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Scroll Sawing - not just a guy thing Whether as a profession or a hobby, more and more women are embracing woodworking – it is no longer dominated only by men. My father used to do woodworking, so I was always aware of the trade. Woodworking disciplines such as furniture making and cabinet making require a minimum of a garage size shop and a number of larger power tools, but as a crafter, there are many other areas of woodworking to get involved in. Examples are marquetry, parquetry, wood turning, wood carving and scroll sawing. Woodworking is a continuous process where you are always learning something new. It is also great fun if you like working with your hands and do not mind getting dirty at times. Just because school shop classes were never available to many of us as children, women need to learn that there are no barriers, and with tools you are on an equal playing field. Tools and power tools do not know whether you are a man or a woman. The only thing needed to acquire the skills is the interest and willingness to learn. Over the years, I've done a lot of arts and crafts projects, and I have always been a hands-on person. When I glimpsed a scroll saw for the first time my interest was piqued. Once I had cut my first project, I was completely addicted. Now, some thirteen years later, I have made it my career and I love the flexibility of working for and by myself. But it wasn’t easy to get to this point. When I started out, employees at the home-improvement- and hardware stores refused to take me seriously. These stores are often a ‘masculine space’ where women’s presence is discouraged, but once they realise you know what you are talking about and what you want, there is a marked change in attitude. I have since proved myself and earned their respect, so nowadays I find men are careful not to condescend when I peruse tools or talk woodworking with them. Generally, social attitudes are changing and there is an increase in the numbers of women entering into the traditional male enclaves of wood and metal. Some ways to launch your scroll sawing interest are to read…join an internet forum…take a class…find a mentor. There are a variety of scroll sawing magazines and books available. Share in discussions before buying a saw, so that you make an informed decision. Scroll saws are available in a wide variety of brands and models. Higher priced saws have additional features and options that improve the overall performance of the machine. Before purchasing any scroll saw, consider the full range of work that might be done with it in the future. In my demonstrations, women often reluctantly express an innate fear of power tools and watch me scroll saw with cautious interest. I then explain that scroll sawing is actually a lot like sewing. A very small, thin blade is held taut between the ends of two horizontal arms that move up and down in unison to create a reciprocating cutting motion. The blade moves vertically through an opening in the saw table. The operator supports the work piece on the table and advances it into the blade in a manner which is similar to feeding fabric under the needle of a sewing machine. Because of the narrow blades, extremely sharp arcs and turns can be cut to make highly detailed and intricate shapes. If you can sew, then you can easily learn to use a scroll saw. If wood carving and whittling interests you, a basic low-end scroll saw will be adequate for cutting the basic shapes. Whittling is the art of creating in wood using primarily a knife blade. For woodcarving, a variety of chisels and gouges are utilized and a rotary tool can be used for fast removal of the excess wood. Whichever woodworking discipline you choose to express your creativity, the most important thing is to have fun and make lots of sawdust. Sue Mey |
