I'm doing a major shop clean up in preparation for spraying by face frames and doors for my Blood Wood kitchen, I've let it go for a while and I got this nasty red dust all over the place.

Not much on my end Richard, I am still putting the final touches on my chair, it needs a coat of wipe on finish before it goes out to market. That is what I will be doing this weekend.

You have a nice big shop there pard. very nice indeed.

What kind of materials are available in Wassila Richard, how is the lumber selection up there?

Hey Gene, how about some deck time too! With a cold one in your paws

Gene Howe said:

Shop clean up here, too. We've been building a large deck and most of my time has been spent on that project. It's complete enough now to let me have some shop time.

Actually I in Eagle River not Wassila. Eagle River is between Anchorage and Wassila but much closer to Anchorage. Availability of hardwood lumber up here is not real good. The are a few places in Anchorage that carry the usual Oak, cherry and Maple. We do have one place that caters to the cabinet maker and has a decent inventory of hardware, saw blades and a few tools. They also carry a pretty good selection on plywood and melamine products. They do have a petty good selection of hard woods but not a lot of volume and it not best looking wood I've ever seen.

The biggest problem for me is they don't stock hardwoods in the ruff. Most of it is 13/16 s2s straight line ripped one edge. I like to buy 4/4-5/4 and so on in the ruff and mill it myself. If I wanted to get the proper material to build one of your rockers I'd have to order it. Shipping to Alaska isn't cheep.

As an example the 400 board feet of Blood Wood I order from a place in Oregon cost pretty close to 1000 dollars to get to my shop.

The American Woodworker said:

Not much on my end Richard, I am still putting the final touches on my chair, it needs a coat of wipe on finish before it goes out to market. That is what I will be doing this weekend.
You have a nice big shop there pard. very nice indeed.

What kind of materials are available in Wassila Richard, how is the lumber selection up there?

I was looking at your photos. Look like you make a lot of pens and very nice ones at that. With that many pens I assume you sell a lot of pend.

How do you like that Ricon lathe.

Joshua D. Rollins said:

So, you're saying that's pre-clean up? That's cleaner than mine post clean up, of course my shop looks to ba about 1/4 that size. Nice looking shop. You live in Alaska, nice big shop, nice looking equipment, in the words of Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday................."now I know I hate him". Just kidding

Richard, I looked up "Trees in Alaska" and it looks like you have Pine, Spruce, Hemlock, Alder as your main native species.

Have you ever thought of investing in a portable mill? You certainly have the space!

Richard McComas said:

Actually I in Eagle River not Wassila. Eagle River is between Anchorage and Wassila but much closer to Anchorage. Availability of hardwood lumber up here is not real good. The are a few places in Anchorage that carry the usual Oak, cherry and Maple. We do have one place that caters to the cabinet maker and has a decent inventory of hardware, saw blades and a few tools. They also carry a pretty good selection on plywood and melamine products. They do have a petty good selection of hard woods but not a lot of volume and it not best looking wood I've ever seen.

The biggest problem for me is they don't stock hardwoods in the ruff. Most of it is 13/16 s2s straight line ripped one edge. I like to buy 4/4-5/4 and so on in the ruff and mill it myself. If I wanted to get the proper material to build one of your rockers I'd have to order it. Shipping to Alaska isn't cheep.

As an example the 400 board feet of Blood Wood I order from a place in Oregon cost pretty close to 1000 dollars to get to my shop.

The American Woodworker said:

Where do I start.

1. Put finish on three cutting boards.

2. Turn 3 Pen and Pencil sets

3. put the trim around the bottom of the cedar chest, finish the top and sand all of it.

4. Turn a couple of hand mirrors.

5. Turn a few Tea Lights

6. Mow the yard although it is soooo dry here it will be just stirring the dust.

7. Try to find some clear space on any of my flat surfaces.

I'll stop there cause I already know I am not going to finish that list.

It will be a busy weekend, but it is almost 5:00 pm here and I am about to be off and ready for some dinner out with the LOML.

Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. Right now I am brain fried

And one more thing, Richard I love that stack of blood wood, wish it have been delivered here..

I can't wait to see that kitchen.

Wow John!! Looks like you got a full plate.

John Moody said:

Where do I start.

1. Put finish on three cutting boards.

2. Turn 3 Pen and Pencil sets

3. put the trim around the bottom of the cedar chest, finish the top and sand all of it.

4. Turn a couple of hand mirrors.

5. Turn a few Tea Lights

6. Mow the yard although it is soooo dry here it will be just stirring the dust.

7. Try to find some clear space on any of my flat surfaces.

I'll stop there cause I already know I am not going to finish that list.

It will be a busy weekend, but it is almost 5:00 pm here and I am about to be off and ready for some dinner out with the LOML.

Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. Right now I am brain fried

Those tree tend to be fairly small in South Central Alaska, BTW you missed Birch. For what I do I don't see myself using enough of those species to make it worth while. And I'll soon be 67 and that mill stuff is a lot of work!

f

The American Woodworker said:

Richard, I looked up "Trees in Alaska" and it looks like you have Pine, Spruce, Hemlock, Alder as your main native species.
Have you ever thought of investing in a portable mill? You certainly have the space!

Richard McComas said:

John Moody said:

Where do I start.

1. Put finish on three cutting boards. - Done
2. Turn 3 Pen and Pencil sets - Didn't get to it
3. put the trim around the bottom of the cedar chest, finish the top and sand all of it. - Trim is on, remade the top, no sanding
4. Turn a couple of hand mirrors. - Got two mirrors turned
5. Turn a few Tea Lights - Didn't get to it
6. Mow the yard although it is soooo dry here it will be just stirring the dust. - Got the lawn mowed and yes it was dusty No rain in weeks.
7. Try to find some clear space on any of my flat surfaces. - Not a chance right now

I'll stop there cause I already know I am not going to finish that list. I do have a little while this afternoon to see if I can fill in a few of the ones that didn't get done.

It will be a busy weekend, but it is almost 5:00 pm here and I am about to be off and ready for some dinner out with the LOML.

Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. Right now I am brain fried

For the ones you didn't get to..........The weekend is not over yet. The ones you did do didn't happen without pictures

John Moody said:

John Moody said:

I did get to watch a few minutes of football, Roll Tide Roll

I was on my way to church this morning. Ill post pictures later or in the morning.

John

You know of course I'm just kidding you, but I do like picture.

John Moody said:

I was on my way to church this morning. Ill post pictures later or in the morning.

John

I know and I usually take pictures along as I go. I went out to take them last night and had left the SD card in my computer at work, so I'll get a few tonight and post.

Richard McComas said:

You know of course I'm just kidding you, but I do like picture.

John Moody said:

Well it was actually four, I had two of the small ones.

Put a small trim around the Cedar Chest. Just like some sanding and putting the hinges on as soon as they arrive.

Turned two Mirrors one walnut and one cherry.

And I have one more cutting board in the clamps that will get sanded this afternoon. Maple and Bloodwood.

So it was a busy weekend how about the rest of you? Where are your pictures, no pictures it didn't happen.

John Moody said:

John Moody said:

I did get to watch a few minutes of football, Roll Tide Roll