It’s a funny old thing how much of what we have developed and use comes from things spun and turned. It may not seem immediately obvious, but how much fabric alone is spun cotton or animal fiber? Next we can get into handles and spindles and wheels and pulleys that would have once been easiest made of wood and turned on a pole lathe.
I have turned maybe ten projects so far. Last night I turned a spindly shape that I then hollowed out, and put two cuts into, one straight in, and the other at a 45 degree angle. Add a fipple and next thing you know, I had a whistle. I can see some more of those being made and given to the nieces and nephews and grandkids at Christmas. Well, maybe not. But I will be doing more of these, and I want to make a multi-chambered whistle, then connect it to the air compressor. Yes, I am looking to mimic a train or shop whistle.
It seems a pretty easy craft to pick up and do. Doing it well on the other hand is a challenge. But every project is practice. Even the simple, cute ones.
My youngest brother called yesterday. It was really good to talk to him! It was good to catch up with how his family is doing, and what they have been up to lately.
We have a kid on the way down later today to borrow the log-splitter. It’ll be good to see him! It always is. I was thinking of sorting him out with this log-splitter sometime, since he is getting into firewood burning, and could use it. But then why would he visit us if he had one of his own? I like the design of the Yardmax much better. But to be fair, some of the problems of the Champion have been sorted out. There are still some things I don’t like, though. I think the Yardmax is in order. Need to pay off the lathe and hand tools first, though. There’s also a few more things needed in the shop.
About that. I’d like to get a new air compressor, and build a workbench. The shop will need a bandsaw, and a mill saw, even if it is only small. There are probably many other things I need, including some planes and ploughs, and some setup that will make threaded dowels so I can build a vise and make some toys and tools. Finally, there are some sharpening implements I must get. I’ll have to build the better part of a steamer for bending. Jigs and the like are also mostly of my own production.
I also need to get the shop cleaned up of all the crap we are storing in it right now. To do that, I will need to get the trailer cleared of all the crap we are storing in it right now. It sounds like a problem, but it is actually the majority of what is left of some much bigger problems that we have had for years. I suppose I should get the shop properly attached to the electrical supply, too. It would be lovely to get the heat going in there, too. But then we get into the insulation and such, and it starts to get back to moving house to someplace already set up.
We’ll see how things go.