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166K views 370 replies 69 participants last post by  WellExecuted 
#1 ·
A sunday afternoons pick for the shop!

Hey friends, hope all is well out there. For anyone that enjoys my type of woodwork and shop I thought that I would have a separate blog series for when I am not actually working on projects but finding cool picks, auction purchases or just adding to the environment inside my new shop space.

So…..The old time woodshop journals begins so I at least can sort of look back and see the progress to my tool collections and woodshop madness…...bwaaaaah ha ha haaaaaawww…lol.

I gladly invite any entertained readers to enjoy my thoughts, pictures and stories and if you have fun stopping by to read it please share some thoughts as well!

On this rather sunny sunday I was lucky enough to find these sitting outside the curb of my old neighborhood a mere block down from where I used to live! I got outside and milled through what was there….and saw this shelf unit….and it looked darn nice for my old shop…and I needed one! Took a few looks over the piece…picked it up, put it in my truck with the smaller unit and hauled it back to my shop….nice find!

I wondered how old was the piece?...the house it sat out in front of is up for sale. I hoped that it was not due to someone who had passed away…but if it was I at least will put this to great use and have reverence for being lucky to use it. It looks home built like a fun weekend project kind of thing…..nice curves on the bottom pieces…...instanly knew old handtools surrounded by cans of this and that would make the true look of spirited tinkering on a lazy afternoon.

It's current resting spot is temporary for now, but supplies easy access for reaching over to while working at my bench.

My Dad asked…...."I wonder if this was in there garage or basement when we lived down the street 20 plus years ago?"…....Crazy how certain interests arrive at unplanned points in ones life. Something you might have laughed at or cared less about 20-30 years ago…can suprise us with great excitment and total satisfaction at a later date in time.

I suppose that is one of lifes real hidden treasures….in that some wonderful things can balance the tradgedies. Maybe the secret is for us to simply stick around long enough to enjoy the good suprises that follow our paths and wait for us to turn around and meet them.

Heres some pics to see what I was lucky to find!:













So in my shop its put back to use for a good purpose once more.

Hope all of you have a great week and best of luck with your projects!

Take care and enjoy the simple moments.

Joe
 
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#193 ·
Dominy inspirations and tales of a turnscrew

Recently I was lucky enough to purchase The Woodrights Shop Season 4 (1984) on DVD and was absolutely treated to a hand tool lovers dream watching the episode featuring the Dominy Workshop. The knowledge of this episode is truly a must see for any hand tool or machine enthusiast wether veteran or beginning in the craft. The show stars Charles Hummel who helped to restore and recreate the original Dominy workshop which now is on display at the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, 5105 Kennett Pike Wilmington, DE 19735. You may check this link and scroll downward until you see the heading Dominy Shops. Trust me, if old handtools is your thing you might begin to drool fast looking at this teaser pic…lol. http://www.winterthur.org/?p=467

For an added education and background on this supremely talented family you might also find the following videos and pdf by Mr. Hummel of great interest.





http://www.easthamptonlibrary.org/pdfs/history/lectures/19981107.pdf



The pdf lecture text on the Dominy's work ethic, speed and quality is something to truly humble and inspire us to aspire more from our own ventures in working with wood. Many people crank out wonderful looking tables, chairs, etc in a few day's using machines and their work looks fantastic. Imagine producing a rocking chair in 9 hours of a 12 hour workday varnish included using a treadle lathe, hand tools, and years of experience…wow. Their work was not gaudy in it's given design but extremely superb quality and well done to say the least.

Somehow it feels almost too out of place that something we as hand tool hobbiest's today have such a love for and jubilation in and yet these were such different times with a much different story to tell. It's easy for us to get lost in fun satisfaction working our projects by hand and have some small glory in it's old school ethics. Actually I would gather it would be quite an inverse emotional operation if we stepped into the scenario of a 10-12 hour workday in the Dominy shop. No one there was high fiveing using the great wheel lathe or taking great quantities of time on a summer sunday to enjoy shavings and planes. With that said I am sure there was a tremendous pride of serving the community with highly crafted work. I would say this history is a nice reminder for us all to remain respectful and grateful to the comforts of a modern day lifestyle. We give these fantastic, historic crafts people there proper stage while keeping this history alive with our old tools and growing skills of forgotten trades.

Perhaps our modern day tool auction celebrations may not be so bad. We obviously want to grasp onto something we see as precious, something I have said before I feel reestablishes a connection of memories in our psyche that brings us some momentary calming.

Just this morning I picked up this great old turn screw at the auction from my buddy Ralph. Cost 5 bucks!....I was thrilled to add it to the tote! I just love the lines on this..for my dollar they really got this design right. This looks like a tool with solid quality as well as artistic expression. The lines pushing for something more to value than only tasking but remembering to keep the visuals pleasing while creating balance combined with strength in it's wholeness. Tools then had a charm unmatched in todays modern throws of cookie cutter manufacturing. Most of todays better made tools lack one or the other with the latter usually being the one they lack most. Somehow I feel with a tote of tools like I have been collecting if you did not know how to do anything with them at all…dam, you sure would want to try them and at least see….lol. They look interesting like an untold story you cannot wait to find how the ending unravels. These tools have mysteries, lessons and crafstmenship.






Old wooden bric-a-brac that enters a euphoric melody of a long awaited song of saws and sawdust. You once more may rekindle and convert your aged years to the youth we never lose in the curves of an old Disston or strength of a wood handled hammer. These days are fast, tough, money is king, and that old Oak cares less about any of it because mother nature is a wonderful bitch that offers us glorious gifts and brings us horrible hells when angered. We are strong, but that oak will always win and when it's gone it will grow back again. You cannot fight and push back the wind, time smiles and miles pile lines on our face while the clocks tick and click your memories far off into space. Forever is not for us, not even the mighty oak, so may you choose the tools wisely and enjoy the tools you tote.

Thanks for stopping by and great shaves ahead!

Joe
 
#203 ·
Practices in Spoonology: Part two

I have entered an important stage creating these smaller more swedish styled spoons. That stage is simply practice and seeing if I can produce a sufficient rhythmic pattern by exercising more than one roughed result. It's best to let a green wood piece dry for anywhere up to a few days to 2 weeks before doing any serious finishing work so I thought this to be a good time to keep the ideas flowing and hone on beginners skills.

It's surely an exercise of challenge and chance when axing down to the spoon handle lines using your developing style of eagle eye vision, respect for the blade and growing confidence to sculpt what can soon become a useful kitchen utensil. I see a much broader spectrum of woodwork when moving through these practice spots and it is a wonderful bonus to encounter the textures and aroma of green wood fresh for new design.

We went for a short hike on this labor day and me and my Dad discovered we do in fact have a pretty nice
selection of Hickory! Not a huge tree by any means about 20-25 ft high 5-6 inch diameter at the bottom and we fell it away for some nice handles and parts to be created at some later learning experience. Not my first choice for carving and I figured the toughness of this stuff might make for some decent blisters…but I got to work and had a go at hewing and carving this chunk of Hickory into a new rough to make a trio of spoonage adding the previous 2 made of Cherry.

First time working with Hickory and it's resiliency is amazing! On this particular session it was very apparent that the moves are becoming much easier, my plan more organized with less unnecessary wood removal.
Cutting out hand drawn patterns makes for easy carving sessions far more pleasing than taxing your tools and hands on sizes that will only prove insufficient in it's final output. With that said I can still see that my own unique shapes and ideas still need a little less thickness in some areas. This will only improve with additional work but I am greatly satisfied thus far with the progress I have made.











The basic elementary set up is now sound knowledge for me to always keep as the correct formula for running a smooth spoon making operation.

My current list of things to remember:

Sharp tools and keep them that way!

Green wood especially fruit/food woods (Cherry, Apple, Pear, Maple, Walnut, Hickory…etc.)

Avoid knots as much as possible

Remove the branches pith to help avoid cracking

Put your fresh cut work overnight in a tightly sealed plastic trash bag to also avoid splitting depending on your climate.

Respect the tools especially any hatchet work

Positive safe hand grips when carving

Rest your hands/body every 25-45 mins.

Continue to observe your work as you remove wood.

Never work angry or upset.

Only use handtools….lmao….just kidding!

I hope some of you out there that have not gotten a chance to try some of this wonderful handwork have the
opportunity to do so soon. This makes for a terrific set of moves and gained knowledge of using knives or hatchets as well.

More to come as soon as I have a little more dryer work to make some final touchups with!

Thanks for looking in and have fun!

Joe
 
#209 ·
The last blogs forgotten pics....lol.

Hey everyone, well I guess I was just plain not paying attention when posting my last blog explaining my rustic sassafras hiking stick and cherry spoon work. I totally forgot to add some pics in of these…lol.

These would greatly add to the experience of my past Saturdays wood working session.

So here they are!

Pic 1: Some new fresh cherry ready for some spoon making!



Pic 2: Roughed out blank ready for greater detail. Finished project can be found here: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/71698

Pic 3-6: This is my cool and unique sassafras hiking stick that I made for Jenn when we go on our hikes.








Now thats more like it, some visuals to help out the words…lol.

