Hand-draw or use software to design your own pattern A friend commissioned me to cut a fretwork portrait of the Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C. I used her photo to create the pattern and portrait of the famous mansion. Since then I have finished a few more house projects. Most […]
It’s all just one cut at a time Chances are, the first time you saw a fretwork piece, your first thought was, “Wow.” And the second was “I could never do that.” That’s where you’re wrong, my friend. With just a few pointers and patience, you can scroll even the […]
Use common kitchen ingredients to make lively dyes Color your toys beautifully and safely by dyeing them with natural berries, spices, and plants. These safe, nontoxic dyes are easy to make and fun to apply, and will tint your toys with a wash of transluscent color. Natural dyes are best […]
Learn the correct way to hold and maneuver a scroll saw blank In the Summer 2011 issue of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (SSW43), long-time scroll saw author and instructor Joanne Lockwood shares a few techniques for beginners. Joanne has always felt the best way to learn scroll saw techniques […]
Easy to make wavy snowflake project Children are taught early on that no two snowflakes are alike. So, it’s fitting that this fascinating project is one that anyone, including youngsters—with some help—can make. To ensure that each snowflake is different, don’t be exact when tracing the lines for the snowflake […]
Making the table saw jigs You will need a table saw jig, to make hinges, cut box sides, cut slots in box sides for the box bottom, and to cut the 45 degree beveled box corners. My table saw jig is 20″ x 24″, but, if you have a smaller […]
Practice your relief cutting skills while making a useful shop tool Relief cutting is a great way to add depth to a project —but it is some-times tough to know what angle to set your table and what direction to cut. All saws cut differently, so when a pat-tern tells […]
Tips for making your pyramid spin better Deb, who is excited about getting her Rotating Christmas Pyramid to turn under candle power, shared the things she did to make it work: 1. I assembled the top section and dry fitted it then drilled the 7/16″-diameter hole in the roof and […]
Affordable tips and techniques for better quality photos Many contests and shows require you to send in photographs of your project along with your application. But not everyone can afford to hire a photographer to take professional photos of their project. A poor-quality photograph can make an excellent project look […]
Converting a line drawing to a scroll saw pattern To transform a line or shaded pattern into a series of planes, or shapes suitable for scrolling, it is best to think in terms of distinctive masses within the picture. These can come in two forms: 1) distinct independent elements, such […]
