Scroll Saw Portrates

[Frank Howell]

Hi folks,
I just found this link posted over on the "Together We Served" web site:

http://groups.msn.com/SSPSoldierPortraits/projectoutline.msnw (http://groups.msn.com/SSPSoldierPortraits/projectoutline.msnw)

This is a group who takes request from the families of fallen Soldiers, to develop SS patterns, and cut from those patterns, Portrates of these Soldiers who've paid the ultimate price. If you're a scroller, they could use your help. I'm going to try to get up to speed, (I've done very little scrolling), and soon hope to pitch in here myself.

I remember seeing a news story a few months ago, about a wonderful lady who paints portrates of the fallen for the families. In her interview, she said that through this she really gets to know some of these men and their families, and that she feels it's the least she can do to help the familes.

I also know that there is a nation wide movement of Turner's who turn pens for the soldiers who've served over there. Again, I'm still building skills, but hope to contribute someday.

[Keith Outten]

Frank,

You mean the folks who have sent over 80,000 pens to our Troops in the Middle East? That would be the Freedom Pens Project that was started here at SawMill Creek :)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=73572

What someone should do is to get laser engravers involved with the Together We Served group, a laser can cut the scroll saw patterns much quicker than you can with a scroll saw. Just a thought......

.

[John Terefenko]

Keith

No offense but you missed the whole point. It is a labor of love to do a hand sawn project not a machine made one. This is a whole other war when you mention lasers and scroll saws in the same sentence so please do not go there. You could say the same for the pen turners they can go get a whole bunch machined pens so not the same thing. Sorry to be a little crass but that is a sore subject. These are very honorable projects and my hats off to them.

I just want to say THANKS to all the service men and women here and abroad who are serving and who have served and to all those that gave their lives for us so that we can do what we are doing. Thank You.

[Keith Outten]

Sorry John but I don't subscribe to any tool war or point of view that places one tool above another. No matter the cost all tools are just that, tools.

There is a considerable amount of talent necessary to take a picture and create a finished vector file that a Laser can cut, more steps than necessary for scroll sawing. I have owned scroll saws for twenty years and for some projects it is the best tool for the job no matter what equipment one has in their shop, for other projects it may be a secondary choice.

Like our Freedom Pens Project the whole point is to create a special gift, something that is unique and made by someone who took their precious time to do something nice for someone else in recognition of their service and sacrifice. The tools that are used have very little to do with the meaning of the gift.

Hand sawn or machine sawn projects aren't the only type that fit the "Labor Of Love" category. When we receive pens we don't ask how they were made or what tool was used, we know that some are hand carved and some were turned on a drill press. Every pen is precious to the one who receives them, to me that is the only point to the program.

So I respectfully disagree.

.

[John Terefenko]

Keith

We are going to have to agree to disagree because I feel very strongly about not including lasers in the same sentence as scroll saws. It is not a tool war at all. The project that was mention is a scroll saw organization that prides itself in their ability to take a portrait and have it transposed to a cutable project and cut with a saw using their hands and eyes. There are other organizations and maybe there should be a laser one that does this kind of presentation.

I thank the person for bringing it to light and being a scroller myself for over 25 years I am going to lend my time.

As far as debating lasers and scroll saws I would be glad to take that debate on any time but not here.