Hackaday: These days most have come to think that if you want to make a complex 3D object with all curved surfaces then a 3D printer is the only way to go. Many have even forgotten that once such things could be hand carved. [JEPLANS], on the other hand, is a master at making these objects using only a scroll saw as he’s done with his latest, a miniature camel cut from a single block of maple.
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It always boggles my mind how you can cut the top, side and front of an image out of a block and it will come out like you carved it by hand. I really liked how the video showed the process of how he got from the idea to the finish with all three tries instead of him just editing out all the mistakes. It makes it seem more like a video for you to learn how to do this yourself because of the problem solving nature of the journey. I especially appreciated how he showed us the two sided version and then the three sided to show how one affected the other. I remember freshman year when DR showed us how to make table legs using the same technique and it completely blew my mind because I had never seen anything like that before, and it still holds the same wonder as it did then.
I truly admire those who can create such intricate objects with just a scroll saw. And I know I say essentially the same thing about nearly every carpentry article that I read, but this one I'm extra impressed with. I can never really wrap my head around subtractive sculpting. While in undergrad I was in an art class that assigned a subtractive sculpture project. Needless to say, I did not do very well at all. I have a really hard time seeing the object I want to make out of a solid piece of material. I much prefer additive sculpting and creating. It makes sense to start with nothing and then add to it. I'd like to try doing something like this, if I could find a template (which I'm sure I can) of an animal that is potentially be a bit easier for a first time project like this.
While I have never really had The opportunity to be able to use a scroll saw I definitely can appreciate this video mostly cause it is just fun and impressive to see a skilled crafts person being able to do what the are skilled at and seeing the process in its entirety. I agree with Monica that this video does add a layer to that cool factor because you see products that many might be happy with but rather than stop there they decide to redo it three different times to perfect the end product that they desire. This show a level of dedication to the craft and craftsmanship that many just simply don’t have and seeing it in process is damn cool. The more I watch videos like this I feel a need to try my hand at creating a similar thing but this may well be outta reach for me for a long while.
The new old-school use of magical scroll saw and all the potential things it can do. This is an incredibly simple process and a tool that far too many people don't know about. Watching him work away at this small block with such care and precision is genuinely mesmerizing. I miss having easy space and access to this tool. There are many prop items that this tool is useful for. What the scroll saw is one of those tools you don't know how much you love it until you have one around and start doing work with one on a weekly basis. The ability to use images on three ends that help to get the rough shape into the block is a technique that I have used before but not to such detail. This falls into the fun and crafty projects that I would love to do from time to time given space and free time to do them.
This is an interesting article, mostly because of the way it was approached. It is weird to hear that this tried and true method of creating 3D sculptures is an “alternative.” I consider 3D printing to be the alternative. This is an art, cutting on the scroll saw, don’t believe me? Just watch the guy not even stray from the line by a hair. I think we take advantage of our technology and that will surely lead us down a path where we stop appreciating raw skill. I am not saying there is no skill involved in 3D printing, but there is something about hand cut, hand made products that a 3D printer can’t compete with. I wonder if we are headed forwards with an old idea? At a certain point, everyone will be able to 3D print and then the special thing will be the hand skills, like the ones demonstrated in the video (especially the skill of not cutting a finger especially seeing how close he came). 3D printers are becoming so popular, that I don’t think its long until they are standard in houses and when that happens, we the hand crafters will shine. As they say in the Incredibles “when everyone’s super, no one will be.”
I have always been so interested in scroll saws and the crazy accurate work they can do. I remember the first time I saw the bandsaw video where the guy cuts out a deer wicked fast and I could barely understand what he was doing or how he was keeping track of what cuts to make where. I think this 3-view method for the scroll saw is a great one and simple enough to accomplish even if you are a beginner, minus the crazy skill you need to actually operate the saw. 3D printing has come a long way, but I think an important thing to remember is that if you need something rather simple and easy to lay out, it may be much faster to achieve it though this saw method rather than waiting for the printer to work overnight and then having to put the pieces in an acid bath.
I definitely forgot about the traditional hand carving method of making small 3D objects. I always considered hand carving and sculpting to be better for larger scale objects and 3D printing to be better for smaller scale ones. However, I think this video proves me very wrong. Up until this year I had never seen the process of laying an orthographic image on each side of a block and cutting them to make a full object. I had never even considered that as a possibility. It is still a bit tough for me to visualize how the cuts don’t conflict with each other. While I think hand carving still has a place in this world, I think that 3D printing is much more relevant to a lot of people right now. This difference between 3D printing and hand carving reminds me of Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut. I hope that the art of hand carving isn’t lost.
I love scroll saws, and have a particular affection to all small carving like saws of the like like smaller bandsaws and jig saws. In high school that is originally how I got to learn how to do most of my craft work and I got to practice doing different things. Watching guys like Jimmy diresta on you tube and such really showed me some of the most amazing things you can do with a band saw and a piece of material it made me want to do more. While 3-d printing and milling have come a long way and they are only getting better and better I still feel confident that there will always be a need for small craftsman as a lot of the time theres something that is simply easier or faster to do than with a 3-d printer. I just sincerely hop the art form doesn't get lost on the generations of makers to come as the gravitate more and more into the computer realm.
The video in this article was mesmerizing. In a world of technology, we so often forget about hand crafting which I do think is a shame. I am a strong proponent of technology and 3D printing but there is a sense of artificiality in 3d printing since it can lead to mass production. After watching that video, there is no arguing that hand craftsmanship is much more unique and takes a lot more man labor than 3D printing. I think that the art in 3d printing are the inventors of the machine and the fact that it currently exists making it easy to produce things that can defy gravity. However, there is a much more intimate feeling to the object rather than the technology when something is handcrafted. Also, I have never used a scroll saw before but it looks so fun and now I want to make a camel.
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