Week 561, Wood Working

year 10, Week 39, Day One (week 561) (January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.) 10-09-10 Saturday

85 degrees, blue sky, some puffs on the horizon over the Everglades. Light breeze that got a little stronger as the day went on. This weather report was brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach Department of tourism.

The past two weekends, I was up in Connecticut. I did no wood working at all. I did see some wonderful things, though. We went to their Renaissance-Festival and had fun. I drooled over all sorts of crafts items.
We went to a Salvation Army store that had a whole shelf of household and kitchen items made of wood. There was a wooden nut dish that had like ten leaves as the nut dishes themselves, chiseled out, and connected only by vines. It was all one piece. there was a matching bowl too.
Later in the week, we went to their regional fair at the Big E fair grounds. They had some craft people working, pottery, black smith, a woodworker with his display set up. Lots of crafts worth drooling over. It was fun.

I crocheted quite a bit during the time off. I learned how to do the granny square and the pieces I did came out pretty good. It really helped at the air ports and on the plane. I was too pre-occupied to get bored. It was a lot more enjoyable than reading or playing video games.

The crochet I did while on vacation. The round multi colored thing was done on the trip up. The rest are granny squares. The upper left roundish one was done with longer stitches than I was supposed to do.

Yesterday and today, I started my very first three dimensional piece. it is simply a ball. It worked. I still have to fill it, but that will come a bit later. No rush. I have several ideas of how to use this ball. I could make it into an acorn, a Christmas ball with a ribbon on top, something like a pie. There are others I have considered. Will see what it becomes when I finish it up.
One thought for this crochet is to make wooden dolls and then make clothing for them. Carving the hands, feet and head would be all that was necessary, make the rest out of cloth.

This is the first attempt at three dimensional crochet.



Saturday:

After some yard sailing, I got my equipment out and decided to try an idea for a Christmas ornament. At the antique shop I have my stuff in, they have some what I call POST CATS. They are made from four inch stock, stand between two, and three and a half feet tall. I decided to try to copy them in two inch by two inch wood.
carved one, and Mom was not quite satisfied with it, so I made a second one. This is out of some really old weathered wood.
I first carved them with the knife, then used the dremmel to fix them up even better. Because of the weathering, I painted them orange to see what they looked like with out the darkness of the weathering. They are not horrible.
Something said they were not right. It dawned on me later that they were not what I was trying to copy. The post cats are mostly rounded with very little shaping to them. Mine are heavily shaped.
I will try them again, this time use the lathe to rough them out and see how that works.





First post cat ornaments. I was working with weathered wood so I painted them red to see the form.

I made another pencil cup. It was quick and easy. I have to make a bunch more of them. I likely will stop when I run out of wood.

My truck has had a problem starting. I have had to work the key a bunch of times to get it to decide to start. Today, it decided not to start at all. We ended up getting a new battery and it started first time. I will know tomorrow if that was the problem. If it starts perfectly first time, then I had a dying battery for several months now.


Tomorrow I plan to try another post cat, I will make another pencil cup. I do want to make more shaving flowers so I need to cut some more sticks for that. Once cut, I can fit in making them at any time. I have some swan blanks from last year that I need to finish carving. I have some half finished turning projects to do. I also want to make some baby duckling bowls.
If I worked every day for several weeks, I could make headway on all the projects planned.


I will see what actually happens tomorrow.



year 10, Week 39, Day two (week 561)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
10-10-10 Sunday

78 degrees in the morning, 86 degrees as a high. Mostly blue skies, some puffs here and there, but sunny all day long. There was little breeze early morning but it picked up in the afternoon enough to move some sawdust around. Almost no humidity. It was quite comfortable all day long. This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach Department of Tourism.

My first project was to cut a three quarter inch piece of basswood into two sheets, then cut a bunch of sticks for shaving flowers.
I then made seven flowers. While drilling the hole in the base of one, it slipped in my hand and the dremmel spun it fast. The petals went flying and what was left was useless. I tossed it. I painted the remaining six in red and blue. they look good.



My flowers and pencil cup. I did not take pictures of Saturday's cup

I then started on a cat ornament. I turned it on the lathe first, to get the basic design. I then carved it with the knife, then with the dremmel with several bits. They are not exactly what I imagined, but they came out pretty good. I won't complain too hard. I need to get out the pictures I took of what I was basing it on to see how they were done. I know most of it is paint, but beyond that, I know I am wrong. I have too much carving in these.

I made another pencil cup. Quick and easy. I remember I fought hard with the very first one I made. I guess I am developing a system on making them. I know what tools do what and know how to get them to do the job fast.

Scarface was out there when I went out to feed the beast of the backyard. Scarface must be fed by someone else as he is not scrawny and his pelt is nice and soft now. I petted him while he ate. when he had enough, he left. The beast of the back yard acted like a cat, except for that period where he just wanted company and did not want to be touched, and I did not have a clue until about the fifth time... Later he laid down and wanted more attention than I had time to give him.


New attempt at Cat ornaments. Yellow one was painted to see the form.


During the week, I have some sanding and varnishing to do. I have a number of projects to work on next wee, but it will much depend on what has the biggest excitement factor.

Will see what I do next weekend.