In My "Spare" Time: Year 21, Week 09, Day One (week 1103) 03-13-21 Saturday

Year 21, Week 09, Day One (week 1103)

(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)

03-13-21 Saturday

The day was in the 70s all day long, low 70s in the morning, high 70s in the afternoon, with a breeze coming in under the awning. The awning is on the north west side of the house. So the wind was likely coming from the North East. A good number of times, I needed to get up to do something, and did not want to move because it was so nice just sitting there. I could well have settled in a lounge chair and just stayed put all day. The birds were singing up a storm and the clouds were big puffs drifting by. I don’t remember the sun dimming from a cloud passing in front of it, but it may have. I was not paying that much attention to the weather itself. If it stayed this way all year long, I would not complain. This weather report is brought to you by The City Of Pompano Beach Department Of Tourism.

I made a quick dash to a nearby store to get some peppermint tea. This is just peppermint leaves. The brand I like had a little note in it saying that because of Covid, the supplier of their tags were unable to supply them. The tea bags are tag-less this time. Just a small bother fishing it out of the cup.

I stopped at a yard sale. They had furniture galore, they had a two sided sandwich grill like what a restaurant would use. A good quality powered meat-grinder, wheel chairs, dressers chairs, etc. It was big. There were a few things I considered getting. I left with just a hose real. The woman said this stuff was just from purchases over the years. She had to sell today. That was the third yard sale I’ve seen so far since this time last year.

I got out back and laid things out, drew on the bowl I pierced last week. My original design was long thin leaves with a vine running around just below the lip of the bowl. I basically copied the design, making the leaves longer and running along the edges of the holes. I was not enamored with the design, so I set it to the side.

I decided to make handles for the knife blades I’ve been working on. This is Honduran Mahogany, the brown stuff furniture is made from. These pieces feel like a good quality solidod.

My band saw has a problem and I have not figured out what the solution is. The blade moves forward and then falls off. I got the blades back on the wheel, and cut some wood and the blade would move back where it is supposed to be while cutting, then leap forward and slip off the wheel. What I am going to have to do is examine the mechanism carefully and find the setting for the tipping of the wheel. I have not seen it so it will take some study.

Because the bandsaw was not working I used my dremel and a saw blade I had gotten from harbor freight. The saw blades was a set of five. And I was using the second to the largest size blade. It did the job of cutting the wood. It took a little time with each cut and working it down, and I had to cut it from both sides as the wood was thicker than the blade.

I had forgotten something about the dremel. It had happened to me with the burr bit with long spikes two weeks ago. The saw skipped off the end of the wood and ran down the end of the wood and back up beneath the wood and hit my finger. My finger bled nicely. My dad would sometimes cut himself and keep carving, but this had a good flow. It was not deep and it really did not hurt. I guess it missed the nerves. I went in put a band aid on it, and it stung a little for about two minutes and then I forgot about it and went back to work.

When working with bits that are aggressive, such as burrs with long teeth, saw blades, etc., if you are not wearing protective gloves, and even when you are, it is best to have the work up against something so the bit cannot get below the project and bite you. The top of the blade is coming toward you and the bottom is trying to pull the dremel into you. You are pushing the dremel down and away from you or at least holding it in place. When the bit slips, your arm will push it off the work. The bit will then catch the end as it goes off and pull itself back at you from underneath.

After that, I had the end of the wood down on the table edge so that if the bit slipped, it would hit the table first.

The handles I made need some adjustments, but they feel fairly good to the hand. A lot of commercial made knife handles are thin side to side, and thick top to bottom. I found those to be a bit hard on the hand when carving a lot or applying a lot of pressure. The knife handles my dad made and taught me to make, are flat-ish on top, thick side to side and thin top to bottom. This shape allows you to apply a lot of pressure into the blade if needed. I try to make my blades a constant angle from back to edge, with the back as wide as the material allows. My blades are also very long compared to most blades. The thick back allows me to put pressure on the blade itself when working at the end without hurting my hand.

I got the blades into the handles. I simply drove them in without glue. While I was at the grinder, adjusting the shape of one blade, and the blade started slipping out. I added glue and drove that blade in again. I should pull the other blades out and glue them in also. I likely will wait until they start coming out.

These mahogany handles seems to be working. It has different properties than the mystery wood I used before and seems to not split near as bad. I now have to make sheaths for the blades and adjust the shape of the handles, and sand and then give them a coat of varnish and they will be done.

I finished at about three, packed up and sat with mom until four, then went home.

Year 21, Week 09, Day Two (week 1103)

(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)

03-14-21 Sunday

We had a light breeze coming under the awning in the morning and it made it nice. By the time I got out there, which was about ten, it was already in the 80s. The wind was cool, though. I enjoyed hearing the birds sing, at least until I was concentrating on what I was doing and I didn’t notice them any more. This weather report is brought to you by The City Of Pompano Beach Department Of Tourism.

I had seen mom’s other furniture mover(dolly) out back so today, I went to gas up, then went to Home Depot and after some searching, and asking for directions, I found some fence boards. They were fairly cheep ($1.70 each) and were about the right size. I got three of them.

I took them out back mom’s house and a bit later, I carried the furniture mover under the awning. I disassembled it and found that the two long boards were still in good condition. The cross boards, which has carpets, were in bad condition (I guess they stayed wet longer and the bugs liked them more) so I decided to just replace those. I had already cut the boards when my brother came and was getting ready to drill the holes in them. I was just going to drill both boards using an old one as a template by holding them with my hands, but he said to use a clamp. After lunch I started assembly. A lot of nuts were missing. When I grabbed if from outback. I was able, with some work, get two bolts and nuts per corner, holding the wheels on. I have to go buy more nuts and bolts, I could rescue the bolts by grinding off the last couple threads (pounded them out with a hammer without a board to protect them and damaged the ends of the threads), but will get new ones anyway. What was surprising was that this came together really easy. I need to tighten the nuts I already have on there, and it really needs four bolts per wheel rather than two. But it is about ready to be used.

I am beginning to worry about myself. I am repairing things. I am not supposed to be able to do that. I must be getting old!!!!

I always intend to accomplish more than I do. Fixing that furniture mover was a nice, easy job, if only I could get the nuts on the bolts. I had pounded them out and did the damage to the thread. I should have stuck a board over them to take the damage, but did not think about it. It was a fun project.

I also sharpened on my scissor knives and they are getting there. I have to start with a finer grit stone now. The shape is pretty good. I have no idea how these blades will hold up in use. I am thinking they will be mostly be utility knives, cutting all sorts of things, rather than for carving. They might not hold an edge. My brother examined them carefully. One had a curve to the blade rather than being flat like I was after. He said that one will hold the edge better. That roundness was caused by my applying more pressure towards the edge rather than straight down.

I had brought one of those folding coffee tables from the home. This one is metal. I have found that you could always use just a little more room when you are working. I put it at the closed end of my area and my drink, my electric plugs, and some tools there to be out of the way. It is working pretty good.

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