Return to the Wood Shop - 2016

 Recently David and I have been working on another segmented wood turning project.  This time we are planning to make vases. Unfortunately on New Year's Day the drive belt on my lathe shredded and so that project is on hold until I can replace the drive belt. I will start making phone calls next week to see where I can buy a new belt.

 While David was working on the lathe I made another one of those silly little projects that make life easier.

This is a 'Stop Door'. If a door stop is used to keep a door from swinging open too wide, this is a stop that keeps the door from closing totally.  This is the door at the top of our stairs to the basement, in the basement is a tray of cat litter.  We have a stop door so that the the cat is always able to get down stairs to take care of her business. The Stop Door is fulling adjustable for opening size by sliding it along the top of the door. Initially I used a clamp but I decided a wooden stop door was a little nicer looking and softer where it contacts the door frame's trim.  Tomorrow I plan to paint the Stop Door and it will become almost invisible. 

 The other thing I'm working on is another puzzle. I have become quite attached to my scroll saw again. I cut out four puzzles for the kids over the holiday and have carried on making one that is more complicated.

 I was inspired to make the puzzle from one I saw on Pinterest. The trick is to fit all the pieces inside a prescribed space, so it isn't actually a jigsaw puzzle as much as a brain teaser.

pieces cut out

 This is going to be a fairly long process as now each piece needs to be painted. Each bird will get some feathers and an eye and a bit of character and since each piece is individual the colour of the piece will not provide any help to the person trying to fit them into the enclosed area.

  If you make a project like this you will find there a   significant number of stages. I drew my own pattern based on a photograph from the net. I copied the pattern and glued the copy to 1/2 inch Baltic birch plywood and cut it out on the scroll saw. After the pieces are cut out they get a rough sand, followed by a coat of clear shellac and then sanded to 180 grit.

  Once everything is sanded smooth I will refine each bird's design and highlight the design with wood burning and then acrylic paint, topped with a couple of coats of spray varnish. I expect that the brain teaser will stump Kieran for a whlle, but pretty soon he'll learn this one too.

 Cheers, Ian W