Current Tasks and Distractions

 Currently I am turning chair legs for the children's sized table and chairs.  That is the job I claim to be focused on in my shop at the moment.  In fact I have one leg left to turn and I have each of the chairs prepped and ready for glue up. I suspect that I will finish this afternoon or tomorrow and the table and chairs can be delivered to my Sister-in-Law next week.  My lathe is set up as a standing work station and I am not a great stander anymore and so I don't spend to much time at the lathe in a day, dragging the work out longer.

  So what else have I done with my time? ( while sitting and resting my back)

  This is a small Warrington style hammer I bought very early on in my woodworking journey. I have moved it from place to place, driven 100's/1000's of fine nails with it and until last evening it showed its age.  As I was sanding one of the turned legs my eye fell upon my trusty wee hammer and its dirty, stained handle.  While on a break I sanded all the staining off and refinished the handle and the tool is now as good as new.  I remember the hammer costing more than a hardware store hammer but.....I feel it has paid for itself.

  I had various sand papers out and was working on my newest tool.

  We were recently in Portugal. The weather was great and the people are wonderful. I saw this gardening tool in a local hardware/garden supply store.  I don't know what it is called, I feel that it is for clearing tall grass and reeds and it was so cheap I couldn't resist. ($12.00). Once home I  cleaned off the greasy coating that kept it from rusting in storage and used some 600 grit sand paper to touch up the edges. The left hand curved side is all single bevel blade and it is wicked sharp.  On the right is a hatchet style double bevel blade that is meant for nastier hacking, I guess, it's not as sharp but is thicker and tougher.  Behind our house is an ever expanding weed bed of invasive reeds, I plan to put this tool to work before the growing season begin this year. 

  This reaper/slasher is made in Portugal and as you can see this is a #2 size.  I saw 2,4,6,8, size tools in the store.  It would take a practiced hand and a mighty arm to work with a # 8 let me tell you. 

 Every shop needs a dust pan, 

  

  I am too cheap to buy such things and so I made my own.  For a while I have had a dust pan with a ridged handle.  As I was messing around yesterday I made the handle swivel and so trap the dust as the pan is picked up.  The paint is drying and later to day it will be put to work cleaning up the shavings from the lathe.

 As another side line,

yellow Camellia, usually they are red, white and pink. 

this is what February look like in Ponta Delgada Portugal.