Just a quick introduction from someone very green to using a scroll saw. In fact, I acquired my scroll saw less than 12 hours ago and have done three keychains since. I started by making 2-3 cuts in a piece of scrap mdf before moving on to a pattern made with Steve's Keychain Pattern maker. (Thanks Steve for sharing this application with us!).
The scroll saw is a 2 speed mastercraft that is about 10 years old. I acquired it for $40.00 recognizing I might need to upgrade later. The blade I used is a #5. It came with the saw in a package, but I could not read any other information on it!!!
I've attached a picture of my first project below. I've got a lot to learn and lots of practice but it should be fun.
btw the wood used for this project was just under 1/2" think and came from a discarded drawer from an old coffee table. I think it is oak, but I'm not 100% certain.