Finished Projects and the Lessons Learned.

  The first of the finished projects is a prototype  soap dish. I wanted a thing for the bar soap in our bathroom to sit to dry on.  We are trying to reduce plastic and so bar soap is replacing soft soap in plastic bottles. This was a fussy little project with the pieces joined with half lap joints.  As you can see this is a first effort that has room for improvement. What did I learn for next time:

a: elm is a terrible wood for a project like this, it is stringy and splits easily.  I will use something with a fine, straight grain, maybe maple or bass wood next time.

b: material preparation has to be 100% accurate, close is not good enough for the small, tight tolerances of the joints.

c: draw the piece out full size and use it as a template for marking the cuts.

d: only work in very good light.

e: make it smaller

  This a project like carving a spoon, something basic and quiet to do in the evening.

You can see one of last year's wood turning projects in the back ground. One day I will get around to turning a lid for the shaving soap holder.

  The other project is a turning project.

  I turned a clarinet stand for a friend that plays in the Hamilton Concert Band with me. The base unscrews so as not to take up too much space in your music bag.  It is amazing how much wood dust fills the air when using a lathe. When I have sanded the piece to shape I wax it on the lathe.  The base is cut from a three part piece I glued together and mostly used on a jewelry box. The left over finally found a use, years later. 

  Now when my friend sets her clarinet down while looking for music or taking a drink there is far less chance that it will fall over

.

   I like to make things that have a use.

listen here.  

clarinet is COOL!

  

Dala Horses

  Two Dala horses, technically one Dala Horses and one Hamilton Horse. The horse on the right is right off the band saw from the Dala Horse Factory in Sweden. There has been no craving done to it. 

  The horse on the left is my version of the famous horse.  I copied the general shape and cut it out on my band saw then I finished it with my Mora wood carving knife. 

Mora 120

  The standard Dala horse is carved from local spruce, then sanded and painted and sanded and hand painted.  My horse is aromatic cedar with a couple of coats of Clampham's Bee's Wax Polish. I've got a spoon roughed out and ready to carve but the last couple of days have been taken up with catching up with the local stuff.

  Things should return to normal (?) on Monday.

 cheers, ianw

Three Tools to have always on hand.

  When I was making the tomato cages I used tools that are always available, often used and mostly unsung. I have a shop hatchet that I bought on a trip to Sweden a few years ago. This little hatchet has sharpened dozens of posts and pegs for the garden. In my shop it has been used to rough shape spindle for the lathe as well. I would be at a loss without it. It deals with things that are too big for a shop knife, and/or to awkward to shape on the band saw. If you aren't planning a trip to Sweden I suggest an Estwing hatchet, Estwing makes very good quality tools.

   The second tool are my scissors. I use the shears to cut everything from paper patterns to veneer and twine. Good heavy duty shears are a must for a shop.  Don't try and get along on crappy $ store scissors, take the plunge and get a decent tool. 

  The last thing is a lump of bee's wax.  I bought this lump at a local farmers market a couple of seasons ago. The wax gets used to lubricate blades and protect tools. I also use the wax to give a quick wax coating to string or twine. The bee's wax can be melted and used as a old style wood finish too. Tonnes of uses for cheap.

  All of these three tools are not necessary if you have a shop where you manage to do things.  I hate having to run upstairs to the kitchen junk drawer for scissors and we have a real axe in the garage but that is just too big for most jobs. I have found having the correct tool at hand makes everything less frustrating.

 cheers, ianw

Les Stroud and a Wetterlings of Sweden axe