First Project

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Here is a picture of my first project.

It's a napkin holder made of Poplar and finished with semi-gloss Urethane (from a spray can)

Hope it brings you experts souvenirs of yours

And, I'm not responsible for any injuries for anyone falling off their chair laughing

[jimp11]

looks real cool to me .

jim p

[Paul S WI]

Very nice.

[SharonW0111]

I like it -- I think you did real good job --be sure and keep your first piece and watch how much you change as time goes on and you get more experience.
Sharon

[TonyK]

Very nice job. Sharon makes a good point about keeping your first one to look back on to reflect on your progress.

You might also want to sign and date the project as well. Tony

[Neal Moore]

First project

Looks great to me Marcel. Never would have known you are a "beginner". Well....you have already begun so keep up the nice work!!!

[lucky788scroller]

That is a really nice pair of Arabian horses in that napkin holder! You did great, specially for a first project!
The horses do look more like dolphins though!!! Nice job! Dale

[Gill]

I wish my first piece had looked as nice as that. Unfortunately, I didn't keep it (heck, I don't even remember what it was) so I'll second Sharon's suggestion about making sure you take particular care of yours.

Gill

[CanadianScroller]

Great job!
I recognize that pattern Marcel, I do not think too many others on the forum would
There is a new series of patterns in the same publication. The skylines of the provinces and the coats of arms. Although the projects look complicated, once you get the hang of the blade changes you will find them not so bad.

The beauty of SSW is there is a variety of projects for all styles of scrolling which can be done by many different experience levels. If you don't get ScrollSaw Workshop yet I would recommend you do. It will provide you with tons of patterns, tips and suppliers.

Keep up the great work!

[sheltiecarver]

I like it Marcel.
Poplar is one of my very favorite woods to scroll - it cuts and sands beautifully, finishes well, and doesn't cost an entire arm and leg. You did a good job on it. You will get to a skill level where you can do much more complex projects, but I always think there is real beauty in simplicity. (And it is not always all that easy)
I second the "Good job!" sentiment.
Sandy

[GrayBeard Phil]

Very Good 1st project. You are on your way.

Now, about the long curves:

When you cut, keep the back of your hand straight in-line with you lower arm. Pretend you are bowling, and have one of those bowling gloves on which keep your wrist from bending.

The biggest no-no is to drop your wrist so the butt of you hand rest on the saw table.

You will develop a natural push with one hand and pivot with the other by using your whole arms. Use a kids circle making compass and draw a bunch of circles and practice on scrap wood.

Phil

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Thank-you all for the kind words. It was fun making it and that's what's important.

My wife brought it to workto show her friends. She says they liked it and that one may even put an order for a horses head for an address sign.

I'm curious to see if I'll actually get an order for a comissionned piece from my first try. I would find that funny, and scare the heck out of me at the same time. Oh well, all I can say is "I'll try".

After all, it's not as if I didn't know I need the practice.

[bearfretworks]

GREAT first project, Marcel.

Way, way, way, way, way better than my first (or second, or third)!!!

Good luck on landing that first commission. I still am stunned when someone actually gives me money for something I love to do.

[Neal Moore]

Dolphins

Marcel....I think I have an unfinished pattern around here somewhere that I drew a couple years ago that incorporates several dolphins into a pierced portrait. I got it about half finished and moved on to something else. I'll try to find it and finish it up. If I find it I'll send it to you. When cut out it's supposed to create an optical illusion of something entirely different than the dolphins. I think you would get a kick out of it!!! I think I drew it from a picture a friend emailed me called "dauphines"?? I was having trouble with "floaters" in the image that needed to be tied in and got frustrated and abandoned the project, but, I think now that I have a little more experience I'll try to revive it.