A weeks R&R

A weeks R&R away from care and woe ............not so.

Last Saturday we headed north to Coffs Harbour (approx 600k's) calling in at Tinonee in particular Artizans Retreat to see Peter and Christine Calabria and the magnificent retreat they have set up. Peter and Christine are great hosts that was not just to us as we sat back and watched how they looked after 3 other families for lunch, a gallery walk and Christine and Peter with a young boy and girl making kites. A tour of the workshop/shed which is huge, the view while having lunch tranquil, the Artizan Retreat Pancakes and Banana and the Anitpesto plate very nice. The gallery has is not just Peter or Christine's work but other local artisans also. 3hrs later we had to head off, we will return for a full weekend of activities and R&R.

The Pacific Highway is still going through upgrades but the hassle is worth it its been 2 years since travelling the route and Kew is now bypassed the single lane bridges along the Taree bypass all gone, Bulladelah bypass is in full swing.

A late arrival in to Coffs after another 1hr in Taree seeing a friend and quick cuppa.

Nothing was planned good job as Monday morning I was not feeling to bright and after a Macca's pancakes we headed off to Coffs base hospital for 5hrs in emergency waiting room. The triage sister picked it when I saw her when entering. I had picked up a server stomach bug, chills etc as things eased we decided as the waiting room was filling with cases worse and needing more attention headed back to the motel. A day ruined

Coffs has a large Botanic Gardens not far from the motel or centre of town. The walk or for me roll around the gardens is easy the forest walks and swamp/wet lands fantastic. We saw more rare timbers than I thought possible with examples from around the world exotics I drooled over. Some wild life such as Land Mullets, Water Dragons, Scrub Turkey and Bower birds. The gardens are constantly going through upgrades a Japanese section is having a Tea House style built.

Old and New

Coffs Jetty & Harbour

 Water Dragons one has been injured either in a fight or falling out of the tree just after passing under it.

Land Mullet

Clavia

Iris

This fellow showed up one night at the Motel.






Monee Beach Reserve and walk.













Update 16th October 2 of the photos taken with my EOS 100 film SLR. The Botanical walk at Coffs Harbour.

Beauty with in.

In life as in nature we find often beauty is hidden, often close to the surface or deep inside, the same is true for Burls. I'll allow Wiki to explain what a Burl or Bur is on a tree. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burl

I have a couple of small Burl's I have had for some time, more recently I was given 2 by a member of the OTGA and purchased one from Greg Ward.
The two burls off Tony the large dia one on the bottom I have already trimmed  done to turn as a shallow bowl.

 The other is much deeper a more dense type of wood both sourced from down Braidwood. 


 Deep Bowl  right and left both.
 Below left large dia side 1, below right other side.
 

This is the one from Greg Ward 900x330x65 Blackbutt Burl. I had a play with Corel Photo (see photo below) and came up with book leafing joint for a table top if I slice it length ways making each approx 20mm thick.  

This should be the last timber I procure for a while as its time to start using not storing and drooling over it. I was offered some lovely fresh Olive today fresh cut, I admired the root ball it was a good size.

Legless

The weather has been all over the place for the last month or so not totally preventing me enjoying myself in the workshop or Sue in the garden, come to think of it I spent a day attending some of my Bonsai before the warmer weather arrives.

So why a title of legless?

While at the eldest sons I discovered a broken chair leg so I made a new one.


OUCH

While sanding a platter on the lathe my hand took quite a wack my thumbnail turned black and blue as you can see my index finger and 2nd finger knuckles also copped it very sore for a few weeks ok now.

Mean while Sue got busy creating legless mice for all the grandchildren 4 in all, only three here as Christian found the first white one and took a fancy to it then asked Nana for a brown mouse for Brodie. Nathan and Bianca  found theirs just as quick when visiting for fathers day.

Not quite legless but out having some fun at a 30th birthday for a good family friend.

Just in Time

Both Sue and I have been busy (nothing new you say) well the need to get some items finished for us both saw us battling the weather, cold and flu's.








Sue knitting a shawl for Michealla who was attending a Masonic Lodge event with her grandfather Kevin Foster. Sue spent 4 days to complete it finishing it with 3 days to spare.

Sue was also weaving a scarf which, Dot a friend had claimed as she liked the colour.

