scroll saw cutting a wooden deer-shaped cutout with the blade in the table slot

Steve Good Scroll Saw Patterns: 5,000+ Free (Rules + Blade Chart)

Steve Good’s catalog at stevedgood.com offers more than 5,000 free scroll saw patterns, and you can sell what you cut from them, but not the pattern files themselves. The catalog is now stewarded by Bear Woods Supply. This guide covers where to download, what each category holds, the selling rules, and which blade fits your wood thickness.

Where to Download Steve Good’s Free Scroll Saw Patterns

Best Beginner Scroll Saw Pick

WEN 3922 16-inch variable speed scroll saw

WEN 3922 16-Inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw ($119.77)

The 550 to 1,600 strokes-per-minute dial lets you slow the saw down for the fine blades and tight inside cuts that detailed catalog patterns call for.

  • Best for: Beginners cutting downloaded patterns in 1/8 to 3/4 inch stock
  • Why we picked it: A thumb-screw blade adapter swaps blades without tools, handy when you change blade size by wood thickness
  • Main drawback: The 16-inch throat limits how large a panel you can turn around the blade
View Our Pick on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The main home for the patterns is the Scrollsaw Workshop pattern catalog. Its front page says it holds more than 5,000 free scroll saw patterns, searchable by keyword or browsable by category. Open any pattern page and you get a preview of the PDF pages before you download.

When we checked on October 1, 2026, the download button opened a form with a free option plus optional support amounts of $3, $5 and $10 (or your own amount). It also asked for an email address and said that address would be added to the Scrollsaw Workshop newsletter, with an unsubscribe option. Older write-ups, including the blog sidebar, still say no signup is needed, so expect this flow to differ from what you read elsewhere.

Steve’s original Scrollsaw Workshop blog is still online too, and its archive begins in May 2007. Each older post is a useful place to see a pattern as it was first shown. If you want other sources, our list of free scroll saw pattern sources for beginners and our guide to printing scroll saw patterns correctly cover the rest of the free-pattern landscape.

The catalog lists 33 categories; the biggest are Miscellaneous (1,141 patterns), Holiday (1,031) and Animal (995). Source: Scrollsaw Workshop pattern catalog, checked October 1, 2026

What Is in the Catalog: Pattern Counts by Category

The catalog tags each pattern with one or more categories, so the counts below overlap and add up to more than the 5,000 total. They still show where the depth is.

CategoryPatterns listedWhat to search for
Miscellaneous1,141Jigs, shop helpers and one-offs that fit nowhere else
Holiday1,031Seasonal cutouts of every kind, not only ornaments
Animal995Silhouettes and layered animal designs
Art723Decorative and picture-style cutouts
Home Decor556Wall pieces and shelf decor
Sign427Name and message plaques
Word Art328Lettering and monogram patterns
Clock255Clock faces and surrounds
Toy169Stand-up figures and playthings
Ornament165Hanging ornaments only
Game and Puzzle155Puzzles and board-style projects

One detail most guides skip: the Ornament category holds only 165 patterns, while Holiday holds 1,031. If you are hunting for Christmas projects, browse Holiday first and filter from there rather than starting in Ornament. For a shorter list of seasonal ideas, see our free Christmas scroll saw patterns.

nested wooden elephant puzzle pieces cut from solid wood resting on wood shavings
Nested animal puzzles like this elephant family suit the Toy and Game and Puzzle categories: the pieces share one continuous cut line.

Can You Sell Projects Made From Steve Good’s Patterns?

Yes, with limits. The catalog’s Terms of Use (last updated September 4, 2026) separate the finished piece from the file. Here is how the rules read in plain terms:

What you want to doAllowed?What the terms say
Cut a pattern for your own useYesPatterns may be downloaded and used for personal projects
Sell a finished wooden item you cutYesYou may sell finished physical items made from a pattern
Sell, repost, bundle or share the PDFNoThe files must remain free and cannot be sold, redistributed, reposted, bundled or published
Show or post a photo of your finished pieceYes, with creditKeep the original creator credited when you share or display work made from a pattern

That matches what the Scrollsaw Workshop blog has long said: projects can be sold, patterns cannot. Terms can change, so re-read the page before you start a production run for a craft fair.

painted wooden cutout of a man walking a dachshund, a typical scroll saw yard project
A painted cutout figure with a dog: finished pieces like this are what the terms let you sell, as long as you credit the pattern designer.