Hoping to be back at my Exercises in Artisanship series soon with a new plan I am in the works of giving a trial of!

Sorry for the short blog but I did want to add the pics just in case anyone who was on the previous blog wondered…..uhhh…wheres the pictures?.....lol.

All the best friends,
Thanks for looking in!

Joe
 
#216 ·
Spoon for a tote!

After the piles of shavings, sawdust and sweat has been had the broom sweeps in a satisfied rhythm. While my inner happy finality of the spoon makers tote still brings me good feelings of inspiration to hew and chop once more, I ponder over at some fresh cherry and the task takes a hold of my crazed passion.

The urge is in my spirit for the creative kind of dance only a happy fool with his old hand tools knows how to do. Oh well could be worse….I could be an old fool with new cheap tools….lmao!

The greatest part of autumn is when she shows off her colors and humble temperatures. We here in good old New Jeyyyssssey…lol, have been lucky to enjoy some really fine days, cooler temps, sunshine, and city folks heading back to the metropolis. It's the last season of Jersey Shore….I think hope is still alive for us all…lmao!

I like the quiet and embrace a stormy day, I enjoy when the animals play and the loudmouths go away…lol.
Sometimes I swear if you are still enough the trees sing in the fall breeze and I get a calm from there strength, longevity and stature.

Perhaps the great Roger Miller said it best "Funny I don't fit, where have all the average people gone"….Amen brother.

Such a small time we all have so I always try and take the time and see it all, as all that I can see and be.

So the hatchet made some marks and the small cherry limb unfolded some secrets and lesson plans for the next spoon to take shape!

This might be just a rewind for some, but your still invited to take a look and enjoy!

Pic 1: Really happy with this tote, I had the feeling to celebrate by making a new spoon!


Pic 2: This is what you need friends, a good piece of Cherry….ahhhh nothing better to work with. I will go and split it down and see what we get!


Pic 3: An 8 dollar Stanley hammer with a hatchet and we have a good split for a curved spoon….nice!



Pic 4: Now we are getting some shaping, this one will have more of an arc to it.



Pic 5-7: I will try a different method today. I will saw cut in the sides and work my hatchet down to the cuts!






Pic 8: Here's a sneek peek of the project!


Ok gang that about does her, thanks for all of your comments and appreciation of my works.

Head on over to the projects page and look at my two latest projects!

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/72222

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/72218

Thanks for stopping by the Old time woodshop, work in great spirit and have a lot of fun with it all!

All the best grain ahead friends!

Joe
 
#222 ·
A message from me to you!

Hello friends, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you very much for your encouragement and interest in my project and blog work. For me this is a real joy to share some simple pleasures of wood craft and the great outdoors as well.

I am so happy that many of you get something positive from the blogs. I feel it is of great importance to keep the spirit of woodworking alive and well. If these blogs motivate, excite, or just get you wanting to start a project of your own then for me this is all well worth the while.

So thank you! I appreciate learning with you and hearing your thoughts.

I will be off to upstate NY tomorrow to the great colors of the mountains with tote in hand and wish you all a wonderful weekend!

More soon, best shavings ahead everyone!

Joe

 
#225 ·
Trip to simplicity

Friday morning found our travels set upon faster paces than normal with New Jersey traffic in high demand and far from giving any neighboring driver a brake. For me and Jenn this is not really our favorite part of living in NJ but we make the best of where we are at and adapt to the madness as best as possible.

Soon we were moving past the welcome to NY sign and the scenery was growing in color and in country as we progressed farther north to upstate. When possible it's good to get away and every mountain side filled with maples, pines, and oaks was a fine welcome as they displayed the colors of fall. For a guy like me who does this crazy hand tool woodworking thing all that I could think of is…there are some nice pieces of furniture in them there woods!...lol.


The travel gave forth to a quiet slower pace, although we had dark skies above us it absolutely embraced the colorful mountains and made for a warm mood made just for people who love nature. Things were different here, it was small towns of simple ways outlined with incredible backdrops of oil painting styled country landscapes.

The feeling was like taking a deep positive in breath and then releasing all the stresses of the day with a big exhale and smile.


Every time I see such things and experience nature with it's towns people that live within it I am reminded of the great forgetfulness so many of us have on a daily basis. Many of us have lost the imagination and appreciation of inter being with the land of our planet. We all live on it, but some proceed rather ignorantly, walking too tall for their own shoes expecting applause for getting out of bed and making toast in their designer pajamas.

If you ever saw a dead person on the side of the road daily…like I see a Deer, Squirrel, Possum, or Raccoon would we not all be in total shock? What the hell happened to so many folks? The animals get run over left laying crushed in the roads and even many of the police act as if it's too much of a nuisance to take care of the clean up showing no regard at all to the animal….wow.

In this neck of the woods that we traveled to they hunt, fish, craft, and work very hard. The key I believe to all of the above is that these activities are done with great reverence for everything. The people here wave when they do or do not know you. Walking along and seeing some of these folks reminded me of the roots within us all that may provide better outcomes in our daily lives.


Of course this can also be tough terrain with great amounts of heavy snowfall. So in regards to all of those large stashes of apple wood where this woodworker see's some nice spoons….many of these folks feel the warmth these pieces will provide becoming fuel during a 20 degree 2 foot snowstorm while it burns in their fireplace.

All in all this last few days was a great motivator to inspire more of this country style sloyd craft such as creating spoons and eventually some bowls, hiking sticks, etc.


I feel lucky to have met Jenn's family and be invited into their homes and take part in good times. It was refreshing to be around an atmosphere of things being simple and being more than enjoyable.

Of course it was a great reward to come home to such nice comments from my friends here on LJ's as well. Embracing the modern day of technology is not all bad because it is amazing to have made such nice connections with so many talented woodworkers all over the world. I always appreciate you guys taking the time to add a comment or joke….it's a nice thing that we can share our ideas and joy for woodwork. I thank all of you for that and helping me learn and grow in these crafts.

Too sum this blog epsiode up I might say that a few days involved with such an environment makes a kind humility and a sharper awareness of the beauty of our planets land. Perhaps the various human complexities of the worlds entropy is viewed as amazing theater to all these green pastures and large old trees. Either way visit our teachers in the forest and watch them heal your worries away.

Thoughts of days that were better, seem like a forgotten skill,
as I lay looking upward to the structure and shelters of the ever massive maples sill

These limbs and there lessons can confuse or embrace the rattled confidence of many,
they may scar our pride, challenge our hands or shape our greatest victory

Whether it gives the woodwork its rightful surprises or an artist the specific colors for success,
the tree and its leaning towers of nature always teach us best

The bark protecting those inner golden grains that my hatchet will soon hew,
unlocking puzzles my saw unravels it's mysteries and it's clues

The loner sits in dismay although forgetting the family of earth,
the meadows green and proud whispers a breeze upon his hurt,
Never no more have the lingering tear within your soul that burns,
look onward to the mountainside and feel my welcome world

Let my leaves give you hope, my fallen limbs may help you walk,
sleep at my strengthened roots while forgetting your worried thoughts

The loner is now no longer alone, the trees his friends the forest his home….


Thanks so much for stopping by!
More woodwork/handtool stuff soon!..lol.

Joe
 
#226 ·
What an inspiring post Joe. You really should write a book you know. You could call it "Inspiration for Woodworkers - When you Need a Kick up the Arse." :eek:)

On another note, is it just me or is this tree looking back at you? I can see two eyes, a nose and a moustache. SPOOKY!!!

Plant Sky Natural landscape Tree Cloud
 

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#232 ·
The man on the mountain

Although I was glad to share my overall opinions and enjoyment of my journey north I thought it to be sort of empty of me if I forgot the man on the mountain.

In past blog work you may have recalled a short mention of a man named Topper. Topper is Jenns dad and always supplying Jenn after a Thanksgiving or Christmas visit with some great cuts of hunted Venison to bring back for us to enjoy.

I had never had the opportunity to actually go and meet him so this was a sure adventure to see just exactly where and how he lived. Topper can be as simple as meat and potatoes, smart as any high honors college grad and at times not going without some interesting complexities that make him a truly one of a kind person's person or man's man.

He is not someone who enjoys weekend warrior behavior enjoying nature, he is nature full time. It's in his bloodstream and instincts and I would say makes him who he is. He can easily spot a tree from a short distance and tell you the species, it's uses, describe the leaves, and make you feel like a student searching for a notebook.
You can read his eyes at times and see the intensity of a hunter as he becomes his thoughts with a great excitement for making another climb into his tree stand.

His face displays 65 years of good and bad days. His random baseball caps cover a healthy amount of shoulder length gray hair that balances out his matching mustache and beard. His smile is a lot like a jolly Santa Clause from an old coke a cola bottle and his opinions are too the point not without a nice helping of wit to ease any sharpness.

We drove up slowly on a mountain rode and the scene was just how I imagined it. The house that once was his parents was a humble home that fit perfectly for the story of the man. You are sure to make a phone call first before your arrival as we did or else Toppers large German Shepherd (Odi) is more than happy to scare off Satan himself with her trained guard dog approach in the driveway.

