A daily scroll saw blog with a collection of Scroll Saw Goodies gathered from all over the web. Tips, tutorials, and free scroll saw patterns. All dedicated to the Scroll Saw and the artists who use it.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Are You Excited Yet?
Are you ready? Are you as excited as I am? Because, tonight at midnight is the grand unveiling of Scroll Saw Goodies redesign! A complete overhaul with a couple of new features that I think you'll really enjoy! So be sure to stop by and see what all the hub-bub is all about! Tonight at midnight, Midnight, MIDNIGHT!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Happy Holidays!

I know it has been quiet around SSG for the last couple of weeks. I've been working hard on the redesign of the website and will be launching the new changes in 6 short days. So join me on January 1, 2009 to ring in the new year and a very special Scroll Saw Goodies. I've added a couple of new features I think you'll really enjoy!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
A Little Update
Here's a little update for those of you who take the time to follow my modest blog.
As you know, I haven't been posting as frequently as I normally do. For that, I apologize. So what's the deal? Have I been slacking? Nope. I've been working on a project that's been keeping me pretty busy, lately. I've been working hard on redesigning the website. I've even added a feature or two that I think you'll really enjoy. "What is it," I hear you saying. I can't tell you. Its a surprise. A New Year's surprise! So, make sure you stop by on January 1, 2009 and find out what the special surprise is. I think you'll like it.
Anyway, I'm still around and will continue to provide more Scroll Saw Goodies. Even if it is less frequent right now. But the end result will be worth it.
I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday season. Be safe in your travels, and Happy Scrolling!
---Travis
As you know, I haven't been posting as frequently as I normally do. For that, I apologize. So what's the deal? Have I been slacking? Nope. I've been working on a project that's been keeping me pretty busy, lately. I've been working hard on redesigning the website. I've even added a feature or two that I think you'll really enjoy. "What is it," I hear you saying. I can't tell you. Its a surprise. A New Year's surprise! So, make sure you stop by on January 1, 2009 and find out what the special surprise is. I think you'll like it.
Anyway, I'm still around and will continue to provide more Scroll Saw Goodies. Even if it is less frequent right now. But the end result will be worth it.
I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday season. Be safe in your travels, and Happy Scrolling!
---Travis
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Automata Dog

Thursday, December 11, 2008
Color & Shapes Puzzle

Wednesday, December 10, 2008
No More Handmade Toys

The Handmade Toy Alliance has a website that explains the details of the CPSIA and how it will affect crafters. I urge you to send a letter to your Senator and Congressperson and request changes to the CPSIA so we can save handcrafted toys. You can find a sample letter and the name and address of your representatives on the Handmade Toy Alliance website.
Addendum:
You can also sign an online petition here.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Easy Book Ends

Friday, December 5, 2008
Taking Lath Art To The Next Level

Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wood Mosaics
Here's a neat video about wood mosaic artists Robin and Kathy Tucker. It isn't scroll sawing per se, but it should interest those of you who do inlay, marquetry, or intarsia. Check it out!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Puzzling Out 50 Years

Monday, December 1, 2008
Layered Deer Mountain Scene
Here's a great layered deer mountain scene pattern provided by GAbaptist. Perfect for that outdoor enthusiast in your life. The pattern is hosted on Bukisa, which offers a unique interface distributing documents as shown below. Unfortunately, Bukisa doesn't offer a download option But you can easily print the pattern by choosing the Print option under the iPaper menu. GAbaptist has a number of other patterns available too. Including several Christmas ornaments just in time for Christmas! Check out what he has to offer!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Black Friday

So, what's the catch? When you purchase something for yourself or as a gift for a loved one through one of SSG links/banners, we get a small commission. That commission allows us to continue to provide great content, purchase equipment and bandwidth for the podcast, and help expand SSG. So in the end, you win both ways. You get great your Christmas shopping done early and you help support an online resource that continues to bring you great content!
Here's the deal. The Black Friday banner on this post has some incredible deals for a short time. So if you're looking to stretch your Christmas dollar, definitely check this out. It's for limited time, so you'll have to act fast. I'll also have an Amazon banner at the top the website through the end of Christmas. This will take you to the regular Amazon website where you can find everything under the sun. If you're looking for something specifically scroll saw related, you can check out the SSG eStore where I handpicked a lot of scroll saw related goodies.
There's other ways to support Scroll Saw Goodies, too. Most of them don't even involve the wallet. And in many ways, these are even more important to our success. You can read this article to find out more information.
Thanks for listening to my sales pitch. I try to keep these things to a minimum, so this will be the last you'll hear about it for the year. Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to what the next year brings. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Holiday Season. Stay tuned for more Scroll Saw Goodies.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Silhouette Letter Holder

