Building a foot powered scrollsaw

[@seanmakesthings]

So rad! I've been researching building foot powered machines and i'm so glad I stumbled onto your channel! Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@liveoak4124]

After five decades of creating devices and objects I’ve learned that virtually nothing comes into being whole and elegant on its first second or third iteration. The knowledge we gain from solving such design problems through trial and error is more valuable in many ways then that we derive from learning every accepted practice. If you can embrace this idea it allows for much more patience with oneself. Having watched you make multiple long rip cuts in oak I know you have the patience to spare. Great build and thank you for sharing the process.

[@GillisBjork]

Many thanks, wise words!

[@ДмитрийИванов-с9к4к]

Уважаю мастеров, которые делают все вручную- без электродрынчалок! Молодец! Спасибо!

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you!

[@berniesr]

A great build and you are right its the endless problem solving that drives creativity and ultimately delivers satisfaction. Look forward to seeing your new workshop.

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you very much!

[@johnford7847]

I think this video is valuable for show the process and considerations to make a working device. Thank you for sharing.

[@GillisBjork]

Glad you think so, thanks!

[@thomashverring9484]

This was an awesome video! Great showing the process and problem solving. Woodworking is so much about how to fix your mistakes. And having a pole scroll saw is just excellent!

[@GillisBjork]

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@StoneRiverWoodshop]

Appreciate your willingness to admit mistakes, come up with a solution, and adapt on the fly! Nice work!!

[@GillisBjork]

Many thanks!

[@MatthewRMacKinnon]

Looks amazing! Love it! Cant wait to see the new space too

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you very much!

[@donniewillis2926]

Gillis, I admire your determination, creativity and craftsmanship! I have watched you grow and become better in every aspect of your journey!! What a beautiful passion you have and share!!

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you so much, Donnie!

[@oih1969]

So meditative to watch your videos. Very focused. And no artificially induced spice.

[@GillisBjork]

Glad you think so, much appreciated!

[@bigal3189]

Such an ambitious project. I love it. You're humble but this was a very difficult project. I think you did great. I am very excited to see the new shop!

[@GillisBjork]

Many thanks!

[@RobertBrazile]

I drive screws with a brace all the time. Great combination of power and feel. Doesn't seem weird at all!

[@GillisBjork]

Cool! Very true, it's a great tool for the job.

[@dale1956ties]

Oh good! I really enjoy your videos Gillis.

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you!

[@dale1956ties]

@@GillisBjork It was particularly interesting that you included your mistakes and the thought processes in overcoming the problems. Well done sir!

[@GillisBjork]

Glad you think so! Always scary putting the mistakes out, but it felt important this time. Thanks!

[@dale1956ties]

@@GillisBjork Fear not. It only shows your comfort level not only with your own ability to create, but to troubleshoot and retrofit when & where necessary. It's all good my friend. If you've ever seen the pask makes channel, he puts it all out there warts and everything ad quite often the real genius comes out when he's figuring out how to overcome a problem of his own making. It's actually one of my favorite things about his channels. So yeah, it's all good. Thanks for posting. I'm really looking forward to getting a tour of the new shop.👍👍👍

[@MCsCreations]

​@GillisBjork I absolutely understand you, but sometimes it's the only, or the video wouldn't make sense. You know? So, you definitely did the right thing! 😊

[@walterplummer3808]

A nice build. Looking forward to see the new shop. Thanks.

[@GillisBjork]

Many thanks, I look forward to showing it!

[@ChristopherRNeumann]

Cool project, thanks for sharing. I'm excited for your next chapter.

[@GillisBjork]

Thanks a bunch!

[@ericgelman2792]

Great build!

[@GillisBjork]

Thanks a bunch!

[@hansjoinery]

Well done! Looking forward to the new workshop and the upgrad of scrollsaw.

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you very much, I'm excited to show it!

[@plainnpretty]

It turned out great even though it’s not perfect but you will teak it some it’ll be fine . I’m looking forward to seeing your new shop I love workshops . Thanks

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you! I'm excited to show it soon!

[@harrymark6748]

Amazing job Gillis!

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you!

[@sandman2651]

Well Gillis i think your far to harsh on your self, you have made something many many people would not even attempt to build so you made some mistakes but you learnt valuable knowledge on how to make it work, and to be 100% honest i would not have even started such a project. Looking forward to seeing your next work space

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

*you're far *too harsh. "You learnt valuable knowledge". You don't learn knowledge you gain knowledge from learning.

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you for the encouraging words!

