Ray's June to September

June was our last post on the Blog and that was not about what we had been doing. Prior that was May.

 It's not been a case of nothing happening I can assure you, however my motivation sank very low to the point I was considering once projects were completed everything would be sold off.

As is always a time out and time away from long projects helps. Of course daily life, not to mention some of mother natures reminders we are getting older and that bugs and flu season is about this time of year. I suffered the worst series of head colds and sinus in years I think I went through 3 boxes of tissues.


It had been the coldest mornings in Ipswich for some years down as far as -3C but as usual by 10am sunshine in Queensland came to the rescue, sadly this also meant no rain worth speaking about for as many months.


Some how we got two nice days were temps crept up to 26C so and hour at the heated open air pool was in order. A nice break for us both.

Some how I had time to make some more Lucets these are a few left.










Good grief yet another stash of Swifts a special one for Dee using Silky oak from her tree which had been cut down, the logs given to Sally (another spinner) and Toby. I contacted them and asked if Toby could cut up to size all the required bits as Sue is allergic to Silky Oak dust it causes serious asthma for her even if just sweeping it up. Thanks Toby great work, he'd cut enough for me to make two of a large and smaller yoke one. The smaller one has gone to Dee's mum.

Two Camphor and three Qld Red Gum one being a large yoke which has found a home in Melbourne. Some design changes which will be incorporated with all future builds came about during this lot. Every part is hand made, sanded so no fiber catches when being used.

 

The state of my work space in the garage was getting me down and with a new piece of equipment coming I had to make room so an old cabinet was cleared out of its hiding spot. It was heading to the tip when I got an idea for its use as storage under the work bench. With help from Sue in removing the lid and trimming the top just a little ( wasn't needed). It now houses much of my hardware making easy access a dream of sorts.




The new toy arrived (this has its own story) but not before purchasing a new tool trolley for it to sit on. Now that was a drama in itself a quick search (over 3 days) to locate a suitable unit resulting in a trip to Bunnings.
The one I had spotted online was in stock but the box was marked "Parts Missing" and the box looked like the people who wrapped mummies took to it with tape to keep it closed. So I lowered my expectations and took the cheaper and less accommodating one which didn't have draws.
The next day a fellow/friend Andrew & Adelaide his daughter were coming for a visit and he was going to help assemble it. Sue and I had dragged it out of the back of the car onto the height adjustable trolley. I had opened the box to find it had been dropped at some stage and a few panels were bent. To find one at the very bottom of the box was damaged also but out of harms way was the end of it, back into the box and back to Bunnings it went.

The above photos are of the Jig Borer and all its bits and pieces which came with it as Bob had purchase it still on his ute.


The next day at another Bunnings store I was able to acquire the original choice. Sue and I assembled it, it all screws together i am still surprised how solid it is. Most tool boxes etc are spot welded and even they can be not much holding power.
The new toy arrived the following day it is a Sigma Jones Jig Borer thanks to Bob whom I purchased it off. Since then I've made up handles for me to open draws as I have to all my tool boxes and trolleys. My fingers are not strong or flexible enough to grab the in built pulls. The handles are home made by me out of Aluminium strip about 200Lx20W with a fold giving approx 20mm finger area to grip. Then riveted using 3/16" rivets to the draw fronts.

Poor Andrew and his daughter Adelaide  (just 2 yrs old) both were suffering a dreaded flu. On Saturday we met up at Gillian and Graham's members of QMAC Queensland Metal Artisans blacksmiths to you and me. Graham had through me invited Andrew to come and see his workshop/shed and his new hydraulic hammer.

 

Thanks to you all a great day with time running away especially as Andrew wanted to get to see Cooneana where the group meets, a quick drive and 5mins was all he got. Good to finally meet Andrew's wife and see his daughter had improved.

Good friend Richard up in Townsville had been clearing out a home of his good friend Doug Walsh whom I had had known through the OTGA Ornamental Turners but had never met. Doug had passed away.
Richard was helping Doug's son in tossing stuff out etc Richard rescued a stash of wood working books. I must say very gratefully for him thinking of me and my passion for Ornamental Turning and the books covering this. I know have all five Holtazpffel Volumes plus a few additional which I'd never have dreamed of getting. I count myself very fortunate indeed.

On top of the ones above these three below just add to the now growing library on Ornamental Turning.

Plus a few selected books from a much larger pile Richard had rescued.

Did I mention I'd been to a garage sale?? This was since May, as well as a deceased estate sale, the fellow had a passion for vintage and veteran auto's, it could have ended in divorce (mine) due to being offered two rare autos needing full restoration another time another place.

Left a solid brass clamp a pair of home made clamps and vintage wooden plane.

Below the estate items consisting of Reamers, drills, two spray guns one the same as my own Samson. Drill chucks American screw drivers a wooden handled screw driver. Tube benders and body files.

 Most have been cleaned up and stored for now. The Samson spray gun was purchased to repair my own scavenging parts. It instead helped me fix my own and now I have two beaut guns although the 2nd one has no pot as the one from the sale doesn't fit.

In discussing my past of vehicle building, time at Greens Motorcade and passion for vintage auto's the wife of the deceased man offered me a small library of books.


Thank goodness TV at the moment is not worth wasting the electricity on I have some serious reading time.

A forum mate from over in Perth was selling off all his shed and tools he offered me the turning tools and this neat little DTI which I wanted to buy off him. Thanks Shane it'll come in handy.

Right - Neil another forum mate from Sydney has gone into production of making specialized  sanding  tools for small and difficult to get to places in side vessles. He sent me his own personal prototype up Thanks Neil when I get a chance I'll do a review, got to turn a vessel first.

 

Left - One of our new neighbours had posted these for sale but the person didn't follow through I'd hand my hand up as second in line nice quality storage containers nine in all (see my under bench storage for some in use.

Right- I scored this brand new Rotary table dividing head off a forum sale a while ago but I didn't get it till our friend Dave brought it up on his visit in January.

Left - After years of using my DC1 dusty it was time to upgrade to Big Bertha DC3 and she sounds like one too.





A few more market buys

.

I finally got the bench frame assembled I bought during the Masters sale it has my Jet mini lathe set up s well as the Tormek wet grinder sitting on it and all my pen blanks under it.

Someone asked had I contacted Jet re-the decals for the Jet Mini! No not yet and now not sure if I will.







I'll leave it there for now and do another post on a few projects in another post.


ps. Heavily edited to tidy the page up and some text fixes also.