Wood working Week 39.

year 9, Week 39, Day One (week 509)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
10-10-09 Saturday

90 degrees, sunny, light breeze, puffs of clouds, no frost or snow in sight. This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Pompano beach Department of Tourism.

On the way to Breakfast, we stopped at a yard sale and Mom picked up a really good printer for a pittance. It is better than mine.

After breakfast, we visited several more yard sales. I picked up a palm sander fairly cheep.
We hit a Crafty corner type show where collectors and jewelers, along with better items, was on sale. I walked the place twice. I saw several things I wanted the first time through but waited until the second time through to look for purchase. Two of the items I really wanted to get, were gone. Saved me some money there. I ended up with some sea shells for some projects I am thinking about.

When we eventually got home, we watched some TV, napped, and then ate. A bit later we were ready to go out. I was not in a woodworking mood.
We stopped at a yard sale and I got a TIRE BUDDY, which is a heavy wood rod with a metal band on the end. It is to check to see if your tires are going down. I purchased it because I think I can use it as a tool handle. The metal band won't allow the wood to break when the tool is driven inside. I will mount it on the lathe and shape it slightly and then add the tool to it.

We visited a new MICHAELS store and walked the isles. Santa said he would give me everything in the store, if I am a good boy. I wonder if he is going to hold that incident, two months ago, against me. What about the one six months ago? Exactly how good do I have to be?
I got some ideas for some future projects. I now know of about some six of these in my county.

We stopped at a painting supply store. Mom needed something that the store might have. They had it but not at a price she wanted to pay. I drooled over what the store had, but I am not doing that kind of project.

I eventually went home without any woodworking.

I should work wood tomorrow.
Will see what I actually do.


year 9, Week 39, Day two (week 509)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
10-11-09 Sunday

94 degrees, blue sky, light puffs of clouds, light breeze, low humidity, no frost or snow in sight. This Weather report was brought to you by the City Of Pompano B3each Department of Tourism.

Two years ago today, I started my process of taming the cat. He does have his attitude and dislikes, but there are times I can accidentally mistake him for a real cat. Then there are other times where he reminds me that he is something better than a cat..... He nipped at the air by my hand three times today. which is much better than the way he used to swing a claw to draw blood.

Going to Mom's house today, I was intent to do some woodworking. The urge to carve came with it.

When I got to Mom's house, I petted the cat, then got my tools and equipment to get to work.
I looked through the projects I had started and noticed two vases I made thick so I could carve them. I looked them over and decided one needed to have flowers on it. These vases are made from Norfolk Island Pine. Norfolk has the branches running in a circle around the trunk, then there is a space, then another ring of branches. I decided one of the vases where the knots was near the top. I had done leaf type vases before, and decided I would make each of the knots into the centers of flowers, since the knots are red.

I penciled in one of the vines for the flower and showed it to Mom. She liked the idea.


I then dug out some paint and painted the leaves, stems and flower petals to give me something to look at and work from.

When I carve this, the background will be deep, and the leaves will twist, raise and lower to have lots of depth. I might under cut a few to really add to the depth. I have that much wood in the piece.
For the bottom, I considered making that look like a flower pot, but would have to put that back on the lathe and cut it. I was not sure I wanted to do that. I still might. It is an option. For now, I painted grass that I would layer and give dept to when I carve.

I then looked at the second vase. The knots were lower on the piece. I got the idea of doing faces on it. I penciled a concept on to the vase, showed it to mom, then went to work.
My carving is with a dremmel power tool with an aggressive burr tool on it. I slowly ground the features into the work, each of the three faces changed as I worked. I made my first one with a bare face. My second had a beard and mustache. The third had a big mustache and a bit of a beard.


I have some finer work to do on it, cleaning up, modifying, some detail that really needs to be added. My urge is to leave it as it is, but for a piece to be worth something, this will need more work.
I am proud of what I created so far. It is not what I imagined, but is pretty good.

I have loads of projects and ideas to work on next week, but am not sure what exactly I will do. Much of it will depend on my mood at the moment.

Will see what I do next week.