The scrollsaw really is a delightful tool, and pretty much the safest power tool that one could hope to use. Oh sure, it’ll bite if you get careless, but you won’t lose a limb or finger. There’s a wide range of things to make with it, ranging from simple (eg. a simple puzzle) to complex (eg. intarsia).
Here’s a sampling of projects, most of which don’t fit in anywhere else.
Here’s a fretwork wolf from 2007.
Here’s a Valentine’s Day gift that I made for my wife in 2006. The heart with our names at the back was my modification to the original design. Both of the scrolled pieces are from 1/8-inch baltic plywood, and the base is sapele. It’s a small piece, about 4 inches wide at the base.
This dragon is a different sort of project. The original pattern was for a single-layer creation. I made it three layers, with the legs and wings added to the sides. Attaching the wings was an “interesting” exercise, but it finally got accomplished.
Here’s a birthday “card” that I made for my sister to go along with the intarsia haida eagle. It’s made of 1/4-inch baltic birch plywood, and painted with acrylic paints. We signed the back of it.
[June 2004]
This is a scrollsaw mammoth puzzle, made out of pine. The tricky bit is that each piece has several more cuts in it to give a sort of “texture”. This one was done for my mother as a mother’s day gift. Actually, I gave it to her un-assembled and didn’t tell her what it was. In addition, I put the solution in a sealed envelope, just to torment her. Yes, I are a rotten child. (yes, she actually solved it without peeking at the solution)
[April 2004]
Here’s another “woodimal” project, this time spelling out “TROUT”. Done in pine, with a natural danish oil finish. I made this for a co-worker whom I thought needed a bit of cheering up.
[April 2004]
This is a fretwork dragon with a small clock. He stands about 8-inches tall. This one is made from 1/2-inch oak, finished with a natural oil.
[December 2003]
Yet another clock! This one is a pair of gryphons. It’s about 15-inches wide.
[December 2003]
This fretwork dragon, and the back piece, are dyed using analine dyes. There are a few “floating” sections within it, making cutting it out something of a challange! The back is about 15-inches wide.
[December 2003]
Here’s the same dragon, in 3/4-inch material rather than 1/8-inch. From 2016. This is a picture of it in its unfinished state, of course.
Here’s some of the Christmas dated ornaments that I’ve made. It is a real challenge to come up with something, and I typically figure what I’m making at the last minute, then there’s a mad dash to make enough!
[2000-2003]