Customer Reviews

Make Your Own Model Dinosaurs: 7 Prehistoric Patterns for the Scroll Saw

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I got this book to make a dinosaur for my boys for their birthday. I do not own a scroll saw. I do not have any experience with one. I do own a scrolling jigsaw. One of the few criticisms I have of the book is that it was tough to figure out how big the finished dinosaur was. I was sure I wanted a bigger one (for kids at a party to put together) and thought I'd just go do the best I could.
My husband copied the pages at 200% and I used them as the patterns on the plywood as outlined by the authors. I made the velociraptor. My jigsaw was actually able to handle everything but the slots, which I partially cut with the saw then sort of cleaned up with the file. (I almost forgot to scale down the width of the slots, which copying the design had enlarged to 1/2". You want them the same width as your plywood.)
The pattern was a very good pattern-- my velociraptor turned out really well. I stress again I'd never attempted anything like this before. I started to assemble it as I was fitting and trimming the slots and the animal really started to emerge in front of me-- I brought the skull up out of the basement one night to show my husband and I was as excited as the kids. I think it's a good design if a novice like me can produce a finished dinosaur that almost stands up alone (I think it would be better balanced if I had scaled up the thickness of the plywood a little-- I used 1/4"). My finished dinosaur is a little larger that my three-year old. My three year old likes him very much. So do my five year olds, for whom it was made, and my eight year old, who helped make it. My older sons don't seem to mind at all propping it on the coffee table. I'm glad I got the book and tried the project.

These were great patterns! I have had as much fun making them as I know my Grandsons will have playing with them. I made three the first week I received the book and will have all of them made by the end of the next week.