A Man's Shed is his Refuge.

While some have sheds worthy of Royalty with every conceivable new tool and clean as a TV show hosts with no sign of sawdust anywhere, not so mine a simple single garage is it. No the car won't fit in. Storage of tools is one of those things that must be taken care of. Thanks goes to a number of people from the Woodwork Forum who helped make a new tool cabinet happen.
Snowyskiesau/ Geoff who was getting rid of some MDF sheets, Wongo/Scott who after picking it all up relinquished a sheet. Most of all a big thanks to Fletty, Alan who created it, my design he did the hard work. This gave me time to do the other things I have written about below.

Gentleman Woodworker

Draw Fronts & Handles fitted

Thanks to all.

Another Step Forward

Just as winter was heading south or is that north I got inspired to make headway with both spinning wheels, the restoration and the copy for Sue.



The restoration needed one new leg and a repair to one. Making a new leg was easier than the repair, I had to cut a portion off the bottom where the footman adjoins, drilling a hole to accommodate the tenon off the new piece. The remaining original leg needed a small repair at the hole area where the footman adjoins a simple plug and new hole drilled.The new leg and repair have also been aged but still need a little work done in this to match them up.

I have started to assemble those parts which have been repaired and given a coating of Rustins Danish Oil. I have since taking this photo made the leather pieces to carry the bobbin shaft. I will take a photo and post it later.




I acquired more English Oak to make the new wheel for Sue's and both footman. The old wheel's footman was Cedar and in a poor way the cross brace which carried the shaft and main load would not have survived a repair.  

The old wheel and material for Sue's wheel, spalted English Oak still damp. I have cut it to size but need to check constantly as shrinkage in this heat is bound to happen and may mean I'll need more and this will have to be used for something else.

Elm Candel Holder II

Another real nice piece of Elm from Hughie a man who can make just about any tool for turning.

Little different in shape and big difference in glass for the candle to the last one. I found the glass after months of searching, finally got it at Fairfield markets a nice bit of frosted glass.

Norfolk Island Pine

A neighbour had a Norfolk Island Pine cut down about 7 months ago not to large a tree about 25, 30ft high. I was lucky enough to receive quite a lot of the cut pieces, saving the tree lopper taking it to the tip and paying the tip fee's.

I passed on to a few friends some of the pieces saving myself 3 or 4 different sizes. I had taken a piece out to the Ornamental Turners club so Darrell Smith could do a demonstration. The wood was still very wet and spalted, the knots from the branches well placed.

Darrell is the busiest bloke there, so I decided to get stuck in and turn it myself recently, Darrell lent me his Rolly Munroe tool. With advice from many and having seen some amazing works done at the Hawaii Woodturners site I set about having a go.

Only having access to the lathe at the club once a week made it difficult, shrinkage the biggest problem. Whilst still roughing the shape it spat out of the chuck, due also to the new shape of the Power Grip jaws from Nova, which are now Dovetail not true straight sided. So I had to take it home and mount the blank on the Jet mini and re-shape the dovetail base.
Lesson learned check chuck constantly when doing wet wood as it dries it shrinks and depending on the day faster than you think.

Deep hollowing is fun and with even the basic tools a lot can be achieved, with special tools like the Rolly shaping the interior takes some mastering.

 I worked it as far as I could on the Nova at the club and finally brought it home to complete, turning it on the Jet mini was heart stopping at times as space is at a premium. The Jet handled it well, can't say the same for me especially when the top 1/4" of the lip had damage, no idea how so I had to turn that away which changed the shape somewhat. During the turning process at home I used Organ Oils Hard Burnishing Oil which helped reduce tear out and gave a smoother cut.

New Desk

This project started 4 or more years ago while I was still on my feet and using a walking stick to get around. I had got to the point of it needed one last coat on the top then broken tib & fib of the left leg putting me out of contention of finishing it off for a while.  Then a heart attack 2 years ago.

Frustrated every time I saw the desk top sitting against the wall in the garage and the desk I was using, the MDF crumbling more and more. In desperation I attacked my desk in the office 2 weeks ago, pulling it apart. Keeping the draws, metal slides and legs which were good Hardwood. The replacement rails are off an old queen size bed.



