But I've not been idle. Idle hands make the devil's work, but I've kept myself busy these past few days. (Devils may be a theme tonight!) My chair project is now three leather cushions short of being complete.
I put my second coat of stain/finish on last night after my daughter's bowling match, and this morning I applied a first coat of carnuba wax. When I wiped it down after twenty minutes, the shine began to appear. I'll put another coat on tomorrow and buff it well with a sheepskin pad. It's elbow grease that finally makes wood look good.
Here's the left arm showing the quartersawn look of the oak. I call this the "grandchildren seat." I don't have any, yet, but when I do these arms will be perfect for little behinds to sit on and look through books. I told my son and his girlfriend that it could easily hold six little behinds - she said that sounded good to her. (I wish you could have seen the look on my son's face!) I'll be satisfied to wait and see what begins to unfold in that later chapter of life...but I'll be ready.
Of course we were out of school on Wednesday this past week, and I received the scarf from my sister. This picture doesn't do it the right justice. It's a beautiful scarf with smaller grey heather flecks throughout.
What's most amazing about wool is how it holds the air within its fibers. This is not a tightly woven scarf like a melton or merino; this stretches some, and in doing so the small pockets of air warm from one's body and provide the heat. When I wore it Thursday, a cold wind (-13 degrees air temp-devilishly cold) didn't penetrate to my neck. Good wool and good technique are the keys to a great scarf. Thanks, again, Boppy!
Today found me with a little time in the shop and a couple of pen kits. I had ordered some materials to make a friend a pen he was wanting, so I (as is typical) ordered a couple of redundant kits. Since my oldest daughter's birthday is coming up, I figured she needed a small pre-birthday gift.
Like my mother she's a nut for black and white decor. I made her one similar to this one. This one's for Scott, a great musician and good friend. I love working on the lathe with this material. It looks like marble, but it's actually just a plastic resin. It turns well, makes a nice finish, and is very, very durable. But I don't like being too far away from wood. I had been wanting to make myself a pen for carrying around in my coat, so I came up with this one.
The wood on this one is Osage Orange; otherwise known to Kansans as Hedge. A hard, knotty, and tough wood that will turn a deep, golden orange after a few weeks of handling and journal writing. Penmaking is the devil in me; I can never have enough neat looking pens.
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And what a way to end the weekend - watching my son's team, the Newman Jets, overcome an eighteen-point halftime deficit to defeat the number one team in their conference by three points! Talk about taming the dustdevil! With a minute sixteen left, down by five points, the team found a way to win against a very talented team. But I would have to point out that every team they've played has been talented. I've just become too accustomed to watching our team to realize that they, too, have great talent and, even more so, a great sense of being a cohesive team. Having overcome injuries to a couple of key players, they are finding a winning momentum. A father (with a devilish smile on his face) can only be proud!
TROY: you are SUCH a craftsman! Wood, leather, pens--incredible handiwork. I am astounded that anyone can be so gifted. Keep the updates coming. I'm inspired, though inept.
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