[@transmundanium]

Driving screws with a brace is one of those awesome things. I do that all the time. Especially useful working on the dock. Electrical tools don't like being dunked in the lake.

[@GillisBjork]

Cool, an advantage I hadn't thought of!

[@leonelgonzalezmireles4903]

Nice work i could think the use of a metal spring or a wheel as experiment idea in the foot powered scrollsaw but so on the project is very nice made

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you! For sure, such parts could give higher speed mostly, but also increase the cost and complexity of the build :)

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

💯💯💯💯💯💯💯awesome work sir!! Love it!

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you!

[@MASI_forging]

Another great video 😍😍

[@GillisBjork]

Many thanks!

[@Richardwright-we6rv]

I drive screws with a brace too.....greetings from York, England

[@GillisBjork]

Cool! It's a great tool for the job.

[@paulwomack5866]

If you're doing much stock prep by hand, I recommend 2 things: 1) Lubricate the plane sole with wax - I use a normal candle, since it's easy to manage and doesn't make a mess. 2) Buy and use a Wooden body jack plane - these are very cheap on the s/h market. (1) is still a benefit

[@jeremywalker666]

Beautiful work my friend. I'll point out that you replayed a portion of the clip that you missed in editing but this happens from time to time. I enjoy your channel and hope to see more for years to come. Well done

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you very much! I'll see if I can find the duplicate clip and fix it.

[@TheRealMarioMan]

Very Nice Work, Subscribed 🐧

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you very much!

[@longvu7435]

Very nice

[@GillisBjork]

Thanks!

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic work, man! Really well done!!! 😃 I've seen diy people making saws like this, but with DC motors... And they always make double arms as you did! Now... How about a pedal lathe? It should be fun as well! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@GillisBjork]

Many thanks! I did make a pedal lathe a while ago, don't have it assembled anymore though due to space, but if you go back among my older videos you can find it if you want :)

[@MCsCreations]

@@GillisBjork Oh, I'm definitely going to! Thanks! 😊

[@shoofle]

I wonder if you could cause it to move forward on the downstroke by biasing it to a higher angle, so that when it's driven down it moves towards horizontal rather than away from horizontal.

[@GillisBjork]

That should work!

[@vladulitovs7285]

Well done mate!Keep posting your work, it is interesting! I see you have quite a lot of traditional woodworking tools!Have you collected it yourself or inherited it from somebody from your family?

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you! I’ve collected them from flea markets, ebay etc :)

[@foleycomposer]

Well done! I recently spied a new-to-me style of traditional band/scroll saw that I think was used for parquetry. It was from a Spanish language facebook reel and translated as "crossbow saw." Consisted of a frame saw tensioned by some sort of leaf spring (or coiled rope, or spring pole), all captive within a larger, close fitting frame akin to a guillotine. There was a small table with a passthrough for the blade that was attached to the non-moving outer frame, and operated like a spring pole lathe. I've seen one other example somewhere online, but can't find any now that I'm looking for them!

[@foleycomposer]

And now that I've googled "sierra de ballesta" I've found tons of examples. What I get for being a monoglot!

[@GillisBjork]

Oooh yeah, I've seen those too. Found out about it after I started building this design, otherwise I would have seriously considered it. Possibly slightly more work to make one of those, but the frame in vertical rails would give a perfect linear stroke, as long as everything is built square. I will look into it more if this machine turns out to have some major flaw.

[@TheCarpenterGirl1984]

Hello I like wood, I love you ❤❤🎉🎉

[@dpmeyer4867]

Cool

[@CanadianRebel]

an angled dovetail?! now you're just showing off :P

[@GillisBjork]

Haha well, seemed like a logical joint for the situation :P

[@georgeb7332]

I think you're too hard on yourself. I don't think anyone creating something new gets everything right first time. But I think this is a fab idea. Looking forward to seeing it in action. By the way, if I have occasion to screw into endgrain, I tend to insert a dowel into the wood (ie, at 90 degrees to the screw) which allows for purchase on good strong long grain.

[@GillisBjork]

Thank you! That’s a great idea.

[@anthonyseiver7000]

Not the most accurate saw out there is the very definition of the scroll saw. It can not cut a straight line, but it is, however, extremely precise.

[@mattsadventureswithart5764]

A person who's used one for a while will be able to cut a straight line, because they *are* precise. It will take a lot of practice and patience, but going slow&steady and concentrating means a pretty decent straight line can be cut. Experience of my electric powered scroll saw says that impatience is definitely the killer of accuracy, whether trying to cut a straight line or something curvy.

[@GillisBjork]

Haha you have a point!