My First Binned Turning .

I had been given a beautiful piece of Acacia by Neil (Hughie) a friend and brilliant wood turner, metal worker.
The timber had spalted and split Neil filled the crack with resin coloured allowed some drying time before he handed it over.

It floated round the shed/workshop until it got the better of me and found its way onto the lathe. So it began.

 Everyone who saw the piece on the lathe and the colour was amazed. What came out as I turned it was not so pleasing. I am not one to give in so as this was a project plagued by winter, time for epoxy and CA the later which wasn't going of to well to dry.














More turning and sanding more interventions of time and other matters to attend to.

After weeks of not being near the lathe and a few nice days in mid winter I took to it again only to find borer had been at work. I was not impressed i sort advice from Neil who suggested freezing the little buggers or nuking them I did the latter the 15 1/2 " platter/bowl just fit inside the microwave. I cooked them on high at 15 second intervals not knowing how the heat would effect the epoxy Neil had used nor the CA and epoxy I used.

That all went well a day before turning it to allow it to stabilise again and watch for any sign of borer activity. None more CA the last I had, that got plenty drying time as we had much o our calendar for a month or so some planned much not planned.

Weather was warming I was improving the aches or muscle and arthritis were dissipating.

Round three or was it four I shaved more off to clear the back fill Oiled it gain sat a few days and went back to have another go there below clean surface where no borer activity had been seen was signs yet again.

I'd had enough!!! This may have been a beautiful piece visually but not even I'd want to risk these little critters still being active. So it ended up in the bin as we do not have an open fire.

This all took place over about six months on ad off

Photos show the colour the borer the CA and Epoxy.

 Left first sign of worm hole.












The spalting coming to life on the under side.

Below taking shape the black is the epoxy Neil had applied it held together well.

Then they come arrows show the damage done by borer.
 

Second round after a firs CA and another oiling and a few weeks in between.

Hope at last no borer sign now for over a month.

Then as I still had lost of shaping to do and getting it down to approx 7mm wall thickness. These were under the surface yet again.

 

Above the last CA fill a few days latter I turned that away and again found just under the surface more and that was it in the bin.

I had pondered the choice to bin it many times during the process always giving way to my fight on attitude, but enough time was wasted as well as CA.

Oak Mortar and Pestles

Its been a while since posting much has happened since June.

Winter brought about some days where the garage was just to cold to head into even with the door closed and small fan heater going.

We survived the chills, had a trip to Toowoomba (another post possibly), Sue's mum took a turn for the worst while we were away and passed away a week after we got home.

I wont mention the recovery time required for my lower back and shoulders after a shower seat in a motel in Coffs Harbour collapsed, Oh it was a newly installed screwed to the wall with just 4 self tappers into plaster board.

Minding Christian and Brodie our grandsons a few days during the school holidays and a couple of weekends.

So now time finish off some projects and get back on track.

Sue and Lor (the lady I made the 3 tier cake stand for) both asked me at some stage to make a Mortar and Pestle for them.

Made out of fresh cut English Oak (thanks Pat Keefe) wringing wet it was so it got nuked/mcirowaved to aid drying time.

Pestles are not Oak but an unkown Aussie hardwood.

A Lazy Kate to go with Orla

As you can expect when you acquire nine new spinning wheel Bobbins you need somewhere to store them. These where made for Orla.

So some more English Oak was sourced this time from Boutique Timbers a nice plank/board some 2m x 250mm x 55mm, always best to have more wood than you really need.

The idea was to store as neat and practical as possible the two different sized series of Bobbins six small, three larger.
Of course the need to use the whole lot at once would be rare well for some maybe, I envision that will not be the case for Sue however.

The design came to mind for a two tier with the top being able to rotate to allow access to the lower set, but ability to remove if need be.

I Turned up two platters, one 9" dia x 1" thick and one 7" dia x 3/4" thick, gave some shape to the top sides so the bobbins would sit a little high off the running area when they turn.
Marked out the top piece to be a tri-arm for the three larger bobbins with cut outs allowing access to the lower bobbins. This was cut using the scrollsaw and shaped and sanded.

I turned up a brass bush for the top section to rotate on and use of a lock pin to allow both to be one yet still rotate.

 Machining the brass bush.
19mm inner dia, 22mm out dia. large face section 30mm. 2mm bearing area thickness.




 Below the bush in place on the top section prior being cut to shape.. Three holes drilled for the bobbin supports which are 1/4" Gal rod.
 

Below dry fit up of the base plate and both in right photo.

 Below a view of the brass bush.

Below the top platter now cut to shape and further dry fit. Left with Gal rods dry fitted and a Bobbin showing the height.

 Lower base setion with Gal rods fitted and glued in place. Clean up was just a removal of excess epoxy using a chisel. The hole in the upper shaft is the lock pin hole.

 Below a view after final assembly.

  Almost full stocked one Bobbin is on Orla the spinning wheel.

 Lock pin in place the top section rotates on the brass bush.

Sweet Treats

Sue has been busy in bulk.

Friends and neighbours gave Sue some of their crop of Oranges, Lemons and Sue's long term friends brother passed on some of his Cumquat crop 3.5kg.

In a park near by council had planted a Lilli Pilli which has bared fruit also our two grandsons Christian and Brodie help Nana pick about 4kg.

Sue made 11 jars of Lilli Pilli jam which has been already seen me enjoy some of that for breakfast on my toast.

There were 14 jars of Cumquat Marmalade which used only half the 3.5kg of fruit.

Thats when Sue found she only had a few jars left to use, she had run out so has put a call out to any who can help supply metal sealed lidded jars, the type used on jams etc.

The Oranges were used and made just a small amount of Marmalade which was handed back to those who supplied the fruit and a couple of others.

Some of the Lemons have been preserved in another form Sue uses that to add to cooking and cakes.