Scroll Saw Village

It looks like we have a pretty dedicated group of scrollers. We had 112 people vote. 39% spend 4-10 hours/week scrolling. And 1/4 of our visitors spend 10-20 hours per week! I guess that’s why they call it an obsession, rather than a hobby. The final results are below.

How much time do you spend scrolling per week?

• 0-2 hours –7% (8 votes)
• 2-4 hours — 12% (14 votes)
• 4-10 hours — 39% (44 votes)
• 10-20 hours — 25% (28 votes)
• 20-40 hours — 12% (14 votes)
• 40+ hours — 3% (4 votes)

OK. Time for a new poll! Since we tend to spend a lot of quality time with our saws, we have a ton of finished projects, right? What do you do with them? The new poll has been posted on the side panel. Cast your vote now!

What do you do with most of your finished projects?

• Keep Them
• Give Them Away
• Throw Them Away
• Donate To Charities
• Sell Them Online
• Sell Them At Craft Fairs
• Other

I think a lot of people would be surprised how much time goes into writing a regular blog. I probably spend 10-15 hours a week, researching, reading, and writing articles. It is a labor of love and I really enjoy it. To me, running this blog is just another aspect of my scroll sawing hobby.

I’d like to expand Scroll Saw Goodies and provide even more content. But I can’t do it alone. I need your help. There are a lot of ways you can support SSG.

• Spread the word. Readers is what keeps bloggers motivated, and I’m no different. I’d like to expand the SSG readership. So the best way to support SSG is to tell people about it! That’s it! Let your friends, clubs, and neighbors know about SSG.
• Link to me. Most search engines calculate the number of links to a website to determine a page ranking. Naturally, the higher the page ranking, the more traffic. Higher traffic translates into a wider readership. So if you have a website, blog, or social networking profile, link to SSG! If you have a scroll saw related website, we can also do a link exchange.
• Suggest a site. I have a knack for finding websites that have something to offer scrollers. But the internet is a big place. I can’t find everything. So if you know of a website, an article, or video that you think SSG readers would enjoy, shoot me an email and tell me about it so I can share it with other scrollers!
• Leave a comment. Post an opinion, correction, or an ‘atta-boy’ in the comments section of each post. I love to receive feedback. Plus its a great way to add additional information. You can also leave a quick messsage in the shoutbox on the sidebar.
• Shop the SSG store. I have set up an Amazon store where I have selected books, tools, and other items I feel scroller would enjoy. Anything purchased through the store, I get a small kickback. Since the store is run by Amazon, you can rest assured that it is safe and you’ll get top notch service. Proceeds are used to expand the website and provide better content.
• Shop Rockler. I’ve also added a few products from Rockler to the sidebar that may interest you. Rockler is a great woodworking store and has a lot of products that would benifit scrollers. I also get a small kickback for any items purchased through these links. So take a look next time you’re in the market for some woodworking tools. I also get a few cents for catalog referrals. So if you’d rather have a print version of their catalog, you can request one here.
• Buy me a cup of coffee. After a long week of blogging, I just need to treat myself to a cup of joe. And coffee always tastes better when somebody else buys. So if you appreciate the website and would like to buy me a cup of coffee, you can click the Donate button below and send a dollar or two my way. I’ll think of you fondly as I sip my tasty beverage.

  

I hope you continue to enjoy Scroll Saw Goodies. I really enjoy writing it. I write every weekday, excluding holidays, so there’s always something new to read. So be sure to check back often for more Scroll Saw Goodies. You can also subscribe to get the articles delivered via email. The subscription form is on the sidebar.

Thank you for your support and happy scrolling!

—Travis

The results our in on our little web poll. There were 40 votes all together. Most listen to music while scrolling. But 10% prefer to be left alone with their thoughts. I prefer to listen to audio books. That the only way I get any reading done! Anyway, the final results are below.

What do you listen to while scrolling?

• Music - 67% (27 votes)
• Talk Radio – 15% (6 votes)
• Podcasts - 2% (1 vote)
• Audio Books – 5% (2 votes)
• Nothing - 10% (4 votes)
• Other - 0% (no votes)

Now its time for our next poll. Lets see how much quality time you spend with your beloved saw. I’ll leave this poll up until the end of the month. Cast your ballots now!

How much time do you spend scrolling per week?

