I'm in very early discussions with the program coordinator of a local Art Center about conducting a basic/beginners scroll saw class at the center. This place is part of a State Park and their mission is to support local artists and crafters through their consignment shop and through a series of classes they offer in things like wood carving, painting, basketweaving, etc. They've never held a scroll saw class before, but all of their classes are "hands on", formatted around making a project or developing a particular skill. My preliminary vision for a class would be centered more around discussion, Q&A and probably some demonstration, with perhaps a little hands-on time to allow newbies to give the saw a try. The difficulty in organizing a full scale project based class is that I have only one saw and it would be difficult to coordinate such an effort.
My question to you folks is, if you knew someone was offering a beginners/basic scroll saw class in your area, what would you expect to get out of it? I would likely talk about a lot of the things that are routinely discussed here, such as; blade selection, types of saws, applying patterns, prepping wood, stack cutting, finishing, etc. anything that seems to be a roadblock to beginners or causes them to struggle with their new hobby.
If the class were to be oriented toward making a project, say something simple, like a Christmas ornament or a plaque, the logistics would be more complicated and I'm not so sure that beginners would prefer a class where they are simply practicing a basic cutting skill. I would think that most would prefer learning tips, tricks and getting advice that they can take back to their own shop and apply.
That's my $.02 and based on the feedback I've gotten from the program coordinator, I'm not sure he's convinced it's the best approach. So I need your help. Let me know what you think, so I can either adapt my thinking, or be more confident that I'm on the right track.
Thanks in advance!
My question to you folks is, if you knew someone was offering a beginners/basic scroll saw class in your area, what would you expect to get out of it? I would likely talk about a lot of the things that are routinely discussed here, such as; blade selection, types of saws, applying patterns, prepping wood, stack cutting, finishing, etc. anything that seems to be a roadblock to beginners or causes them to struggle with their new hobby.
If the class were to be oriented toward making a project, say something simple, like a Christmas ornament or a plaque, the logistics would be more complicated and I'm not so sure that beginners would prefer a class where they are simply practicing a basic cutting skill. I would think that most would prefer learning tips, tricks and getting advice that they can take back to their own shop and apply.
That's my $.02 and based on the feedback I've gotten from the program coordinator, I'm not sure he's convinced it's the best approach. So I need your help. Let me know what you think, so I can either adapt my thinking, or be more confident that I'm on the right track.
Thanks in advance!
Comment