| Blog series by Sheila Landry (scrollgirl) | updated 235 days ago | 10 parts | 35610 reads | 366 comments total |
Part 1: Introduction - Sign Up and Objective
Hi, Everybody! My name is Sheila Landry, although many of you may know me as ‘Scrollgirl’. I’ve had that nickname for over fifteen years now and chose it because I LOVE SCROLL SAWING! I work as a contributing editor for Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine and I also have my own pattern business called Sheila Landry Designs where I sell my original scroll saw and painting patterns. I was asked by MsDebbie if I would like to host an online scroll saw class here on...
Part 2: Basic Supplies and (EGADS!) Homework!
Well, it looks like we are going to have a great group here! I am really happy with the enthusiasm of everyone who wants to participate, and also the cheerleaders. You can all get back in your seats now and we can start to get down to business. I wanted to get this post up here by the weekend so that if you need to get some supplies to start, you will have some time to do so. One thing that I really like about scroll sawing is that it takes very little ‘equipment’ to mak...
Part 3: Applying the Pattern for Scroll Sawing
I hope everyone was able to find the supplies that I suggested in the last part. If anyone had any trouble, please let me know, either through a personal message or on the comment section here and between myself and the others here, we should be able to help you. We are now ready to apply our patterns to the wood in preparation for cutting. But first of all you need a pattern. I have made up a sheet of some simple shapes that you can use as a practice scroll saw pattern. Just click on ...
Part 4: Let the Scrolling Begin - Casting on and Casting Off
Now that everyone has their patterns applied to the wood, we are finally ready to turn on our saws and do some cutting. Since the practice patterns that I have given you have no inside cuts, we are going to learn some practical ways to start and finish our cutting lines. I call this ‘casting on’ and ‘casting off’ the wood. Most people – especially when starting out – just aim for the part of the design that is closest to the edge and start cutting. ...
Part 5: Cutting Outside Curves
Now that we have had a chance to practice casting on and off, we are going to practice a bit more on cutting outside curves. Cutting curves is probably one of the easiest things to do on a scroll saw. Most designs consist mainly of curved lines, with occasional straight runs from time to time. Once you get used to cutting curves and turning corners accurately, you are well on your way to being a great scroller. One thing that is important to remember is that the blade is stationa...
Part 6: Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners
By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought. In order for me to show you ...
Part 7: Cutting Inside Corners and Angles
So far we have looked at how to prepare our wood, choose a blade, cast on and off a piece and cut outside curves and corners. Now it is time we do some inside cutting. Most people associate scroll sawing with cutting fretwork. At first many people don’t understand that in order to cut fretwork pieces, you need to drill entry holes in the ‘waste area’ (or the part of the pattern that drops away when you finish your cut) and thread the blade through that drilled hole ...
Part 8: Lesson 8 - Cutting Inside Curves and Swirls
By now you have had some time to practice cutting inside and outside corners. While getting nice sharp corners is really important to your scroll working, one of the signatures of traditional fretwork pieces are the graceful curves and swirls that you are able to cut with the scroll saw. In Victorian times, fretwork was cut either by hand or by using foot powered pedal saws. It was a delicate and painstaking process and took years of practice to master and accomplish. With the intr...
Part 9: Lesson 9 - Cutting Bevels on the Scroll Saw
Well, you all should have had time to practice cutting all the inside curves and corners on the frames of the practice patterns that I gave you in the previous lessons. Now we should all be ready to move on to learning how to cut on a bevel. One of the reasons that I like the scroll saw so much is because it is a very versatile tool. For a relatively minimal start up cost, you can get a tool that has the ability to make a great variety of projects. For many years, my scroll saw and dril...
Part 10: Lesson 10 - Cutting Negative Designs
In scroll sawing, there are several different types of ways to make a nice design. Some people make beautiful portraits by playing with lights and shadows. Here is an example of portrait designs: The above portrait was designed by my partner Keith. I have not yet done much portrait cutting, but there are many scrollers here such as Scroll3r, KnotCurser and William who do really nice work on them. Another type of design is what is referred to as a ‘positive’ design. I...
