(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
04-03-10 Saturday
84 degrees as a high, sunny, thin high clouds, a slight haze, some low puffs of no consequence. A medium breeze made it nice to work all day long. This weather report was brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach Department Of Tourism.
During the week
After I got myself together after last week's art show, I laid out the pieces from the show. I knew I did not have a lot of room for all the work at the antique shop. I pulled a few small pieces out because they were just not as good as the others.
Friday:
I went to the shell shop and thrift store that are just a few blocks from the antique shop. I picked up two snail shells that look like they might be interesting ornaments. I found out that the shell shop is open all year long, while the citrus store next door will be closing soon. I got an air popper and a couple books at the thrift store across the parking lot. I don't need more books, but you know how it is with interesting things.
I went to the Candlelight antique shop in Dania. He opened up a little bigger space for a possible additional something his shop offers. My normal space was gone. He decided to have my stuff in on a dresser with a mirror. It is a dark, but you can see my stuff anyway.
Antique shop display.
Sign removed right after picture taken.
While I was clearing the dresser so my stuff could go onto it, Another man had come in and they were talking about how to improve a little fountain that is in the shop and a few other things. Marty talked up my work and had me show some of my work. They asked if I could come down to their place to show the work to his wife.
I finished my display, of course with some of my best pieces, but I held back a few just in case. I did not have any real room so that was not a problem.
Dania Water Gardens
When done, I went down to the Dania Water Gardens and showed my pieces off. I never even knew that place was there. It is an old mansion where the grounds are used to show off all sorts of fountains and gardens. I showed off my stuff and they decided they like my stuff to put it on display. They took nine pieces.
I got great ideas as to what to concentrate on for my next projects. One of which is the yellow pine platters. She liked the looks of the two I had on display, but did not like the painting of a tree I put on them.
Saturday:
There were no yard sales this weekend, so I went out back fairly quickly.
There had been a cat hanging around the backyard beast. they seamed to get along fairly well. Mom has not seen the cat for a while.
Except for one incident, the backyard beast acted exactly like a house cat. That one incident, I did something too many times and he made a biting motion against the back of my hand, then went back to enjoying the attention I was giving him. Just six months ago, I would have had a claw mark on my hand. If I were not involved in some projects, and had a book in my hand, I know he would have loved to have slept between my feet all day long. I have not tried to lift him in six months, and those times I set him on my lap and he was back on the ground in a moment. It had been even longer since I tried to hold him in my arms. He just tried to push out of my arms, but nothing else. I just have not bothered to mess up the comfort zone he is having right now. I gave him attention about eight times between going out at around eight, and leaving at around three.
Since I was told that my yellow pine platters would be interesting, I decided to try to fine tune my method of making them. I am using wood face plates and double sided tape. I am finding My big problem is that the double sided tape either won't come off, or it won't stick. This is a typical problem with tape. I can get it right some times, but not always. I did find one problem. My face plates are not all the same size. I used the small face plate to make the base of the plate, and then tried to use a slightly larger face plate to attach it and it would not stick.
I think my first project for today is to make the face plates all the same diameter. that will solve a bit of my problem later. I think. I seam to remember that I ran into problems where one had to be a little smaller than the other for the system to work.
I also figured out yesterday that I need to take the platter off the lathe to remove the face plate I used to hold the work to the lathe on the first try. the force of trying to drive a putty knife between the two pieces of wood, dislodged the work from the second face plate that the chuck was hanging onto.
One thing I am after with this system is to come up with a system to create platters with a consistent design, and do it quickly. The cutting part is not hard with this system, if I can get the holding part of the system correct.
I brought my second rate works with me today and I set them all out on the workbench. I then examined each piece and classified them as to whether they just needed a new finish, which will likely require them to be sanded to wood and revarnished, or whether they need to be re-built.
Like any beginner, my early woodworking is of the wrong design and gets really thick, especially near the base. I am looking at what needs to be re-mounted on the lathe and re-cut, and what might not be save-able.
Part of the project is to figure out what will bring the best shape out of them. some might never be "presentable" but they will be better than they are. Those that are not up to quality, might end up being gifts or sold for a few bucks at yard sales. I will decide that after the first few whether this will be a viable project.
After I got home, I got a call and had to run to help my brother. He had an engine problem with his work truck. The original plan was for me to tow his trailer home. Instead, he went and got the part that failed and was able to drive the truck home. I mainly sat and watched his truck.
I will see what I actually do tomorrow.
Year 10, Week 12, Day Two (week 534)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
04-04-10 Sunday.
84 degrees under the awning, official high was 79, lots of blue sky, widely spaced thin ripples, nice breeze, no humidity. This is the kind of weather I thrive on. I was comfortable and really enjoyed the day.