I sanded the legs back, and set about building a carcase for the set of draws this is all CD ply. Replacing the draw fronts getting rid of MDF and plastic cheap handles I hated.  I edged the draw fronts with some old growth Jarrah a set of Gold plated handles from Bunnings not the cheapest set but close.



More photo's to come but here is the draws. Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have a completed desk.

2 Sue's to Weave

After receiving two scarves  my name sake wanted to try her hand at some weaving. The idea was to set up the loom with the warp ready for for her to start one for a friend. Having chosen a blue colour scheme using wool, acrylic and mohair, I set up the warp so all she had to do was the actual weaving.


It didn't take too long before she was confident enough to work unsupervised, leaving me to wash up the lunch dishes, serving coffee and biscuits and getting the odd bit of spinning in.

The odd break from weaving left her time to read out the revisions to her first manuscript as yet unpublished. A few days and another bobbin of yarn for the weft spun up hurriedly and the scarf was finished. Cut from the loom and fulled. Now this scarf is ready for its new owner.  

Lucets

A few braid making Lucettes. Bone, Horn & Tortoiseshell.

A fellow wood turner in the UK made some Lucets, Mark made his from a variety materials.  Mark is into a variety of works, hobbies and motorbikes. Browse his workshop.

Edit to post 1651hrs 15th Nov 2010.

Today a parcel arrived from the UK Mark posted Sue one of his lovley Tortoise Shell Lucets. Thank you Mark it will be treasured. 


While showing Sue Mark's work it reminded her I had not made replacement ones lost and broken and I had been asked some time back. So the scrollsaw got a work out making two one with a handle one without. Both English oak.

Hair of the Dog

 Recently Max our Foxie had to have surgery due to an in-grown hair between one of his hind quarter toes. An expensive situation starting with the Vet trying applying a cream to draw out poison and a tape bandage for a few day's.

Max was good he left his bandaged foot alone and only the day prior removal did he really try get it off.


After the bandage was removed he had to wear an Elizabethan collar. The Vet had to fit one larger than normal as he could reach the open wound, stich  and drain that was still in. The colar was so heavy and big we had to leave his harness on him so Sue could tie it to it to help hold it up. Being a Foxie made him look like the HMV symbol. We did how ever find that his barking reduced as the cone effect echoed so he stopped barking while wearing it.
He's better now.

Hand Spun and Woven

Top 2 Weft, bottom 2 are warp yarns

Dyer & Phillips loom

In the previous post is the fibre which I dyed. I then hand spun the fibres and plied them to produce a two ply yarn, using my Sickenger wheel.


I set up the weave on my Two shaft Dyer & Phillips PL loom. This loom is one I was given by Joan Fisher who had purchased it through Anthony Hordons after the war.



Its a plain loose weave similar to the previous scarf. The warp is wool, wool and Mohair, silk and linen. Colours were requested by the gent the scarf is for.

Scarf

The Weave

Dyeing! You can do it more than once.

Left Merino Right Mohair

Mohair

Life is full of colour so why stick with just one.

Merino

  I was recently asked to make a scarf similar to the loose weave but in blue to grey fibre. I had some nice Angora goat fibre also known as Mohair and Merino .  I used the microwave method for dyeing the fibre.

Camera & IPod cover & Getting a Handel on it .

Sue had a request for a felted IPod and camera pouch, these are silk lined

A good friend has a large collection of files (some 60 I believe) many have not got handles, so I asked for his preference in shape and design. Kev and his wife Sue have given so much so it is time to return the favours. Thanks to you both.  The wood was sourced from another friend an old floor joist covered in tar with still some nails in it. No idea of the wood but it is hard and dry. 2 light coats of Shellac and one coat of Boiled Linseed Oil to seal them.
Unfortunately during the making of these I suffered a right shoulder problem, arthritis which effected my grip. I am sure Kev will forgive the discrepancies, as it seems now to have cleared up with the warmer weather.