Once we were inside we had some time to sit at the kitchen table, have some breakfast and just enjoy the time hearing the many stories he has to share.

Every so often during a funny exchange his face would shriek in discomfort as Topper deals with some fairly intense shoulder arthritis making it very uneasy to get his arms up above his head. He is unable to do much work with his bow now he told me but can still manage a pistol or riffle for the task of a hunt.

His face would glow with pride over his large amount of timber he has stocked and ready to load into his fireplace awaiting a long cold winter. My inner thoughts were…..man, look at all this wood for spoon use….don't burn it!

I guess that exposes me to the fact that my home is oil heated only and without a fireplace….lol.

He also was proud in showing off his display of deer antlers tagged with the specific date he had hunted them.

The time spent with Topper was a good hearted break from the daily consumer over competitive culture we practically get shoved down our pie holes, from cable television to the newest cell phone application. Some well spent time with a real mountain person corrects your thoughts where there is some adjustments to be made…lol.

Once getting back to the basics of returning home here in NJ Topper told Jenn in a phone conversation, "I like Joe, he's a cool guy". Well Topper I surely feel the same way my friend. You see in that part of the country as nice as the trees, animals, and fresh crisp air can be…I take comfort in having a friend in Topper….or you might just say the man on the mountain.


Now I guess some wood work might be in good order to follow my story. Washing the dishes after Jenn's mom Mary cooked us a great dinner I took notice of a black plastic ladle…..(plastic?.....ughhh) So I thought it would be a great idea once returning home to fashion a new wooden ware version for her that I can send her way during the upcoming holidays.

I had a decent sized plank of seasoned maple. Now spoon friends what was wrong with my prior sentence in regards to hand tool spoon making? If you said the word (seasoned) you are correct!...lol.

Seasoned maple was all that I had at the specific size I wanted, so a rough session of hewing, spokeshaving, and carving was on the menu. In review please remember for using hand tools to make spoons that fresh green wood is the best way to go. Green wood is wet and your greatest friend in this application, it will cut easier with far less fight in the grain.

Here are some pics of the hand tool climb of mount maple…lol.

Pic 1-3: A decent chunk of seasoned Maple was going to be fitting in size and more of a challenge on my tools to go to work it into shape.





Pic 4: This was giving a ton of dry maple hewing shaves as my hatchet dug it's way through it. All the while let your mind see the shape, take your time without rush or haste and the hatchet will create your path.


Pic 5: Time to get on the ole shaving horsie and ride this spoon down with drawknfe and spokeshave! If you do not have a shaving horse…make it your next project! They are a real blast and nothing too fancy is needed but prepare for a decent workout and a floor full of shavings.




Pic 6: Of course my knives were going to have to take a back seat and allow me to tune up my hatchet skills. This maple was…..tough….lol, so choking up on my hatchet I made more short tapping moves with it's blade in small areas to aid me in getting those spots carved down. This requires patience and growing skill, there is no room for sloppy smashmouth work, if so you will have some tears or even blood in your shavings…lol. The message here is please take your time and use caution!


Pic 7-8: It may not be so easy to view here in this picture, but in the side of my cherry log top I have a notch cut inward. Not as graceful as it could be…lol but it's there to push the spoon into if I need to brace the work for hatcheting around hard to reach areas. It's also a key to note my log is stopped by fixed clamps on my bench since it is only a top and not a taller log to work on from the ground up.




Pic 9-10: Here is another way I prefer to start such a deep bowl. I like to use my pfiel gouge to start the work and many times I will go in with a hook knife for cleaner cuts after. This move looks a bit scary to the new observer but as long as you have a good stop with your cutting hand and work through with slow detail and care all should be fine. My experience is that moves like shown here in pics 9 and 10 for the beginner are best to be rehearsed first. Like performing exercises in a gym for the first time a cold and safe rehearsal is great for feeling and seeing how the process can come together for your own personal style rewarding you with positive results on future projects.



Pic 11: Of course being that this bowl is really deep down I can clamp the spoon and gouge out the waste that way as well. This got things moving more effectively.

Pic 12-13: Some knife and cope saw touch ups carry on the work. My finely tuned machine is without any fancy jigs, requires only thoughtful hands, muscle, a good imagination, and runs on water, vennison and a few cold beers after the operation….lmao!




Pic 14: Some great amount of spokeshave work to the backside of this bowl and this maple ladle makes for a nice smoothe surface.


Well gang I have a new piece to add to the growing collection so please jog on over and check it out!

THE NEW PROJECT:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/72505
Thanks so much for enjoying these installments.

Remember to take a few minutes after a build and reward yourself with enjoying your work. Every new step is one that brings us closer to our true improvments!

Take care and thanks for stopping in the Old time woodshop!

Joe
 
#236 ·
Learning more with different woods

There is so much enjoyment in the learning of different species of wood. Recently I was lucky enough to get some good advice from Peter Follansbee regarding spoon making and trying different woods. He said "Try anything (almost) - you get practice, you learn about timbers, and you get some good spoons, and some that might not hold up as well. Nothing to lose."

This is in fact a great opportunity to discover many new timbers and makes for an added education for the road of appreciating our environment and what we can make from it.

The new tote is a sure helpful companion for getting out to the woods and finding new trees to explore!



I was so excited a few months back finding what I thought to be a 4-6 diameter fallen Black Locust tree in our woods. I sawed four nice 2-3 foot pieces and hauled it up to the shop ready and willing to split, hew and have a go and learn about it's properties. I was totally amazed at the woods ease as I hewed the pieces faster than I could comprehend…and the knife work was….well it was like Basswood!

After a few weeks of ignorance I still was not totally satisfied that it was Black Locust so I showed Topper on our trip to upstate NY. I asked him "Is this locust, because it carves almost too easy?". I was aware from the stories of it being a great wood for fence posts and also read how tough it is to work with a knife. Topper cleared up my dilemma quickly as he held a hewed piece in his hand "This is Butternut" he exclaimed with great confidence.

Ahhh…Butternut is a wonderful wood to carve! I assumed while in the woods from having so much Locust in our yard that this fallen piece with a bark looking very similar was also Locust. The fallen piece was without leaves to identify unlike the Locust trees in our yard. So funny how sometimes our minds make the wrong turn on decision alley and this time it was just that….wrong!..lol. Butternut all the while was the fallen wood I brought back to the shop, not Black Locust.

The amount of spoons is beginning to add up…lol.





So now being back home and realizing my nice little haul of four 2 foot pieces is Butternut I am very grateful for it. It does in fact carve wonderful!

Now I was on a mission, I must get some real Black Locust and learn how it carves! I had read repeated stories and accounts exclaiming such submissions as….(cut's like iron, too stringy, good for fences only…etc., etc.)
Finally I found a good enough 2-3 inch diameter branch of real Black Locust (Leaves, thorns, the Real McCoy..lol) and I was on the path to finding out more about it.

At first in green, wet shape it does not carve too bad. Actually it feels more and more like Hickory as your knife works along to shape things. The wood seems to dry quickly and in no time the freshness begins to communicate to your tools…tough, stringy stuff…lol.

I had carved some spoons with Hickory and this was beginning to slowly transcend into that difficulty zone. It's a nice looking wood but in closing on the tales of Black Locust….make those fences gang instead of some carvings…lmao!

Now my newest allocation of species was some seasoned Smooth Sumac! This variety of Sumac after some study is not Poison! Smooth Sumac is a safe wood to carve with, and I am happy to add I felt it worked out almost as enjoyable as Butternut. The wood hews and carves easily and has a nice light grain.

I had some weekend pastime to take the knives to these three woods. I find a great way to learn their traits, aromas, and grain is to make some more spoons for the ever growing collection and strengthen carving skills.

I hope you may check out the 3 finished exercises in the Projects section!

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/72746

Well friends I would say that about does her for this blog.

Coming soon it will be back to the bench for some joinery with new ideas brewing in the old think tank. A woodworker can not just live on spoons alone!...lol. So some new exercises of artisanship blog work is to be done as the autumn leaves have there say and the sun starts to go home early.

Thank you all for enjoying these blogs and stay tuned for more learning and woodwork!

Be well,

Joe

Make your life a sculpture and see the lines as your road
every effort contemplated, every movement shown

Chisels cut the pine, the shavings whittled fancy
across the mind lies in disguise the work that keeps you happy

Hollow rounds the sounds of time that mouldings fit like friends
The shallow gears that click our years till means extend our ends

Cautious tinker tools in dovetails, sorted mess of rustic wonder
Wooden planes for grown up games like children run in summer

Go on without the sinking sun and avail the dark your blanket
Rise the morning, see blue skies, look towards the tree and thank it

Walk your road with memories, see your past with forward thoughts
Make your days the best of ways with stories, laughs and love.


 
#240 ·
All the things of wood and wonder

The greatest expression of any art is the freedom of too many rules, regulations, or minds closed to new ideas.

I continue on this journey of woodenware or treenware with extended spirited expectations. My additional study on the matter finds me in a revival of enthusiasm and fascination in the complexity of what reveals simple pleasures with trusted methods and tools.