Mean while for Christians 3rd birthday I was trying to complete a jig saw clock.
Trying to do this in 8C temps out in the workshop was no fun my hands shaking with the cold. Even with a fan heater going I could only spend about an hour at a time my feet and legs were also freezing. Laminated ply and Cedar hands, plus a 2nd one as a spare with numerals and face painted on.

The Wild Blue Yonder

Feeling Blue.

The Arm Chair Traveller

I am not one to usually sit about, I like to keep on the move. Years of being on the road touring driving coaches and even long before that my lone motorbike rides up and down the east coast. Family holidays only ever did one out here with mum & dad to Tuggerah. With my own family there were a few camping trips, holidays and weekends away when they were all involved with BMX. Sue's and my first big one was to Rockhampton we had borrowed my mates Sandman panel van he had borrowed the motorbike sadly he got no pleasure out of it the battery died 2nd day. Camping during my years in Boys Brigade and CEBS prior that. I guess a long boat trip from England to Australia............nope that didn't start the itch either for I recall journey's with my parents, steam train journeys with Grand parents even an odd ride on a motorbike with an Uncle all back in the UK it wasn't far but I recall some of it. Especially the hot exhaust.
So why now an armchair traveller? Well I have been following a friends journey/treck in search of family history through the UK, Scotland and even skirting by near where I was born. The photography is great and worth a 1000 words. Thanks Alan & Helen for sharing.

It Followed Us Home

Can never pass by a roadside rubbish clean up without scanning to see what's there both Sue and I find sometimes a labour of love to restore/repair or scavenge parts off. Most recently was this rather sad looking table well made for its day just sadly neglected over time. The centre join has opened up, a few cracks starting to appear, 2 of the legs are warped/twisted.



Weather and time has made the surface look drab and tatty, it has been disassembled and stored for now. First plan of attack will be the 2 legs which need the most attention, then the top sanding etc.

Universal Cutting Frame for Ornamental Turning

I started making a Rose Engine (this is not mine) 3 or 4 years ago with help from the fellows at Ornamental  Turners, well it is still sitting on my shelf in limbo 1/2 done. Space is my problem and to many other projects I seem to keep taking on or picking up.

After using and seeing various Universal Cutting frames made to do OT work, I bit the bullet and decided one more project would not get in the way, cause to much hassle, oh was I wrong. Progress has been made regardless with the equipment I have at home an borrowed.

The Universal cutting frame I am basing my build on is that of Ray Levy's he did an article in Woodturning Issue No19.

I am using 6010 series aluminium for the swivel blocks and motor support blocks as I am making two of each. One with 1" for each support shaft and  spindle. The other will be 1" and 20mm. I will go into why as time goes by and I progress with the build. I started with cutting the blocks 2"x2"x3". The shafts where bought as is and just cut to length on my 4x6 metal bandsaw as were the initial cut for the aluminium, I cut the smaller block off on a hand mitre saw.
I used a 1" holesaw to drill the 1"x1" holes as I wanted to retain the removed piece for another project. The 2nd 1" and 20mm I drilled normally stepping up but hand reaming to finished size.This is where the frustration came in after buying a new set of reduced shank drill bits sizes14mm to 25mm and finding not one was correct in diameter all undersized even worse was the was no 18 but two well close to 19mm's in the box. Rang Tool King who miked all the boxes they had to find all were the same, I will be returning them at Mudgee Field days. I had already borrowed the reamers from a friend thank goodness.

To true up the swivel blocks etc I used my bench drill as a mill with a sanding disc attached, a finer finish is yet to be done.

Both Swivel blocks

1"x20mm swivel block

20mmx1"dia bore swivel block

 

Motor Support blocks plus a few extra

Double Trouble, a Hoody & pair of Sox

For our grand-daughter Bianca's 2nd birthday a pink zippered  hoodie. Not an easy task when you have no pattern to go by and only a few quick measurements taken from a hoodie that you think might fit her. For Ray a pair of socks. Just when it gets really cold, these wollen socks should keep his feet warm.







.

OM The Piece Within

 I was seconded into making some missing Sitar string tension knobs for a Tamil Sitar Alan is repairing a cracked Gourd on (Alan says turning makes him dizzy). I used NSW Rosewood adorned with False Ivory which was obtained through 043turning. I found the False Ivory very different to turn each piece I took the small knob from was in itself a different texture. One chipped quite easily while another almost peeled away.

 

 While on the subject of things from the the region at a recent Trend Timbers open day Richard Clark the owner had recently returned with what he called his tiny bit of wood.