Be sure to check out Christine's website and check out some more of her other work. Maybe it'll spark an idea or two for other Christmas gifts!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Turkey Tote

Tuesday, November 11, 2008
ep03 - Making A List And Checking It Twice
Who's on your Christmas list? This episode I brainstorm some ideas for possible handmade gifts for the loved ones in your family. There are a lot of great ideas out there, so this certainly isn't a comprehensive list. But it should get you on your way.
Listen to Episode 3 - Making A List And Checking It Twice.
---SHOW NOTES---
Traditional Puzzles
Standing Puzzles
Note Holder
Name Plate Pattern Generator
Ornaments
Lichterbogens
Christmas Pyramids
Wildlife portrait
Paper Towel Holder
Napkin Holder
Shelves
Trinket Boxes
A Few Notes:
First, a little self promotion. Scroll Saw Goodies has a ton of great information and links to free scroll saw patterns. Be sure to check out my "Free Patterns" section as well as the "Toys & Games" section. I have highlighted hundreds of free scroll saw patterns that should keep you busy until next Christmas!
Both Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts and Creative Woodworks & Crafts has a ton of great patterns. It would take me too long to link to each individual issue, so I only linked to the magazine's main website. Wherever possible, I noted the issue in which the project came from. I encourage you to consider buying a few back issues of these great magazines. I love having access to so many great projects.
Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns has recently merged with Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts forum. I still have linked to the main MSN Group page. But it won't be long before the patterns will be moved to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts. If you have trouble finding a project, just post a question in the forum. Everybody there is very helpful and can point you in the right direction.
Steve Good at Scroll Saw Workshop has a lot of great free scroll saw patterns. Again, it would take me too long to link to all of the patterns I've discussed in the podcast. So instead I pointed you to his main website. You can dig through the archives to find patterns. Or you can scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and select the "Pattern Catalog". This is a picture reference of all the projects available.

---SHOW NOTES---
Traditional Puzzles
Standing Puzzles
- Animal Puzzles For The Scroll Saw (Judy Peterson)
- Fantasy & Legends Scroll Saw Puzzles (Judy Peterson)
- Dinosaur Puzzles For The Scroll Saw (Judy Peterson)
- Scroll Saw Art Puzzles (Tony Burns)
- Scroll Saw Holiday Puzzles (Tony Burns)
- Scroll Saw Farm Puzzles (Tony Burns)
- Woodamals (Jim Sweet)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (back issues)
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts (back issues)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- FreeWoodPuzzles.com
- Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (Fall 2007)
- Crafting Wood Logic Puzzles (Charlie Self)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Bruce Viney (homemade puzzles)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday 2008 (Bruce Viney)
- Making Toys That Teach - Les Neufeld
- Making Heirloom Toys - Jim Makowicki
- Great All-American Toy Book - Norm Marshall
- Meisel Hardware Specialists
- Winfield Collection
- Scroll Saw Goodies
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Wooden Chess Sets You Can Make - Diana Thompson
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2001 (Ayleen Stellhorn)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2003 (Diana Thompson)
- Scroll Saw Goodies
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2008 (Sue Mey)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Ultimate Scrolling Pattern Collection Volume 1
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Fall 2004 (Diana Thompson)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday Ornaments Toys & Gifts 2008
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Spring 2008
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday 2006 Theresa Ekdom
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday 2008 Dave Van Ess
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts Nov 2008
Note Holder
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts Sept 2007
Name Plate Pattern Generator
- Scroll Saw Pattern Printer (Steve Good - Scroll Saw Workshop)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
Ornaments
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts
- Holiday Ornaments for the Scroll Saw (Rick Longabough)
- Compound Christmas Ornaments for the Scroll Saw (Diana Thompson)
Lichterbogens
Christmas Pyramids
Wildlife portrait
- Sroll Saw Goodies
- Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Fall 2008
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Scroll Saw Blog (David Griffin)
Paper Towel Holder
Napkin Holder
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts Jan 2008
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts Aug 2008 (Wayne Bosler III)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2008
Shelves
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts
- Scroller LTD
- Wildwood Designs
- Meisel Hardware Specialists
- Winfield Collection
Trinket Boxes
- Box Making Projects For The Scroll Saw (Gary Mackay)
- Custom Wooden Boxes For The Scroll Saw (Diana Thompson)
- Sheila Landry Designs
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Making Wooden Baskets On Your Scroll Saw (John Nelson)
- Scroll Saw Basket Weave Projects (John Nelson)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Scroll Saw Blog (David Griffin)
- Custom Wooden Music Boxes For The Scroll Saw (Rick Longabough)
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts
- Miniature Wooden Clocks for the Scroll Saw (Rick Longabough)
- Super Simple Scroll Saw Clocks (John Nelson)
- Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
- Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
- Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
- Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
- Creative Woodworks & Crafts
- Christensen Burghout Designs
- Words of Faith in Wood (Jeff Paxton)
- Inspirational Scroll Saw Projects (John Nelson)
A Few Notes:
First, a little self promotion. Scroll Saw Goodies has a ton of great information and links to free scroll saw patterns. Be sure to check out my "Free Patterns" section as well as the "Toys & Games" section. I have highlighted hundreds of free scroll saw patterns that should keep you busy until next Christmas!
Both Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts and Creative Woodworks & Crafts has a ton of great patterns. It would take me too long to link to each individual issue, so I only linked to the magazine's main website. Wherever possible, I noted the issue in which the project came from. I encourage you to consider buying a few back issues of these great magazines. I love having access to so many great projects.
Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns has recently merged with Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts forum. I still have linked to the main MSN Group page. But it won't be long before the patterns will be moved to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts. If you have trouble finding a project, just post a question in the forum. Everybody there is very helpful and can point you in the right direction.
Steve Good at Scroll Saw Workshop has a lot of great free scroll saw patterns. Again, it would take me too long to link to all of the patterns I've discussed in the podcast. So instead I pointed you to his main website. You can dig through the archives to find patterns. Or you can scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and select the "Pattern Catalog". This is a picture reference of all the projects available.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Lichterbogen

Thursday, November 6, 2008
Brass Snowflake Ornament

Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Do You Tweet?

Stop by the Twitter website and check out their video. It explains the concept of Twitter very well. After you watch the video, sign up and start tweeting! I've added my Twitter feed to the sidebar. You can also follow my Twitter feed by clicking here. Be sure to let me know what your user name is so I can follow you too! Tweet On!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Wooden USB Thumb Drive

Monday, November 3, 2008
Compound Christmas Ornaments for the Scroll Saw

Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!

This just in. The UFO attack has been defeated. The martian attackers returned to their home world, vowing to come back next Halloween better armed. But we'll be ready!
--Travis
Thursday, October 30, 2008
T-Rex Dinosaur Puzzle

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
T-Rex Pattern

I designed this pattern for my nephew who really wanted a dinosaur picture for his room. The pattern is provided in PDF format for easy printing. It is sized at 8x10" so it can easily fit into a premade picture frame. Give it a try. When you're done, be sure to learn more about T. Rex to find out why he was the king of dinosaurs.
If you enjoy this free scroll saw pattern, please consider a small donation. Proceeds go to supporting SSg podcast and future expansions.
Thank you for your support.
Make A Donation
Thank you for your support.
Make A Donation
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Hooked
A while back, I wrote about Frank's Wood Shop and his video demonstration of a windmill project. Well, Frank came through once again with a very detailed set of videos, documenting the cutting and finishing of a bass portrait. So, grab some popcorn and enjoy the videos. After you're done, be sure to stop by his website and check out some of his work located in his gallery. Very cool stuff!
Note: I believe portrait being demonstrated was designed by Charles Dearing and is available in the Spring 2007 issue of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts. Give it a try!
Note: I believe portrait being demonstrated was designed by Charles Dearing and is available in the Spring 2007 issue of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts. Give it a try!
Monday, October 27, 2008
As Chance Has it
Our good friend and fellow blogger Allison from Wood-Alley recently tried her hand at scrolling cork flooring after reading a article here on SSg. As chance has it, the fellows at Wicanders stumbled across her blog. They noticed that the cork flooring she used looked like the cork flooring they manufacture. So they asked about it. While she was reading the email from Wicanders, the person that gave her the cork flooring happened to be there with her. So she asked him about it. And sure enough, it was the same stuff. Once she confirmed that it was indeed their product, they asked Allison if they could write about her cutting on their blog.
What makes this story interesting is the amazing collection of coincidences. One blog post leads to another, to another to another. The mere chance Wicanders happen to stumble across Allison's blog. The chance that she scrolled the same cork that these people manufacture. And the chance that the person that gave her the cork happen to be there at the same time she read the email. What does it mean? I'm not quite sure. Maybe there's the meaning of life hidden somewhere in there. Or maybe it's just a crazy coincidence. Either way, it's pretty cool. Congrats Allison on being recognized in the "civilian world" for your work.
You can read Allison's blog here. You can read the article from Wicanders about Allison's work here.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Pictures In Wood

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Huh's New Hobby

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Intarsia Workshop
His website also includes a brief history of intarsia as well as an overview of the process. He even has a few pictures of his workshop! Check it out! Perhaps the intarsia bug will bite you too!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Happy Birthday Scroll Saw Goodies!

Ahhh. What a year. I must have done something right, because a lot of you have really enjoyed what we have to offer. Here's a few numbers for you statistics hounds out there.
- 33,473 Visitors to the website.
- 21,637 Are new visitors.
- 11,836 Are returning visitors.
- 97,214 Total page views.
- 184 Subscribers to the email updates.
- 63% are from the US
- 8% are from Canada
- 4% are from the UK
- 3% are from France
- 2% are from Australia
- 1% are from Germany
- 1% from Italy
- 1% from Spain
- 1% from Brazil
- 1% from Netherlands
- The rest come from pretty much everywhere else you can imagine.
- 82% speak English
- 5% speak French
- 3% speak Spanish
- 2% speak German
- 1% speak Portuguese
- 1% speak Italian
- 1% speak Dutch
- 1% speak Turkish
- There are a lot of other languages, but too many to list.
Friday, October 17, 2008
9 Halloween Scroll Saw Patterns...Ah, Ah, Ah!

Thursday, October 16, 2008
Ghosts, Pumpkins, and Bats. Oh My!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Halloween Witch

Monday, October 13, 2008
Ready-to-Use Humorous Halloween Illustrations

Friday, October 10, 2008
Peek A Boo

Thursday, October 9, 2008
Halloween Luminaries

Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Black Cats Only

Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The New Scroll Saw Handbook

Monday, October 6, 2008
ep02 - Choosing A Scroll Saw
Choosing the right scroll saw for you is an important decision. It can really make or break your enjoyment of this great hobby. Knowing what to look for is half the battle. In this episode, I cover a few things to look for when choosing your next scroll saw.
Here are a few helpful resources I found when researching this episode:
I recorded this episode last week, but the sheer amount of information provided required a lot more editing time than I expected. This episode runs about 35 minutes. I used a higher compression when making the MP3. So the sound quality may not be as good as last time, but the file size is 8 megs as opposed to 42. This will save you a lot of download time and save me a lot of bandwidth. Let me know if this isn't something you can live with. I can tweek my settings until most everybody is happy. Anyway, on with the show!
Listen to ep02 - Choosing A Scroll Saw
Here are a few helpful resources I found when researching this episode:
- The New Scroll Saw Handbook by Patrick Spielman - A must-own book for every scroller. This will tell you everything you could possibly want to know about the scroll saw. Highly recommended.
- Rick Hutcheson's website has a lot of great information about scroll saws, including a nice article called "Choosing a saw."
- SAW (Scroll Saw Association of the World) also has a great article called "Choosing A Saw."
- The Home Depot has a pretty good buying guide for scroll saws.
- Woodcraftplans.com has a nice article "Beginner's Guide To the Scrollsaw" with a specific section on choosing a scroll saw.
I recorded this episode last week, but the sheer amount of information provided required a lot more editing time than I expected. This episode runs about 35 minutes. I used a higher compression when making the MP3. So the sound quality may not be as good as last time, but the file size is 8 megs as opposed to 42. This will save you a lot of download time and save me a lot of bandwidth. Let me know if this isn't something you can live with. I can tweek my settings until most everybody is happy. Anyway, on with the show!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Hobby Horse Toys
Dan Hillman of Hobby Horse Toys has a really neat approach to his hobby horses. Each hobby horse includes wheels on the end to lighten the wear and tear as well as help facilitate easier movement. He also incorporated a saddle-like swoop for comfort! He painstakingly paints each horse individually with his own homemade paint and finish. Each customized with whimsical scrolls and the child's name. Dan's hobby horses really captures magic and fantasy that will delight the imagination. Be sure to check out his blog and website. He has several other cool products that you might enjoy. And keep an eye out for the dragon hobby horse! Very cool!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Real Fez
Monday, September 29, 2008
La Bottegaccia
If you don't speak Italian, don't worry. You can easily use Google Translate or Babel Fish to translate her website. Or you can just click here for a translation. The translation tools aren't perfect, but it should give you a pretty good indication of what's being said.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Scroll Sawing Egg Roller Toys