About Steve Good and the Scrollsaw Workshop Today

Steve Good built the Scrollsaw Workshop pattern collection and, according to the catalog’s About page, spent nearly 20 years sending almost-daily newsletters and free patterns.

“Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure almost always teaches you something.”

Steve Good, to beginning woodworkers, in a WWGOA interview posted November 2016

The site has changed hands in practice. A September 30, 2026 post on the Scrollsaw Workshop blog announces the redesigned catalog, credits Steve’s son-in-law Shane with building it, and thanks Bear Woods Supply for stewarding the workshop. The same post says the team is “working behind the scenes” toward new patterns and asks readers to send in their own designs. No new Steve Good patterns are being drawn; the 5,000-plus archive is the collection.

Which Scroll Saw Blade for Which Wood Thickness?

Pattern PDFs rarely tell you what blade to load. A blade guide PDF hosted on stevedgood.com gives a rule worth using: keep at least three teeth in the wood at all times. Dividing 3 by the thickness in inches gives the minimum teeth per inch (TPI), which is how we built the third column below.

Wood thicknessBlade size to start withMinimum TPI (3 teeth in the cut)
1/8 inch plywood or thin stock#2/024
1/4 inch plywood or hardboard#3 or #5 (roughly 15 to 18 TPI)12
1/2 inch softwood or hardwood#56
3/4 inch pine#5 skip-tooth (guide suggests about 7 TPI)4
1 inch or thicker hardwood#7 to #9; #12 for up to 2 inch stock3

A common myth is that the finest blade always gives the cleanest cut. According to that guide, extremely fine blades break easily and wander when pushed, and its advice is to use the largest blade that still turns your tightest curve. A #2/0 in 1 inch hardwood invites breakage; a #9 in 1/8 inch plywood is the opposite mistake. For plywood, the guide also recommends a reverse-tooth blade, which cuts on the upstroke and reduces splintering on the underside. Our scroll saw blade TPI chart and woodworking tools and saws guide go deeper on tooth types.

How to Download, Print, and Cut a Pattern

  1. Download the PDF: Search the catalog or browse a category, open a pattern page, and use the download button.
  2. Print at 100% scale: Set the printer to actual size, not fit to page, so the pattern prints at its intended size.
  3. Attach the pattern to your wood: Use repositionable spray adhesive, or tape the paper down at the edges, so the lines stay put while you cut.
  4. Match the blade to the thickness: Pick the blade size from the chart above and tension it before the first cut.
  5. Cut the inside openings first: Drill an entry hole in each inside opening, thread the blade through, and cut the inside details before the outline.
  6. Sand and finish: Remove the paper, sand the edges, and apply the finish you prefer.

Wear eye protection and a dust mask, keep your fingers clear of the blade line, and let the saw do the cutting rather than forcing the wood. Plywood and MDF both make fine dust.

Looking at saws rather than patterns? We compared seven current models in our best scroll saw for woodworking guide, and our 3D and layered pattern sources page covers the stacked-segment style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Steve Good’s scroll saw patterns still free?

Yes. The catalog’s pattern pages say the patterns are always free, with optional support amounts offered at download. When we checked on October 1, 2026, the download form asked for an email address and said it would be added to the Scrollsaw Workshop newsletter.

Can I sell things I make from Steve Good’s patterns?

Yes, finished physical items are allowed. The catalog’s Terms of Use say you may sell items you make from a pattern, but you may not sell, redistribute, repost, bundle or publish the pattern files, and you should credit the original creator.

Is Steve Good still adding new patterns?

The catalog is now stewarded by Bear Woods Supply. A September 30, 2026 post on the Scrollsaw Workshop blog says the new stewards are building a team to create new patterns and invites readers to submit their own, but it does not announce new designs yet.

Who runs the Scrollsaw Workshop catalog now?

The catalog header says it is stewarded by Bear Woods Supply. The blog’s September 30, 2026 post credits Steve’s son-in-law Shane with building the redesigned catalog.

What scroll saw blade should I use for a downloaded pattern?

Match the blade to the wood thickness. A #2/0 blade suits 1/8 inch plywood, a #3 or #5 suits 1/4 inch stock, and a #5 skip-tooth blade is a common starting point for 3/4 inch pine. Fine blades break more easily, so use the largest blade that still turns your tightest curve.

Where is Steve Good’s old blog archive?

The Scrollsaw Workshop blog at scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com is still online, and its archive runs back to May 2007.

Similar Posts