Scroll Saw part 2: Just barely enough?
Mar. 23rd, 2023 01:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
carlfoxmartenI should have waited until later to post my last update, as (given that it was a lovely day again today) I took my scroll saw back out and made another attempt to accomplish this cut.
This time, I knew better what kind of effort was needed to get the previous cut cleaned up, so was able to make it actually really, really close to the lines I'd drawn (this time in pencil, instead of a metal scribed line that was harder to see last time), which means I'll have less sanding to do to make sure it's as smooth as I want it.
Granted, if I'd had access to either a band or a table saw, I would have been done these cuts in less than ten minutes, with far more accurate cuts than I'd have got by hand. But right now, I don't have one, so I'm using what I've got for the moment.
Given that this is still the first scroll saw I've ever used, I still don't know everything I should know about how to use it, but I have noticed that this one seems to like moving to the right as I push the wood backwards. I hadn't taken this into account for my second ever cut attempt, and tried to arrange the second cut so the section I'd wanted to keep was on the wrong side.
A bit of short-term-memory refreshing later, I measured the remaining wood again, and found that I had enough room on the opposite side (given that I'd kind of ruined the first section I'd intended to use), so drew another line to cut along and actually was far more successful cutting along that one than the prior line.
So I now have both pieces (which will act as the vertical supports for the monitor stand I've needed since rearranging my desk to fit a new monitor I picked up off the curb, months ago) clamped together, in preparation for sanding them smooth and even. Once I get that done, I'll be able to drill the screw holes, screw them together, then add some varnish and set it in place.
Actually, I still need to decide whether to make some bevel cuts on the front and back of each "leg" plate, to leave room for wires and such. I should probably do those right after I sand their other sides, now that I think about it...
Anyway, the scroll saw blade may need replacing sooner rather than later, but as I don't have any right now, I'll have to figure out an alternative option for the moment. Given the way the current blade attaches, I'm very tempted to take a coarse hacksaw blade, cut it shorter, then punch thin holes in each end for a short length of thin metal rod. In the approximate configuration of the current blade, that is. Maybe it'll work?
This time, I knew better what kind of effort was needed to get the previous cut cleaned up, so was able to make it actually really, really close to the lines I'd drawn (this time in pencil, instead of a metal scribed line that was harder to see last time), which means I'll have less sanding to do to make sure it's as smooth as I want it.
Granted, if I'd had access to either a band or a table saw, I would have been done these cuts in less than ten minutes, with far more accurate cuts than I'd have got by hand. But right now, I don't have one, so I'm using what I've got for the moment.
Given that this is still the first scroll saw I've ever used, I still don't know everything I should know about how to use it, but I have noticed that this one seems to like moving to the right as I push the wood backwards. I hadn't taken this into account for my second ever cut attempt, and tried to arrange the second cut so the section I'd wanted to keep was on the wrong side.
A bit of short-term-memory refreshing later, I measured the remaining wood again, and found that I had enough room on the opposite side (given that I'd kind of ruined the first section I'd intended to use), so drew another line to cut along and actually was far more successful cutting along that one than the prior line.
So I now have both pieces (which will act as the vertical supports for the monitor stand I've needed since rearranging my desk to fit a new monitor I picked up off the curb, months ago) clamped together, in preparation for sanding them smooth and even. Once I get that done, I'll be able to drill the screw holes, screw them together, then add some varnish and set it in place.
Actually, I still need to decide whether to make some bevel cuts on the front and back of each "leg" plate, to leave room for wires and such. I should probably do those right after I sand their other sides, now that I think about it...
Anyway, the scroll saw blade may need replacing sooner rather than later, but as I don't have any right now, I'll have to figure out an alternative option for the moment. Given the way the current blade attaches, I'm very tempted to take a coarse hacksaw blade, cut it shorter, then punch thin holes in each end for a short length of thin metal rod. In the approximate configuration of the current blade, that is. Maybe it'll work?