There is something so honest of this work in a modern world that can be so packed with bull pippy and boring commercialism of things that sell fast and bore even quicker. A hatchet and creative ideas fire up the old grey matter while the positive energy puts the human machine into motion and the job is on to produce worthy utensils for a trees felling.

I was extremely excited to have some sassafras to hone some new craft work with. This is a wood that in just a few pares of a jack knife can unlock a perfume like aroma of great inspirations.

A mighty piece of this fallen sassafras and the mission begins with this cut crook for a ladle!





The shop was riddled with tree components and old tools. In some efforts I go undecided if the handles of an old patina shining disston are just as favorable as a bark of birch on an autumn trail, although I admit they both lead to working wood again and that's always good.

My simple treasure was found late last week as my pick up truck jammed by a nice group of thick maple cuts tossed to the side of the road by an old golf course. My Dad said "You could get a nice chopping block from one of those!" so we were back at the scene with some heavy hands! I took 3 pieces but this big titanic bulldozer was the sure winner of the rescued group for hatchet work. I later set up a small center so I may sit with my work and save my back for some future spoon sessioning!

This big chunk is a real solid addition making the hewing work more accurate and direct. Sitting during these occasions also feels overall like a sound improvement for producing the work.


Makes for a cozy setup especially on a rainy weekend morning!







My Dad has even enjoyed passing some good time with working on some hiking sticks!



I will say I have been very happy to hear the many comments of so many lumberjock friends out there. It's always wonderful to share our different ideas and I feel like I am doing a good service to any of you that have an interest for getting in touch with the outdoors, different trees, and doing a little green wood work!

Remember to look out your window, your very next spoon or idea may just be right outside in a tree you have shared many good times under or around. You might be lucky for a huge tree with 2-4 inch diameter branches that need trimming…and you my friends have some good spoon wood!

Or you might be hiking in the woods….keep an eagle eye, it's a great game to play on a hike…a trained eye sees a spoon, hiking stick, etc. Wheelwrights would do this when having to get out in the country to find wagon parts. They were trained to see the wagon parts within the tree.

Of course walking with a large ax, hatchet or saw might be a wee bit strange while strolling at a public park…..but hell you can do it..and be sure to take pics of the onlookers as you saw that limb of cherry tree in your public park and then post them!......lol.
Just say…."Hey….Joe told me to do this to make some spoons!" …......LOL.

Two that were once one. A split 5 inch branch of black cherry.

Took the challenge and made good for it! Wheres Roger the Ice Cream woodworker?....lol.


CHECK OUT THE FINISHED PHOTOSHOOT OVER IN THE PROJECTS MADE OF WOOD SECTION…LOL.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/73149
The Galoot Library is in progress, so the next blog visit I hope to share some more of that work with you.

Thanks friends for sharing some time with me, and most of all keep creating what you love.

Joe
 
#245 ·
Return from the storm

My words from my last project began with…..

"Well friends I am here inland in NJ, they say the storm known as Hurricane Sandy is fast approaching us."

My friends I am here to write that it approached, and sadly this time she wasn't a very kind lady at all to the tri-state area. For me and my family I am amazed, blessed and happy to report all is well and we have electric back as of yesterday morning. For millions the Jersey Shore has simply been blitzed, almost reminds me of being a kid in the dirt pile outside with little matchbox cars and army men swooping some sand over the little make believe town. When we were children we never think make believe disasters provide real fears or harm, they just pass some hours of pretend.

But this time there was no pretending and no toys, just homes gone, memories lost in the seas of mother nature. We were in the dark for 2 1/2 days without smart phones just plain cells conserving energy and food. No gas stove so we rigged a country styled cook-in over the fireplace and tried to keep happy and grateful to be far inland away from the monstrous floods so many dealt with.

Some good old fashioned battery radio with updates and our police scanner non stop with police, emt's, and countless workers moving non stop to try and make some small solace of a maddening swirling wind.

I have lived in NJ my whole young life and I realize we are fairly a greenhorn state when discussing rough weather. We are not very battle tested when mother nature sends some tilting of the storm scales our way. We get a few heavy snow storms per year heavy thundershowers things like that, but this time I can say we got caught by something that in my opinion is now a game changer regarding preparation and future real estate placement.

The earth is changing all of the time, no more than simple logic is tapping us on the shoulder as the wicked waves of clouds and possible destruction churn every few months on the weather map.

As the night got fairly cold I began to learn the humble lessons weather can throw your way. I began to also admit how bad this storm was this time around, no over hype it was really going to have it's high winded ways.
With all of that considered the actuality of it compared to so many other horrible weather events in our country or across the globe I would say that Sandy was not the worst in the category of overall catastrophe. The following days displayed that we are just not an environment of people that have adapted to tougher climates and situations here in NJ. With that thought I will conceed a ton of destruction and damage was done. We just need to learn a little more patience and put down our gadgets.

I would love to paint a brother and sister love thy neighbor scenario, but this would be a false impression to spin to my readers from my keyboard to your monitors.

I saw a few more impatient and impolite people personally than I care to admit. Lines of people standing and many arguing over gas. Most of the standing crowd early on could not even think of being without power for a day so they needed to fill there generators up.

As I currently write this, sadly there are still an incredible amount of cold folks with no power who I am sure are at wits end. I really hope and pray they get power as soon as possible, especially for the elderly.

Flipping the coin and wanting to inject some optimism there are some great folks helping and doing amazing work as well. For my personal accounts I did not get the feeling it was as many as I would like, although I suppose my wishes are far more corny almost huck finn than most people act in these busy times.

Finally on this part of the story I add my deepest condolences to the many people that lost any family or homes.

Now attempting to regain some additional positive ground I think it's high time to introduce some good old fashioned out in the sticks wood stuff!....How about it LJ's?? Tough times in the neighborhood but we still gotta keep it sawing!

I was extremely blessed that my home, family, and friends are all ok and no trees for the most part damaged any homes or vehicles. But we did have some big ole mamas and papas fall in my back woods!

2 days after the storm I was out to the grounds. The sunshine made a cameo exposing some real treasures…..Cherry….Cherry….and did I say…Cherry??.....lol. If you have been hip to my spoon making blog work than you know I love, love, love, Black Cherry wood…just some great stuff for making those wooden spoons!

For a guy like me this was some pirate wood treasure abounds lads and lasses! Arrrrgh…look at all this branch work fallen and just waiting for some sawdust!

I was an adrenalized downright goof almost slobbering at the thoughts of firing the old keystone 2 man saw up and having a workout hauling some sweet cherry back to the shop.

I am dam sure that many would rightly cuss any sign of a tree at this horrible time, all the more I want to take these old time pieces back and put all of my soul into them. Make something to warm a heart and remind us that the tree is all apart of life even though sometimes it can damage, harm or kill us. Nature has that marveling complexity…the grand beautiful experiences of it can sometimes weave into something that can raise the highest of hells.

Out to the woods we go!

Pic 1: There she fell friends, a big ole cherry tree giving me some work well into the winter for some carving, spooning, and treenware learning!



Pic 2-4: A pretty darn good amount of stock here to choose from indeed.







Pic 5: Out here where the sticker vines are minding your manners…lol


Pic 6: Nature set it all up for this spoon guy. A great split from the fall right where I would have done it…...this will be a future blog and spoon because this is telling me where to start the journey! My trained eye already tells me, 2 spoons for the split.



Pic 7: Yikes …..I'd better get sawing instead of playing photographer….lol. This is all going to eventually be hand sawn. Let the madness…....begin!



Pic 8: A nice guy in the summer selling what he had from his garage at the auction had this big boy just sitting underneath some rakes and garden stuff….....feeling the teeth a bit I asked…."How much for the saw?"......."10 bucks"........SOLD!....LOL. Friends the blade is a mere virgin…..no worries for the sharpening this one pretty much sat untouched for years in his garage.
I converted the 2 man to a single operation sliding the handle down and got the shoulders fired up and watching the sawdust sail all the while smelling better all the time! Sweet Cherry!!!!!





Pic 9-10: Train your eyes if you looking to sport a good spoon. All of the early craftspeople did this all the way from wheelrights on up the line. They all eventually trained the eyes to see the shapes in nature…then started at getting the stock cut. This can become a fun game, a woodworkers puzzle if you like. Next hike see in nature where the spoons, walking sticks, bowls etc. are in the trees.




Well gang I sure appreciate if you hung in there and read this longer than usual blog….lol. I got a nice 40% of this stock cut down in this session and it was a sure job to get it there….lol.

I once more send me prayers and best wishes to all in need. I still need fuel for my trucks and more food…hoping that will be less of a struggle by Monday. Keep calm to any locals that may read, let's work together.

To all of my good friends I sure thank you for your comments and positive wishes. I hope to get back to normal soon in my lifestyle and bring more woodwork your way!

Thank you for your time and inspirations, be good to each other!

10-4!

Joe
 
#254 ·
Back at the log

Barely a week past the misadventures and tragedy of hurricane Sandy and ole New Jeyyyyessssy has a new storm to deal with. Although much lighter than Sandy's roar this experience provides snow mixed with freezing rain.

