A Gift for Zoe.

Back from Strahan

 Picked up a plane from Michael this morning. He had been hanging on to it since I left for Strahan. Whilst there I saw this beaut little dove tale saw, I had bid on, but missed out, weeks ago. As happens the guy who won it has not paid for it, so his loss .... my gain.

I think I like the saw more than the No 7 Stanley. I have to check, but I recon it is about 1910 vintage.

First dovetail box using the new saw. This box was gifted to Owen on his birthday to keep his model paints and materials in.

CV 19 Project

The old replication sextant needed a box. It’s coming up a treat with some wax. The ‘new ‘ look box doesn’t fit the ‘old’ look sextant, but couldn’t bring ourselves to ‘age’ the box artificially.

Radio Box for the YC

Cherub getting close

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Blackwood

Helen, a wonderful friend of ours, dropped by the other day with three logs from her parents farm. Yes, it's Blackwood. How cool is that. It was otherwise destined for the fireplace. ... Not any more... A quick simple shape bowl and some re sawing to get a feel for it and now planning what will become of the remainder.... Maybe a tool cabinet.?.. The timber cuts without vices and polishes up to a beautiful sheen. No wonder it was held in such high regard by older craftsmen as furniture timber in times past.

Big Chunk of Liquid Amber

I came across some recently felled Liquid Amber the other day. The log was about 14" dia. Split and roughed out a blank with the chain saw then off to the lathe with it. Just fitted over the bed. 

Now the big test..

Will it work or will it throw itself out of the.lathe and destroy the workshop?

Well its in the lathe...BUT will it stay there?

Stand clear and start it up.

Tentative first cut.

More confidence... Up close and personal now.

Practice on the Lilly Pilly Finished Now it's time to Slab the Silky Oak.

Took longer than I thought. About 4 hours to slab a half trunk (6 ft long x 20" dia) of the silky oak at 2 1/2 inch intervals.

I quartered it then took cuts off a alternative surfaces to give quarter sawn slabs to show the grain to its best.

I'm not sure this is 'pure' quarter sawn. But it's the best I can do with the equipment I currently have.

A Days Spent Slabbing up the Lilly Pilly an Flattening the Silky Oak

... now just 3 years to wait until it air dries and I can make something out of it.

Its amazing what you can do with a $165 electric chain saw. As long as the blade is sharp, it is pretty easy to control the cut.

I made up a guide for the chain saw, but didn't like it so after much deliberation decided to tackle the cuts freehand.

Unlike the liquid amber, which stains any steel that comes near it, the Lilly Pilly slabbed cleanly and easily. I choose to cut it at 2 1/2 inches thick, rotating the slab so as to get a quarter sawn cut. A bit wasteful, but I was unsure how accurately I could cut it freehand.

Update. Next day we dug out more of the silky oak and did some preliminary flattening.
The log I am working on with the chainsaw is 6  inches deep. Hell knows what I am going to do with it.

Maybe a coffee table top here.

Another Table Under Way.... perhaps!!!

Laurie dropped bt this morning with a couple of pieces of Silky Oak for me. Now ... What to do with them??!!

2 New Bowls

Two new bowls from the lathe today. The red one is a piece of Clive's banksia and the blond one a piece of Laurie's elm.

Proof I Listen to Your Mom

So here is the deal. The temporary wall down the center of the garage held there by two screws and a wish, is there to keep the drafts out of the workshop area. However it seemed to me that it would be a good place to hang tools. 'Hang tools she said?' What about the weight?' She said, when I went to hang the planes off of it.
Well yer I thought, how do get past this one.   .. I know, hang the planes on the cupboard... Now I have room on the wall for 50 kg of vices I keep kicking my toes on!!!

A nice Piece of Kari

Kari bowl in the making

Ok .. that's It... Table Done.

Finally done. It took far more hours than I anticipated, but we are pleased with the end result.
The finishing method worked well. It is a burnishing technique using Scandinavian Oil and orbital sander running grits from 80 down to 4000.
It provides a durable, food safe heat resistant, water resistant surface which shows off the grain to its best.
Unlike an estapol finish which is a layer over the wood surface, this becomes a highly polished wood finish.... I like it.
Keeping the natural edges proved a challenge, but well worth is. The tactile feel as you run your hand over the edges is very pleasing.
We get to enjoy the table for a couple of days, until Laurie picks it up on Tuesday.

wow.. dovetail...

By eye.. no measuring... can't beleive it myself...

Couta Boat build moves ahead

This is a former I made up to bend the timber for the cockpit combing

Deck frames removed to show where the combing will be inserted

Half of the combing fitted

Three drop pulley system for the centerboard

Brass cap for the bowsprit made from brass

Combing finished fitting but not sanded and faired

The Couta boat and Whitehall 14' skiff together

A few additions to the Couta Boat build include installing the combing around the cockpit (made from kari); an engine cover box (capped with Black Heart Sassafras) ; a bowsprit (in Cyprus Pine) with brass bow fitting made up from an old tap and a brass door hinge; and double and triple block system for raising and lowering the centreboard.