(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
10-15-16 Saturday
86 degrees, some wetness early morning, and late in the evening. Lots of piled puffs all day long. At about noon, it looked like it might clear as high pebbles were overhead and blue sky over the Everglades to the west, but the weather people changed their mind. A strong breeze blew all day long. Light stuff could be pushed off tables This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach department of Tourism.
We found that there were two big sales. Auntie’s Attic, which has a lot of collectables, and a Church yard sale. We did not bother looking for any others though we did see a sign as we passed by the street at 45 mph and the wrong lane.
At Aunties Attic, which might be about 60 tables, was fun to look at. There were several people selling knitting or crochet. I saw several sewing machines, some doll house furniture, a few cute dolls and typical jewelry, books and decorative dishes, odds and ends.
One of the sewing machines was an early model of the singer style and it required either a treadle or a separate motor. I did not have that kind of money on me and likely would not have gotten it if I had. I really don’t want to learn how to sew. If someone offered it for a few bills, I would have grabbed it. I have a sewing machine treadle at my brother’s house that we were going to turn into a treadle powered lathe. That project never happened. It is not totally eliminated, but on indefinite hold right now
There was a woman who had some yarn. One of the ladies selling crochet work was making something. I told her about the yarn. I figured that I would not have to get it....I somehow escaped without buying anything. There was, though, a lot of stuff I would have gladly accepted if they were given to me......
At the church yard sale, walked it a few times. There was some yarn in two places. I escaped the first one, then at the second spot with yarn, the yarn leaped on me and tangled me up. It forced me to grab the other yarn and pay for both batches. Right now, they are holding my truck hostage. I have to keep them if I am to be able to drive my truck around.......
When we arrived back at home, I went out back. I can still feel some of last week’s storm preparation work. Mom said she needed to bring the panels out for the awning. She intended to wash and paint them. Those things are heavy. I can carry two, but three is just too much. I carried three once. Just once. I had too much pride to carry them one at a time. I also was not going to let her do all the work around her house.
I accumulated my materials to work. There is a storm shutter in the back corner of where we have the awning. We never notice it as it is right under the awning when it is up. I set up beneath that just in case weather might come.
Mom gave me some flat door trim. I decided it was perfect for the paint brush ornaments I am making for Christmas. I basically just have to cut the shape out and surface carve them. The first ones I made were out of two by twos and I cut three out of them out the two inch thickness. These are perfect thickness.
I did not have access to the band saw. Carving the shape out of the wood was gong to take far too much time. A lot of wood is removed around the handles. I do have a dremmel and I used that to cut the excess wood. The disk I was using tends to burn the wood. Not the perfect solution but it did the job. I just had to carve away the scorched wood.
Carving the wood was not too difficult, at least it would not be if the grain of the wood was not consistent. On one piece out of the same stick of wood, one surface refused to do anything other than split. I think there was a knot near there. I know one piece had a knot. I carved three paint brushes before I decided to try a different project.
Not finding wooden rods I know we have, I then dug out a well weathered piece of black walnut. It is so weathered that the deep brown color is gone completely. I decided to do a dangly spiral ornament. The end of the stick already went on an angle where it broke. My attempts to round it was not spectacular. I ended up working with it as it was. I started the spiral with the knife and then was reminded that black walnut is a hard wood when it comes to carving. I used the dremmel to cut in the slot of the spiral. That allowed the knife to do its work. There was one spot where there were a staple was driven into it, leaving holes near the top. As I cut in, the wood gave, leaving a bigger hole in there where the wood rotted inside. The rot was black walnut brown.
At the top I drilled holes through in both directions. I was trying to give it some design. As I was trying to enlarge the hole with a grinding bit. There was a pot and a corner of the wood was gone at the rotted spot. I could never find that piece of wood. I do know I heard it hit the nearby wall.
When packing things up for the storm, I had found a baggy of sawdust I used for filling. I looked several places and could not find the baggy. I was going to use white glue and sawdust to fill the hole and the break, then shape it later. I figured I could always paint this ornament as it was not looking good in the natural color. If I run across the sawdust, I will fill the break.
I decided to create three more paint brushes. I did one with the bristles at the end of the stick, then second’s handle touching the handle of the first, then the third with the bristles meeting. After cutting the three brush section first, I removed the excess wood at the handles second, Then I separated the brushes. About this time, I decided it was time to pack up and call it a day.
I accomplished quite a bit today considering the conditions I was working under.
A friend suggested some ornament designs and I decided I am going to do some rocking horses. The blanks would be easiest to do with a band saw and drill press. It might not be next weekend, possibly the following before I can consider this kind of project. I could do it with a knife but it is a lot of wood to remove and if I am to aim at making a dozen of them, I need to remove as much excess wood as possible to do them fast.
My friend also suggested spiral dangly ornaments. Those are best done with a lathe available to rough shape the wood. If I put my hands on some rod I am positive we have, I can carve them from scratch from them. I will not buy dowel rods just for these. I would rather use what I already have. I have the tools available to make anything and do it quickly. Just remembering where the tools are and accessing them is the problem...
I am not expecting much tomorrow. The weather does not look good.
I will see what happens next weekend.
1236
additions to my yarn collection.
some materials also from the collection of yar. I
am thinking that the short pieces of yarn is from cross stitching.
Some artist foam with the yarn collection.
Showing the wedge shaped flat tip of my knife against the grooves of the brushes.
The look at the black walnut wood that is heavily weathered.
The good side of the spiral dangle.
The spiral dangle showing the break.
The wooden paint brush ornaments. Three are not carved.
The one on the right has a coat of varnish. The brushes are about an inch and a half wide.
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