The hell with it I say and time to get back out to the log and craft something from some of this large quantity of newly handsawn black cherry wood….(you know I was not going to let that sit too long…lol)
A few hours here and there each afternoon and the end result was my very first kuksa!

Kuksa?, you ask shocked…well Kuksa to you too then buddy!!....haaaa, no worries friends…heres the breakdown:

Guksi (or Finnish: kuksa; Swedish: kåsa) is a type of drinking cup traditionally duodji crafted by the Sami people of northern Scandinavia from carved birch burl.

Well I do not have any of that lovely birch wood so we will fashion something up with some black cherry!

I have seen many variations on the theme of creating this kind of cup and I knew I could definitely prosper in my hatchet skills by trying to make one.

The shop is a bit of an extra mess so the joinery of my galoot library needs to get resurrected and will next week so we can have fun looking at that one soon.

Currently I think just to release the vast stress of the past weeks of all of this storm business. I found the bush craft work helpful to tame the worried brain so forward my ideas marched.

This afternoon was a real inspiration if you don't mind a cold shop and the snow making an early and proud arrival. Lot's of slush in this stuff and fearing that an evening ice may grow into the next morning. Fingers crossed….oh wait I can't carve if I do that….lol

Ironic I choose the craft work that hails from such cold climate but I must admit it fueled my energy to see the remainder of the work through allowing for a surprised completion.

First times are always sportful opportunities to criticize or encourage more learning for the next time. I always try for the road of encouragement.

I am really happy for this being my first attempt knowing there are a great amount of things to work on but the hatchet and knives danced in great unison. The trick for me was conducting the proper tempo while maintaining a focused eye at the stock that needs ridding of.

Well I made a spoon from the recent cherry haul as well, here are some random pics of some time spent in the woodshop…..take a look!

You may recall this picture from the last blog. I said I would most likely create my next spoon from this split…and sure enough I did. Made a longer stirring spoon from the top split section!






The view here was getting mighty white and cold although the hatchet and knife work kept my warmth to carry on.






Now then…..of course all of this talk about the Kuksa and all I had was a small cameo appearance….lol.

Check out the project here…....


http://lumberjocks.com/projects/73847

Thanks for reading gang…and all the best!

Joe
 
#260 ·
From hearts, to trees, to hands

The latest snow storm fast approached and sadly it was a hellish mix of heavy wet snow just perfect for falling many limbs and trees that had been loosened up by hurricane sandy. As I posted my Kuksa blog I was warmed and inspired by all of my LJ friends but soon enough the sounds of various cracking branches giving forth from the weight of the wet snow was an alarming sound throughout my yard.

One after another as the evening moved on. I tried to ignore such sounds but there was no way my instant recognition was not to give a small cringe every time another collapsed to the ground from crack to utter thud.

The lights dimmed and toyed with our fears throughout the evening and ultimately just as I decided to hit the sack…just before midnight…booooom….no more power….lol.

I got my flash light and preceded to turn on our police scanner and sure enough there was an entire barrage of calls from all over of live electric wires on cars, trees in roads, and power outages were a regular prescription for the midnight to early morning hours. This was just plain old not fun anymore friends seeing such destruction only a mere week after such tragedy. This snow storm was really becoming a hard pill to swallow but mother nature cares little about that and has her ways so I suppose it's best to let her vent it all out and bring us some sunny days…lol.

I finally retreated to bed before one in the morning with power out and the silence interrupted by transformers buzzing throughout the neighborhood and more branches tumbling home to the ground.

I was expecting a visit from Rod Serling because this truly was becoming the twilight zone.

Just mere weeks ago I went from going for morning walks at my local beach to seeing the boardwalk float away or wash up on peoples front lawns. I had some friends without power since the day after sandy right up until today. Weather sure decided on dealing us some harsh realities here in NJ.

Well there is always a morning after…in any good drama anyway so out of my bed I was to witness the damage. A lot of decent sized limbs thrashed all over, still no power. Finally after an hour….hope was here and the power had come back! Lots of cleanup to do but at least we could get warm inside now when the job was done…lol.

Looking around the yard of limbs and snowdrifts there was one real sad tale to this composition. My Mother and Father more than 25 years ago planted a plum tree and she took some pretty bad abuse. The weighted snow made for a few good limbs to break away like taking a enjoyable masterpiece and watching it get tossed to the ground. Mother nature most of the times I love ya….but sometimes you are a wicked bitch with your displays of power.

Planting this plum tree was my Mom's project some 25 years ago as she loved to plant and garden. My Mom has been passed away February of 2000 and it blows my mind to even think how much time has slipped on.

Me and my Father recalled after her passing how incredibly this tree grew.

There may be a few dozen trees you pass by in familiar places on a daily basis but I think it's amazing how you have a chosen cherished few that may impact sweet memories like holding wonderful moments in your heart. Just as the limbs that may fall away life is truly a tender vessel. I would say that peaks and valleys make for a difficult balance that no mere mortal may ever propose to master in the riddle that is life while striving to live it worthy of your best efforts.




That plum tree was named after me…and my mom planted it there with my dad. Now I had to prune the broken limbs away from the wreckage. All of a sudden there I was out in the cold early evening sawing away, seeing the pretty violet leaves scatter across the white snow and this huge lump was sticking in my throat. It was almost like cutting something more spiritual than casual timber, it was family, so disregarding it was no easy accomplishment.




With my heart heavy filled with many memories of my mom I knew with the larger diameter pieces I would make some spoons although they would be sacred keepsakes for me to share with friends like you.

The spoon may very well have been one of the first instruments our mothers introduced us too as infants. Now from a child to a grown man I feel so lucky to create something from the tree that my mother left me.























Thanks mom I guess you are in the wind smiling and nourishing me with more spoons.

The carving for me was humble and in some special way I love it for being just that. This spoon is just taking something sad and making it beautiful and alive again, a sort of positive metamorphosis of some broken branches.

No matter your craft if your sweat does not smell of the love you have for it
you need not bother further maintenance of it's challenges.

The soul is the ship that guides the broken spirit,
and up from ashes your strength can revive your ridden worries to refreshed opportunity.

Never let the lingering questions of depressed ideas smuggle away your lost desires,
Move yourself forward into new found glory and raise your hammers to make the wooden wonders.

Care for one another, take solace in every thunder, run yourself tired with extreme excitement
as a student that loves every lesson and cannot wait for further instruction.


Take care friends and thanks for reading,

Joe
 
#261 ·
Good story and glad y'all were pretty much spared what befell many others. The plum tree story almost had me crying but I am in reality…..a rough, tough, cream-puff! LOL

Love the spoon you made from the plum tree and was wondering….not just about this spoon but all the "green" wood spoons you make…..............after they have totally dried, do they move/change much?

Again, a great blog entry.
 
#270 ·
Additional training in treenware

Like any process through the creation of wooden spoons this has enabled me to become more adept at understanding the process of making bowl shapes. This work is small, and I find it to be just the correct size for beginning to grow the skill.

A spoon carved from pine:
DSC04475
Hopefully as time goes on I will have more equipped larger timber, a hand adz and a bowl horse for correctly jigging in the blanks and working them to finality. For now this small piece of cherry wood presents a strong first lesson and the opportunity to understand more about the overall process.

Making the kuksa was a challenge but provided me the results and additional confidence to try a bowl. I would say the kuksa was more of a difficult task having to make such a deep bowl and a handle with a hole in it.

My first try at a Kuksa done here in cherry:
DSC04520
This particular Swedish influenced small cherry bowl was at first a real tough catch to grab. The main ingredient with doing most of this bush craft business is having proper, sturdy and safe jigs for the hand work. So it looks like this guy has to create a bowl horse soon because even this little bowl was very interesting and satisfying work to perform as I would love to do more of it.

I really love that this work for me personally gives so much back in the lessons of timber, patience, and dealing with frustration. Behold lumber jocks, make no mistake about my words…this work does not always start out with an artisans glee, for there are pitfalls, sour starts and a few choice words at times…lol.

But in the entirety of the climb for fashioning a small humble hand worked bowl there are mysteries of something great unlocked inside the human spirit. To hew timbers, work calluses to a leathery numbness, sweat and conceptualize the next maneuver. I am without doubt that my efforts may be inspired by a sober combination of joys, grief, fear, and wonder of what this one simple man can do with honed tools and ideas.

The only thing that can hold back the ongoing quest of any of our plans to work new ground is our lack of fire to calm the storms of an innocent child like excitement. Whenever I take hold of something I want to engage in the steps with the simplicity of an enjoyable spirit.

But of course once the work has set it's course it becomes very physical and ever challenging. I still recall the best aspects of the battle of building or shaping things are when your body is in full tempo like a championship boxer in the 5th round, everything is instincts, rhythm, and focus. The work is difficult but rewarded with hard efforts and somehow the psyche is massaged by wooden pieces fitting from our learned skills perhaps when life's obstacles are left with dissatisfaction it may be a wonderful recipe to hold all things together.

