Scroll Saw Village

I was digging through the archives of Scroll Saw Workshop and came across this blog post that I found really interesting. Steve uses polymer clay as an inlay for some of his projects. This is a great way to add color and adds a unique flare you wouldn’t find anywhere else. I think it would take a little experimentation on your part to hone the process, but I think there could be some really cool possibilities here. Check it out!

As many of you know, I’ve been having trouble with my RSS feeds.  This means that those who subscribe to Scroll Saw Goodies via email have not been getting consistent updates.  I’ve fought with this for awhile with poor results.  I finally decided to move Scroll Saw Goodies to another server in hopes that this will fix things.  I guess only time will tell, but I’m hopeful.  So, as of August 8th, Scroll Saw Goodies will no longer be hosted with Scroll Saw Village. 

This move will be a good for a few reasons.  First and formost, I’ll be able to fix my main distribution of my blog posts (via email).  Plus, each website has very different goals.  Scroll Saw Goodies is focused on finding cool resources and publishing podcasts on scroll saw related topics.  Scroll Saw Village is a place where scroll saw enthusiasts can gather, exchange information, patterns, and make a few friends along the way.  So while Scroll Saw Goodies was instrumental in getting Scroll Saw Village on its feet, it is time for these two very different websites to be separated so they can flourish on their own.

I’d like to thank everybody who has stuck with SSG so far.  Be sure to update your bookmarks and any links to SSG.  You’ll be able to find us easily at www.scrollsawgoodies.com.  There will be much more goodies to come, so stay tuned.

I also encourage anybody who hasn’t become a member of Scroll Saw Village to register for your free account.  There’s lots of great information there, lots of friendly folks, plus access to hundreds of free scroll saw patterns.  We’d be glad to have ya.

Happy Scrolling!

This summer, I’m going to try my hand at intarsia. So I’m reading all I can before I jump in. During my research, I came across a great series by Mike Mathieu of Midlothian Woodworks. He wrote a series of 6 blog posts, aptly named Intarsia 101, on Lumberjocks. Mike shows the process of taking an intarsia project from photo to finished product. He includes a lot of great pictures with descriptions of what is happening in each photo. Check it out! It is well worth the read if intarsia is your future too.

I love my scroll saw, but there are other tools on my wish list too.  Like a lathe!  Wouldn’t that be fun?  It would be awesome if there was such a thing as a scroll saw/lathe combo.  Nah.  That’s just too good to be true.  Or is it? And if we make this wonder-tool ourselves, we can save the earth too!   Could it be possible?  Well, Roy Underhill can make it happen in his article Lathe from a Loft (Popular Woodworking, Oct 2000 issue). The Woodworking Magazine blog has made this article available in PDF format for easy printing and reading.  The article is a humourous approach to building this wonder-machine, but still includes detailed building instrucitons and photo illustrations.  Even if you don’t intend to build your own scroll saw/lathe combo, check it out.  Its a very entertaining read.

The Cook Family

One of the first forms of word art was calligraphy.  The beautiful swooping lines are certainly an eye pleaser.  Its no wonder why calligraphy is so well received and certainly offers a great scrolling opportunity.

RealfEZ creates beautiful wordart in Arabic calligraphy on his website Arabic Calligraphy For You.  He’ll turn your name into a scroll saw pattern in a matter of a few days.  So if you’re looking for a unique gift, or your family name in Arabic calligraphy, check out his website and put in a request!  You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll have a great conversation piece for your home!  Check it out!

Welcome to the new Scroll Saw Goodies.  I’ve been teasing the new design for the last several weeks, and now its upon us.  The new redesign is in fact a completely new website!  Scroll Saw Village is a new online community for scroll saw enthusiasts.  Chat, share tips, exchange patterns, and just casually talk about our favorite activities.  I think it will be a really great addition to the scroll saw community.   But don’t worry, I haven’t given up on Scroll Saw Goodies.  I’ll continue to regularly blog and share the goodies I have come across in my internet travels.  In 2009, I’d like to focus a little more on the podcast, introduce some screen casts, and offer more tutorials.  It should be a fun ride!

I hope you enjoy the new website.  I worked hard to make this a comfortable and easy-to-use.  If you need help, feel free to contact me via email, or leave a post in the forums.  Here’s to a prosperous New Year!

Happy Scrolling!

–Travis

Here’s a little update for those of you who take the time to follow my modest blog.

As you know, I haven’t been posting as frequently as I normally do. For that, I apologize. So what’s the deal? Have I been slacking? Nope. I’ve been working on a project that’s been keeping me pretty busy, lately. I’ve been working hard on redesigning the website. I’ve even added a feature or two that I think you’ll really enjoy. “What is it,” I hear you saying. I can’t tell you. Its a surprise. A New Year’s surprise! So, make sure you stop by on January 1, 2009 and find out what the special surprise is. I think you’ll like it.

Anyway, I’m still around and will continue to provide more Scroll Saw Goodies. Even if it is less frequent right now. But the end result will be worth it.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday season. Be safe in your travels, and Happy Scrolling!

—Travis

Here’s a fun project that would make a perfect gift for the little ones in your life. This Color and Shapes puzzle was designed by relfEZ of Tangible Art Projects. The pattern is provided in JPG format for easy scaling. This quick project can be easily cut from plywood or MDF. Paint the shapes with craft paint, a quick clear coat of acrylic spray and you’re set! Check it out. And while you’re there, check out his other projects. He has a lot of unique scroll saw patterns freely available for download. Very cool.

Dave Lampman has been doing lath art since 1979. He describes his work as “Casual art with a touch of understated elegance.” Whatever it is, it certainly is beautiful. Check out his online gallery of some of his work. Perhaps it will inspire you to give lath art a try. When you’re ready, head over to Lath Art Discussion Help and Examples blog, where he’s a contributing author. There you’ll find some great tips and more examples that will get you on your way!

This morning, I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that answers the question, “What are you doing?” The posts are limited to a mere 140 characters and is namely used for basic updates on what you’re doing or thinking at that moment. A lot of woodworkers in the woodworking community stay in contact with each other via Twitter. They share ideas, new projects and get advice. Perhaps us scrollers could do the same! Think about it. A network of scroll saw enthusiasts sharing their next project, answering questions, and ranting about how the fast food drive-through forgot your fries again!
Stop by the Twitter website and check out their video. It explains the concept of Twitter very well. After you watch the video, sign up and start tweeting! I’ve added my Twitter feed to the sidebar. You can also follow my Twitter feed by clicking here. Be sure to let me know what your user name is so I can follow you too! Tweet On!