Scroll Saw Village

Woodworkers of all walks of life all share one addiction…an addiction to tools. We’re always on the lookout for that new cool tool, whether we can use it or not!

I came across this miniature jigsaw the other day and I couldn’t resist writing about it. This jigsaw easily fits in the palm of your hand and intended for delicate/intricate work. Bundle it with the power feedback transformer, this little tool will increase it’s power when the load gets a little heavy. It looks promising, opening up possibilities for larger work. Or perhaps it can be used to cut down larger stock. Check it out. I’m sure your imagination will run wild too. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for their catalog. Micro-Mark specializes in small tools, perfect for woodcrafters and model builders.

There is a great article by Toni Burghout in the latest issue of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (Spring 2008) about dollar store finds. She found great items that can be used for your scroll saw projects. From salvaged clock parts, to clipboard blanks. So I thought I’d drop by my local dollar store to see what I can find. You wouldn’t think it, but what a great resource of supplies! Not only can you find items to use in your projects, you can find a multitude of products to help you make your projects.

Here are a few items that caught my eye:

Foam Makeup Applicators – These those wedge shaped foam applicators that would work great for applying stains. Just toss them when you are done!
Foam Brushes – I use these to apply BLO to my projects. I just toss it when I’m done.
Craft Knives – I found both the Xacto style of craft knife, as well as the retractable craft knives where you break the tip off to get a new cutting surface.
Roasting Pans – I use these as dipping trays for my projects. It hurts my feelings to pay $2-3 for a roasting pan at the grocery store. $1 seems much more reasonable.
Baster – Never thought of it, but I could use a regular turkey baster to ‘baste’ my projects in BLO.
Sand Paper – I found a lot of sandpaper. No need to pay premium prices for those.
Super Glue – Super Glue is a savior when you spend hours working on a fret piece, only to have one of the fragile areas break. Super Glue fixes it without anybody being the wiser.
Dust Masks - Safety is cheap. Medical bills are expensive. Kinda a no-brainer, huh?
Table Cloths – I’m a bit messy. So these make great drop cloths.
Popsicle Sticks – Great for mixing up small amounts of epoxy, or glue some sandpaper to sharpened Popsicle sticks. They make great sanding tools.
Plastic Cups – Great for mixing paints, stains, or whatever. Toss ‘em when you’re done!
Plastic Plates – Great paint mixing palate.
Emory Boards – Another great detail sanding tool.

This is just a few of the items I found. There’s so much more potential. So check out your favorite dollar store and see what you can find. I bet you’d be surprised. I’d love to hear your dollar store goodies. Post your finds in the comments section of this post. It would be fun to see what others have found.

Rockler Woodworking & Hardware is offering a free catalog to SSG Readers! If you haven’t checked out their catalog, you’re missing out. There is so many great products geared specifically to woodworkers of all types. From large furniture plans, to parts for wooden toys. They have a great selection of books, plans, and scroll saw blades. And every tool you could ever want to expand your shop into a lean, mean, sawdust making machine.

So grab your copy of their catalog today. You won’t regret it!

First Name: Last Name: Address Line 1: Address Line 2: City: State: ZipCode: Country: United States Other countries… E-mail: I’d like to receive the free “Log-On” e-mail newsletter.

When I first started scrolling, I knew right away that I needed to find better blades. I was using the Craftsman blades from Sears and my results were awful. Up to this point, I was lurking in the forums and heard of a few different manufacturers of quality blades. The one that caught my eye was a German company called Flying Dutchman. It seemed that people who use these blades usually buy from Mike Moorlach of Mike’s Workshop. Being new at this, I emailed Mike and asked for some advice on the type of blades a newbie should start with. He replied almost immediately and gave me some great advice on choosing blades.

He sells an assortment pack of 5 dozen of his most popular Flying Dutchman blades so you can try several different styles. That’s what I chose to do. And, while talking to Mike, I showed interest in the puzzle and spiral blades. Much to my surprise, he threw in a couple of samples of those blades, too! How cool is that? And best of all was the speed of delivery. I bought my blades on Friday, and by Monday afternoon, I had my scroll saw blades waiting for me in my mail box! You just don’t see that kind of service anymore.

You can find more information about Flying Dutchman scroll saw blades on his website; http://mikesworkshop.com/blades.htm. Mike is so confident that people will really enjoy using the Flying Dutchman blades, he’ll give you a sample of 2 blades of your choice for free! Try before you buy! You can’t beat that! Just shoot him an email and request a sample!