Sometimes the particular piece seems to call us out making us humbled in our fumbled attempts. Yes woodworking green or dried sure has it's moments of taking our energies down a notch. That is where I feel the actual work of wood takes place. Maybe the discouraging portions of the problem teach our hands the correct way to work though the knots, broken tails, or improper cuts. Possibly we may agree to be found incorrect and find new avenues to comply and compromise the worked plan around the woods telling tales. Many of these timbers before saw mills and lumber yards sat tall, strong and proud with there forest families so I suppose although cut apart from its whole those pieces they still have some weight to throw around our way far after the fact of their inevitable demise.

I love it and I cuss it, I care for it and I fuss for it. The many grains, leaves and barks masquerade in a wooded paradise as I walk through my daily purposes to attain a calmness in my very small spot in life. The future is masked in jaded throw away applications, minds are educated faster than ever all the while having little knowledge of the fields so ever green and waiting to show us more than our status on facebook.

I try to always set time aside for the places that provide me with works as well as wonders:
DSC00404

So the tools are the instruments that I use to conduct the music in the specific way I hear it for any given design following the grains hoping for small victories, keeping my emotions in check. This game of hand tools is an out dated idea a silly notion passed on by increased ingenuity. As I continue to try and charm those old hand tool relics with oil cans, stones, and spirit I find the truth in our modern days that it's the individuals attitudes that receives most of the rewards of any attempted charm as the tools just guide us there.

The roads are open to explore as this sought after craft of history may only serve us best if it is placed in our future. We might produce muscles we never knew we had by expanding our minds and depending on our craft work through the basic senses of ourselves.

Here is a brief slideshow of some of the moves taken to achieve a small carved bowl.


The beginning blank of black cherry:

DSC04648

The aroma is as wonderful as the wood carves:
DSC04649

A nice trick if your without an adz is to take the heel of your hatchet and gently adz in the start of your bowl:
DSC04650

A nice sharp gouge and sturdy jig or vice will help remove the inner wood and carry out the tasks for the hollowing:
DSC04653

Now the process begins to take shape:
DSC04652

A spokeshave for bowl work makes for nice shaping in concert with your carving knives!:
DSC04655

SEE THE FINISHED BOWL IN THE PROJECTS SECTION!


http://lumberjocks.com/projects/74467/edit

Lucky we are to dabble inside a once mandatory vocation for outside our workshops we have food, water and health wether the project is square or crooked. I give thanks for this and look forward to more of the experiences sharing with words and photographs some small part of my world. I hope it may keep you boxing and feeling alive, creative and happy. Look inside the tree as well as past it.

Take care friends and remember to laugh more!

Joe
 
#273 ·
Woodworkers thoughts by way of world works

The birch wood I rescued was fast sawn and put to work from hatchet to knives. I eagerly progressed through this grain I had been longing to find shaping my first spoon of this species hoping the sheer victory of acquiring it may lead to something new and improved.

I have been trying to look at more classic spoon designs, and realized my quest has been interrupted due to my lack of taking enough wood away…lol. I guess my fears were discovered as I tossed through my tote of past creations and each one was just too thick.

Isn't it funny how we really need to take a few steps back now and then to see the progress…or even sometimes a lack there of.

But I surely was not fussed over the discovery just determined to try and render it with an improved approach.
DSC04702

DSC04704

I am sure that I may share a common bond between many of you out there in the world of woodworkers in that we want to try so many different projects from cabinets and chairs, to finally getting that new workbench made.

For my own opinions worth this is where I see the great commonality of woodwork and being a musician….you can never in ones lifetime get to all of it…or learn it all. That can be a reality taken in a few directions but I would say for me I continue to try and be thankful and satisfied with all that I have learned in the last 2 and half years in my leap into woodwork.

I have obviously found a wonderful expression and growing skill in my spoon making but I would be lying if I said I did not feel guilty neglecting my Woodright Galoots Library….and trust me….it's at the finish line too!....lol.

But the holidays are fast moving celebrations anymore as I grow older. The wonders of being 7 years old again and having that great impatience of being told Christmas is 3 months away ….3 months away!!!!???? Wasn't that an eternity for most kids?
DSC04694

DSC04695
The woodwork for me I would agree has taken some lost good spirit of the holidays and kindly replaced it in my soul. I am like anyone else easily swept off into the fast paced needed it yesterday world and would submit that my attitudes on many things have gotten a bit sour. There's an ironic fascination in realizing that as I grow older, seeing some of todays younger people I have somehow become the judge of what I was only fifteen years before. I think father time enjoys a good laugh now and then. But I love a good laugh as much as I can get one and I would say it's about the best medicine there is that does not have fifteen side effects..lol.

The ever so welcoming world of marketing jargon has surely been more than accommodating in presenting our frazzled minds with worthless worries. From stomach, back, sleep, sex drive, rashes, teeth! If you don't have it, trust me there are more than plenty of ways for business suits to try and bustle their strategies to commercialize that YOU DO HAVE IT…and may need to see your doctor…..NOW…..lmao!

When did listening to your body and making simple judgments get exchanged for increased subliminal message commercial blitzkrieg. Again I turn to the woods and let some of those questions answer themselves.

I have made up my mind that I do not want to proceed so hurriedly into the world of technology without having a grasp for these far stronger and important elements of green grass and grains of wood. I feel when I am more than willing to set those basic good elements of life away for only gadgets that need recharging I and all of us lose something of a hidden treasure.
DSC04709

DSC04700

I still enjoy the feel of a book in my hands, pages tattered, yellowed yet bound by the bindery.
Walking before an open path with various trees unfolding their welcome to my future footsteps not needing a treadmills programmed visual excursion to help persuade my lazy impatience.
I enjoy a handful of friends that I call because I enjoy talking to them without updating my every boring move with icons exposing my lack of being personable.
Holding a door for a stranger and just saying hi because it's become a lost art of simple courtesy.

We have been bloated with great amounts of technological blunder, with applications handheld in our stressed sweaty palms that tell us the speed of light or how to cook dinner and yet somehow there is a growing number of drivers that rarely engage in using a turn signal so they do not end up in an accident….lol. We are funny people.

But then again I did say…... I love a good laugh as much as I can get one.

I suppose I should keep with the grains. Keep trying to render my good spirit and share that with the good folks that get it.

Be well friends and thanks for stopping by!

Joe

The cabin was made of Christmas, the tree soared to the roof
The needles lay beneath the shape, of the evergreen strong and true

Those old oak logs a vision, of timbers keeping tune
The moon shines down the snow drift, stars sing midnight blue

Those were the days of glory, faded none the less
The memories unjaded, those times were all the best

Santa a secret dream, soaring in his machine
From fireplace to childs face, this is what Christmas means

Never lose your wonder, and take hold of your gift
To help a troubled brother, to give his soul a lift

We hurry and we worry, to make our Christmas theme
But don't forget the purpose, to give to those who need

Only you'll know Christmas, if you still believe
The season is a riddle, the answer never seen

Never old or weary, when you have your spirit
Send a merry Christmas so all the world can here it!

The sleigh is strong and plenty, the toys are tried and true
The elves worked hard and hungry, their benches worn and hewed

Oh the carpenter loves his tools, the north pole knows them many
Stanleys, disstons, rows of benches, woodwork more than ready

For in the northest poles, the workers have the best
Christmas time is soon along, Santa needs his rest

Trains, planes, buses or cars, put them all away
Ups or federal express, have no work this day

His winter nap was long and well, the sleigh is suited proudly
Reindeer clear the snow filled path, the jolly laugh roars loudly

Rest your worries worn in flannel, warm your frosty beds
Santas sleigh is on it's way, soon above our heads

Those old oak logs were freezing, as night became a snow
But somehow they were filled with heat the morning we awoke

The tree was filled with presents, a letter was attached
I went to read its message, see who's gift it matched

"The cabin was made of Christmas" the pen etched as the start
"I filled the oak with Christmas hopes, because it's in your heart"


© JJWDesigns
 
#276 ·
Woodworker's Revival

Many times I ponder the current state of our lives on this pale blue dot better known as earth. I witness the more than horrible events of random shootings of children, firemen, and street kids in poor neighborhoods and sometimes think that perhaps my childhood was way too easy, maybe even a bit unrealistic.

I have never been a member of any church or one set in stone belief, and I am fully accepting of anyone who believes full on in theirs as long as your not at my door pushing it on me. I suppose my church has been found in many wonderful facets from playing music with friends to peeling bark from a hickory tree knee deep in the woods. A sky laced with soon to fall snow or a herd of 800 mph stock cars blazing around an asphalt oval on a Saturday night. I have found miles of lengthy fortune in simple measures.

There was a few unorganized tossed about years in my late twenties to early thirties where I thought making money and just not caring about much was the toast of the town for living good. You run wild and sometimes believe that your untouchable from grief, hardships, or losses when your busy being young.

Now I am lost in the simplicity of real things, a pocket knife and a good book to read. An old scratched pick up truck and a haul of cherry wood. I currently get as giddy as a 6 year old running the roads of upstate NY with my beloved Jenn at the wheel as we pick out how many large portions of the side mountains have birches on them.
Something about that wonderful white bark inviting thoughts of Christmas, calm, or good wood to carve!

