Catching Up - the news that is fit to type.

  There has been a small interruption in the flow of blogs for no other reason than there were other things to do.  While Thanksgiving is not the huge holiday for Canada that it seems to be in the United States we have still been busy with friends, family and fall fair.

  So the first up date is to show the results from the Rockton World's Fair. I entered four carvings and:

  Two of my entries did well.  The other two where good but not as good as the eventual winners.  There is a serious wood carving club in our area and they keep the standards high.

  

  Also a Gnome update.  You saw the house in the shop on September 13th. Here it is peacefully installed in Nicole's garden.  

  All of these projects do not require many tools or much expenditure.  Give it a try, chip carving is particularly cost effective, really only one knife. 

  cheers ianw 

p.s. get out and see the Fall Colours before they're blown away.

  

Fall Fair Season

  Next weekend is the Rockton World's Fair in Rockton Ontario.  Eva and I have been involved as exhibitors and volunteers for at least twenty years. Eva bakes up a storm and usually wins the big trophies each year while I quietly enter bread baking, carving or art depending on how the spirit moves me.

  We took the weekend away and then have returned to the full fall schedule.  In my shop today I was busy matting and framing painting for my grand kids and my self.  I know you don't need a wood working shop to cut matts and frame paintings but...you do need work space and a few tools.  I couldn't work without my big carpenters square or my utility knife.

  Another item that I have used for a few days lately is my slow cooker pot.  I could be using it to keep my hide glue at the correct temperature, but in this case I have been using it to make apple butter.

  Last Friday I peeled and began cooking what began as 12 quarts of apples in the slow cooker.  I cooked the apples for sixteen hours and then we left for the weekend early Saturday.  Today, Tuesday I cooked the apples for another ten hours and got three bottles of apple butter, a little over two quarts. (one is already gone to a good home). I like making things in the shop that I can use and I also like making things that I can eat.  These apples were free for the picking and so....we have a special treat for no cash outlay.  ( I've always said that if you are willing to spent time, you can save money).

  The other big project today was bread.

 This year I have entered three bread categories: White, 60% Whole Wheat and Multigrain. This is the finished multigrain right out of the oven, it is whole wheat, white, rye and five grain cereal and smells great. The loaf of while was done by lunch time and is already in the deep freeze.

  The last loaf is my 60% whole wheat,

 it is proofing while I type.  I realize  that this isn't wood working, but...it is making and if you are a maker in wood, why not expand your horizons?  There is a world of information, instruction and help out there for you  while you learn to make new things.

  If you don't want to make for your local fair, volunteer, the volunteers are the folks that make sure these events continue year after year. 

  See you at the fair,

  cheers, Ianw

  

  

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Up to Lately

  The other day I picked up a couple of skids while coming home.  The skids were small but the wood looked to be fairly clear pine or spruce.

  As you can see below I got a pretty good pile of small wood pieces.  The thin boards are about 3/8 thick and 16 inches long.

  I figure I will plane the boards down and make a small box of some sort.  Taking a skid apart to get the maximum good wood is not as much a bull strength task as it would first appear.  Over time I have found that trying to pry the skid apart ends with split and broken boards and less usable material. I cut the skid apart and then pull the nails out which gives me more short boards but nothing is split.

                                                  

  The thing that has consumed the house hold for the last week or so was the 2018 Rockton Fair.  The Fair runs for 3 1/2 days over the long weekend, Eva was there for set up and take down as well as working and visiting so she was there four days out of 3 1/2 and I was there two days in 3 1/2. This year I entered a variety of categories.  The three on the top left are for bread baking, my multi-grain bread came first.  The single third in the middle was for spray of Roses. On the top right are three ribbons for painting. The red ribbon is for my winning still life. And the two on the bottom are First for Chip Carving and Second for Relief carving.  Not a bad haul it I do saw so myself.

  If there is a fall fair in your neighbourhood I urge you to enter some of your stuff.  When you delve into things there are many categories for Makers to enter.  Even if you don't win there are ideas to see and you are helping promote your local community.

  It is now time to settle into the routine of winding down the garden and putting the summer toys away.  We've already brought all the tropical plants into the basement and put them back under grow lights. It is moving toward inside activity season: art, music, knitting and wood working.

  cheers, ianw

  

Two Weeks Later

 So what have I been up to, anyway.  This time I've not been away on holiday nor particularly laid up with my arthritic back,  I have been busy doing  those little things that would be so much more trouble without  shop space and some tools.

  

 The other day I put up another motion sensitive light, this time under the front porch overhang.  What is the best way to drill two holes into brick? A hammer drill and carbide drill bit.  I don't think a house hold should be without a hammer drill and bits. I have drilled dozens of holes in bricks and blocks for shelves, lights and all sorts of other stuff.  It also helps to have a proper five foot step ladder when doing this sort of job.

  

  Here is another goofy little project.  I call it grey leather, double thickness duct tape. In this case I put wooden ends into the "leather" pouch.  I made this to hold my various 'card' wallets together in my bag, or glove box, or where ever.  It was really nice to have work space and a very sharp knife to make this thing.  To make it slightly ridged I put several narrow pieces of veneer between the layers of duct tape. 

 

  Yesterday Kieran made a robot in the shop, one that shoots a torpedo .  Last time K was here he began using the jig saw, this time he got to paint using a "rattle can".  The paint job he achieved with the spray can was many times better than he has ever achieved with a brush.  Many of the bits and pieces are glued on using a hot glue gun, while there are holes drilled for the bolts.  K used the cordless drill with the key less chuck and drill bits to make holes of various sizes.  

