When are Tools more than Just Tools?

  We returned from a very good holiday in Ponta Delgada on the Azores island of Sao Miguel yesterday and this morning I returned to my work shop.  Recently I watched a video by  April Wilkerson talking about her feelings related to moving from her current wood working shop. Aside from the pragmatic aspects of having a shop,  like saving money and the creative control available she talked about personal sanctuary, peace and joy.  

    If we pause to consider our shops and tools fully I think we all have those feelings.  Maybe not all the time, joy is not the feeling I have when struggling with an awkward glue up or when facing hours of hand sanding, but mostly my feelings are positive.

  This morning I was making a couple of little trucks for my Granddaughters in Sweden.  As I was working I realised that I enjoyed our holiday, but I love to be home.  I was aware that I was using tools that were my late father's and grandfathers.  I thought about the really good hand planes that were bought with Christmas gift money from my Mother.  I also looked around the basement at the lovely home my wife and I have made here together, all those feelings: peace, joy and sanctuary were all there.

  Wooden toy trucks is one of the many children's toys I've made over the years. 

I've actually made a few of these.
Go to a clearance store and you can buy the bins for cheap.

  My policy is that all the toys I make are simple, study and meant to be played with until they are fire wood.  And....I don't care if the toys are played to death or forgotten at the play ground, I'll make a replacement if asked.  I don't like to see toys smashed in anger but I hate to see toys  sitting on a shelf in a pristine box,'collected'.

  Today was the first day working without a table saw.  So far....so good.  I was able to break down the boards as needed with my band saw and hand saws. I used my shooting board more this morning that in the last year.  It was actually a quieter more gentle way to work.  I'm not kidding myself, this is small stuff with more sanding than sawing going on.  I'll report later in the week when I get into a heavy duty storage cabinet that I have to build for a stained glass group. (glass is really, really heavy).

  Anyway, I'm off to take care of those 3,275 that that pile up while one is away on holiday, and visit my Mom.

cheers, ianw

Keeping in the Christmas Spirit

Make a wooden truck system

  Steve at woodworkingformerenortals.com has a good video on a simple 2 x 4 project that would be great as a gift for a little kid.  I made an assortment of wooden toys for my grandchildren when they were small. A real asset of a toy like Steve's truck is that it can be left in the sand box overnight, in the rain and still work properly the next day. As well, a wood truck lasts much longer than the equivalent plastic thing.

 This is also plug for Woodworking for Mere Mortals, the projects are approachable and the video production is excellent. Every time I think my blog should include home made videos I look at Steve and others and recognize my limitations and stay away from making a bad video.

 Here are three Christmas gifts, the fish puzzle is finished and the small snowman is ready to be bundled up and sent overseas. The turtle puzzle is half done and too difficult for Clara.  I am going back to the drawing board on the turtle. This one will get finished and stored away for another time, she will grow into a puzzle of this difficulty eventually. In fact I think the fish is too difficult for the six year old puzzle boy. I think there are not enough clues from the paint pattern to help him put the puzzle together, at first he will need help, but after a few times I expect he will learn the shapes and be able to make the fish himself.

  My finished segmented bowl and it is in our bathroom with shaving soap in it. I still may make a lid.  

  Here it is December 6th and technically I have my Christmas shop projects complete.  That is only because I set my sights quite low this year. I still can't put in more that a hour or so on my feet before it becomes a struggle. It is a bad idea to work with sharp tools when you are not fully comfortable and and in control.

A stocking Stuffer from thetoolstore.ca

  It is December 6th and there has been no snow and very little freezing weather. In better circumstances I would have been out on my motorcycle today, as were two hardy souls this afternoon.

  cheers, ianw

 

Toy Truck

Two boards and a storage bin.

  When you reorganize your shop and buy new bins keep the old ones and recycle (up cycle) them into mini trucks.  

  I wood burned the window frame and grill on and then hit the whole thing with a fast coat of shellac.  The whole project didn't take much time and cost about $3.00 to make, I bought a bunch of bins on clearance and the wheels have been laying around for years.

  One of the great things about little homemade toys like this is, no batteries, and since it was cheap to make no one stresses out when the dog eats it.  Toys are not supposed to create stress, they are supposed to create fun.