'A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum'--workshop actually

  This morning after breakfast I went down to the shop to do a small lathe project.  I have got three cute little bottles and decided that I should make some lids for them. I had decided on three lids with the same shape from three different woods.  The bottles could be used for something stylish like fancy salts or  spices. 
  On my way to turning the lids two bowls and a spindle got in the way, and the lids are put off until tomorrow.

  The bowl is maple and turned out pretty well. I turned it using a variety of my carbide tipped scrapper chisels.  Initially I used the monster roughing gouge that I made a couple of years ago at a blacksmith work shop.  Once I got the lump of wood round I switched to my 'Easy Wood' tools and then used bee's wax as a finish.  I guess the bowl can be used for keys or spare change or something.

  Why did I make a bowl, when I wanted to make three lids?  I found that my face plate was screwed to the wood and I had begun shaping the bowl, last winter, I guess.  If I took the face plate off I might not get it remounted accurately later so I decided to turn the bowl and be done with it.

  The spindle was the result of me changing my mind once the bowl was done and planning to make all three lids the same. Sadly, once I got the interesting piece of fruit wood round, it was just a little to small to be used for the lids. Now the spindle is in a bin awaiting an unknown future purpose. Man turning it made a mess.  I started with the bark on, for future reference, that really cries out for serious dust collection.  

  My other face plate had a small bowl on it.  It was an experiment to see how small a bowl I could turn on my face plate.  I am trying to avoid the cost of a multi jaw chuck, so far, I've managed but......

I do like playing with my lathe.  I should also buy a dust hood , by the time I was done playing today I was covered in chips and dust.  I did wear a dust mask and safety glasses, they increase health and safety but won't reduce cleaning time.

  Last week David and I made a flower trough/deck planter.  

  Since we began with a carefully drawn plan, we ended with excellent results.  Nice finishing job guys.

cheers, Ianw

Deck Work

 Two days ago I gathered some tools together and went to help out a buddy do some work on his back deck.  He and his wife are in the redesigning stage of an ongoing process so the task at hand was repair work.  This sort of work is what my family called 'jack knife carpentry', usually it involves some recycling, some reusing and lots of improvisation. 

  This job had it all.  On the two edges of the wooden deck the deck boards had got quite rotten. My friends are trying to decide whether to have the whole deck replaced with interlocking stone but for now they just needed the rotten boards repaired so the deck was safe and sound.

  I actually got off fairly easily as David, (deck owner) did a tonne of nasty on his knees work tearing apart an unwanted section of deck and reclaiming the boards and deck screws.  All I had to do was help him fit the replacement boards and screw them down.

  

  First thing we did was lay down a chalk line  and cut about 20 inches off the deck board with my circular saw.  A chalk line is a tool that I only use once every couple of years but...it is exactly the right tool for making a long straight line.  I wonder how many young people don't even know how to use a chalk line? 

  

   Once the boards were cut and removed, it was just a measure and cut exercise.  We did notice that the deck was not totally square when we started cutting the replacement pieces.  This is the kind of job that goes easier when there are two people working.  David took measurements, I cut the boards and then he screwed them down.  It is faster and easier if you are not bending down and up when working, or at  least is is easier for grey beards like me.  On Thursday both of us had sore backs none the less.

  I think that the quality of the final product was pretty good considering that the material cost was ZERO dollars.  

  For now it is safe to walk along the edges of the deck, it looks Okay and if in a season they decide to have it torn up and replaced they are aren't out a tonne of money.  I invested about two hours with David putting it together, I have no idea how much time he put in taking the other section of the deck apart and salvaging the wood.  Time is something retired people have, that and poor eyesight, and thinning hair, etc. etc. etc.

cheers, ianw