  Wet season is coming.  I replaced a couple of broken dowels on my boot dryer, I made mine but there are several to choose from at thetoolstore.ca . Last year I bought the multi hole one for the grand kids. We don't get our boots wet much anymore, so two spots are enough.

boot dryer 

  Here are a two repairs for 10,000 Villages.  I had a bird with a broken neck and a lady with a broken arm.  This time neither repair will be invisible but when I am done the repair shouldn't to too obvious.  The bird fell and broke its neck because the base was way off level, I've wedged it and it glued the broken neck, I hope it finds a nice quiet home somewhere.

  These are my finished carvings for entry in the Rockton Worlds Fair next weekend. Lots of finish sanding and two coats of spray vanish. I hope they show well at the fair.

  There have been pictures to frame and walls to repair (we moved a bunch of pictures so had lots of holes to fill) as well as getting out in the lovely fall weather because you know it won't last.  Busy, busy and mostly loving it.

  cheers, ianw 

Pocket Hole Plug Maker

  I made a step stool using Kreg pocket hole jig and wood plugs a few years ago.  Over the course of my time as a sales representative I made dozens of step stools following this pattern.

  This is the stool that lives in our kitchen and is used to reach to the back of the highest cupboards and is made from poplar with walnut wood plugs.  Kreg Company sells wood plugs in a variety of woods.  But if you are working on a project and want plugs from a type of wood not supplied you can make your own pocket hole wood plugs by following this excellent instructional video:

Pocket hole plug maker 

  As a seasonal side line I am going to take a couple of paragraphs and talk about the Rockton World's Fair.  A local fall fair in which my wife and I have entered many competitions and for which we also volunteer each year. 

  This is Eva's haul from the fair this year.  She won most points in food, as well as winning ribbons for roses and stained glass crafts.

  My winnings were more modest, but two of my wood working projects got ribbons.

  Another aspect of the fair is sponsoring events.  I sponsor five of the cookie categories and as the sponsor I get to keep the winning entries.

 So for $10.00 I get 25 first place cookies.  More cookies than will fit into my workshop cookie jar as you can see by the overflow on the plate. I encourage everyone to get connected with their local fair.  Enter, there are several hundred categories for arts and crafts, food and preserves...or sponsor an event it adds to the fun and deepens your connection to the fair.

cheers ianw

   

   

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.

  

Its Nice to Have a Workshop.

  It is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and so Rockton World's Fair Weekend.  My wife and I have been entering things in fair competition for many years as well as volunteering in one way or another. My wife is a super cook/baker that wins big most years.  My efforts are much more modest.

  This year I entered a couple of drawings, some bread and a some crafts work.  I always know the fair is coming, always know what I am  planning to enter and always it is a scramble on the last couple of days to get things ready. This year we had to cannibalise some of our photograph frames to frame some grandchild art and I discovered a couple of my pieces were not standard sizes.  I had to rush down stairs and frame a painting and a wood burning project at the last minute.  I was surprised at the painting since I bought a ready stretched  canvas.  I assumed it would be a standard size with cheap framing readily available  The wood burning was a one off and so it being an odd size wasn't really a surprise. 

  But...why does this always have to be dealt with at the last minute?  Haven't I learned anything from years of going to school?  Actually I was better organised as a student.  In five years of post secondary education I never handed in an assignment late, nor had to ask for an extension. 
  

   The wood burning is on 1/4 inch Baltic birch sanded to 400 grit and then buffed clean and smooth.  The smoother the wood, the easier it is to wood burn.   I glued the picture to another larger piece of plywood and glued the oak frame onto the backing piece.

  Once I got the frame glued together I sanded the oak and then spayed two coats of varnish on the piece to protect it from smudges and finger marks.

  Included in this blog: an inspirational video.  I actually have a couple of projects on the go but one is at a boring stage and the other is a gift (secret), so my sharing is limited.

At Home in the Shop

  Get out and enjoy the weekend, come to the fair. I'm helping manage one of the car parks for a while tomorrow.

cheers, ianw

Rockton World's Fair - 15 years of parking

  The annual fall fair at Rockton Ontario is in its over 150 years old and has been of interest to my wife's family since her children were in elementary school.  My roots at the fair don't go back as far but I still have 15 years experience volunteering with the parking committee.  I spend a couple of hours directing cars in the back parking lot on Friday evening and feel it is easy work in support of a good cause. (unless it rains, then I'm not so keen)

  As well as volunteering we enter our work in a variety of categories.  Mostly food related.  This year Eva gets the trophy for the most accumulated points in Food and I won the category for most points in bread.  I won a First and three Seconds, four loaves, four ribbons.  Next year I guess I need to enter all six sections.
   Also this year Eva entered stained glass Christmas ornaments, and won and I entered wood carving and came second. So the workshop and the kitchen got a workout for the fair.

  As you can tell this isn't realy about wood working, not this weekend, it is about the fair.  Actually I finished the repair on the sewing box and delivered it yesterday on my way to the fair. And since our grandchildren are due to arrive shortly I my have a repair to do on a toy or two but mostly it is not a workshop related weekend.

  A special shout out to two local companies that are regular supporters of the fair:
 Altra Rentals for their mobile lighting systems, the lights are a real boon in that back parking lot, and
Skyway Rentals, who supplied golf carts to be used as shuttles from the far corners of the Kerigan Parking lot to the admission gate.
thank you for the support.

cheers,
 Ian W. fair associate.