• 0-2 hours
• 2-4 hours
• 4-10 hours
• 10-20 hours
• 20-40 hours
• 40+ hours

What kind of scroll work do you do most often?

• Fretwork
• Portraits/Wildlife
• Puzzles
• Intarsia
• Segmentation
• Compound Cutting
• Inlay/Marquetry
• Other

I’ve created a new poll and located on the right column of the web page. The poll will be up for 30 days or until I’m satisfied with the response. I’ve chosen to break up fretwork and portraits/wildlife into two sections. I realize portraits is technically fretwork. But I wanted to separate those who specialize in portraits from those who do other types of fretwork (ie, clocks).

So go ahead and cast your vote. It will be fun to see what kind of scrollwork people favor.

Here’s the last SSG Toy Drive update for 2007. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as planned. We had plenty of curiosity with about 30 click-throughs. But no purchases. The plan was using any commissions earned through the Amazon ads to buy toys for children that wouldn’t otherwise have a Christmas. Although we did not earn any commissions this year, I went out and bought a couple board games anyway and donated them to Toys For Tots on behalf of SSG.

Although the toy drive didn’t work in our favor this year, I think I’ll do it again next year. Perhaps with a wider readership we’ll be able to buy a lot of goodies for the little ones next year.

Thank you all for your interest and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

We’ve got 4 days left for our little Toy Drive. Unfortunately, the most response we’ve got is several click-throughs. No purchases. So if you are going to purchase anything through Amazon this year for the holidays, please use these links. The commission I receive as a result of these links will be used to buy toys for Toys for Tots. You can read about our little toy drive here.

Well, here’s the weekly update on the SSG Toy Drive for Toys For Tots. Its pretty much the same story as last time. This week we’ve received an additional 7 click-throughs, but no purchases. If you are going to purchase anything from Amazon for the holidays, please use the Amazon links on this page. The commission earned from the purchases made from these links will be used to buy toys for Toys For Tots. We only have 10 more days to make this work, so shop shop shop!

And now back to your regularly scheduled program.

The SSG Toy Drive has been up for about two weeks now. So far, we’ve only received 14 click-throughs, but no purchases. There is an Amazon banner ad at the top of this web page. I also have an Amazon search tool to the upper right corner of this web page to get you started. Remember, these are Amazon links only. I receive no personal information. I merely get a commission based on sales as a result of these links. I will then use that money to buy toys for Toys For Tots. So if you are going to buy from Amazon this Christmas, please use the links on this page so we can make a child’s Christmas extra special this year.

You can read more about the SSG Toy Drive here. You can also find more information on the Amazon Affiliate program here.

Thank You and Happy Holidays,
Travis

Christmas is around the corner. The stores have had their decorations up since September. And we all get caught up in the frenzy of Christmas. But its also the time of year when we step back and realize how lucky we truly are.

One of my favorite charities is Toys For Tots. It’s a great charity and you can read about them here. It’s a nice feeling to buying a toy for a child in need. It’s amazing how many cool toys you can find for under $10. So little goes so far.

Since I have a small, but growing readership, I thought I’d try something new. I joined Amazon’s affiliate program. For each referral that results in a sale, I receive 4% of that sale. I will use the money earned to purchase toys for children who wouldn’t otherwise have a Christmas. 4% may not seem like much, but with even a $25 purchase, $1 will go toward the purchase of a toy. If 10 people does this, a child will have something to open on Christmas morning.

So, if you are going to purchase anything through Amazon this year, please use the Amazon links on this page. Help make a child’s Christmas extra special this year. Spread the word to others too. The more who participate, the more toys we can buy.

Merry Christmas everybody!

OK. Here’s The Fine Print:
I will keep these links up until Dec. 23rd, 2007. All proceeds that result from these links will go toward purchasing toys for Toys for Tots. They will be donated at my local Toys For Tots drop-off. I am not affiliated with Toys for Tots. I’m just a guy who wants to make Christmas special for some deserving kids. I will keep everyone up to date on the progress of our little fund raiser. Cheers!

I’ve added a poll to the top of the blog. “How many projects do you have going at one time?” I’ll keep the poll up enough for me to be satisfied. Since this is a new blog and will take awhile for it to be discovered, this poll may end up running for 60 days or so. When the polls end, I’ll post the end results here and put up another poll. It would be fun to see what our dear readers think about certain topics. Until then, be sure to vote!