As the roadsides sweep up my imagination I feel rested in thought realizing no matter how many unexplainable times that we see in our current day that my mind still has room for simple wonder. Daydreaming is the best application that no machine, gizmo, cell phone, tablet, etc….can give you. The game of daydreaming is totally up to unleashing your inner child and I call for all of us to take a few lost minutes and do so daily.

My thoughts take me to the caring of our souls in these stressed times, we need to remember to be better to ourselves so we may love our families even more. When your inner soul rolls down a dusty road lost of any proper navigation it can get pretty complicated steering others we care about in the right direction.

This morning as I push keys to communicate my text I have called myself "A messenger" that's it, that's what my wood working is. I have no professional carpentry experience, I lack any high caliber building credits, I am an enthusiast, a lover of the ideas of a total open field of creativity through the expression of wood.

This notion to give anyone the urge to want to get closer to using hand tools, saw a log, feel the enjoyment of planing your own shavings…..that is what I love doing! It is not only for me to aspire to improve my own exercises at the bench…but to inspire yours. I feel that if a troubled kid spent at day learning these old traditional skills, hewing timbers, drawknifing a branch, turning on a lathe, what a terrific inspiration and beginning process of giving that kid confidence and self regard.

I look at these passing days, this sad economy and we need roots once more of what we as humans do best…basics. Wood work provides pulling the fallen upward to meet themselves in the mirror and dust off their lost courage. Somehow these simple activities provide some greater satisfaction within our human engine than we truly realize.

So I suppose as I sit at my stump with axe, knife and passion for trying to learn more I have more messages to give to anyone who cares to see them. My message is….. sometimes we miss what's really golden while chasing all day for something that's only temporary in it's rewards.

Excuse me friends….let me get off of my stump…lmao.

Now…..here's some fun pics of Christmas goodies!!!!!

1-3: If green wood work is your thing look no further than calling up the great Drew Langsner at Country Workshops and ordering one of these gems. The Hans Karlsson Sloyd Axe, it's a keeper! Wonderful gift, very light, very sharp and only an instrument to be treated with the highest of respect when using. The handle is crafted spot on fitting just right for the job. It has a double bevel so south paws like myself still get to enjoy this serious awesome handcrafted hatchet. Hans Karlsson is a swedish toolmaker and one of the highly regarded at his awesome skill to craft great tools. This is no comparison to something from a big box store so if your serious about wanting a life long hatchet….call Drew. You can find his site here: http://countryworkshops.org/
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4: Topping this off with a Hans Karlson hook knife for spooning some bowls makes for a wonderful session of sharp enjoyment. This is a real hookknife, trust me pay the $70 dollars you really will not look anymore to the cheaper models with poor steel. They cut…but nothing like this. This hookknife is strong and very supported with a razor sharp blade. Drew sells them both right and lefty. Keep in mind if you are unaware of it and you get Drew Langsner on the phone…...you are talking to one of the super talents and teachers of country woodworking, although Drew will act as if he's unaware of it…...uhh…..he's the man and knows his craft forwards and backwards.
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5: What a nice trio of Christmas gifts….thanks to my loved ones! Making spoons as well as other treenware just got a whole lot easier. A lovely Mora Scandi knife rips the shavings down with ease making for clean cuts.
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6: Time to give the hatchet a test drive on some found storm birch…..think I will make a larger serving spoon….let's take a spin.

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7: Roughing the shapes the hatchet flows with such light easy to handle hewing. You can practically carve with this hatchet once you get your skills up to par.
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8: Through the power of show biz…..look the spoon is roughed out and ready for additional tlc once it dries out a little!
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Hope your Christmas was wonderful and that you enjoy all of your daydreams!

All the best and thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate all of you for taking the time to have a read and take a look! THANK YOU!

Joe
 
#277 ·
I appreciate your thoughts. This is some times that would have never ever thought of. My heart is heavy for all the innocent lives, and devastated families in these ruthless acts of evil. I won't get into this because it makes me sick. It's not a gun problem, it's a people problem. I will only say this. A big part of our problem, is our "slap on the wrist" judicial system. My system would be very simple. You do wrong, you get hung by the neck until dead…..........end of story. One other thought, I am in agreement with having teachers, principals, or someone who is armed in every single schoolhouse, to hopefully prevent this atroscity from ever happening again.
 
#284 ·
Trials of the pine

I was having a rather cold and uninteresting time trying to draw up plans for my recent Country carving throne project so I set my feet to the woods for some pine that may allow me to create a piece to use in my shop. I knew just off the edge of the woods where I could fetch a pretty good chunk for a rustic bench to use for various tasks from sawing, hewing, etc. I needed to connect with some outdoor timber work, get the blood flowing (it was a cold day!) and have some challenges to try and meet my satisfactions with.

Our weather was off and on presenting temperatures of 30-35 degrees with short sessions of light snow. The air was clear as I walked in the shop to collect my two man/one man keystone saw. About an eighth mile down my dirt road off towards the woods I walked into a small path where I approached the bull pine timber I sought after. This sadly was another hurricane sandy victim and not too long off I took the midsection away for a bowl horse or clave I also want to make for the shop.

Here is the piece in progress …......ahhhhh the mighty pine!
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I guess although I love getting that ebay win or cheap auction find I try to use all of these tools so I can learn how they are of best use. Collecting is fine and appreciated but they were made to use in some form. I think somewhere in the winds those former souls of craftsmen guide you along with the appreciation that the new owner continues to learn the ropes of the old dogs. So if it's an old hand tool in great shape I give it care and use it a little.

As the sawing began I was sure to randomly hit my saw with some wd-40 making the kerf a much smoother ride as the heavy sap was soon to stick the job too tight to continue. I paced myself since this style of work is not something I usually do although the wd-40 made the exercise ease through finality in about 20 minutes.

I have sawn through, not as bad as I originally had planned.
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I enjoyed the work breaking for a few seconds here and there just looking around taking the pine aroma in and thanking the good lord for feeling so free in the rythm of the outdoors. Once I cut through such a piece I feel this connection with it, like you had to gain it's respect with your sweat and hard work. I love that the most in this sort of task, the climb is in fact just as rewarding as the last coat of linseed oil as you stand back and snap the finished picture of your project. This old bull pine is one mean lady, heavy, unforgiving grain, gold and rich with knots the size of large stones that will buck your hatchet edge almost just as hard.

Standing one end up and somehow rigging it in my grandfathers old red wheel barrow my senses were in high regard knowing full focus and skill were nesseceary for backing this timber out to the dirt road. The diameter was a healthy 9.5 inches as the weight was more than enough. I gained my rythm in pulling the barrow along and up the slight incline back towards the shop to unload my catch.

On to the barrow with care and steady moves!
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Back to the shop and time to shave the bark off, a sharp drawknife suits you for a handy way of dealing with this.
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The work here is a wonderful chore, especially if the scent of pine is a favorite to breathe in…..lucky me..lol.
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This portion of the task is done, now onto the relieving of the top by splitting…..or so I think…lol.

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I would love to tell you that this pine with some wedges split down like a champion, but this piece needed to school me. I wedged, I hammered, I wedged some more and noticed the small split beginning and then the lesson was to be had…lol. No way will you split through these knots, it is just not going to happen. My German nature is sometimes a bit hard headed indeed, and I realized I forgot to read the map of the grain, I was lost in tunnel vision of the creation, well off the path of the message the wood was conveying to me with every heaving smash of hammer to thy wedge….lol.

So, we have to find a way, and nothing would work better than to simply make relief cuts fairly close together and chisel the top pieces out! I forgot the shot of the final pieces dismissal but the relief cuts pictured did a nice job, although those knots still were a battle to knock out cleanly.

This was hard work, I sure needed it too. This work tames a bad attitude quick and tempers your focus to the warmest measures. I felt extremely alive in the 30 degree shop, sawing down relieving another portion, muscles burning, sawdust shaking to the ground. It was a totally invigorating process, challenging the roughest cut work, beauty was on hold in place of gritting out the exercise to produce the raw form of this rugged wood. I felt those chopped knots guiding my will to see the whole thing through, and was sure that years after I will always remember this cold night in the shop executing the cuts to my desired vision.

Of course such extensive physical wood work feels better as you plow through in cold weather, although I humbly admit the layout and lines of cabinetry yearns for warmer thinking conditions as I held off working on my country carving throne…lol.

A pine puzzle if you will. I forgot my ways excusing grain pattern fundamentals and would paid the price…lol.
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The oldest tricks for the oldest of trades, when in doubt relief cuts to lose the wood. Make no mistake those knots held tough even still.
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Took some 2×3 lumber and rounded some tenons for possible legs!
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With spokeshave in hand sitting at the shave horse is a wonderful way to get great exercise as well as a much needed skill building session of using a spokeshave. I recalled watching the great chairmaker Brian Boggs work a chair piece down at the horse and was awed by his sense of absolute skill in the shaving of it.
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Here is a rough sketch giving the basic setup of what this would be handy for.
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This is a shop project, something I tend too when I can. I am hoping to get this and my bowl horse (or clave) up for the spring. The bowl horse/clave is another log split affair used for making wooden bowls or even jigged properly with wedges is available for wooden clog making!

