 patterns.

This is the end of the daily posts. Keep scrolling for lot's more scrolls saw fun!






https://www.bearwood.com/
Bear Woods has been around since 1987 serving our hobby. They offer a wide range of craft products including Pegas scroll saw blades, clock inserts, toy parts, workshop supplies and much more. In my ten years of writing the Scrollsaw Workshop blog I have never received a complaint about Bear Woods. I get thousands of email a month so that's saying something about their customer service and quality products. Please support the people who support our hobby. Click now and visit Bear Woods.

Heritage Wood Specialties. Scroll saw ready boards!


Heritage Wood Specialties is a nationally recognized supplier of superior quality hardwoods to fine woodworkers across the US and Canada. Novice hobbyists and experienced enthusiasts alike can enjoy the high quality woodworking materials and kits available from Heritage Wood Specialties. Great source for scroll saw ready boards.

Seyco

http://seyco.com/
Seyco began business in 1986 with the goal to supply the best customer support and quality products in the scroll saw industry. I have worked with Seyco on many occasions and I can tell you they are simply the best. Please do yourself a favor and click the image above. Steve Good

Free Pattern Catalog. 1000's of free patterns.

http://www.stevedgood.com/catalog/

Thousands of FREE scroll saw patterns. No registration or signup required.

The projects form these patterns can be sold without restrictions. The patterns cannot be sold.

Click here for the Free Online Catalog.

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Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw Book $12 Each

http://www.stevedgood.com/woodenvases.html
Each digital book is available for download immediately after payment.
The books are $12 per edition and contains eight unique patterns each.
Watch the following video to see how easy these beautiful scroll saw vases
are to make. 

Order the $3 pdf Catalog

This is a PDF of all the patterns in my free catalog. It is for Windows only and has a program to automatically download the pattern to your computer. Please watch the video below before you order. Click the picture to order.
http://www.stevedgood.com/swpd/swpdorderpage.html
You do not need a PayPal account to order. At the bottom of the PayPal page is a button that will allow you to pay with a credit card. After successful payment click the Return to Merchant button for the download.

Stencil Printer 1.7

Stencil Printer Instruction Video.

The Scrollsaw Workshop Stencil Printer 1.7 is my latest software for creating patterns. It will create key chain fobs, desk name plates and more. Click the image above to download the latest version. It is free to use donationware. This software is for Windows PC only.

Scroll Saw Pattern Printer update 1.1

Scroll Saw Pattern Printer update 1.1
Download the Free Scroll Saw Pattern Printer Version 1.1. Create name patterns in seconds. Windows PC only.
Download Version 1.1
Please consider a $5 donation for The Scroll Saw Pattern Printer v1.1.

Scroll Saw Keychain Pattern Maker

Use the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker to start a small keychain business. Build yourself a nice display and make up severl keychains with common names. Sell at craft shows, on Ebay or at work. Everyone needs a keychain. Take custom orders. Heck just make them and give them away as gifts. It's all made easy with the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker. Watch the video demonstration then download the file below and get started with the fun.
The following link will start the download process. After the file download is complete just click the setup file and the program will be installed. Please consider a $5 donation for the program.

Download the Oval Keychain Pattern Maker.

Enjoy designing and printing these great personalized key chains. Give them as gifts, make them for fun or sell them at craft shows. It's easy, just watch the video demo then download and install the program. You will be designing these fun projects in minutes. Windows PC only.
Download the Free Oval Key Chain Pattern Maker. Create Oval key chain patterns in seconds.
Download Version .9a
Please consider a $5 donation for The Oval Key Chain Pattern Maker.

T-Shirts and More.

T-Shirts and More.
Show your love for the hobby and support the Scrollsaw Workshop. Safe and secure order fullfilled by CafePress. Take a look. You are sure to find something you like. CLICK THE IMAGE to visit the store.

The Lifter

Papa's Custom Patterns.

www.papasworkshop.net

Philip Lowndes Noah's Arc Pattern Available. Watch the video below.

This video is from Philip Lowndes. He is the designer of this beautiful Noah's Arc puzzle pattern. If you would like the pattern follow the link below.
Buy This Wonderful Heirloom Puzzle Pattern

Think Safety

Remember to keep the safety of yourself and others in your work shop in your thoughts at all times. Always wear eye and ear protection. Follow all the manufactures warnings that came with your power tools. If I demonstrate something on this web site that you don't feel is safe, don't do it. Your safety is your responsibility. Fingers are handy things, try to keep all of them.
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Disclaimer:
The Scrollsaw Workshop Blog is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts Magazine formerly (Scroll Saw Workshop Magazine) or it's publisher Fox Chapel Publishing.

Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts