Folk Toys: Patterns & Projects For The Scroll Saw

In this day and age of mass-produced plastic toys, it's so nice to see a hand-made wooden toy. Toys that have character in their simplicity, but never short in fun or imagination. There's definitely a sense of great satisfaction when a child puts down his Transformer to play with a toy you built with your own two hands. So I thought I'd step back into history and talk a little about Folk Toys this week.

To start things off, this week's Book of the Week is Folk Toys: Patterns & Projects for the Scroll Sawby Ken Folk. This book includes 19 patterns for the scroll saw with detailed measured drawings. The patterns range in difficulty from beginner to advanced. A great place to start if you're looking into creating some 'old fashioned fun'. Check it out!

Bobby's Scroll Saw Works

Bobby from Bobby's Scroll Saw Works has a number of great patterns, including the wonderful picture of the Columbia shuttle crew. The patterns are provided in JPG format for easy scaling. To save these patterns, just right click the image and choose "Save Image As" and save it to your desktop. This pattern is located under "Portraits (NEW)". Bobby has a lot of great patterns to choose from, so take a little time and explore his site. He has a deer shelf pattern that I have my eye on. Check it out!

Kat Cat Intarsia

Here's a fun site for you intarsia artists out there. Kathy from Kat Cat Intarsia offers a number of great things on her website which really makes it interesting. First, and formost, she has several original patterns for sale that might interest you. But my favorite area is her Catalog. Here she is able so show off her work and skill. There's nothing more inspirational than looking at another artist's work. Perhaps it will even spark an idea or two for yourself! While you're there, check out her quick history of intarsia and be sure to check out her workshop! She has provided a couple of great photos and a description about her work area. Fun website!

How To Listen To SSG Podcast

First, I want to thank all of you for the kind words and encouragement. There are a lot of you just as excited about this podcast as I am, which is quite a relief. I was afraid no one would listen! Hopefully we'll be able to discuss a lot of great scrolling topics in the months ahead.

I received a few emails from people wanting more information on how to use the podcast. I've put together a little tutorial to show you different ways of listening to the Scroll Saw Goodies podcast. Steve Good has also put together a great video showing you how to subscribe to the podcast with iTunes. You can see his video here. If these videos don't quite answer your questions, feel free to email me with specific questions. I'll do my best to answer them for you.

I'm already in the planning stages for episode 2, which should be out in a couple of weeks. Until then, we'll get back on track tomorrow with our daily dose of Scroll Saw Goodies from the web.

Ep01 - Getting Started in Scroll Sawing

Listen to Episode 01 - Getting Started In Scroll Sawing


Did you get through Episode 0 without falling asleep? If you're ready for more, here's the first official episode of the Scroll Saw Goodies podcast. In this episode, I talk about the bare essential tools needed to get started in this great hobby of ours. I've included the show notes, where I provide links, updates, and additional information mentioned in the podcast. If you have any questions or comments, or just to correct any misinformation, please leave a comment or shoot me an email at scrollsawgoodies[at]gmail.com.

Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES:

Saws

• Craftsman 16" (Note: This is not the same model I have. It looks like they've updated the design. The one I have is pictured here. Before purchasing, make sure this new model has thumb screws for changing blades, or you'll be hating life.)
  
• Delta
• Dremel
• Black & Decker
• Hitachi CW-40
• Ryobi 16"
  

Saw Blades

• Flying Dutchman
• Pegas
• Olson

Drills

• Corded Hand Drill

Sanders

• Palm Sander
• Mouse Sander

Pattern Sources

• Scroll Saw Goodies (Shameless self promotion)
• Scroll Saw Workshop
• Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
• ScrollSaw Woodworking & Crafts magazine
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts magazine
• Books

Other Supplies

• Drill Bits (1/16th or smaller)
• Sand Paper (80 grit, 120 grit, 240 grit)
• Blue Tape (3m or Scotch)
• Spray Adhesive
• Clear Acrylic spray (semi-gloss or gloss)

Scroll Saw Goodies Podcast!

I'm rather pleased and excited to announce the Scroll Saw Goodies Podcast! What is a podcast? A podcast is like a radio show for the internet. We'll be discussing all things related to this wonderful hobby of ours. You can listen to the podcast by clicking the POD icon above or by clicking here. If you have iTunes, you can subscribe by copying and pasting the RSS feed url at the bottom of the page, or by clicking here. It'll take a little time before Scroll Saw Goodies podcast is listed in the iTunes directory, but as soon as it does, I'll make a convenient subscription button that will do the work for you.

