Need a BREAK and Some One to Talk To

[pddesertrat]

Home alone for almost a week!!!

Wife is gone, I've been scrolling.  Actually I have been working on this picture for over a week and have not hit the halfway point yet.  But I'm enjoying it, I'm enjoying it, I'm enjoying it.....



I learn three thing that are a help to me over the last couple days and thought I would share them just in case they may be of interest and a help to someone else.  Nothing earth shattering but here goes. 

1. I am a bottom feeder most of the time.  Because of the small holes I have to feed the small blade through (3/0 spiral), it is just easier for me to bottom feed.  I know, I know, I have tried top feeding many times and with larger stiffer blades, bigger holes I can do it but not with these blades.  A lot of times when I get the blade started up through the hole and start lowering the wood, I and not directly over the table hole.  This causes me to crimp the blade, some times which mean it is going to break within the next few times of use.  I found this helped me.  I took a thin felt pen and made intersecting lines on the table to,  judge where the hole is, sorta like "cross hairs" .  This has really helped me orientate them board to the proper place as I lower it.  I think I have saved many blades with this simple crutch.

2.  To start the blade into those tiny holes closer to the middle of the picture is very difficult with the low angle the board has to be.   Doing it with my arthritic hands is especially difficult.  Today I tried holding the blade with hemostats to get it started in the hole.  What a difference.  Much easier.  I do not lock the hemostat on the blade, that would crimp the blade, but use the hemostat like a light weight long pair of needle nose pliers.  This is a BIG help for me.

3.  The pin.  In a pattern this detailed, the drilled holes sometimes get lost among all the holes on the back side.  I have been using this little pin to stick through from the front, pattern side, to show me where that &*%^ little hole is on the back side.




There you have it.  I can finish this little highball ( Seagram's VO) and go back to work)  Forgive me if I tarnished my image

Seriously I hope this is helpful to some.

And clicking the post button did not work again, plan "B" "SHIFT", "ALT", "S"

[spirithorse]

Thanks for the tips, Paul,
I hope the wife gets home before you back-slide into any more bad language
(reference the &*%^ in your message) or before you have too many of those
highballs! (Just joking, of course).
Quite an impressive undertaking with that project.
God Bless! Spirithorse

[pierre62]

+1 spirithorse

[Kepy]

Wish I could trade places for a day or so.  Your situations sounds great to me.  I am a 24 hr care giver for my 95 yr old mother and that doesn't leave a lot of time for me.  Did escape for a couple of hours yesterday and made a run to the hardwood store.  Got a sheet of BB, some 1/4" aspen, 3/4" soft maple, 1/4" oak, and some basswood.

[rdatelle]

Paul, that looks like one hell of a picture your working on. I have the same problem you have. I also like putting the blade in through the bottom but like you said, when you get to the middle it's a little harder. I'll have to try your approach. I also have a little arthritis in my fingers. My middle finger locks up on me. Thanks for the tips.

[sawdust703]

Howdy Paul! Easy on that bad language, brother! Folks might accuse ya of hanging' out with an old truck driver like me! I too, am a bottom feeder. And have difficulty when it comes to getting' that @#%&$## little bitty blade fed thru. I've got carpal tunnel in both hands, along w\arthritis from hangin' on to a steering wheel & gear shift. So, what I do for me, I take a white out pencil & dab an 1/8" or so of the top end of the blade, use long handled needle nose pliers, & a flash light to get the blade started, then as it comes thru on top, I give it a slight pull w/the needle nose pliers, & I'm usually ok. It sounds like extra work, but as much fret work as I do, and with tiny blades, a couple of times, & ya got it down to a science! Enjoy your project!

[jeff44]

I find on bottom feeding if I ream the hole slightly with an awl, the hole has a smoother entrance to follow.  However when all else fails there is always my friend Crown Royal to ease the aches and pains of joints.

[pddesertrat]

Okay, folks I humble apologize for the inappropriate language.  Believe it or not on one forum I belong to I got edited for that and a stern warning...  but sometimes I get carried away.


I just experienced something this morning and want to mention it because it scared me a little.  Sitting too long at a scroll saw without frequent breaks is dangerous, especially of us seniors.  I'm serious here,,, blood clots in the legs are a real possibility and can be life threatening.  What made think of this is this morning I had a cramp, I hope, in the back of my leg that almost sickened me.  I am no wimp to pain, but this was a real pain.  I think it was just a cramp, but I am paying close attention to it because of blood clot thing.  Just be aware and take frequent breaks, get up and walk around for a while...  PLEASE!

[Toneman]

Yep Paul, you need to take breaks! Sitting on a stool and leaning over for long periods is not good for us old geezers! (72) I get up about every 1/2 hour and take a 10 minute break; if the weather is nice I go outside and walk around.

Tony,aka,Toneman

[Rover2]

I agree 100%.  I don't sit and scroll for more then maybe 30 minutes before I get up and walk around and Stretch the back and legs.  I usually have another project going on anyway so I will work on it for a while and them go back to scrolling.

[julief]

I've never been able to scroll sitting down, but the same applies to us standers.  Stop and stretch.  Staying in one position too long is not good.

[tommyb43]

Great tips Paul  AND What A Piece, You with arthritic hands Respect to you my friend and your skills.

I was treated for arthritic hands about 15 years ago and that was a 8 year period of absolute hell un-till decided i did not need the pills
and flushed the dam things down the pan (Wrongly Diagnosed)

I cant weight to see the final piece

Regards Tom

PS I use a .02mm airbrush needle thats 4" long bent at 90 deg 1/2" from the tip

[dirob]

Hi Bud a little bit off the subject but have to ask, did you drill the dust holes on your excalabur or is this how they come now?

[pddesertrat]

Hi Bud a little bit off the subject but have to ask, did you drill the dust holes on your excalabur or is this how they come now?

It came that way.  It is their dust collection set up.  Has (mine had) a shroud screw to the underneath that you could hook a vac to.  There was a light flexible piece that was stuck  from it to around the holes.  You threaded your blade through a hole in that flexible stuff.  I removed mine, the little cut out would hang up in there and I had to stop an clean it out often.  I would not be surprised if most people don't remove the set up.