WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE

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THE DOW C HEMICAL COMPANY WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Volume 27 Issue 2 February 2014 3Demensional Scrollsawing - The Low-down Presented by: John McCormick & Wayne Scholz Written by: Hans France

1 THE DOW C HEMICAL COMPANY WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Volume 27 Issue 2 February Demensional Scrollsawing - The Low-down Presented by: John McCormick & Wayne Scholz Written by: Hans France WOODWORKERS GUILD OFFICERS FOR 2014 President: George Hoffman VP: Jim Stevens Treasurer: Jeremy Noblitt Newsletter Editor: Tim Sabo Hans Francke Librarian: Ron Hasse Raffle Manager: Peter Leavens Webmaster: Richard Dell Program Committee: Pell Sherman Jim Kirkbride Wayne Scholz John McCormick David Webber Tony Knisley Is scrollsawing for you? There are choices in machines, between $100 at the low end and up to more than $1000 at the high end. There are also choices in the style; 2 or 3 dimensional. JD McCormick demonstrated how to execute three dimensional projects on the scrollsaw. It looks easy, but that is only so after hours of practice. JD demonstrated on a DeWalt 738. He has been making small animals; such as reindeer and dogs which are approx. 2 by 3 inches for Christmas presents. He has shown his work at several Guild meetings. How to operate this machine? First of all the table must be square to the sawblade. Sawblades come in many configurations. For his projects JD prefers a #5 skip tooth blade (about 12 teeth per inch), not too thick, but with the needed stiffness and strength. He precuts his blanks of cherry: 1.5 by 1 by 5 inch for a reindeer pattern. Such patterns are available on the web and in books. The reindeer pattern is attached to two sides of the blank with 1.5 inch wide double faced painters tape. He finds via Woodshop News. I found 1.5 inch wide tape at Lowe s and will try it. You can cut freehand, but JD prefers to clamp the blank between two blocks of wood; this is easier to maneuver and reduces vibrations. For his reindeer, he operates the saw at 1000 to 1200 strokes per minute. If you go much slower you risk shattering, much faster you have less control. How much tension do you need on the blade? A nice high ping (middle C for those with a musical bend) when you pluck the blade is fine; or you check how much/little the blades moves sideways under hand pressure. To start on your first reindeer, first do the outside cuts on the larger side of the blank because it doesn t require pre-drilling any holes. Use tape to keep all the parts together before you attempt to make the cuts on the second side. This allows you to make the delicate cuts for tiny reindeer legs. JD uses a Dremel tool to drill a small hole to make inside cuts. Sawing usually gives a smooth surface, so little sanding is needed. The trick is for your blade to follow the pattern line. Sometimes the blade likes to wander off the line. What do you do? The tension may be too low or the blade may be dull and needs to be replaced. You really need to let the blade do the work without too much forward pressure on your block. Blades are consumables and one reindeer may take 2 blades to cut. Focus your eyes on the point where the wood meets the blade, therefore good lighting is important. From experience you will learn what works best for you in terms of light, standing or sitting, how long you can saw till your hands get tired. The fine dust generated by the saw is best blown away with a small fan.

You have seen candlesticks with a helix. How do you make those? On the Excalibur saw, Wayne inserted a spiral blade that cuts in all directions.

2 Volume 27 Issue 2 Page 2 Continued from page 1 JD built a carousel to hold all his blades. They are organized by thickness and type. The carousel holds 1000s of blades, a significant operational investment. He buys blades by the gross. Olson is a good brand. Wayne added a twist to this practical demo. You have seen candlesticks with a helix. How do you make those? On the Excalibur saw, Wayne inserted a spiral blade that cuts in all directions. On a cylindrical blank (preferably turned), he tapes a pattern. He starts sawing from the outside in, then changes direction and follows the pattern line, creating a spiral by push ing the wood into the blade and turning it at the same time. Getting a smooth cut will take some practice. The piece is then turned 180 degrees and a spiral is cut on the other side, resulting in a helix. Wrapping sandpaper around a properly sized dowel and sanding your cut surface will smooth the helix. The New Scroll Saw Handbook is a great reference. This was a very practical demo to say the least. I ll be trying some patterns on my Delta scrollsaw.

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4 Volume 27 Issue 2 Page 4 Show & Tell Jim Kirkbride Sean Rankin John C Wilson Tony Albano

Page 5 2014 Meeting Schedule WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Raffle Winners Guild meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month. All interested persons are invited.

soon This project will feature making a copy of the Townsend side table designed by the Greene brothers. The original was made of Mahogany.

5 Page Meeting Schedule WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Raffle Winners Guild meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month. All interested persons are invited. Our upcoming meeting is: February 19th 7:00 PM Woodcraft 166 South DuPont Highway New Castle, DE Chuck Skelly won both the raffle prize (Router bits) and 50/50 Collaboration Project starts soon This project will feature making a copy of the Townsend side table designed by the Greene brothers. The original was made of Mahogany. Ours will be made of quartersawn white oak, courtesy of Saienni Stairs. We will be following plans provided in Fine Woodworking, issue 171, July / August The project coordination will be headed by Tim Sabo. Additional details will be available at the February meeting. 1

Page 6 WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Lost book search Richard Libera s copy of The Soul of a Tree by George Nakashima has been misplaced. It may have been loaned out some time ago.

6 Page 6 WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Lost book search Richard Libera s copy of The Soul of a Tree by George Nakashima has been misplaced. It may have been loaned out some time ago. He would like help locating it and having it returned. Thanks in advance! Obituary Russell Bruette, formerly of Hockessin, and previous member of our guild passed away January 25th. He was 80 years of age. Classifieds The classified section is open to any paid member. Have your classified information to Tim Sabo by the first of the month to be included in that month s newsletter. your information to: TSabo@Dow.com Shop Master scroll saw Best offer. Call Tony Knisely at (302) or at tonyknisely@comcast.net

Woodworkers Guild of Delaware 38 Jay Drive New Castle, DE. 19720 WE RE ON THE WEB www.delawarewoodworkers.

7 Woodworkers Guild of Delaware 38 Jay Drive New Castle, DE WE RE ON THE WEB Open to all woodworkers novice to experts Woodworkers Guild of Delaware Benefactors of the Guild Please keep these friends in mind when you make purchases: Woodcraft Lee Valley Veritas

WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE

WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Volume 25 Issue 11 November 2012 Dealing with dust with Mike Okner WOODWORKERS GUILD OFFICERS FOR 2012 President: Peter Leavens VP: George Hoffman Treasurer: Jeremy Noblitt