Well here we are the middle of August, still how in the south, but I know some of  you are starting to cool off a bit. With the cooler weather comes the chance to jump in the shop and get ready for the fall season.

 

Are you working on projects for Christmas yet?

 

How are the machine restorations coming, making good progress?

 

What is going on around the home front?

 

I am working on cutting boards as always. Going to try to catch up with a few items to turn on the lathe this weekend.

 

I have also re-sawn some maple and walnut to start a few chess boards so I am hoping to get on those.

 

Will post a picture later, but I helped my son build a cedar table for a Green Egg smoker for a friend of his this past week. We had a good time working on it. My 5 year old granddaughter even got in on a little sanding.

 

So what is on your agenda?

 

---

John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Trying to get started on a portable device (camera, phone, etc.) charging dock.

Well, right now I am sitting at Sam's Club as they are putting on 4 new tires on the F150. But after that is all done I have to get home to some finish on a cutting board that a frined in my home bible study group wanted made. Their original board came with their house and slides into the face frame of their kitchen cabinets and just got all worn out. So I got the new one made up to spec with maple for the main body and red oak on the ends with finger grooves for ease of sliding in and out. I got the oak stained yesterday and today I will put a couple coats of urathane on them before putting mineral oil on the maple.

I did finally get the shellac sealer coat and the first coat of Endurovar Urathane sprayed on my bathroom vanity. Now I have to do a sand before I can get the 2nd coat on it tomorrow. I learned a lot on my first spraying so the next coat will go a lot easier. I learned a couple of things right off the bat with this. First don't try to do too many pieces at a time but do it in two groups. Second that I need more direct lighting so that I can really see where I am spraying as I had some overlap issues.

Hoping to make a new tenon jig for the table saw. Want to work on the Miracles cross some.  John thanks for the reminder of the upcoming Christmas Holiday. I will have to get started on that too soon. I'm thinking some jewelry boxes for the girls in the family and the guys, I have no idea yet. Maybe a top valet for them. The grand kids, they are so varied in interests it will take time to sort out.

 

---

Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.

Playing with the grandkids all weekend.  Two on Saturday and 3 spending the night on Sunday.  Monday.......REST

 

---

Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Working on a curly cherry desk top and a flame beech table top and drawers for a shaker sewing table. Need to get an air dryer hung and new air lines run also.

 

---

Bob Kloes
www.bobkloes.com

Thanks for asking John!

I'm putting away our camping gear, we were out in the woods wed and thur and had a great time. Tent camping, my back is a bit sore from the rough sleep, but it just doesn't seem to matter at the time, now when you wake up to a chilly morning in the pines, throw some logs on the fire, and fire up the Coleman stove, eggs, bacon, dutch oven biscuits, and watching the grey squirrels chase each other up the trees. Fun stuff. Did some hiking, the kids, my wife, our two dogs, had just a wonderful time. Now we are back, and I am putting away the gear. Later tonight, I am working with my 6 year old son on a birdhouse he we started a few days ago. So far he has hand cut the sides, we have the sides glued up, and we are going to construct the floor tonight. He laid out the cut lines with a square, and cut right up to the lines, he did pretty dang good.

 

 

---

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

  Done today:   1 hour cardio rehab, replaced  bad wiper blade on the dodge caravan,  Tightened up the clothes lines (3) for the "other half",  Repair toilet seat with a new bolt.   Changed a rear tire, because the stem is bad.   

 

Now, as for tomorrow:   Still looking to go to the shop for awhile.  Also have three one mile long walks to do.  Also going to reclaim all the toys/tools I have laying around the house,  clean as needed, and put back where they belong.   MIGHT ( a very big might) just do some PM out in the shop, if not Saturday, then Sunday.

 

Monday:  Back to rehab, again.    After that, who knows? 

 

---

'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

Just got back from a 3 week journey through the midwest/south. My weekend will be spent weeding and mowing the knee high stuff.. 

I love the open spaces and lack of neighbors but, Lordy! 27 acres is a lot of weeds and grass!!!

Luckily, the monsoons have about run their course, so maybe only two more mowings will be required before the first frost.

Wife fell out of the camper in TN and injured her wrist and shoulder. She usually does the edging with the weed eater. Not this time!

PIcked up about 100 bf of "Chinkapin" oak and another 100 of old growth walnut, in TN. All rough cut with live edges. When I work my way down to it, it should be fun to work with.

 

Well, like I said last week i got the rain barrel done and just in time.  Been raining almost every day since I did my rain dance.

Now on my next honey do project.  This one more to woodworking or should I say more to being a carpenter.  Building a cat tree.  Got part of it done.  Just got to fine tune the looks some more.  Good thing about this project.  Have not bought any materials.  Using mostly what scrape lumber I have.  Plywood and  whitewood pine.  Gluing pieces today with bisque.

That find with me.  Need to make more room for either some more white oak or maybe get some rough cut cherry this time

for computer desk my wife been wanting.  Need to get working on those for gifts.  Had not done any past 3 years and my wife was hinting that need to this year. 

 

Oh yea.  Picture of the rain barrel.

 

Wayne

 

 

Apparently your rain dance was a good one. Is there a YouTube video?

 

Nice looking rain barrel and it looks like it is getting a good work out.

 

---

John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

John Moody said:

Apparently your rain dance was a good one. Is there a YouTube video?

 

Nice looking rain barrel and it looks like it is getting a good work out.

