What easy means on this page
- Outside cuts only. No starter holes and no unclamping the blade to thread it; inside cuts come next, in scroll saw projects.
- Broad curves. No curve tighter than 1-1/2 in radius; the only sharper turns are corners where two cuts meet.
- Thin stock. Plywood sold as 1/4 in, which WEN says suits very fine, narrow blades.
- Two parts at most, no glue-up. Nothing to clamp or align.
| Build | Stock | Skills | Planning estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud plaque | Plywood sold as 1/4 in, about 9 × 6 in | Steering along arcs; ordering cuts so waste falls away | About 1 hour |
| Slot ornament | Plywood sold as 1/4 in, about 8 × 3-1/2 in | Straight cuts to a line; fitting a slot to thickness | About 1 hour |
Planning estimates, not timings. Set up the saw as how to use a scroll saw explains, and practise a few curves on scrap first. Expect a blade or two to break while you learn; WEN says so too.
Build 1: a cloud plaque
| Feature | Size |
|---|---|
| Overall | 8 in wide, 4-3/4 in high |
| Side arcs | Radius 1-3/4 in; centres 1-3/4 in from each end and 1-3/4 in up |
| Middle arc | Radius 2-1/4 in; centre 4 in across and 2-1/2 in up |
| Flat base | 4-1/2 in, from 1-3/4 to 6-1/4 in across |
| Notches | Where the middle arc meets each side arc: about 2 in from each end and 3-1/2 in up |
| Hanging hole | 3/16 in, 4 in across and 1/2 in below the top |
Making the plaque
Draw it
Take a piece of plywood about 9 × 6 in with one straight factory edge; that edge is the flat base. Mark the three centres from the table, measured from the edge and from a point 1/2 in in from one end, and draw the arcs with a compass. Darken the outline so the arcs read as one line.
Cut a side arc and exit
Start on the base edge where the left arc touches it and follow the arc round and up to its notch. At the notch, carry straight on through the waste to the edge of the blank, so the waste on that side falls away.
Repeat on the other side
Cut the right arc the same way, up to its notch and straight out through the waste.
Cut the middle arc
Start the blade at the left notch, now open to the side, and follow the middle arc over to the right notch. The last piece of waste falls free without a sharp turn anywhere.
Drill and finish
Drill the 3/16 in hole with a drill, not on the scroll saw. Sand the edges smooth and finish as you like; see how to sand wood and the wood finish guide.
Build 2: a slot-together ornament
Making the ornament
Measure t
Measure the plywood's thickness; APA notes that panels are labelled by actual thickness, so plywood sold as 1/4 in may be thinner. The slots are t wide.
Lay out on a strip
On a strip about 8 × 3-1/2 in, draw two 3 in circles, each touching the same long edge. Draw each slot from that edge to the circle's centre: 1-1/2 in long and t wide. Mark one disc A and draw its hanging hole 1/4 in below the opposite edge of the circle.
Cut the slots first
With the strip still large enough to hold well, cut both sides of each slot just inside the lines, then cut across the end to free the waste.
Cut the discs
Cut round each circle. WEN warns against cutting a piece too small to hold safely; the slots are already done, so this is one steady curve.
Fit and hang
File each slot until the discs slide together with light pressure, slots meeting at the centres. Drill the 1/8 in hole in disc A, sand, finish and hang it on a thread.
Safety— Keep the work large
Do the small cuts while the blank is large, keep your fingers out of the blade's path, and switch off and let the blade stop before picking up an offcut. Hold the work down on the table with the hold-down or guard foot set. The ornament is a decoration for hanging, not a toy. See woodworking safety rules.
Before cutting
- Saw set up; blade fine enough for 1/4 in stock
- Plywood thickness t measured
- Outlines drawn and darkened
- Small cuts planned while the blank is large
- Hold-down or guard foot on the work
Next, the inside cuts in scroll saw projects; the saw itself is explained in the scroll saw guide. Projects for other tools are in beginner woodworking projects.
Sources
'Easy' is BenchRoot's editorial definition, set out on the page; no source defines it. Both builds are BenchRoot designs; every dimension is on the drawings, and the slot width is written as t because it depends on the plywood. The notch positions are geometry from the stated circles. Build times are planning estimates, not timings. Neither was built or tested for this page; the ornament is a decoration, not a toy.
- 1.
3921 16" Variable Speed Scroll Saw operator's manual. WEN Products.
Used for: Very fine, narrow blades for wood 1/4 in thick or less; not cutting a piece too small to hold safely; feeding only as fast as the saw cuts; expecting some broken blades while learning; the blade's tendency to follow the grain.
- 2.
DW788 20" (508 mm) Heavy Duty Variable Speed Scroll Saw instruction manual. DEWALT.
Used for: Holding the work firmly on the table; never removing cut-off pieces until the power is off and the blade has stopped.
- 3.
Scroll Saw Blade Selection Chart. Olson Saw Company, 2020.
Used for: Lower blade numbers for thinner stock and tighter radii; reverse-tooth blades to stop tear-out on the underside.
- 4.
Panel Thickness Tolerances and Labeling (Technical Topic TT-054). APA — The Engineered Wood Association, 2013.
Used for: Panels labelled by actual thickness rather than nominal alone, so plywood sold as 1/4 in may be thinner.
About this guide
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