Messages

526

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: A simple question regarding angles and Drillpresses

« on: September 14, 2013, 10:04:18 am »

Set the scroll saw table to the angle you want to use. Using the gauge underneath the table and lock it down.
Make an angle gauge by bolting or screwing two small strips of wood together as a hinge that can be moved but fairly tight so as to hold the angle for a while. put one of the legs of your new gauge on the table and move the other until it is parallel with the blade. That will give you the correct angle but you need to tighten the hinge bolt to hold it firmly. Now move to the drill press and using your angle gauge tilt the table to the same angle as the saw table by holding one leg parallel to the bit and tilting the table to match and lock it down.
A bit fussy and time consuming I guess but, it is cheap and give you a fairly accurate way of doing it.

OR....Cut a piece of cardboard to the angle you need and use it to set both the saw and drill press.
Just some ideas.

Rog

527

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Grain direction selection

« on: September 11, 2013, 06:13:29 pm »

I tend to run the grain with the longest dimension of the pattern. Example if the cutting is 8" x 10", I make sure that the grain runs in the 10" direction. It is not for strength, it just looks better to me. I doubt that a pattern would be any stronger or less apt to break regardless of grain direction on most cuttings.
It doesn't matter if the grain is vertical or horizontal it can still crack almost anyplace in the cutting but, I just think for aesthetic value it looks better in the longer dimension.

Rog   

528

Brag Forum / Re: Bird Pub

« on: September 06, 2013, 11:04:30 am »

I have made several bird houses and have done some reading on building them and I have learned......

Most birds don't like the perches at the door. It leaves a place for larger birds to sit and wait for them to come and go and wait for the hatchlings to take their first flight.   

Venting is a must to keep the temp cooler inside. The adult birds keep the eggs warm enough and they need to breath fresh air. (in your case a few small holes around the outside of the upper edge of the keg would help alot) 

Most birds do not like bright colors on their houses. This is something that people think is cute, birds not so much. And they don't care for the smell of fresh paint either. 

Birds do not really like new wood either. Usually it takes me about 8 months to a year before they think the "new" house is weathered and secure enough to live in. 

I am assuming that the keg you used is aluminium and while I'm not sure how they will take to that, I do expect hat it will get quite hot in the summer sun so I might recommend central air conditioning for your house.      (Just joking) 

I do like your idea and I think it is quite cute but, I think it will be more enjoyment to you and guests than the birds. 

Good luck with getting a new family in the neighborhood.

Rog

529

Tutorials, Techniques and Tips / Re: Custom portrait frame

« on: September 05, 2013, 05:01:29 pm »

I've made a frame clamp very much like what EIEIO's video shows but, instead of the "ready rod" (all thread) I just use a clamp to pull the center blocks together. Much less screwing around  and it makes the clamp smaller and easier to store and set up being in two pieces. By leaving the corner blocks a bit loose (just so they move easily) the whole rig is basically self centering and works quite well.

Rog

530

Pattern Requests. / Re: Puzzle pattern

« on: September 04, 2013, 09:39:14 am »

You could try cutting every other line on Steves pattern for larger and fewer pieces or even every third line maybe.
Draw your own pattern with as many or few pieces as you want. I would make a grid of straight lines for a guide say two lines horizontally and three lines vertically which would give you twelve pieces and just avoid cutting them straight    and use a lot of twists and turns.
Some people cut puzzles free hand all the time.

Rog

531

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: BB ply wood puzzle 1/4 think

« on: September 04, 2013, 09:26:48 am »

I've used the FD puzzle blades and liked them.
They work great for what they are designed for and lets face it, when you are using a blade that small (thin) and with so many TPI (teeth per inch) they are bound to wear faster than larger blades. Granted that the glue in plywood is hard on blades but, that is true for all sizes of blades. Just try the same size blade on solid wood and then plywood and see which one lasts the longest.
Jigsaw puzzles look and work best with the thinner cut that the puzzle blades have compared to the wider kerf of larger blades in my opinion.

Rog

532

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Which wood for which project?

« on: September 01, 2013, 04:51:47 pm »

Well, it all depends on what you are making and what you want it to look like.
I have used almost every type and kind of wood that you can imagine. From 3/4" plywood to solid zebrawood. The only thing that affects thickness is the clearance between the table and the upper arm. It seems that about 1-1/2" is the maximum.
As far as kind of wood you can try anything. Personally I do not like pine and cedar because it is too soft and splinters and doesn't make a clean cut. Then on the other end, zebra wood and ebony is just too hard and is hard on blades and slow to cut and is easy to burn.
Most people who do fret cutting use plywood any place between 1/8" and 1/4" thick sometimes 3/8", 1/2" and even 3/4" are used. Just make sure you use the good birch plywood with a lot of ply's and no voids! 
Some people who do larger 3D cutting (bowls, vases salt & pepper shakers for example) might use 3/4" plywood or cherry, maple, walnut and almost any exitoc wood available.
So, I guess that means "It's all up to you and what the project is". As you will soon find out, there is "NO right answer" to your question. Just do whatever trips your trigger and do like the rest of us and learn as you go and HAVE FUN!!

