What are you all up to

Hope you both are feeling better, Millie, and that It has been nothing more serious than a heavy cold. 

Tda, that seems a ridiculous difference between the pitch price and that for the pod. Obviously a large discount for off-season midweek occupancy. Glad you had a good couple of days away.

Richard, your chair looks lovely, very skilfully made.

I’ve given up pondering on CAMC pricing Nellie. We hope to get away again with our friends, but will simply use a Glamper like them if the price is better than a pitch. 🤷‍♀️ 

On the subject of wood turning, I’ve often fancied trying my hand at traditional greenwood turning. Anyone tried this.

https://greenwooddays.co.uk/courses/bowl-turning-pole-lathe-2-october/

Might think about booking this course on one of next years tours.

Yes - but not using a lathe like that! I know that the original 'bodgers' used that sort of lathe but going back to it now is, in my opinion a bit of a gimmick - but give it a go.

Using green wood can produce interesting results - mushrooms are one example - and quite difficult to get right.  Trouble is, you don't know how the wood is going to dry out and if you spend an hour or two making a bowl - for it to crack and distort a little while later, it's a bit disappointing. Been there - done that!

That said - the back spindles on the Windsor chair are made of ash that's been soaked for 24 hours beforehand and then turned wet and tapered down with what amounts to a big pencil sharpener tool with just one end secured in the chuck (at very slow speeds because it's a bit dangerous!) If you look carefully at my photo, you can see that they're not quite straight because of how they have dried out but they're done that way so that they can be sprung into place and held there under tension. (The same principle applies to the crinoline (curved) stretcher on my chair which hold the legs in place under tension.)

Understood, yes gimmicky by today’s technology but once upon a time that lathe was the only one available. Those bodgers were very talented and skilful craftsmen and produced some stunning pieces of woodwork. It would be a shame if those talents and many other 'ancient’ skills were lost completely, they are in many respects unique and rather timeless in their attraction.

Kj

Clearly on the way to becoming a Spurtle millionaire

David

If only David!

DD had  not realised just how much these Etsy people take in a myriad of fees and  unclear commission charges, plus  there is postage, so my return will be very poor.    I have sold 5 spurtles for £30 in total, apparently I will receive the grand sum of £13.47.

I can make 3, maybe 4, spurtles per hour, so not even minimum wage!

She has listed my new spurtles, at a much higher price, plus postage, with a view to possibly reducing  the price if necessary.

No wonder we sold so many!   Lesson learned.  At least I had not paid anything for the timber. 

Today has been busy.  I had to be at SIL's rented out flat at 8am to let in an electrician to do the required EICR, neither of them could do that as both working.  

Then to DD's for breakfast and to fix their front door lock.  Little Nathan is very interested in tools and locks, so had got hold of an Allen key and jammed it in the lock.   They could not sort it.   Eventually worked out what had happened with the lock, and extracted Allen key, so all good now.

Home for a rest and lunch, then down to Guide Hall to rescue some timber to turn into spurtles.....or something!    On Sunday a few of us had demolished an old piano that was broken and unused, so having cut it all up there was some good timber left.   Too big to fit in the car so was left in car park, fortunately still there today.   Now safely cut up and in my garage.

DD says I must have more stored timber than I can possibly use in my (remaining) lifetime.......she is probably correct!

I will need to teach her how to turn wood.  Callum is very interested to learn, but he is only 5 1/2, so still a little too young!

I have made many mushrooms, they are popular, but can be unpredictable.

 One I made recently, despite being from dry timber, is now firewood, having split after a few days.  Items turned from "wet" timber are difficult to get right, sometimes they work, but more often not.

Some timbers are more prone to cracking, even if dry, and it can happen after several years.  DD has a Yew candlestick I made about 6 years back, and that cracked about 2 years  after I made it.

Our neighbour actually uses cracked wood. He fills it with some sort of resin, then finishes it off. I bought one of these items from him, as I loved the colours, and wanted a fairly simple looking plinth for a gorgeous bronze cast hare my OH bought for me. It was great being able to pick the piece of wood, select the resin, and then next time receive the finished item. Thankfully, it’s still flat, not warped, and no further cracks. Such skill, I admire what you both do.😁