VERY new, any advice?

[shiela]

I am brand new to using a scroll saw and making yard signs/designs . I am pretty good with a paint brush and not bad with power tools.

I could use some help on picking out a saw to use as well as what other things I need to get started.
Type of saw I need?
Do I need some kind of table?
Type of wood I should buy?
Type of paint I should use?
I have a Dremel that is about 4 years old would that work or would a scroll saw be the better way to go?

I was also thinking about buying an overhead projector to help with transfering the patterns, would that be a good idea?

[KathyRo]

Hi shiela, I'm new too, so I'm going to leave the advice to the ones who have the ScrollSaw knowledge. What I can do is Welcome you, and hope that you enjoy this fine group of folks as much as I have. You'll learn a lot here.
KathyRo

[greatdane2]

Welcome to a great site. We will try and answer your questions but you need to narrow down what you are asking. We all have our favorite tools etc. and our own way of doing things. If you go to the search button on top of this page, you will find a ton of info there. There is also great books available.
Once you have an idea of what you want to do and how, we can better help you.
Also money comes into this. As far as woodworking goes this is a fairly inexpencive sport. Until you choose a budget it is hard to advise you on a saw etc.
Anyway, glad you are here and enjoy looking around this site. I still have trouble believing how helpfull the pro's are here. They have sure helped me and everybody else that ask for help.

Alan.

[jim_mex]

Hi Shiela - I'm another new member and newbie scroller so I can't help much on the saw advice, however, after only a few days I'm really enjoying being part of this forum and feel sure you will get the advice you want from the more experienced members on board.

welcome and happy scrolling

[minowevie]

Hi Shiela. and welcome to the forume, I would get a scrollsaw, that used straight end blades, not pin type. maybe one with a variable speed, and air blower. a mag light is also very handy, and a foot swithch. a stand or table is important for sure. and you can use any kind of wood, except the regular plywood, that builders use, you can but it is hard on blades, and bummer to cut. you can use any paints, stains , dyes, oils, etc. you might evern get yourself a drill press, I got mine at harbor frieght for only 49.00. some sanding palm sanders, and papper in differant grits, I use 100 grit, 150, 220, and 320. after you are hear for a while you will learn all kinds of things.
if your only doing yard art, and signs, a band saw is doable. but if you wont inside cuts, you will wont a scrollsaw. hope this helped some. there is alot to think about. and you seam pretty smart about it already, all you really nead at first is insperation. and motavation.and the rest will come. welcome again, glad you are hear. your new friend Evie

[Wood Dog]

Welcome Shiela.....you found a great place to learn stuff. My first suggestion would be to get the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine. You could get a subscription here on this site. Book stores such as Barnes & Noble carries it too.
Keep reading posts on this site to learn stuff.......you could do a search on this site too.
You can get free patterns on the internet....just do a search. Wildwood Designs sell patterns. Check out Steve Good's site...you can find lots of info and videos there as well as free patterns (donations welcomed). Here is a link for Steve. Scrollsaw Workshop
Another great site to learn stuff.....Rick Hutcheson site. Here is a link for his site.
Rick's Scrollsaw
Good luck, have fun, come by often.

[shiela]

Thank-you all for your quick replies and welcoming me to the site, can't wait to get started.
Evie I am going to print out your reply to take with me when I go shopping which I hope will be soon! I'd like to start out under $500.00 for everything but I also don't want to buy something that I'll have to replace later so I'll stick with good brand names and stores with good return policies. Does eveyone have their own favorite brand of tools?
I'm going to check out the site a bit more and look at all your ideas and some of the web sites mentioned.
Again, thanks for the responses and I'll be back with more questions for sure.

[Ramjet]

Sheila. The most important part of this adventure is the scroll saw . It will be the most expensive purchase so it requires some thought . A poor performing saw can make all the difference when cutting and lead to frustration . Everything else is secondary . If you want to pursue scroll sawing as a full time hobby then I suggest you spend a little more and buy a decent saw . Home Depot sells a Dewalt which a lot of members use . Where ever you buy check the warranty and return policy and see if the offer any assistance . It may help to find a local scroll saw club and see what they suggest .LOL .
Roger

[david804]

If you are going for the large shilouette yard signs then you can do them with a good jigsaw but for the smaller size I would recommend a pinless scroll saw with a large top. You are probably going to want spiral blades because with the larger designs it will still be difficult to make all the cuts with regular blades. I use a Dewalt and highly recommend it but it is going to limit your additional purchases for startup. All the things evie listed are good but to get started I would recommend the saw, a good drill press and you can use carbon paper to draw your patterns. Make your first sign of each pattern from thin birch plywood and write on it in big letters PATTERN so you don't sell it then just take a pencil and trace around it on your later cuttings. I never used a projector but made my yard signs in this manner. A friend of mine used cardboard from large boxes for her patterns and that worked pretty well but you have to be careful not to wear the cardboard out around the edges or you find that the last one you made is smaller than the first. this causes problems when making multiple pieces and matching them up. Hope this helps.
David

[Hawaiilad]

Hi and Welcome Shelia, To those of us that have been either scrolling or doing some type of woodworking for many years you bring up some very good questions we haven't had to think about for many years. I agree with everyone here that you should purchase the best tool you can with the money you have. And don't worry if you don't have allot of money to start with...none of us did many years ago. You will no doubt find woodworking the great hobby or perhaps be good enough to make money at it...yep, many of us live from what we make and sell. Over the coming years you will find you will re-invest in new and better tools as you wish to make other items.

As for the yard signs, I think I started with those and birdhouses about 40 years ago and I used a jig saw for both because that is all I could afford. Allot of the yard signs are a little to large for the scroll saw, so you might think about buying a jig saw, a drill, perhaps a table top drill press and a table top band saw, a smaller (16") scroll saw and a palm sander. There are many good brands of tools you can purchase, but remember, instead of spending tons of money on them right now, you want to make sure you will like woodworking enough to invest the big bucks into tools. Not sure where you live, but a Home Depot, Lowes or box store like these will be able to help you. I still have a $49 small table top band saw I bought 17 years ago, so sometimes you don't have to spend allot. For smaller drills and sanders, I like DeWalt.

Good luck and have fun