Vote Now-2016 People’s Choice Contest: Workshop and Jewelry

A lot of times while scrolling small pieces you need to remove burrs from the piece. This sanding attachment is a real help. It will fit Sakura, PS Wood, Total Shop, and Woodtek scroll saws. The scroll saw sander (tan disc attached to the pulley spindle) consists of two pieces of 1/4″-thick Plexiglas cut to 3” diameter. One piece has a 5/16” hole drilled in the center for the bolt to hold it to the pulley shaft. The other piece has a 3/4” hole that fits over the bolt and flat washer on the shaft and is glued in place with epoxy cement. A 3” sandpaper disc (I use 120 grit) is attached.

This plate glass cutting jig is very useful if you do scroll saw portraits and frame them yourself. The jig is constructed of 1″ maple; the base is 6″ by 43″ (could be any length) and the fence is 3-1/2″ by 43″. The cutter block is 3″ by 3″ by 3″. The blade of the cutter is aligned with the edge of the base, which becomes the cutting line guide.

I wanted a sample of several different widths of dados so I would know at a glance which router bushing to pick, so I made this slot reference guide. First I made the plastic template (1/4″ by 9″ by 17″) with a 3/4” slot rough cut on the scroll saw. I made the final cut (3/4″ by 11″) with a router table. The oak board was mounted 90° to the slot and movable to 30° and 45°. I wrote the brass bushing size and the size of dado it cuts on the reference board and use the plastic template and bushings to make the dados.

This wooden necklace, 26″ long, is made of walnut and finished with lacquer. “I was making a desk lamp out of walnut. These were the leftover wood. The idea of making a necklace came to mind. I have made jewelry before, but making my own beads out of wood takes jewelry making to another level!”

These “Charleston Earrings” are 2″ diameter and were cut from 1/4″ poplar. They are dyed with a non-toxic soft pink dye, cut, and then sealed with poly. “A native Charlestonian (South Carolina), I grew up seeing the beautiful ironworks forged by generations of artisans in our Holy City. These earrings are reminiscent of these historic ironworks. They are surprisingly lightweight to most women. I have been told they make a classic yet avant garde statement.”

These earrings are 11/64″ long, made from hand-milled maple, and finished with clear lacquer. They were inspired by Christmas decorations. “I created the design on Photoshop and spent quite some time getting it to fit on the wood that I had. It is quite small.”

The zombie arm pendant grasps the necklace cord. It is 2″ long, made of elm, detailed with paint, and finished with clear lacquer. “I cut it in two stages and glue it together (i.e., the top is done in a similar fashion as intarsia). I have had one finger go missing due to the small size for a few pendants which is a pain. Some of the items (such as this one) are a bit grim and inspired by the increase in zombie related shows and movies.”

These “pi” earrings are 3/4″ diameter, made of hand-milled maple, and finished with clear lacquer.