Yack Update

step one, purchase book ------ check!
step two, orginize wood ------- check!
step three, build forms ------- not yet!

Gettin in under the Wire

Been a great weekend, colder than a mother-in-law's kiss, but i finished some presents. something isnt right with the shop heater, every time the wind blows more than 15 mph, the darn thing wont stay running. i think im gunna put in floor heat next year!

But here is some fence to keep the nephews critters in and a shed to keep them warm.

Putting in the overtime!

This one was a tough one to complete, the candle sticks are turned from a couple chunks of oak firewood and finished with a black walnut stain and toung oil. the table runner was completed by my lovely wife with some assistance from my mother. the whole package is a present for my aunt and uncle in Antioch CA. see he gave me the lathe i turned the candle sticks on...

Here is a hot little item

Model # 142

Willow Branch Wand

Eleven and three quarters inches

Griffin Feather Core

Bees Wax Finish

The Willow Wands tend to be the best under pressure,

as they will bend much before breaking.

For best results remember to swish and flick!

Shop Time

Spent the last few days in the shop, finishing some projects and cleaning up and orginizing. its amazing that ive been in there for 5 years and im still changing stuff. someday ill have it so perfect i wont know what to do.

Island Bar Stool

Being a frequent world traveler, I had stoped off for a fruity glass of refreshment at my favorite island hideaway and was impressed with this simple yet elegant stool. So I have recorded it with my camera and have now finished reverse engineering it. I will have to complete the prototype this weekend. My travel companion still has poor taste in travel wear.

Nice weekend to putz in the shop

actually managed to make a pair of matching candle sticks for my mother's b-day. even if they look like a 3rd grader made them, she will love them. Also finished up the tater bin to roll in the pantry closet, gotta keep them taters from spoiling.

Aslo recieved orders from the nephews for 1:64th scale buildings. one machiene shed and a couple of calf barns. of course they want them for christmas...

Catchie Name

its just a crying shame that i cut up a few dead oak trees to make firewood. so i started playing with the lathe, to sharpen my skills and make something useful... so i now present

"FireWood"

i know, i know.... dont quit the day job..

What Season is it?

Its Hunting Season!

Yes its that time of year where we attempt to fill the soup pot for another winter! ill be back in shop soon!

Wooo Hoooo!

Firewood is done! now i can concentrate on getting the homestead ready for winter.

Instructions

ok so some times i go a little to far. i do like to research a new area of intrest, sometimes to death. anyway thanks to the wonderfull resources at the local library i found this book. although i live about as far from an ocean that you can get and still be in the continental United States, i found the information on style and technique indespensable. i know there is no replacement for hands on instruction, but if im going to bulid a kayak, i should at least know what one will do.

Boat building

while looking around for options and plans, i came across this book by Gavin Arkin. this book is the perfect manual for a down and dirty, knock together, easy build. these boats are the simplest things to get out on the water. if you are wanting to build your own small boat but have limited resources and tools, and just want something to float, this is the book for you. there are a couple in here that im thinking about my self for puttzing around on my lake and sloughs...for the cost of 3 sheets of plywood and a tube or two of polyurethane glue, these boats are cool.

forgot one

didnt post the close up, what a schmuck

Due Diligence

Doing all of the research to make sure i want to invest in a large project is a lot of fun and can be educational as well. I managed to get yet another book from the Inter Library Loan program. CanoeCraft is a fantastic book that takes you step by step through the strip build method of making a canoe. Methods and materials are similar to the Strip Built Kayak book. but when it comes right down to it, a canoe is not for me. I'm going for a kayak.

Project Complete!

.....except for the water supply, the drain and a little landscaping around it. but i finally got the garden counter and sink out of the shop and into place...

and a little cleanup, as the dust and banging around while installing the sink and trimming the counter to get everything to fit. i just love a diamond blade in the angle grinder! It will shape anything to fit.

Saturdays......

.... are suposed to be a relaxing, watching sports, drinkin beer kind of days. so what do i have planned? oh im thinkin about 2 tons of firewood need to be chopped down and chopped up, lifted, stacked, hauled, piled and stacked again. not that i really mind, its hard but rewarding work. i love to see the final pile stacked nice and neat in the wood shed. the smell of fresh cut ash, oak and maple remind you of why fall is such a lovely time of year. gets you in the mood to spend a winter tinkering in the shop, knowing the wood supply is laid in.

Happy Fall Equinox

Not a bad weekend, i did have to help a neighbor replace some siding on the lakeside of his house. thought it would be a 2 hr job and of course it turned into an all day marathon. would have been easy except it was on the second story between two roof lines with different angles and no place to stand. oh well its done.

i did get the location for the garden sink prepped and sand hauled in and leveled. also painted most of the cabinet, until i ran out of paint.

the better half and B-man took out a nasty pine bush and burned the branches, and uncovered the perfect place to build a fire pit and sitting area.... will have to see how this develops

Pie

Ask a man what he can do, and the answer will vary. however in the interest of one upmanship... not only can i make the best brown gravy in the world, deep fry the meanest 10 lb turkey and the occasional snickers bar. grill the finest johnsonville braught to make the mouth water and the eyes cry......

i can make the ultimate pie. fresh apples from my own tree, fresh flaky crust made from scratch just so....

yes i know, it is hard to be this good and handsome too..... hahahahah

picture updates

the first one is a nice load of fire wood, that should last a couple of months. the second is the concrete counter top that is still sitting in the shop waiting to be installed. im going to the big city tomorrow and im going to look for some stain for the concrete, perhaps something with a green tint....

Firewood Season

Oh yes there is a nip in the air, its the middle of September and you can almost feel old man winter coming down the path.... now is the start to that yearly ritual of cutting, chopping, splitting, hauling, and stacking six pickup loads of firewood. we went out yesterday, wanted to start at 9am, got up at 7, loaded the tools and saw then had to wait for the rain to quit, by the time we finally got to where we needed to go and started the saw it was 11am. my father-in-law helped out and we managed to get the truck and trailer full by 5 (with an hour lunch). for today i get to fire up the log splitter and finish what we started, and put it all away.... two more loads like that and we should be good. let Jack Frost do his worst, my hiner will be warm.