I have reason to think I got a very slight sunburn during the past two days. Standing at the lathe, I am facing west. Most of my lathe work is in the morning part of the day. The sun starts behind me, and on my left. The left side of the back of my neck is a tiny bit tender.
I noticed the top of my head sore. I could not figure out why. Nothing I could feel. It dawned on me that when wearing the face shield, the top of my head is exposed to the sun. I cannot wear a hat under the face shield head gear. I don't have a thick mop of hair any more, it is thinning out. I may have gotten a little sun-burn on top my head. I won't be in the sun all week so I will recover easily and start tanning over the next few weeks, which will become protection against the sun.
This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach Department of Tourism.
I stopped and picked up a two by twelve inch by eight foot yellow pine board. I got it to make more platter blanks.
After petting the beast of the back yard, who is acting like a house cat, I went to the shed to get out the circular saw so I could cut the board. when digging for the saw, I ran across several blanks for plates I had made before. I set the board to the side for later projects, and dug out the blanks.
when I make the blanks, I start with a square piece of wood, and draw lines from corner to corner. I then draw a circle centered on where the lines cross, to the biggest diameter I can get from the closest edges. I then put the blank onto the band saw and knock off the corners following close to the line, but just outside it.
The corners get trimmed into square stock with one of the "tails hanging down. These become bearded pencil heads. Cut with the grain and one can carve it.
The blanks were already trimmed. I chose which side would become the face of the plate. On the face side, I took a compass and, measuring my wood face plate radius, I drew a circle on the board. I then added my double sided tape and centered the wood face plate in the circle.
I mounted it on the lathe and set the second face plate on the other side, held in place by the tail stock. With the lathe spinning, I first trimmed the edge which is always out of round. once the edge is round, I trued up the face and back of the bowl, at least an inch in.
I take a thin parting tool and cut deep right against the tail stock face plate, which marks the inside of the base rim. I then move out a short distance, quarter or half an inch and cut in a second line. Anything outside this line becomes the rim of the plate.
On the edge of the work, I go in from the face, which is the motor side of the lathe, and cut in about half an inch down. It is thick for a plate, but when all is said and done, it will be thinner.
Finally, I trim down the excess wood on the back, essentially from the base of the groove near the face plate to the cut on the edge of the board. I usually allow about quarter to half an inch cut in on the base. some of that will be lost later in truing up the piece in the last steps of finishing.
Once I get the back of the plate shaped, I sand, and then remove the tail stock face plate and cut out some wood on the inside of the inside groove. I try to make that as flat as possible, no angles center to edge. After sanding that, I put double sided tape on the tail stock face plate and place in into the inset, and apply tail stock pressure.
Finally I turn the platter around. the back is now in the chuck. I cut in the inside of the plate so if follows the back. You can see both sides if you position yourself right. I sometimes will stop and feel the thickness between my fingers. some people can do this, others cannot.
Once everything but the wood beneath the tail stock is done, I remove the wood from the lathe, pry off the face plate, and then remount it. I finish removing the wood, and try to make the center indention the same size as the bottom ring. The face plate can fit into it.
I will bring the tail stock up against the wood and leave a post in the center as the double sided tape does not always hold well. The longer the tail stock secures the piece, the better the final result and less trouble you will have. The farther away from dead center you get, the more forces on the tape you are applying, both in pulling away from the face plate and also in causing the work to spin on the tape. Removing the final post has the least amount of forces on the whole project.
ON one of my pieces, I was removing the post from the piece and caught on the side. it popped out, taking a bit of the bottom with it. I have glued it in, and have removed all but a nib of the post. I will grind that off a bit later and sand it flush. One may, or might not even know something happened there. There are other ways of hiding the mistake.
I ended up making two platters today and two yesterday. That is not too bad. Both days, there were interruptions and I could have made three both days if everything fell together. My system for making these platters is not perfect. I am getting better results, and making them faster than I have in previous times.
the big difference is having the work held in place by the tail stock until the last cuts of each side. I need to play with the process more and see what I can do to improve my results.
Four platters made this weekend.
Between the platter, but after lunch, My brother and I replaced a headlight on my truck. I had noticed the blinker was brighter than normal and had no idea why. I had followed my brother last night and they saw one light was out. Not as expensive as I was expecting and we solved a trim problem while we were at it.
I need to see about going down to the Dania Water Gardens some time during the week and leave my bio for their display. If I cannot make it this week, I hope to make it down there Friday. If it is Friday, and I work at it, I could have these platters to take with me.
I will have to see what all I do next week. I don't know if I will be making more platters, fixing some existing pieces I have, finishing some projects I have in process, or working on something new.
I will have to see what next weekend brings.
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