Master Procrastinator

By matthew

Mar 09, 2013

I've been meaning to get to this post since before Christmas...that should give you some insight into the level of procrastination I'm capable of. That's right...I'm a master procrastinator!

Every year I always think the same thing, "hmmm I really should just make something for xmas rather than buying some meaningless plastic POS that no one really wants in the long run,"...what? Doesn't everyone think in run on sentences?

Xmas 2012 was no different, well...actually it was as I turned that run on sentence into tangible objects...many objects actually.

I did take the slightly easy way out by making all those pieces on the lathe though.

Xmas Bowls

Sisters

I started out with two cherry and walnut pieces for my mom and aunt. I've been carting around several pieces of lumber out of my grandfathers shop for more years than I can remember and occasionally dip into that stock for special occasions/gifts back to the family...and this was no different. Well, actually it was, as I have a few pieces of Mahogany that has aged to a dark dark brown/red. The piece I pulled from the rack that I had assumed was more of this Mahogany actually turned out to be a stick of quarter sawn Walnut...that's how dirty and aged these boards are. What a score, the Mahogany was going to be nice, but I think the Walnut was even better. So each bowl got a handsome Walnut stripe around its waist.

I then turned my attention to a handsome Walnut bowl for a friend and a nice piece out of Alder for my sister in law.

Walnut Candy

Alder

I had originally intended to turn a few smaller treasure boxes for my nieces, but I just couldn't get them to cooperate, ultimately blowing out several blanks.

Oops

I blame the new 25mm jaw set...well that and I probably should have turned a few pieces on the jaws to get the hang of how they turn rather than just jumping right into some tiny turnings. But hey...you don't learn unless you try.

The last item that I added to the list was actually a piece I turned in the fall. A simple lidded salt cellar in cherry. Kristina and I have been using its twin (actually a prototype that I thought I had turned the bottom too thin on) for a number of months and was now comfortable giving it out as production piece; satisfied that even when stocked to the brim with salt that it wouldn't crack (at least not right away).

Cherry Salt Cellar

I'm a firm believer that everyone should get at least 1 toy for Christmas. So where I was already working the lathe I thought it would be a perfect time to turn some tops. This was an interesting learning experience. If the top is too bottom heavy it spins slooooow; however if it's too top heavy it spins like a drunken sailor.

Zebra wood Xmas tops

3 wise men in Purple heart

So there you have it. Xmas 2012...and it's only 2 months late!

Tags: American Cherry, Walnut, Mahagony, Black Walnut, cherry, Alder, Red Alder, Purple Heart, Zebra, Zebra Wod, Sisters
Posted in Let's Talk Wood, Let's Talk Projects | 0 Responses to "Master Procrastinator"

Let's get to the Hookin!!!

By matthew

Feb 28, 2013

For far too long I've been using a bench hook that, well, I'm a bit ashamed of. It was simply a scrap piece of Red Alder MDF core ply that I had lying around that I screwed some stops on and have been using ever since. I can't remember what I was doing when I made it, but I do remember that I needed a bench hook fast and this was the bastard child of that thought. It's ugly...it's out of square and it's tiny. But for all those short comings it did last for far longer than I had ever intended or imagined that it would.

So, last Friday as I was procrastinating the start of several dovetailed boxes I decided that the time had come to get a nicer version pulled together. I also knew that the more I procrastinated...the sooner I could get to the margaritas...cause it was, after all, National Margarita day and if anything, I do loves tha margaritas!

One of the bonuses of building my split-top Roubo is that I still have some sweet Hard Maple cut offs lying around. So I pulled one of the cleaner pieces out of the pile...true it has several checks at the end, but it was the perfect length and the checks in my mind won't come into play until well into the hooks lifespan, at which time it will probably need to be retired anyway.

Anyway, after I milled it nice and square I gave it a dado on opposing ends and fit a couple of cut offs from the square up process, eased all the edges with a block plane and voila...I had a new hooker in my shop...and boy oh boy is she sweet on me!!!

My new bench hooker

It came in at just over 10" wide, 1" thick and about 12" long...and now that I've cut a few Dovetail Daily joints on it, I can't believe I waited so long to do this....yeah...sometimes I'm an idiot in the shop!

Tags: Woodworking, Dovetail, dovetail daily, year of the dovetail, Maple, Split Top Roubo, Bench, Alder, Bench Hook, Hook
Posted in Let's Talk Wood, Let's Talk Projects | 0 Responses to "Let's get to the Hookin!!!"

Naughty Box

By matthew

Sep 05, 2012

Ever have that one project that just won't behave? Well, this is what I do with mine.

Naughty Box

Why yes, that IS a microwave and I have comfortably set one of my latest pieces into it.

Still not following me? Well take a look at this clip from "Friends"

I'm game for the freezer, but I find that most woodworking projects just laugh in the face of freezing temps...but the fiery inferno of the convection microwave, not so much. It MUST learn that I'm in charge here...Muuuwaaaahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!

Tags: Woodworking, Microwave, Paduak, Convection Microwave, Freezer, Naughty Box, Friends Freezer
Posted in Let's Talk Wood, Let's Talk Projects | 0 Responses to "Naughty Box"

The Difference a Day Makes

By matthew

Aug 07, 2012

Or in this case 3 weeks. In all honesty the sewing boxes have been finished for nearly 2+ weeks now and have actually sold.

But in all fairness to you the reader I think we should button them up before moving on to the next post.

Sooooo here we go!

As I cracked open my can of wiping varnish it dawned on me that it is easily over 4-5 years old at this point. Did that thought make me hesitate before wiping it onto the sewing boxes, especially one made out of a highly oily exotic wood like Bocote? Noooope!

Ok, not that's not totally true...it went something like this...

Me: "hmmmmm when did I first open this can?

Brain: "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Me: "well the consistency still looks right"

Brain: "zzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Me: "maybe I should wipe some on a test piece first"

Brain: "wha? did I miss something?"

Me: "If I run a test piece should I let it dry or just verify that it's acting normally (as normally as a wiping varnish might act that is)?"

Brain: "You know what would be good...Cheetos"

Me: "MMM yeah...Cheetos would rock right now!"

Trust me, I'm not making this stuff up.

Anyway I took the plunge and like a complete newb wiped every inch of each box and each divider down with a coat of this suspect finish. Thankfully I didn't get bit and this one could have easily bit me hard. I did have to let it sit for more than 24 hours between each coat however, but there is still some debate on this issue as we have had the wettest and most humid July in recent history here in the desert. I mean seriously people, it got to be like 50% humidity here, and for us, where humidity generally hangs in the teens, it was a HUGE deal. So I'm torn between the drying time being a result of old finish or the overall spike in humidity.

In the end each piece dried beautifully and everything worked out well. Even with the spike in the humidity I didn't have any problems with trays not fitting etc. Which for those of you in the know is a good thing.

Medium Sewing Box

Large Sewing Box

Like I mentioned early on, the boxes got posted to Etsy and in a stroke of pure luck have sold in...so this post...is officially old news!

Tags: Sewing, Sewing Box, Ambrosia, Maple, Ambrosia Maple, American Cherry, Walnut, Jatoba, Wenge, Mahagony, Leather, wiping varnish, Etsy, Black Walnut, Bocote, cherry
Posted in Let's Talk Projects | 0 Responses to "The Difference a Day Makes"

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