Magazine wood working

Hi Everyone,

Well, the glue has dried and its time to finish the tea box so here we go:

Here is a photo of the assembled pieces and the whole thing is ready for turning. Im going to copy the box lid next to it-you may remember that this is the box lid for the tea box I made my husband.


The first thing I do is mount the blank on the lathe by clamping the knob portion of the blank in the 4 jaw chuck. then I flatten the sides and bottom and last cut a lip for the box and the tenon for the chuck so when I flip it over in a bit, the jaws of the 4 jaw chuck will fit into that recess:


Here it the lid with the underside completed:



These next several photos show the lid having been flipped over and the knob rounded off.


Here is a more intermediate step and you can see how the lid is taking shape:



And about an hour of shaping and sanding later, the lid is completed. Here is a photograph of the sanding box with lid:


And here are two photos of the box and lid with preliminary coats of oil:




The box will take several more coats of oil and then it will be put back on the lathe and polished and then sent out to my friend.  I dont know about you but I think its time we stick a fork in and call it done!

Well that wraps up the weekend. Later this week Im going to glue some more laminated blocks if the weather stays warm enough and Ill also begin turning the big red laminated bowl blank I made several weeks ago.

Thanks for spending the weekend with me in the wood shop and as always, theres always another wood working adventure just over the horizon....


See you soon,
VW

I was thinking today that Im a pretty busy guy ... I play golf and tennis pretty regularly, I draw for pleasure, I read (and write) a lot, and now that Ive finished my woodshed, Im about to start paddle tennis season and go back to making some pottery ... sheesh. I love it though. One of my longtimest hobbies is spare time functional carpentry. I was a carpenter for seven years before I started making furniture full time in 1980. Its waaaay more relaxing than furnituremaking (1/8" ? close enough ... nail it ... ), and I just like the process of dreaming something up in its space in the landscape, drawing it, and always having it to tinker with when I get the urge. I plan to write more on this later ...
Ive been working on the woodshed below since early April and it started out in my head as something totally simple, a one pitch place to put my firewood for the wood stove we installed last year , like the one below I built in 1975 ... Then, Kit pointed out that it would be the first thing you saw when you drove up ... and then, the design just took off on its own ... Click the pictures to enlarge them ...

Original in 1975 ... Pine handhewn beams (by my brother-in-law and I, broadax and all) Notice the fine mustache and trim figure

Revised sketch in the Greek revival mode to (sort of) match the house and garage .. Gable end ornaments next year...

A little inspiration from Architectural Digest ... I think Ill pass on the reflecting pool

Early April start, this spring .. Previous posts here and here

As it was this morning .... cleaned up the leftovers last thing yesterday ...

I had this piece of stained glass from my old shop. It was made in 1981 by a friend of ours, Stephen Gormley who has gone on the become an internationally famous glass artist ... Correction. ... a really big deal internationally famous glass artist Check out some of the projects on his website ...

















Steve and Dan  1981, actually ... 

Anyway, we took teh window when we sold the Arlington property and Ive been looking for a place to use it since we left there in 1997 ... Looks good here ..


Back side ... I put a tarp over the back for the winter .. Ill take it down for the air to flow through again next spring
I might if Sam were to get inspired to contribute some serious help, have a new metal shop in me for next summer ... Well see ... It doesnt cost much to imagine what it might be like and I have all winter to sketch ... ..
Here are a couple other small, spare time buildings

Kits garden shed ... this one went on with the back wall unfinished for about 5 years, or maybe even more

Front side from the front porch

The garage and metal shop. Actually, I had a contractor frame and roof the main, two car part, but did the siding and metal shop on the far end as a spare time thing ... That one lasted, I think 3, maybe four years

Back side with the metal shop on the far right and the wood shed just peaking out in front of the house

The sawdust shed ... All for now ... I have to find my treehouse pictures from Arlington....