Wood – My Weakness

Offer me a piece of wood and I will accept. Consequently, my side yard contains the following: One holly log, approximately 14" diameter and 5′ long; A large stack of 2" to 3" thick spalted maple; and An assortment of turning blanks.  Currently, maple, black walnut and acacia make up my stash. Just recently, I realized that 7' … Continue reading Wood – My Weakness

The Evolution of Sharpening

When I started woodworking six or seven years ago, all my tools were usually dull.  I sharpened them will a mill file.  Yes a mill file.  I clamped the tool in my metal working vise and went at it.  Maybe that was a blessing because I learned to sharpen with a steady hand.  Anyhow, the … Continue reading The Evolution of Sharpening

A Weekend That Turned Out Well

I had this past weekend off, and I made the most of it, turning a total of five bowls, all from green wood.  I slept in until 10:00am on Saturday.  I had a quick breakfast and headed down to the shop.  The first bowl was a result of a co-worker giving me a section of … Continue reading A Weekend That Turned Out Well

Heirloom Quality Screwdrivers For Sale

My turned screwdrivers are now for sale.  They feature a solid dogwood handle and a polished magnetic bit holder which accepts all 1/4" hex-shank screwdriver bits.  The price is $30. To make a screwdriver, I first cut a dogwood blank to size.  Then I bore a 1/4" hole to accept the shank of the magnetic … Continue reading Heirloom Quality Screwdrivers For Sale

Acacia – Block to Bowl

Right now I have a half dozen blocks of green acacia in the garage.  I spent a good portion of last Saturday turning a pair of bowls from a single block.  I first outlined the shape of the bowl on the block and cut it out on the bandsaw.  I screwed the block onto a faceplate … Continue reading Acacia – Block to Bowl

Dedication to Woodworking

Some of you who regularly check for updates on this site have been reminding me that I haven't added anything new in a few months.  The reason:  all my free time is dedicated to woodworking.  You see, while I punch these keys to form the words you are now reading, I am also letting a … Continue reading Dedication to Woodworking

100 lbs of Douglas Fir

Last week while walking home, I passed a house with what looked to be half a dozen sections of a fallen Douglas Fir tree trunk.  Each was roughly 24" in diameter and 10" thick.  I introduced myself to the fellow trimming branches in the front yard and asked him about the wood.  He confirmed that it was indeed … Continue reading 100 lbs of Douglas Fir