Troy's Wood Creation

My name is Troy and I work with a scroll saw creating beautiful art. I am creating this blog to show some of the things I make. I also hope to go into some detail about how hand crafted items are made. I feel too many people do not understand how much time goes into a nice handcrafted project. Once you see how each piece is made it helps you appreciate the item all the more.

To start with, a little about who I am. I live in Phoenix, AZ. The nice thing about my location is that I have many more good weather days to work in my shop. I am a Navy veteran with 6 years of service. Many of the projects I make are for veterans. I am also a licensed minister so most of the work I do reflects my faith in God. I love to make crosses of all types.

Working in a shop is a relatively new thing for me. I am not well known for working with tools. Those who know me know that I do not have skills to repair things that break or to make things construction related. So, when I asked my wife for a scroll saw two years ago, she was pretty surprised. In the past two years I have learned quite a bit about using a scroll saw and creating things from wood.

Since then I have added a few tools to my shop. I have a belt/disc sander, a hand drill, and a dremel. I also have a router, which I need to learn to use. So, the work I will be showing and discussing is pretty much made with the simplest of tools.

For those who are unaware, a scroll saw is much like a band saw. It is a saw which can cut wood or other objects into various shapes. Unlike a band saw, the blade on a scroll saw moves up and down. A band saw has a blade which moves in a loop. Scroll saws are a bit more convenient because the blade can be changed pretty easy. There are also many types of blades, each one chosen according to what it will be cutting.

The nice thing about scroll saws is the concept of cutting holes into wood. When you cut a design inside the wood it is called fret work. Years ago this kind of work was done with a hand held saw. It takes quite a bit of work to do fret work with such a saw. In order to cut a design inside the wood you have to start with a hole. The hole only needs to be big enough to fit the saw blade through so that the design can then be cut.

Depending on the saw, setting up to cut one design inside the project can take about 30 seconds to a minute. When you consider that some projects may have dozens if not hundreds of holes cut in order to make a complete design, that amounts to hours of work. It is for this reason that you will see hand crafted items of this nature selling for a high amount of money.

Another thing to consider when looking at a piece of work is the kind of wood used. Some work is made out of a simple plywood. Usually Baltic Birch is used. It is an easy wood to cut and makes some nice looking projects. Fretwork boxes and plaques are often made with this type of wood. Because the wood is not very expensive, it helps keep the price down. Mostly when you buy an item made from Baltic Birch you are paying for the skill and time.

Other projects are made with a solid wood. Oak and Maple are two of the woods I like to use. They both produce a nice looking grain and are pretty easy to work with. Solid wood costs more than the Baltic Birch Plywood so a project made with solid wood ends up costing a bit more, especially if the project has a lot of fret work involved. On occasion a more exotic hard wood is selected. I like to use Tropical Walnut, Zebra Wood, Purple Heart, or African Padauk for many of my bigger projects.

Generally projects of hand crafted wood are given a natural stain or a clear varnish to protect the wood. The idea is to keep the natural wood color and grain in order to show off the wood. Some projects are hand painted, but mostly wood workers prefer to keep it natural.

In order to preserve the wood it has to have some kind of treatment. A stain, varnish, or oil is used depending on the project. In order to finish a project it has to be sanded. The smoother the wood surface the better the final project will be. A smooth hard wood can actually shine with the simplest finish applied to it.

When you consider the time it takes to select the right wood, cut the fret work, cut the outer boarder, sand and then finish a project, you can start to see the value in a hand crafted item. Next time you are out looking in a craft fair or at a flea market take time to admire the work and to see the love that goes into each piece of art.

It is my goal through this blog to show you some of the work I make and to explain how each piece is made. Thanks for stopping in and reading my blog. Please come back and look for it again to see each new entry.