Hugs
Belinda

It has been a long time since I posted an update and beings I am going through a life changing procedure in 17 days I though it was high time I posted an update.

So a quick breakdown of past events.

- My friend who was abused by her now ex-partner has now settled down and is expecting a child. Her partner is a fantastic man who is if anything over caring of her. It is a rare day that he hasn’t had a breakfast laid out for her on the dining table with a rose and freshly squeezed orange juice. Her ex is in jail for a variety of offenses and wont be released for 7+years. They will be married next year and I need to lose weight to fit the dress she wants me to wear.

- My workshop has been partially neglected over the last few month as life events have taken on an urgency of there own. I have managed to turn a few items and make some simple boxes out of MDF (urgh!). I long to start a major woodworking project but that will have to be in the new year once my strength has returned.

- I am flying to Thailand on the 4th October for life changing (saving) surgery on the 7th of October. Not returning until the 27th October. Why Thailand? Because they have the finest surgeons in the world for this procedure and are cheaper to boot. In Oz I would be short $20-30K for the procedure. If I fly to Thailand I have the most advanced technique (which I can not have in Australia – they use an old outdated technique), and cost me $12-13K including air fares. A crazy world isn’t it????

So wish me luck.

Hugs
Belinda

Based on the medical evidence and his previous convictions for violence in pubs/clubs the judge had enough and he sentenced my friend’s ex (see previous blog) to 22 months jail with a non-parole period of 18 months! There is justice in the world.

So tonight a bottle or two or three or…. of wine will be consumed.

Aside from that I have been spending a lot of time make a cat run for our seven cats will post pics soon.

Hugs
Belinda

Firstly thank-you to everyone who sent me messages.

Well after a very busy day yesterday moving my friends stuff out of her house into mine (she has seen the light after he tried to hit her again). He is currently in the local lockup being processed and we took all that is hers out of the house and she is getting a friend whose husband to drive her to <hidden> where she will be safe and can start to rebuild her life.

Anyhow this afternoon we were enjoying a cuppa and she asked me about my wood working, if I had made anything lately – I decided not to tell her about my latest exploit. She saw a few of my pens and said whistfully that she wished she had the skill to turn. Not one to turn down an opportunity to bring more non-woodworking heathens into the fold and taking into account her broken ankle I brought my pen lathe inside to the dining table. A couple of failed attempts and she made a pen for herself. Not strictly woodworking as it was an acrylic blank, but I find they tend to be more forgiving and her lack of mobility would limit her movements.

An eventful week but in the end for the better.

I recently discovered that a close friend’s husband had been beating his wife for years. Never on the face always where it could be covered up. Well three days ago it went too far and she was taken to hospital with a broken ankle. She had put my name down as next of kin and had taken a taxi there herself. The hospital called me as she needed someone.

Well I shot up there and soon discovered that he had hit her in the back and she had fallen and broken her ankle. Later on after spending the better part of a night there it slowly all came to the surface that he had been doing it for about three and a half years. I asked her what she wanted to do and she said she didn’t know. Then I broached the possibility of pressing charges and she went into total denial saying “it is okay he wont do it again and he loves me”. Despite my urging I eventually dropped her back home where ‘mr innocent’ came to the door worried – if he was so &^#@% worried about her why did he not go to the hospital?

Anyhow I managed to get home about 7am really tired but also so damned angry I knew I could not sleep/rest. So I thought I would go into the workshop and do some turning. It always relaxes me and, usually, something good is made in the end.

There I was turning away when wham into the abdomen the work peace hit me. Doubled over in pain I sat down. It seams in my anger my mind was not concentrating on the simple things like locking the tail stock to the lathe bed properly.

So now I am sporting a decent bruse (3”x2”) and trying to decide if I am more angry at myself or my friend.

Morel of the story – “Don’t woodwork in anger!”

Yesterday I drove to the local hardware mega mart store called Bunnings. I purchased some small MDF (about 2’ x 4’) to make an alternative present for my Mum. I was still feeling a bit seedy so decided to forgo making Kitchen Cupboard doors for Mum’s birthday.