Rog

533

The Coffee Shop / Re: amazing photo

« on: August 31, 2013, 09:17:54 pm »

Brings back a lot of memories of doing nature studies alongside race tracks around the countryside when I was racing.

Rog

534

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Painters Points

« on: August 30, 2013, 10:27:08 am »

Why do you think you need to clean them?  That is called patina and it looks good to me.  Besides, the paint or finish adds weight to them for stability. 
But if you are seriously a neat/clean freak, I would use mineral spirits and a clean rag and wipe them down a time or two. 
Hope that helps.

Rog 

535

The Coffee Shop / Re: Large bowl turning

« on: August 27, 2013, 04:16:11 pm »

That thing is going to require two gallons of salad bowl finish and a mop to put it on with!

Rog

536

Pattern Requests. / Re: Mouse on Cheese pattern, made into box question

« on: August 27, 2013, 09:04:03 am »

I'm not sure what you are asking about and it would depend on how big of a box you want but.......

I would cut two or three wedges out of 1-1/2" (or even 3/4") material and cut the inner part of the box out of them as close as possible and stack glue them to get the depth.
 Keep the walls at least 1/4"+ thick. A lot of sanding (and or filing) will be required to get the inside a smooth as possible. Then glue on the bottom (same shape as the outside of the box) and sand the outside smooth.
The top can be done in the same manner only don't glue it on. You may have to use tape on two of the three sides while you sand one of the sides and then move the tape around to finish each side one at a time. I would use a slab of the inner cutout to locate the top by resawing one of the scrap pieces and gluing it to the inside of the top.
Glue the mouse on top and finish as desired.
If you have ever cut a bowl or vase, you will understand what I'm talking about and know that extensive sanding is just part of doing anything really cool. 
Good luck and of course you need to post a picture of the finished box and, it wouldn't hurt to post some I.P. photos also! (In Progress) 

Rog

537

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Boiled linseed oil

« on: August 20, 2013, 09:14:42 pm »

I agree, wipe it off as much as you can with mineral spirits and let it dry then, put on a brush (or spray) on finish.
Let's face it, a BLO finish or any other penetrating oil just won't work on plywood. You must remember that the surface ply is only 1/16" or less thick and just below that is a heavy coat of glue so there is no place for oil to penetrate to. Remember the last time you sanded through the top layer of a plywood project? Didn't take long to get into the glue or next layer of wood did it? That is all the wood that the oil has to soak into. 
Penetrating oil of any kind is just what it says it is and needs to penetrate into a thicker piece of wood. I use it a lot to pop the grain on all kinds of solid wood and have good luck with it but with plywood I usually go to shellac cut 50/50 with alcohol to seal the pores of the wood for finishing. 

Rog

538

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Some blades just don't cut it!!!

« on: August 16, 2013, 10:18:46 pm »

That is A LOT of heat and pressure!! Slow down a bit and take your time! Scroll saws were not meant to cut 1/4"  steel plate.

Rog

539

The Coffee Shop / Re: When did the customer stop being RIGHT?

« on: August 15, 2013, 08:17:11 pm »

I really enjoyed reading that article. Thanks for posting it.
The one that really gets me POed is the county courthouse people. They not only take their own sweet time doing anything and demanding paperwork from eight years ago, they act like they are doing you a favor just being there. HEY YOUNG LADY! My taxes pay your salary and YOU WORK FOR ME!
I guess that my business at an establishment also pays the salesperson's salary too but, it seems that government people in general, think that they are the bosses and you should do what THEY say or want you to do.
The whole world is upside down from what it was fifty years ago. And yes, I was around and doing business fifty years ago. Infact, I worked at a grocery store as a sack/carry out boy and made sure things got done the way the customer wanted them done. And I said "please" and "thank you" and was quick about doing my job also. I worked after school and weekends for $0.85 an hour and very happy to have the job.

Rog 

540

The Coffee Shop / Re: Where's Iggy?

« on: August 15, 2013, 07:52:53 pm »

I'm with G.B.. Titanium rocks! I've got a titanium hip. Broke it on a Monday, got operated on on Tuesday, walking with crutches on Wednesday was home on Friday and walking without aid buy the following Friday. It will more than likely outlive all the rest of my joints. 

Rog