Sure does seem like a long while since I added a blog entry. Must be because is HAS been a while. Life sure does keep you busy sometimes!
As has been the theme in my shop lately, I've continued to work on turning stuff. I added two or three bowls to my web site. They continue to look cool, but I'm getting a bit sick of the maple. I still have enough for a half dozen bowls and a number of hollow forms, so I'm thinking about using them to try a few new shapes and forms.
I've also managed to grab a big walnut log to make into turning blanks. Well, technically I'm gonna "grab" it this Sunday, but it's reserved in my name. It's supposed to be 24" diameter and 60" long, so I'm gonna bring my chainsaw with me to slab it into sections small enough to lift into my pickup truck. Should be a blast, and possibly a backbreaker...
I've also been plowing through the reading material. I've finished Wayne Barton's chip carving book (which had 10x more pages of pics than text), the FWW "In the Modern Style" compilation book, and I'm just about done with Sam Allen's workbench book. Next up is the FWW chair book and David Pye's two books. I'll also try to get through my almost-completed FWW mag collection since they're currently lined up in our dining room and they need to be moved downstairs before the wife kills me.
The only other cool thing I've been working on is cutting boards. I had a few 8/4 hard maple scraps still left over from my workbench, so I glued a few together and for the first time turned a round cutting board. It came out great (pics soon), and if I can round up enough leftover wood I'll try to make more. I'm also using a finish I haven't tried before - a mix of warm mineral oil and melted beeswax. It's supposed to be longer-lasting than just mineral oil which I've used for years. The oil/wax is now on a few boards and so far it looks great, but it will take some time and use to compare its longevity to plain ol oil. One thing's for sure - it sure is messy to make and apply, and it can be tough holding onto boards totally encased in slippery oil/wax before its buffed out. Fun stuff.
