Year 13, Week 12, Day One (week 688)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
04-13-13 Saturday
   
    Mid 80s, Cloudy, spotty showers, threatening to shower, luckily, most of the heavy stuff was in Palm Beach County, rather than where we were. This weather report is brought to you by the City of Pompano Beach Department of Tourism.
    


A scarf I finished. I worked it end to end rather than back and forth across it.
    









The back yard beginning to look normal again. Still loads of work to do.

    I planned on working wood. Mom had other plans. There were no yard sales. We went to a church yard sale but there was nothing there. 90% of the people that were normally there, did not show up. There were only those inside the building.
   
    I have a lawyer meeting coming up and mom decided to get me all decorated up. First we went to the Festival Flea Market, which is all indoors and all vendors. We hit the DOLLAR AND UP stores, there are two of them, and I got a number of things I wanted or needed. I also went to an AS SEEN ON TV booth and got a wedge pad. these have a cut-out for the tail bone. I am keeping that in my truck for when I go places where I have to sit for long periods of time.
   
    We went to Walmart first. Their styles were not what mom needed. We then went to the local Salvation Army store. loads of clothing but not too much in goodies. The kitchen section kept drawing me but there was nothing there I needed. I already have two rolling pins and enough stainless steel bowls for a life time. they did have a nice set there, though. Mom got what she was looking for.
   
    We got back and we were wore out so we napped and that killed any thought of woodworking.
   
    Tomorrow is supposed to be better weather and I WILL do some woodworking. I just don't know what.
   
    I will see what I actually do tomorrow.
   
   
   
Year 13, Week 12, Day Two (week 688)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
04-14-13 Sunday
   
    88 degrees when I got out back, 90 degrees soon after. With the ground still wet from yesterday, the humidity was high. A strong breeze helped some. There were clouds in the sky, thin puffs mostly, sunshine the entire morning. This weather report is brought to you by the City of Pompano Beach department of Tourism.
   
    I stopped at a yard sale on the way to Mom's house. I got some bowls, which I did not need, for a dollar, and some colored sand. The sand can be used as inlay in my wood turnings. I cut a groove and with SuperGlue, load the groove with the glued in sand. With the right pieces, the effect can be really good. The sand was a quarter.   
bowls and decorative sand

   
    I was determined to work some wood today. Two months ago, I was given some branches cut off the neighbor's Mango tree. I cut a piece off the largest branch I was given. I took extra time to center the wood properly. I had to change my markings twice.
    My plan was to turn the wood from the side rather than the end. I was making a form of what is called a BANANA BOWL. A real banana bowl would hold a banana as they are long and thin.
    I mounted the wood backwards in the lathe, the bottom at the tail stock. I flattened the bottom, and then made a tenon that my chuck could hold on to. 

working the bottom of the bowl.


I then flipped it around and started shaping and evening up the ends that were flying around.
    One problem is that the trailing edge of the wood split a little. I stopped several times and used my carving knife to cut the splayed out bark. I got a nice shape on the ends, but will have to use power to smooth out the tool marks. It is hard to do when you are cutting the ends of a propeller.
    I started working the inside of the bowl and made some headway. Mom called out "lunch." I stepped away from the lathe and my leg said "I am tired." I cleaned up the work area after lunch, having accomplished something.    
partly done bowl, working on the inside.   





 

    I took a few minutes and sorted my crochet hooks and chose a hook for my next project. I will do a scarf in bright red yarn, and will work the length of the scarf rather than side to side. I made about ten stitches and put it away.
    I had been working on a fuzzy green yarn and somehow about half way through the scarf, I lost several stitches. This is not a yarn one can pull out. The fuzz interlocks, making it fixed. I essentially gave up on that scarf. I may have to cut the scarf where the mistake happened and work from there, but I won't worry about it now. I have other yarn to use up.
   
   
    Next weekend, I would like to finish this bowl and possibly work on other things. I have a lot of wood that is begging to be made use of. I have crochet hook rods to machine in Black walnut. I want to make a complete set of hooks. I have a dragon to carve on. I have a face vase with ten knots, that need to be made into five faces. I have a bin full of Mahogany trimmings that are begging to be made into something. I should try to do some Christmas Ornaments while I am at it.
   
    I will see what I actually do next weekend.