An egg roller is a wheeled folk toy popular in rural areas. A wooden egg balances between a set of wheels and spins as you push the roller. This mechanical movement is a lot of fun will provide little ones with hours of entertainment.
Traditionally, the egg roller was a pull toy. But the long string is now recognized as a strangulation hazard. So in the interest of safety, Doug left the pull string off the designs. He was also conscious about making sure that the wheels and egg would not be a choking hazard. To avoid toxic chemicals, he chose not to paint or finish his toys. However, he does offer suggestions for safe finishing.
The ebook comes on CD and mailed to your home. All you do is email Doug with your name and address, and he'll send a PayPal request via email. The CD was in my mailbox within 3 days. So I was very happy with the prompt service.

When I showed it to him, I was the greatest person in the world, at the same time the most unimportant person in the world. He was completely focused on his cool new toy. He grabbed it, sat down and immediately started to push the roller on the floor. It was quite a thrill to see my son enjoy a toy I built with my own two hands. At first, he wasn't terribly interested in the egg until I showed him how it worked. Then all he wanted to do is watch the egg spin! I think I have a winner! I'll be making a bunch of these for my nieces and nephews for Christmas!
Overall Impression:
I was pretty happy with Doug's book. The egg rollers were simple and easy to build. The charming design will certainly delight young and old alike. I can easily see how this would be a great seller at craft fairs. The patterns were a simple and effective. I found the turtle roller was a bit front heavy. But it certainly didn't affect the enjoyment or playability of the toy. The other designs look a bit more balanced. Doug provided great service, but I wish he had a shopping cart with instant download on his website. I'm an immediate gratification kinda guy. But the CD was at my home much quicker than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. The book may not be as polished as something you'd find at a bookstore, but I didn't expect it to be. The information and the patterns contained within is where the real value was.
OK, here's the rundown:
The Pros
- Full size patterns.
- Descriptive assembly instructions and photos.
- Instructions for production runs.
- Jigs designs to make production easier.
- Lists sources for pre-made parts.
- 2 bonus craft show sellers.
- Very good at answering questions promptly.
- Prompt shipment and service.
The Cons
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Jacob's Ladder

PS - They make great stocking stuffers!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hobby Horse
Woodcrafter.net has provided a nice set of vintage plans with instructions to make your own hobby horse. Unfortunately, the horse's head graphic is not full scale. So, I recommend saving the JPG file and enlarging it with a graphics program until the grid measures 1 inch. You could also use a photocopier to enlarge the pattern. Then all you have to do is glue the pattern to the wood and cut out!
When finished, paint it with some non-toxic acrylic paints or leave it the natural wood color. Maybe break out your wood burning kit to add the details. Perhaps add some reigns, or some string for the mane. Intarsia artists, I think there's certainly a great project waiting to be born. There's so many possibilities with such a simple concept. Get creative. Have fun!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Climbing Bear

Shopsmith has a pattern and detailed instructions for this cute little toy.They recommend a tilting-table drill press, but a hand drill could be carefully used instead. The angle of the holes should be close to 45 degrees as possible, but it shouldn't matter if you're off a little. Just eyeball it and you'll be fine.
Give this cute little toy a try. They're easy to make, and will certainly delight young and old alike!
Safety Note: The strings dangle and can become a strangulation hazard for young children. So I'd recommend supervised play with very little ones.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Folk Toys: Patterns & Projects For The Scroll Saw

To start things off, this week's Book of the Week is Folk Toys: Patterns & Projects for the Scroll Saw