if you only have a hammer everything looks like a nail
These capitals have been a long time arriving at their final destination. They represent a collective effort. I designed and turned the capitals. The design and painting was undertaken by the family. I finally got the job of installing them on the fence.
The original turnings were described in post which dates back July 2014. I suppose better late than never.
The reaction has been so far has been positive.
I have decided that I need a separate site for my woodworking adventures. I have created another site called sentimentalaboutwood.com.au .I hope in time to transfer the wood working post from this blog to the new domain. That will be fun.
This blog will then have a reduced focus on books travel and my rants about technology. It been fun setting up the new site and I am still settling on a theme and look for the new site.
There may still be some overlap with this and the new site onward and upwards.
The Unplugged Woodshop: Hand-Crafted Projects for the Home & Workshop by Tom Fidgen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first came across Tom Fidget via his excellent website the unplugged woodshop. Working from his small workshop he produces some amazing projects. He is a devotee of hand tools and does demonstrate what can be achieved without power tools. The style of videos is very slick no commentary only Tom and his tools. He has another string to his bow which is music the soundtrack to his workshop exploits is fantastic.
I almost forgot I am writing about his second book Unplugged Woodshop: Hand-Crafted Projects for the Home & Workshop. It is a perfect complement for the website. There are details of plans, projects and tips on hand tool usage. Currently Tom is producing a series videos on the construction of a funeral chair. I have always called these folding chairs, might be a Canadian thing. The details of this project are beautifully laid in the book.
A great addition for anyone who is interested in hand tool techniques and importantly making things from wood.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book offers a great look back at woodturning. Examining the history of wooden bowls and the means of making them. Robin is someone who has a great passion of the art of wooden bowls.
The volume is a great mix of techniques and examples of turned items.
I really enjoyed part 1 of Brendan Stemps foray into the dark world of the skew chisel. I have posted a link to that session in another post on this site. In part 2 he really does show what can go wrong in a spectacular fashion.This session is very informative and he has promised an episode 3 in the future. The a link to the video posted on you tube is below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_KTlMwnNpc&feature=share&list=TLWa0ZsgVdbzQ
P.S This is the first post that I have done using the new embed feature in WordPress 3.6. Seems to work
I have discovered an Australian woodturner, Brendan Stemp who is an accomplished woodturner. He has made a few videos which are both interesting and informative. The videos are at his site brendanstemp.com.au or on YouTube
The skew chisel is often thought to be a bit tricky or even dangerous. The video is very helpful even if you use this chisel. Watch the video and subscribe to his YouTube channel.
Part 2 still to come
well I have finally manged to get back on my lathe. It has been over 2 months since I managed to make something and what I day it was 37 degrees. You should never look a public holiday in the mouth so I pressed on. Back in January this year I collected some dead wood while we were on holidays in Kangaroo Island. I found some Dryland Tea-tree a locally occurring shrub. Continue reading “Pens pens”
One of my objectives for this blog is to write about my woodworking exploits. I really haven’t done much since December last year. Its now February 2013 and I cant get to the shed. We had really hot weather in January when I was on leave and now one thing and another is getting in the way. My last substantial project was the trivet saga documented in previous post.
I managed to get another drive belt for my lathe after finding out in January that there were none in the country! I have however bought a new marking knife a lovely bit of Swiss steel made by Pfeil. Now to do something with it!
Some random woodturning photos
e random woodturning pictures
Turned a gavel the other for no other reason that I thought it might be a good idea. I saw a mallet in a recent woodworking magazine so this became my inspiration. I had started the session by turning a handle for an old hammer. This was done off centre and got me thinking about the gavel.
No plans just in at the deep end. I cut the blank from some scrap of red gum that I had bought from the local garden centre. Its amazing what can be made from firewood! I roughly cut the head of the gavel to size and drilled a 20 mm hole with a forstner bit. discovered later that I should have squared up the blank as the hole wasn’t perpendicular.
I wasn’t too fussed with the finishing of the head and the beads are not the same either end. I suppose it makes it easier to see which way is which. The handle was also inspired in the moment. I took the looks right and shaped it by sight. The narrowest part of the handle is the same size as the tenon that is inserted in to the head. My only real design consideration!
The cup or base was turned and shaped with a bowl gouge. I finished it with a newly acquired Robert Sorby RoundSide Cut Scraper H24H. This profile is favourite of mine useful and easy to sharpen.
My wife has taken the gavel to school to keep order in the classroom.
