The Art of the ScrollSaw
Review by Mark Gazella – February 2009
Well, another Christmas holiday has come and gone. As I grow older, I find the holidays tend to make me wax nostalgic about my youth, and seasons past. Back to a time of heightened anticipation over gift-giving, family gatherings, and a break from school. I reminisce about my younger days, when the holiday season heralded magic and wonder, and all of the other sensations that leave a young lad awestruck. I guess that's why this month's selection feels so appropriate for me (as you might have guessed - I began taking notes on this book over my holiday break!).
This entry caught my attention for several reasons. Foremost is Mr. Spielman himself - a master woodworker for decades, and author of over fifty woodworking books (we have several of his Router series books in the library). After Mr. Spielman, I'm drawn to the collection of contents. This scrollsaw book is infused with the talents of 27 other masters of the craft, who contributed 35 unique projects they claim scrollsawers of all levels can consider. All artisans provide final products to accompany their plans, which are captured as beautifully photographed examples of completed work.
The book begins with two pages of scrollsaw evolution, from antiquity through current state (as of 1995 anyway). And true to form, I'm most intrigued by the originals. First listed is a Millers Falls Company treadle saw from the 1820's. It was foot-operated, weighed just 17 pounds, and could be had for the sum of $2.50! Another saw widely used by industry in the late 1800's is the Barnes Velocipede. It was capable of cutting stock up to 3" thick at a foot per minute, and was rated at 1200 SPM. The list concludes with a Hegner saw from Germany, reputed to be the machine that spurred the resurgence of scrollsawing back in the 1970s. A quick flip of a page leads to additional segments that include Artists Profiles, Projects, and a Gallery. All include adequate descriptions and great full color pictures. The Projects section offers complete instruction for all projects; everything from patterns and grain direction, to painting and decoupage, to tips on cutting and assembling.
Many talented artisans are featured in the book, several that I was already familiar with. Judy Gale Roberts presents her work with intarsia. She has been featured in many woodworking magazines (I know BH&G Wood featured her several times over the years), and is credited for introducing the art of intarsia to a whole new generation of woodworkers. Her work entitled "Hidden Forest" (included in the
Gallery section) is quite popular, and has received national acclaim. Incidentally, I described her Small Intarsia book back in December 2003. Silas Kopf is another gifted woodworker, whose cabinetmaking and impeccable marquetry skills are quite phenomenal. Mr. Kopf, a furniture maker since 1973, is a graduate of Princeton University with a degree in architecture. In 1988 he received a Craftsman’s Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He also studied traditional marquetry technique at the Ecole Boulle in Paris. The Gallery features several of his works that you really must see to believe.I have a DeWalt scrollsaw at home, but I have to admit it most often sits idle in a corner of my workshop. Books like this provide just the incentive I need to give it center stage for some serious cutting! I think
Art of the ScrollSaw is a great offering that clearly illustrates how versatile and relatively inexpensive this form of woodworking can be. I plan to have this book available for checkout at the next general member meeting.