 

 

Sorry John

I don't even know how to do the video on that camera.  It my wife camera and I'm not sure she even know how.

 

Wayne

 

---

John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Hey John,

 

I have been in West Virginia for about 6 weeks cutting wood on my Timberking 2000 Sawmill, and trying to build a caboose.  Yes, a caboose.  We ran into some big obstacles such as rain, and rocks.  We got a lot done, but not much to show for it.  Found our spring, got electricity permits and they are running the lines now, and having the septic tank installed also.  My mom live nearby, so it was a good time to visit with her, but she came down with breast cancer and had to have a masectomy.  At 81 years young, she is doing great. 

 

So, as you can imagine we didn't get done what we wanted.  Bought the kit from a guy in Temecula Ca. and it is real cool.  The cost will be minimal and a good starter cabin. 

 

Now we are back in So. Cal. cutting wood again.  Business has been real good so far.  Got lots of wood to cut.  Working on a big job for a house in Pacific Palasades.  They removed four large Eucalyptus trees and want them all milled up to use on the remodel.  Should be several thousand board feet of lumber.  I will start cutting tomorrow and will post some pics of the job.  I have been silent from the site for a while and it's good to be back.

 

Working on my lathe restoration project this weekend.  There is coming a time that I will be on a job that will take me away from this to installation of a new MRI in the St Louis area.  This will put the entire project on hold for at least 2 weeks. 

Sounds good Doug. Look forward to see the updates as you work through it.

 

---

John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Brent good to hear from you again.
Man sounds like you have been logging the miles and staying busy. Sorry about your mom, hope she is well.



You have to give us some pictures of your projects as you can.



Thanks for letting us know your back.











Brent Cashion said:

Hey John,

 

I have been in West Virginia for about 6 weeks cutting wood on my Timberking 2000 Sawmill, and trying to build a caboose.  Yes, a caboose.  We ran into some big obstacles such as rain, and rocks.  We got a lot done, but not much to show for it.  Found our spring, got electricity permits and they are running the lines now, and having the septic tank installed also.  My mom live nearby, so it was a good time to visit with her, but she came down with breast cancer and had to have a masectomy.  At 81 years young, she is doing great. 

 

So, as you can imagine we didn't get done what we wanted.  Bought the kit from a guy in Temecula Ca. and it is real cool.  The cost will be minimal and a good starter cabin. 

 

Now we are back in So. Cal. cutting wood again.  Business has been real good so far.  Got lots of wood to cut.  Working on a big job for a house in Pacific Palasades.  They removed four large Eucalyptus trees and want them all milled up to use on the remodel.  Should be several thousand board feet of lumber.  I will start cutting tomorrow and will post some pics of the job.  I have been silent from the site for a while and it's good to be back.

 

I have been in the shop for two full days and it was glorious!  Way better than my Monday through Friday job.  lol

 

I finished designing a personalized box for a gal at work.  Have the body of the box cut out, one of the names, and one dove.  It's a box which has their names, wedding date with heart and doves.  Made from ash.    

Made up four spatulas from maple and walnut.  Planed more wood and have it glued up for more spatulas. Trying some different designs.  Thinking these will make great stocking stuffers.

Also, finished a happiness sign which is also an order from work.  This fella wanted it in pink.  Have another one yet to make in hot red for another gal at work.  Happiness sign is directed at people who love shoes.  It's suppose to be subtle.  The "Ps' are high heels.  The Happiness sign is my own design.  I mention this only because some people have said they look like flowers.    Perhaps it's too subtle.  

 

I can tell I've been in the shop for two days - it's a mess.  Yet another project to do.  

 

SQ

 

---

It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

Great looking spatulas. Do you have a side shot of them. How thick are they at the end? Anyway I really like those and you are right I bet the make a great stocking stuffer.

 

Now on the shoe sign. I am a shoe guy. I bet I have more shoes than most women, of course my wife works in men's shoes at a department store and she is always bring me home a shoe that is marked down. So you are going to have to work on a sign for shoe guys. LOL

SQ said:

I have been in the shop for two full days and it was glorious!  Way better than my Monday through Friday job.  lol

 

I finished designing a personalized box for a gal at work.  Have the body of the box cut out, one of the names, and one dove.  It's a box which has their names, wedding date with heart and doves.  Made from ash.    

Made up four spatulas from maple and walnut.  Planed more wood and have it glued up for more spatulas. Trying some different designs.  Thinking these will make great stocking stuffers.

Also, finished a happiness sign which is also an order from work.  This fella wanted it in pink.  Have another one yet to make in hot red for another gal at work.  Happiness sign is directed at people who love shoes.  It's suppose to be subtle.  The "Ps' are high heels.  The Happiness sign is my own design.  I mention this only because some people have said they look like flowers.    Perhaps it's too subtle.  

 

I can tell I've been in the shop for two days - it's a mess.  Yet another project to do.  

 

SQ

 

---

It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

These spatulas are made from 1/4 inch wood.  Front is flat and back of spatula is tapered down to the edge.  I tapered the spatula with my spindle sander.   Will take a picture tomorrow when the light is better.  These are not fancy.  

 

I've had requests for cowboy boots instead of high heels but never could came up with a design that I thought worked well. 

 

SQ

 

 

 

---

It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

Susie

Nice work. Like the spatulas. I like your happiness sign too, good luck figuring out the cowboy boots. Certainly not an easy task. Keep us up on the progress you make with that please.

 

 

---

Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.