Mum is on the pension and to supplement her income she goes to garage (yard) sales and buys up Lego bricks and makes up toys to sell on eBay. The consequence of this is there are boxes and boxes of different Lego bricks all over the house.

So whilst I was laying in bed fretting about what to make mum it struck me that a mobile chest of drawers with lots of compartments to store them in. It did not have to be flash as it was not a ‘show’ piece so I could make it out of MDF.

Anyhow I have made the carcus and the shelves and glued and screwed it all together. Tomorrow is drawer making day which again should be easy.

It is 4’ tall x 2’ wide x 2’ deep. Has (or will have) five smaller drawers but very long with compartmental dividers and 4 large drawers that are quite deep, two shelves for storing instructions.

I am not going to have time to paint it so that can be documented as a ‘feature’ (my IT background showing through).

I wish I could find my camera box so I could charge my camera and take pictures. Also need to show off my new workshop.

Things I learn’t:

1 – Never trust the hardware store (even pre-cut MDF) to have uniform sizes – I knew this but forgot – blame it on my illness.
2 – I really need to finish building my main workbench.
3 – Kids can be a great help – BUT tend to ask questions when you are working out in your mind measurements.
4 – When you have a charger for a device – make sure it is labeled and in a safe place.
5 – Shopsmith’s have a wicked kickback.

I was about to start making a set of cupboard doors for my Mum’s Birthday on the 20th.

I was not feeling 100% but certainly well enough for some workshop therapy.

I unpacked my new router and attached it to the router table. Next I inserted my new Door making set router bit. Did a test run and aside from some fine tuning it was running sweet.

I sorted out the wood I was going to use, configured the thicknesser and WHAM it hit me. ‘IT’ being a virus of some sort. Balance went AWOL and my distance focus is shot to pieces so I am now laid up in bed with a temp and a desire to curl up and die (not literally!).

Not to sure how I am going to make 15 small doors and two pantry doors.

As promised a report for you all.

Did I get any new tools you ask? Well no alas I already managed to get the cream of the crop. There were a few really rusted tools that were beyond even my ‘must save all tools’ mind set. One screw driver disintegrated upon lifting.

Alas the shed had a major leak over the tool storage area of the shed. I did manage to pick up some timber though so I am more than happy with my days work – nothing spectacular but a few nice pieces of – I don’t know what – that will make a nice box or two.

I thought I was a hoarder – this man was THE new definition of hoarder – the two trailer loads was FULL of pure junk and rubbish.

On another note I am spending the weekend in my shop making and finishing off Christmas presents.

If I don’t mention it before – Merry Christmas to everyone.

I had backed up the trailer to the hopper (who said a woman cant reverse a trailer????) and a young (mid 20s) man was unloading his rubbish into the hopper from his boot (trunk) of his car. I was chatting to him whilst I spaded the junk into the hopper. He was clearing out his granddads shed who had just gone into a nursing home.

He was about to throw a box of stuff in there when I noticed it had a few rusty screw drivers sticking out the top and an old file. Always on the look out for old files to make customised scrapers for my wood turning. I asked if I could have them. He said sure and gave me the box.

In the box was a lot of goodies including: a Stanley No5 plane, two wooden block planes, a bowl gouge, a level and a lot of files (14 in fact). Score one for the sisterhood!

The two wooden planes unfortunately are so full of old wood worm holes they are good for decoration only – though I might make new blocks and install the metal components at a future date. The Stanley plane was rusty but a good soak with potatoes and water for a week removed 95% of that and wire wool removed the rest.

The files restored nicely in the potato water as well and the bowl gouge looks like something Hercules used (1.5” across) and will need a new handle due to the afore mentioned wood worm.

Tomorrow I am going around to this young mans granddad’s with my trailer to be a good Samaritan and help finish clearing out his shed and hopefully ‘liberate’ some rust incarcerated tools.