This podcast is episode 0. It's mostly an introduction to podcasts, what to do with them. I'll also introduce you to the Scroll Saw Goodies podcast and let you know what you can expect from future episodes. It's a short one, running about 10 minutes. I'll post the first official episode tomorrow! So keep an eye out for that!

Listen to Episode 0 - An Introduction to Podcast and Scroll Saw Goodies Podcast

Scrollin' America

The new presidential election is right around the corner in the US. Campaign slogans, bumper stickers and heated debates are everywhere. It gets a little crazy, but exciting at the same time. We may have different political views, but one thing that unites us is the love for our country. Here's a great patriotic pattern designed by Steve Hovious. You can find this and other patterns on his blog listed under "Free Patterns" on the left sidebar. Check it out!. While you're there, take a look at his blog postings. He has a lot of great pictures of his finished scroll saw projects. Perhaps it will spark an idea or two for your next project!

Too Good To Be True

A while back, I wrote an article about Great American Scroll Saw Patterns and their amazing deal. Although I've seen the price fluctuate a little, at the time of this writing you can get more than 1,800 high quality patterns for $27.

During their sales pitch, they continually emphasize this as a great business opportunity, as you are purchasing lifetime resale and reprint rights. This is a bit misleading, however. After you purchase the collection, you'll find a document called Read Me First which lists the End User License Agreement. While it's true you can sell these patterns, the method of sale is very limited. I've posted an excerpt from the EULA below:

. . . Licensor hereby grants to you and you accept a non-exclusive license to use the Patterns only as authorized in this license agreement. The Patterns may only be printed off of your home computer to either create woodworking projects from ( these downloadable patterns or these pattrns on a cd ) and/or to print the patterns off on your home computer to sell the print version to other individuals for their personal use. Any print copies sold to third parties must clearly show Licenser's copyright notice and contain a statement that the pattern is for personal use only. Licensor does not give you permission to sell these Patterns in any other form or manner including, but not limited to, off the Internet. You may not modify, transmit, create derivative works from, display, or in any way exploit any of the contents, in whole or in part for resale purposes other than as authorized above.

Basically it boils down to this. You can print the pattern out on your own printer and sell the printed pattern to an individual (The Patterns may only be printed off of your home computer . . . to sell the print version to other individuals for their personal use.). You are not allowed to sell the patterns online (Licensor does not give you permission to sell these Patterns . . . off the Internet), nor advertise the sale of these patterns (display. . .for resale purposes).

So I guess you can sell a pattern to your buddy at your scroll saw club meeting for a buck or two, but forget the dreams of opening up your own online pattern store. I know of one person who has already gotten into trouble for this (you can read his story here) and I know of several others who were about to take on this business opportunity. So I thought I'd throw out a little forewarning in hopes to save you from hungry lawyers and sleepless nights.

With that said, if you are only looking to add a great collection to your own library, this still looks like an amazing deal. The patterns are very high quality with a great variety of projects. They even have several samples on their website to whet your appetite. Great collection; great price. But it certainly isn't the business opportunity you think it might be.

Classic Lath Art Progression Pictures

I recently wrote about Rod Skramstad from Classic Lathart. He has updated his website to include a series of progress pictures that turned out quite nice. Although not necessarily a tutorial, it does give us some insight on how he goes about putting together one of his lath art paintings.

Rod has a series of 14 photographs showing different stages of a painting. Unfortunately, he doesn't include any descriptive text explaining what we're looking at. But if you read this tutorial from LathArt How To and Patterns, it should give you a good idea of what's going on. Definitely worth checking out if lath art is in your future.

Crescent Wooden Gear Clock

Here's a treat for you clock makers out there. Jeff from Wooden-Gear-Clocks.com has a new design called the Crescent. This asymmetrical design will certainly make a statement and impress friends and family alike. You can purchase these plans and build it from scratch, using your own choice of woods and finish. Or you can buy a pre-cut kit that comes with everything you need to complete this unique clock. Check it out. And while you are there, be sure to check out his other clock patterns. He has some really great stuff!