Small Project Makes A Big Job Happen

  It has been a busy week and I've not really been very focused in my wood shop.  I got my Maxi Scooter on the road for a ride and have been spending time with family and friends.  My wife and I took a really nice day trip to St. Jacobs on the weekend and on the Holiday Monday had friends for an extended lunch. 

  I did get  serious on a project for my grand daughter, she wanted a wood unicorn puzzle. 

  She traced the unicorn and coloured it the last time she visited and I promised to cut it from wood for her next visit.  I turned out to be a bit of a who-haw.  Typically one glues a paper pattern to the wood and cuts according to the pattern.  Once the pieces are cut the paper is sanded off and the wood finished in some way.  In this case I was supposed to keep the coloured section attached to the wood.  I glued the pattern down, then glued it some more to get the loose edges, then I varnished the whole thing to support the paper while cutting.  I was mostly successful, not totally and so most of the puzzle pieces are paper covered with Clara's colouring intact.  I think we may have to scrap the paper off and paint the puzzle pieces next time around.

   Well.... I went to the back of my shop where special tools live.  My lathe is there, on wheels, as well as my second band saw on wheels, Work Sharp setup, various routers and my scroll saw.  Also, sadly the back section of the shop is were ideas are put on the shelf for later, and the shelves gets covered with saw dust.  I found the scroll saw without a problem and got the puzzle almost completely cut out, almost.  Then the blade broke and I could not find my replacement blades, I knew what I was looking for but....could not find what I needed.  I was able to finish the puzzle off with a coping saw and then I decided it was time. 

  This Friday morning I spent several hours taking everything off the shelves, vacuuming  and sorting, not only are the shelves filled with ideas, they are filled with stuff. Over the last decade I have gathered up a vast variety of mixed bits and pieces.  I have a large plastic bin filled with wooden wheels, balls, cubes and the like for making crafts projects.  I have a large plastic bin filled with vacuum bags, hoses, clamps and accessories.  There is metal locker with two shelves of screws, hinges and miscellaneous fittings.  I have a shelf, ( now ) of various bits of metal, steel, aluminium etc.  I use that sort of thing to make jigs and fixtures.

I also have dowelling jigs in boxes, tenon jigs in boxes

  The back section of the shop was appalling and the clean up was back breaking.  I found stuff that I had picked up cheap or free with no plan for its use.  Then I started on my lumber rack.  I cut up a bunch of wood for my friends fire place.  I hate to reject a piece of maple, regardless of how small but....

  And to add to the general frustration and deep sighs of the week I spend an evening taking my lathe apart so that I can replace the drive belt. I have no complaint with  the lathe, belts stretch after nearly a decade of being used and ignored in equal measure.  The supplier was prompt and ordered a belt for me the same day, the cost of the drive belt is quite reasonable all I need is to wait 'til next week. Some of those little bits of maple will get fed into the lathe and made into saw dust.

  Were you to come into my shop you could not tell what I had done.  Mostly because you could not imagine the clutter and chaos that had to be dealt with to get it is shape.  I however am please as punch with my efforts, even though it doesn't make for a sexy blog post.

  Oh, and by the way.  I found did find my scroll saw blades.

 cheers, ianw