Whilst not gardening.

[Colin]

Hi,

I've been grafting in the garden for months but here is what I do for relaxation. It's taken around 3 weeks to finally complete the woodturning project seen in the pictures below due to more pressing jobs needing doing first. Our local joinery company recently kindly gave me a number of offcuts and some were Ash at 4" thick.

This Ash is very tough indeed needing sharp tools and high speed to obtain a decent finish. I've only just started woodturning decorative pieces just for the fun of it; for many years I've only turned utility useful items between centres like table legs and lamps etc so this type of woodturning I'm finding most interesting and a new challenge; this is only my third piece but with each I gain more experience. I'm gearing up to do this kind of turning but in the meantime I'm using old fashioned "jam chucks" for holding where I can't hold in the Sorby Patriot chuck.

The light coloured wood is Ash the dark stained wood is Meranti. The finish is shellac sanding sealer; Yorkshire Grit and Hampshire Sheen. It needs a final polish and buffing up but at least it's now completed. Bron loves it and I love lathework.

I hope it's of interest.

Kind regards, Colin.

Bowl outside in lathe. Mounted in Robert Sorby Patriot chuck.

Bowl inside in lathe.

Pedestal foot in jam chuck stained Jacobean Oak.

Lid in jam chuck ready for finial hole to be added.

Finial looking dull having just been stained in collet chuck.

Inside of bowl and lid completed.

Bowl mounted on pedestal completed.

Completed project.

In a few days it will be given a final polish using Hampshire Sheen and buffed.

 

[Tjohn]

Very interesting, Colin!

 

[Sean Regan]

It was raining on Friday, too wet for golf or gardening, so no excuse for indolence.

I recorded this on my new leccy piano.

"I got a few of the neighbourhood kids in, to sing the backing vocals."

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Well done Sean and thanks for sharing; it's much better doing something rather than being idle and moaning about the weather; good on you.

Yesterday Blackie was here all day and into the night doing his thing giving everything a thorough soaking; it saves me using the hosepipe today so for the first time in years Blackie has actually helped me.

This morning I was into the workshop very early keen to complete a lidded box I started turning yesterday; I've turned the finial and applied sanding sealer then gave it a coat of clear lacquer; whilst the lacquer was drying I popped up into the bungalow to be greeted by Bron telling me the toilet had a problem and wouldn't flush the handle hanging down. I knew immediately what the problem was so off with the cistern top and get my hands wet whilst I reconnected the handle actuating wire; just as I was doing this there was a delivery at the front door and Bron was outside at the rear of the bungalow; all I wanted to do was to complete the turning. I'm now having a brew then I'll head into the workshop again before another day slips by. Not moaning just a way of life life for me.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[DirtMechanic]

It was raining on Friday, too wet for golf or gardening, so no excuse for indolence.

I recorded this on my new leccy piano.

"I got a few of the neighbourhood kids in, to sing the backing vocals."

I bet @Becky likes this too

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Yesterday Blackie was here all day soaking everything outside so I enjoyed some quality time in the workshop turning another lidded box; I've just completed it as seen in the pictures below; this is project #4. It's in Ash & Walnut both being offcuts so cost me nothing; money can't buy this kind of personal satisfaction or pleasure just making something like this for enjoyment.

Kind regards, Colin.

Finial being turned between centres.

Top of lid being finished in home made "jam chuck".

Finial glued into lid waiting for glue to dry.

Completed box.

Inside shot; forgot to remove center stub but easy enough to finish off.

Display is expanding; all were delightful and interesting to turn. Inspiration from YouTube & Pinterest.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Between weeding I've managed a few sessions in the workshop getting more into woodturning. Last week friends visited us and one of the ladies asked if I would turn her something and that she was willing to pay. I declined saying since I retired I've never taken a penny for work I've done and that woodturning is just another hobby to me.

These friends will visit us again in September but they are in for a pleasant surprise; Dot was the one offering to pay but Pauline too showed a lot of interest so I've now turned a lidded finial box for each of them; as I do more and more turning I'm settling down to woodturning; I no longer waste lots of time looking for tools or materials; all are now close at hand also I'm becoming more familiar with mounting the work in the lathe using simple "jam chucks" which I make from offcuts of MDF and these cost nothing being disposable although with forward planning I find I can use these chucks a number of times; I screw a blank of MDF onto a faceplate then can screw a second blank onto this to create the chuck required; it's amazing the grip a jam chuck can exert upon the work being turned. I save my waste chucks etc for a neighbour who has a wood burner.

The biggest problem by far hasn't been turning it's been the dust created especially whilst sanding; for personal protection I've been using a dust mask but I find these infuriating; my glasses mist up and after only a short time I find I'm being suffocated; the mask becomes moist/wet through breath exhaled which seems to block it; enough is enough and as I want to do a lot more turning I've just bought an air shield face mask;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TREND-AI...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

This is much cheaper than a new pair of lungs; I take safety seriously and hope to continue my hobbies for many years yet to come.

I hope my ramblings are of interest.

Kind regards, Colin.

Lid and finial in jam chuck being finished.

Very simple but very effective jam chuck chucks costing virtually nothing to make.

Two more successes these being # 5 & 6. Base and finial ASH lids MERANTI.

Finishing details. Sanding sealer; Yorkshire grit and Hampshire sheen leaving a satin finish.

 

[Sean Regan]

Another golf day. Just a friendly, off the yellow tees. Nothing remarkable other than I had a gross 81 and a hole in one. (I have had a lower score without one).
That's the second one I've had in about ten years. Both were on the same hole. This one.

It's a narrow green with three bunkers guarding the front and bunkers on both sides.
You can't actually see the green even though I was taking this photo on the raised tee a few years ago, as the front bunkers have raise lips at the back. It's about 165 yds to the pin.

I say unremarkable, because every time you play you have four chances of getting one, (provided you can hit the greens) on the par threes. If you play three times a week as I will if it isn't raining. that's 12 chances...per week!

 

[Sean Regan]

Not a lot to do in the garden today. So taught myself to play this, on my Tyros 5 "with the help of the neighbourhood kids who sang "Ooo" in the background."

I love this tune.

Later had an e-mail from YouTube to tell me that it's subject to copyright, but it was permissible to upload it.

YouTube is very sophisticated, it can recognise tunes recorded, even if they aren't titled.

 

[Sean Regan]

I posted that tune on another board, someone asked me if I could play any Carpenter's songs and get "the neighbourhood kids to accompany me..

Thinking back I remember playing and uploading to "Box" 4 years ago, the old Shelley Fabares song "Johnny Angel." which the Carpenters included on one of their albums, "Now and Then." But listening to it again, the choir sounds available weren't that good on what would now be a 20 year-old keyboard.
So as it wasn't a golf day, I had a go at busking it again this morning , though I hadn't played it for years, but like many pop songs it's quite a simple tune.

It amazes me the number of "voices" I've got on this new "work station," as "leccy pianos," are now termed. As well as hundreds of instruments there's a choice of 70 Choir "sounds."

This is a combination of two I chose to "sing" in the second chorus.