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to stand my cutting up against an old window screen and blow the dust out using an air nozzle connected to my compressor. I set the pressure at about 50 pounds which should be sufficient to remove the majority of the dust. Why a window screen? Because the screen wire adds support to the cutting while allowing the air and dust to blow through. Step 5.1 urge you to read the next step carefully because failure to do so can result in injury or tragedy. You currently have a piece of wood with a wonderfully scrolled design cut into it, but the back is covered with little wood "hairs" or dreaded fuzzies left behind from that spiral blade. Here's a fast way to remove those little pieces without pulling your hair out. Leaving the pattern attached to help prevent scorch marks on the front, stand the cutting up with the back side facing you against a piece of scrap wood. (I use a piece of V x 12", about two-feet long. Use whatever you may have lying around your shop, bLt be aware that it will get scorched.) Grab a propane torch, either the pencil type or a big ol' bemzomatic plumber's torch, and fire that bac boy up! Set the flame to low and wave it QUICKLY back and forth across the back of the cutting. Those fuzzies don't stand a chance!

A few notes of caution are in order here. Most importantly, you are combining a very hot flame with an extremely thin piece of wood, and those two can make a nasty combination. (Don't ask me how I know. Just take my word for it!) Be careful. Also, if you have applied ANY solvent or finishes to your wood, do NOT use this technique. Finishes and solvents, including the mineral spirits used in the next step, will dramatically increase the flammabifity of the wood and can cause serious damage not only to your cutting but also to you or your property.

Step 6. It's now time to deal with the minor annoyance of removing the pattern. Fill an empty spray bottle with low-odor mineral spirits and thoroughly spray the pattern, wetting it completely. Let the mineral spirits soak in for a few minutes until the paper takes on a grayish, see-through tone. The length of time will vary depending on how thick the pallern paper is and how heavy a coat of mineral spirits was applied. Once you are ready to remove the paper, peel from a comer that has worked loose, and lift gently. Support the fragile wood pieces, holding them down with your fingers as you lift the paper. The pattern should come off in almost one piece. If it is still stuck in some places or you can't find a corner that has come loose, spray the pattern once more and try again after a few minutes.

That should have been pretty painless for you, but we're not quite finished! After the paper has been removed, spray the wood again, making sure you get the entire piece thor oughly wet. Using the balls of your fingers, gently rub them across the entire piece in the direction of the grain. The slimy stuff that you may feel under your fingers is glue thct has been left on the wood. By rubbing it down with your fingers until all the areas that felt slimy now feel slick, you will hove removed all of the glue residue from the front of the wood. Blot the front of the wood with an absorbent cloth to remove the remaining mineral spirits. (Cloth diapers, still available for about $5 a dozen, work great for this.)

Before continuing, let me allay some of your concerns about this technique. Mineral spirits will not change the appearance of your wood if you allow it to dry completely before applying your finish. Also, the application of mineral spirits should not raise the grain on your wood. Step 7. Apply your finish of choice. I prefer using low-gloss spray lacquer because cf its fast drying time and muted shine. Spray both sides of the wood to help trap any dust that has been left behind.

Step 8. Select a backer that will really show off all your hard work. I like to use black felt because the texture of the felt

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contrasts nicely with the smoothness of the wood, but any dark material, including biack-painted wood, will work. Choose a backer that pleases you. After all, it may be my design, but you have made it your own by cutting it. Your cutting should reflect your personality and style. I like to use Aleene's tacky glue in the clear bottle to attach my backer because it dries perfectly clear, in case a little glue seeps into a cut. Step 9. We've finally made it to the end of our trip, and I certainly hope you've enjoyed it. I recommend framing your finished cutting. My only suggestion is that you select a frame wefthy of all the hard wortr and time you have invested in this project. Scrolling creates a sort of relationship between you and the wood. You will only get out of it what you put into it. Keep that in mind when you reach for that dollar store frame. It may be inexpensive, but who is really getting cheated?

I hope you enjoy the challenge this patlem presents and that you will share your cutting of it with us. Remember to enjoy the experience. Best wishes for a joyous and wonderful holiday season full of richness and blessing. Good iLCk and happy scrolling!

Jeff has been scrolling for about three years and designing for a iittle less than two years. He is on accomp/ished art is! with scroll saw works hanging in galleries nationwide, and he thanks God for blessing him with his talents. To see more of Jeff's work, or for questions or comments about this project, visit his website at www.advancedscrollsawpafferns.com or send a SASE to: Jeff Zaffino, 247 Lyle Road, Rossville, GA 30741.

A note about spiral blades

Spiral blades can be intimidating. You may have read or beard that they are difficult to control, that they make "sloppy" cuts, and that they are difficult to insert into the blade holders. With some practice, working with spirals is no more difficult than working with standard blades.

To help with control, try stacking an extra piecc or two of wood with your cutting or use a smaller blade than what you would normally use. By increasing the thickness ol" the wood or downsizing the blade, you can slow the rate at which the blade cuts. Don't try to turn the wood around Ihe blade. Instead, use the entire 36(1" cutting surface that a spiral offers, following the pattern line in whichever direction it goes. Rather Lhan always feeding the wood from the front of the blade, change the direction in which you feed the wood into Ihe blade.

As far as "sloppiness" is concerned, spirals do create a lot of fuvz. 1 have not yet found a way to prevent that, but I can offer an effective and efficient technique for removing those fuzzies. (See Step 5 for detailed instructions.) Reverse spirals are available that do help limit the amount of fuzz created, but Ihey won't totally eliminate it. Personally, I don't care for them, but there are a number of scrollers who love using them.

It is true that spirals can be difficult to gel into the blade holders without bending or bretiking the ends, but I'll bet il was difficult to consistently insert a standard blade correctly each time when you first started scrolling. You learned to do it by repetition, and you will find the same for spirals. Work past any initial frustration, and you will develop a feel for them. Some scrollers choose to flatten the blade ends with pliers, but it adds another step to each blade change. Another option is to purchase the spirals designed with flat ends. They are effective if you still have problems inserting the blades into the holders, even after practicing.

Spirals will take some getting used to, but they have taken my scrolling to a level I never thought possible, and they can do the same for you.