More Gecko Stuff

  On July 30th I posted a blog featuring the travel box for Nacho the Gecko that Kieran and I made while he was here.

  He then went home for a week and while he was gone. I decided to make a solid home for Nacho that could be left here. We had a card board gecko house that K had made a while ago. A gecko likes a cool damp environment, he is misted several time per day, good for a lizard, not good for his card board cage.

 I followed the basic size and shape of the card board effort and used softwood lumber and screening to make a home away from home for Nacho.

 I made the frame from 7/8 inch spruce construction lumber and used screws and glue to assemble the frame.  My gravity clamps are holding the screening down while the glue sets.

the finished unit

  The finished unit fully decorated and ready for habitation.  I have it on good authority that he likes his home away from home. 

  Another D.I.Y task I completed this week was the deck sealing of the out door benches at the Ancaster Senior Achievement Centre.  Couple of years ago the centre was renovated and a very nice court yard was added.  In the court yard are three U shaped benches made from 2 x 4 lumber.  The contractor varnished the benches, which looked nice for about a season and a half. Now the varnish is gone and the wood is exposed. I spent nearly three hours thoroughly cleaning and soaking the boards with deck sealer.  It is one of those volunteer things that guys with shops, drop cloths, brushes and gear can do for their community.

  

  I think that we should support our community and if I can be supportive while doing something satisfying it is a win/win.

cheers ianw   

 

The Home Workshop Bonus - working with Grand Kids

  When I ramble about I usually take a walking stick with me.  This past week our oldest Grand daughter was with us and she and I went for a walk in the forest. She found this stick and I work shopped it so we each have walking sticks. This was not a serious job but having a really sharp shop knife meant cleaning it up was easy. 

  After I cleaned the bark off the top and sanded the wood smooth and then gave it a good coat of paste wax. Then I dug into my cabinet of wonders and found a rubber foot for the walking stick. The cabinet of wonders is filled with, STUFF: leather, rubber feet, wheels and guitar stings, buttons and all sorts of craft/shop things.  Every house needs a cabinet of wonders. 

  

  The thing we made together this week was a Gecko House for Churro the Golden Crested Gecko.

  Clara designed the house.  I cut the pieces out on the mitre saw but she drilled all the holes using the drill press and sanded all the edges until they were Gecko friendly. Also, Clare nailed all the pieces together with almost no help from me.  She even learned about a nail set.

  We were not sure how or if the gecko would react to paint or finish so the project remains unfinished.  

  It was great fun working with my Grand daughter on a shop project. It was a good learning experience too, she had to design and measure out the project as well as learn to wait as the glue dried.  Most importantly she learned about sanding.  If a wood worker can accept sanding as a necessity, then all their project will look and feel nicer.

cheers ian w