Questions for Judy Gale Roberts, Jerry Booher - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

BobD · 06-10-2005, 03:17 PM

Hi everyone,
Judy and Jerry have agreed to answer questions about their scrolling techniques here on the board. Just post your questions and they'll be around to answer them!

Bob

amosart · 07-25-2005, 03:43 AM

We have used Judy's fine line dogs for selling at our first dog show coming up soon. They are incredible patterns. Haven't sold many yet, but have had lots of compliments on them. We'd like to have some full body dog patterns, though--do you have any of those?

Intarsia.com · 07-28-2005, 01:49 PM

Thanks for the question, and thanks for the kind comment.
At this time we have no plans for Dog Breeds with "Full Bodies". Now-- that doesn't mean that we will never do them but just at this time we have no plans to do them.
We want to wish you luck at the Dog show and hope you sell well.
Thank you for choosing the "Fine Line" books.
jerry booher

Nicholas86 · 09-04-2005, 05:05 AM

Hello Judy and Jerry i have to say you guys do great work and it has inspired me to start doing intarsia. I have made a few things and 3 of them are under one of these threads (intarsia by a 17 year old). I was wondering when you guys first started, how did you come up with pricing on your pieces. No one i have talked to so far has had any idea at all and it would be great to have some idea on what any of them are worth. Thank you. Nick

sheltiecarver · 09-04-2005, 05:09 PM

Great question, Nick!
I expect lots of us will be watching for the answer.
By the way, Welcome to the group!
Sandy

Intarsia.com · 09-05-2005, 05:04 PM

Hello Nick.
To Start off with-- Judy and I have been doing Intarsia for 20 years now together. Judy Started with her father in houston 30 yeares ago.
When Judy and I started making intarsia pieces, I had the same questions as you now have.
We started off trying to sell at a flea market and that was a total disaster, because everyone was looking for a "deal" or something cheap. We quickly ruled Flea Markets out. We then started to do juried street art shows in Florida. There I learned very quickly how to price our items.
First rule is-- you have to get way from friends and family to establish a fair asking price. Maybe go to a gift shop and nose around and see what things sell for.
If you are going to sell by word of mouth here's my rule. If you sell everything you make very quickly, you are probably selling it too cheap. Creap your prices up to slow the sales down and your profit will be the same.
Like all products you make , you must take into count your material cost as well as, rent / lights/ etc. Then your time is worth something. I have tried to use several different methods to price things but nothing worked everytime. Intarsia is very labor intensive and it is hard to get your money for your time. Even if I had a fomula for determining the price for our items here in our area, that fomula may not work for you in your area because the economics of our areas may be different. Like going from the economy in Kentucky and then compare that to California.

All in all Nick--- Just forget everything I said above and "Wing It". Just do your own market tests in your area. If you should make mistakes and sell something too cheap--- Oh heck-- just make another one and don't sell it so cheap next time.
Whatever you do about pricing you will have fun making the intarsia pieces. After time you'll be a master and can name your price.
I hope this helps a little.
Have fun .
jerry

urband · 09-20-2005, 05:15 PM

Hello Judy and Jerry,

I was looking at some photo's of your classroom on Rick Hutcheson's web site. One of the photo's shows part of a dust collection system that looks like it's connected to the scroll saws. Can you give me more details?

Thanks,
Dan

Intarsia.com · 09-20-2005, 09:35 PM

Hello Dan,
That's a great question. As you already know, dust is quite a problem and scroll saws create lots of it. I had to scratch my head on this one for the class room but finaly came up with something and was very surprised that it worked as well as it does.
For the class room I have a 2 bag Grizzley dust collector and run 2 trunk lines (one on each side of the room) with a couple blast gates. I think it is 4" Plastic pipe and then at each saw I came off with about a 1 1/2" flexable hose. On each saw (10 of them) I mounted a Dust pick up device that I purchased from Seyco Sales in Dallas. This "dust pick up" hose comes with a coper wire installed for the ground, and has a clamp to hold the unit to the saw. It works very well for us and catches probably 75% of the dust under the table but then there is the dust on top of the table which I have nothing "rigged" for. READ MY LIPS------ For you Dan or anyone else that is going to put in a dust collector for any reason. If you use Plastic, you, MUST ground the entire system. That means from the Machine inside the tubing all the way to the Vac and grounded there. That is no Joke !
Now-- For one machine (like my personal one) you can use the same Dust pick up attachment and go right to a small shop vac. I have mine hooked up to a foot switch along with my saw so when I hit the foot pedal the saw and my vac come on at the same time (along with a clock) and then of coarse off when I let up on it. That too must be Grounded.
You can call Seyco at 1-800- 462-3353 to get a dust pick up, I think they are about $25.00.
Hope this helps and Happy Scrolling !!!!!!!!!!!!
jerry

urband · 09-21-2005, 01:50 PM

Hi Jerry,
Thanks for the info on sawdust control in your shop. To handle the sawdust coming off the top of the saw I use a portable collector made by Shopvac. Seyco and Woodcraft carry it. It's great for collecting that fine sawdust that hangs in the air. It's quiet too. The only problem I've had is placement. I like to keep it close to the saw, but the occassional large piece of wood bumps against it while I'm working. It's a minor irritation for the good job it does.

Regards,
Dan

Intarsia.com · 09-21-2005, 02:05 PM

Thanks for the reply to the dust problem on the top of the table.
I want to add that by grounding my saws and sanders there is much less super fine particals floating around the class room / shop. I guess the grounding knocks the static charge out of the particals and they fall to the ground rather than fly around. I also have 3 Jet hanging filters that are also running, to help wth the flying particals. My Jet has a timer so i can set it to 2 / 4 / 6 hours and walk off and it will shut it's self down.

Are there any experts in the field out there that can help us out ??? I'm just going from the seat of my pants.
jerry