My youngest granddaughter likes to play with baby dolls. Her poor dolls have no bed, so she has been stuffing them in a drawer that is too small for them to fit in and covering them up. Well that just would not do. So Papa (me) drew up a baby doll cradle and built it for her baby dolls. And not to be outdone, Grams (my wife) bought our granddaughter a new baby Stella doll and then made our granddaughter some PJ’s and a matching set for her new doll. In addition, she made a mattress for the cradle and blankets and pillows too!

The boards you can see on my bench near the cradle are another Christmas present. Both of my daughters and their families like to play Rummikub, but the flimsy racks they give you when you buy the game break and fall apart. So all three families got new Rummikub tile racks to play the game with. – Jerry Carpenter

My wife is a quilter. So I thought I should make a quilt pattern out of wood. I’ll send photos of the finished piece, but here’s the start of it anyway. – Ken Schumacher

Here are a few of the gifts I made in the past month or so (yarn bowl and bar tools). I’m just learning the lathe, but I love it. – Scott Van Note

Thanks for the opportunity to show off the gifts I made for my family. Like you, I waited until the last minute and just finished making the last one in the nick of time. For my daughter-in-law, I made this cheese cutting board. I added the leather strap in case she would rather hang it on the wall. I made the little Bluetooth® speakers for my two sons, my wife and that same daughter-in-law. And then I decided that the trivet I made for my wife would make a nice “art installation.” Happy Holidays from Bonaire, Georgia! – Michael Reslie

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Corian®

In thicknesses of 1/2″ or less, Corian can be used to make attractive cutting boards, trivets, coasters and candleholders. Even though it’s expensive to buy, you can often get offcuts from a local countertop fabricator for little or no cost. (It helps to call in advance, bring a sample of your work and cut a small project as a thank you.) Another source is eBay; check frequently, as offerings change constantly.

While easy to cut, the material can melt if the wrong type of blade is used or the motor speed is too high. Skip tooth blades are generally recommended, with motor speed set at about 60 percent of capacity. However, after some experimentation, I found that the #5 Flying Dutchman Polar blade had no trouble handling 1/2″ Corian at the highest speed setting, while others could not do so at any speed.

This variability of performance among blades is why you should always make trial cuts on scrap with the blade and speed setting that you’re planning to use. When your project has been cut, sand it to correct irregularities, soften edges and create the desired degree of shine.

Acrylic

Acrylic sheets can be cut with a scroll saw, provided precautions are taken to reduce friction and heat. When cut, the edges look frosted; heat from a butane torch will restore the clear appearance as well as soften the edges and remove small surface scratches.

Acrylic excels where transparency is desirable. When used as the center panel of a frame-and-panel box lid, it allows the contents to remain visible even when the box’s lid is closed.

Metal

Equipped with a metal-cutting blade, the scroll saw can cut soft metal such as copper silver, brass and aluminum, up to 1/8″ thick, as well as 1/8″ brass rod. Sheets can be taped between pieces of 1/8″ plywood to prevent burrs on the underside, keep shavings under control and protect the saw table.

In the hands of a skilled cutter, the scroll saw can also be used to cut coins, turning these everyday objects into pieces of incredible beauty and delicacy.

Foam Core, Paper, Fabric

Many craft materials can be cut quickly and easily with the scroll saw.

I’ve cut 1/2″-thick foam core glued to hardboard to make a base for a wedding cake.

I’ve also used it to craft a custom-sized ring holder. The scroll saw can also make quick work of cutting multiple shapes for appliqués or quilts.

Not all fabrics cut equally well; select those unlikely to shift, such as medium weight cotton.

Fabric can also be glued to plywood, then clamped securely to prevent cupping as it dries.

And don’t overlook the saw’s ability to customize notepads or make stacks of decorative cutouts.

Once you start thinking outside the (wooden) box, you just might begin to use your saw in ways that you never imagined.

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1. It’s all about the blades. A British band saw patent was filed in 1809. But the technology to create durable band saw blades (the welds broke quickly) kept band saws from being a practical tool for the next many years. A patent by Anne Crepin, a Frenchwoman, solved the welding problem in 1846, and the way was made clear for band saws. The American band saw patent was filed in 1836 by Benjamin Barker of Ellsworth, Maine. (Apparently it had to wait for a suitable blade as well!)

2. Size matters. Woodworking band saw blades are generally made of carbon steel. The width of the blade is the key determinant as to how small a curve or diameter you can cut. A 3/4″-wide blade’s minimum cut diameter (about 5-1/2″) is much larger than a 1/4″ blade (approximately 5/8″). On the other hand, wide blades usually cut straighter lines than narrow blades, if they are sharp.

3. Those are some fine teeth you have. Tooth count varies on band saw blades. In general, narrow blades have more teeth per inch and cut smoothly but require a slower feed rate. Wide blades have fewer and larger teeth per inch. They cut more roughly but are stronger, to handle much thicker material. The larger gullets between their teeth allow more swarf to be removed with greater efficiency while producing less friction.

4. Two to tango. There are two main types of tooth configurations: hook tooth and skip tooth. The hook tooth has about a 10-degree rake angle, allowing more aggressive and faster cutting. Its trade-off: a rougher cut. Skip tooth blades will not cut as quickly but leave a much smoother surface on the wood, requiring less sanding on exposed edges.

5. Jack of many materials. While we primarily cut wood, band saw blades are available that cut many different materials. Plastics and non ferrous metals (brass, copper and aluminum) can also be cut with the proper blades on a standard band saw. Carbide tooth blades are a relatively new technology that provide high quality cuts and remain sharp for a long time.

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