Well I suppose I should clog onward myself, I hope you enjoyed seeing some of this madness.

"Take time and enjoy those things thought as little, as you may someday see they are far greater in your empty days and yearn for their forgotten gifts" JJW

Thank you for your time,
Shave on!

Joe
 
#293 ·
Wandering in the woods

I try to get out to the local parks as much as possible to have a hike along the trails and enjoy the wilderness. As you may have noticed I also enjoy doing some timber work on the outskirts of my own woods around my work shop. Funny thing this past weekend, I had cabin fever of a different kind I suppose. I was in fact feeling cooped up in the house but the actual "cabin part" was revealed to me as I did something so easy to do yet something I had not done in a such long time. I walked alone in the back woods of my home. The "cabin" portion of my fever was the remembrance of being alone in the woods when we lived in our log cabin home.

It was a wonderful escape to go wandering in the woods. The cabin was on a hill off of the river and down the long hill was all woods leading to the water. There was a main path a little roughed out with coves of roots and curious twisted trees, tons of vines, stickers and leaves. I had my little special spot to sit and think, perhaps look over my small pocket knife with wonder and a little fear while I would whittle away on a branch.

When I was 10 having a pocket knife was an almost taboo thing for my Mother to endure…..lol. But of course playing around with a swiss army knife one evening sure enough I closed the blade down in forgetfulness on my pointer finger…..ouch!!!!! A little blood, a small gash, a bandaid and I was John Wayne again in about half an hour out in the yard pretending to honor a make believe damsel in distress with my ever powerful swiss army knife. Bleedin' hands never stopped my playtime ….pilgrim.

I sit here now, wondering of my wandering in the woods and pose the question, where did this simple innocence for today's kids get traded away for being such soft insiders? I would answer my question with something I have brought up before, the loss of the art of make believe. When your 10 years old and have star wars figures, its up to your decision making to create a plot, adventure, game, etc. Now most video games handle all of that for us, instructing us to play in it's set format amusing our pastime on a screen reducing the chance to move our bodies outside for needed exercise.
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A small cherry tree and I look off to the frozen Hudson waiting to see the train pass on the other side.


As I moved along in the woods there was a haunting feeling mixed with a growing calm as I discovered how so many trees had been victim to past storms. It was weird, I was having flashbacks of the past walking alone as the leaves and vines skimmed my boots along the hike. Sassafras, Black Cherry, Black Locust, Hickory, Maple, Oak, what a roster of strong beauties looking towards the heavens unfolding there caution with every light breeze that whispered against there aging branches. Suddenly like that 10 year old I reached for my small buck knife and took a small sample of sassafras sap wood pausing to indulge in its perfume like aroma. If your lost in your soul a tree can surely send you home again.

Those woods have a certain way of taking your worries and putting them in a proper perspective. Unlike the child as a man my discoveries have shown me the incredible appreciation of how a wood worker can extend the lives of a tree through our craft work. Each species has a purposeful job that a skilled carpenter can use it for, to build something useful. I love the idea of taking a dieing tree, saving it before it rots, making something from it, placing it inside your home and thinking generations to come will look at it and go "who made this?" That tree may have been alive on a favorite portion of your yard, maybe a storm dropped it, a sentimental piece of your home is lost where your children played or you as a child played, but a crafts person can saw it, care for it, create something wonderful for you to still have from that fallen tree, that is a gift like nothing you can ever purchase. I love the stages of the overall process, the biggest picture that working with the wood can enlighten our knowledge and lives with.
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What a site to see, as cold as it was it was warm in the best of spirits.


For my 2 cents I feel so much more of that creativity through woodwork is brought about by the art of make believe. That chair does not exist, the chair that…..YOU see in your mind. If you can see it, believe in it, you have a better chance of actually creating it. I feel here is where hand tool work is so available to push these elementary concepts into our wood working routine. When we have so much of the information readily available to us that in some way we have lost our own plot, adventure, or originality. Instant satisfying results do not exist in this arena, only testing the seas of your inner instincts. Practice beyond practice will make those chisels cut efficiently, that spokeshave chamfer, the hand saw cut a respectable line. Although I would strongly suggest this same approach with machines as well, stepping outside the lines and creating your own vision is a satisfying process. Going beyond the pre-calculations of digital data and seeing something of your very own.

Our current world provides an amazing amount of quick information, incredible leaps and bounds, heartbreaks, and unexplainable events. As much as the human has gained I am not so sure our surrounding planets give a dam. I suppose the galaxies groove through the flow of cosmic darkness tending to their voyages awaiting our existence to end. Our time here on earth seems immense to us, but it is a mere short visit to the planets, galaxies and dark matter that travel through the timepiece of our universe.

But are we destined to upload our very own demise through additional tweets, status updates, and phones that enable you to watch the game while you forget how lost you have become without all of these gadgets in the first place?
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Those still frozen tiles were wicked and sharp telling a tale, awaiting for dark.


I sure hope that any new members reading take time to look at the work on lumberjocks, I think many of these projects displayed on these pages are a true example of inspiration and creativity.

Well, I guess there are only so many questions to ponder, ideas to wonder, and better days to rid off the bad. So it's back on the trail towards happier days, I am off to those woods once again!

Enjoy your path!

Joe
 
#303 ·
Time

Sitting inside the shop gazing at the shavings, I milled around recalling more projects and techniques to try out. I found myself looking at the hand planes displayed for future use and I began to think it is amazing how everything in our lives is connected with time.

From the age in our own faces to the growth rings in our wood working grains time spins forward. Approaching the bench I found myself perhaps wasting time as I began dabbling more in debate versus positive production. Like any activity sometimes a good cleaning out of the mind does your sanity good and so I write it down.

My process on here is to tap into deeper ideas and thoughts, bringing the spirit of woodcraft to the forefront trying to conjure inspiration of what is next for any of us to make. Putting things together with wood goes so much further past the actual physical activity, it's a different process for each person. Some sketch, others follow specific planned steps, some wing it, and even some roughly slam things together in an almost rushed manner. I may have been guilty of trying all of those…lol.

No matter what style you start with I think the learning and feeling accomplished of what you create is one of those portions of the overall scenario that never seizes to satisfy us. It is somehow an exercise that is within us to conduct over and over again, to be part of the concert of using tools to build from our thoughts.

Each particular piece that has been made is a part of the carpenters resume or more so their lives. Once more time is involved in the story, months to years and we can look back over the minutes, hours and months to revisit old subjects that were enjoyable, stubborn, and hopefully satisfactory when we were finished with the last bit of shellac. From a cabinet, tool box, workbench, or spoon all of these projects are bookmarks of where we were at in life, and what we may remember going through at that time.

I visited an elderly neighbor of mine this morning. His name is Red, and he has been our neighbor and friend for over 50 years. Red is a true outdoorsman, fishes, loves the ocean as well as the woods. From time to time I may see him getting the mail and we share a wave. Recently his health has greatly reduced and he was taken to the hospital just a few days ago. My father called his wife this morning and found that he had returned home and asked us to stop over and so we did. Entering their apartment I met up with time again, I saw a man that had aged quiet a bit in just 8 months. Red was frail and not at all himself, his terrific smile was hazed over in depression. Honestly by reading his expression I saw a man that was saying he would rather be sailing the hell out of here than having tubes and pills. Red was never one to sleep in late and hang on the couch, he was always outside doing anything and everything.

We had a nice visit with them, we shook hands and he was glad to see us. As I returned home I realized a hard fact, facing mortality is a part of life and it is something that will never seem fair. Knowing a man who could outwork the wind, build anything and do everything be suddenly stopped in his chair looking towards the floor in question made me settle my ego of being a mere 41 years of age. Red is the spirit of the woods and so the spirit of people like that I try to add into my wisdom and care for my chosen crafts.
One of the worst crimes in our world is forgetting the talents, accomplishments and shown respect to those far beyond our years. In plain terms I remind myself to not get above my raising.

So the grains and shaves will carry on, and my love of the crafting climb will continue to strengthen my skill. I am blessed to have wonderful people in my life and have become reminded of how grateful to be for my time.

I have never been an outstanding award winner of much, the prom king with his queen, or the football hero. Lacking the fame of any of those titles has fueled me with one thing I would not trade for any of those accolades and that is my soul. The great blues legend and guitarist Buddy Guy said "When I bend that guitar string I put my whole life into it" as do I Buddy with anything I love.

Love your craft and the skill will follow, breathe it and feel it deep within your being. Most of all…..enjoy your time!

Thank you for your inspirations and time!

Great shaves ahead and Happy St. Patricks day!

CHEERS!!

Joe
 
#312 ·
My website is complete!

Hello friends, I am proud to introduce you to my new website. It has taken me a little while to get it all together and I am learning as I go.

I hope you may join me on here for my continued blog work and extras not shown on lumberjocks.

My work on Lumberjocks will carry on and I will use both arenas to display my ideas, projects and share comments!

This website will be informational (I hope), entertaining, as well as a store to sell my works or finds. The theme will continue to be the use of traditional hand tools, spoons, and various woodcraft projects including turning, cabinetry, tinsmithing, and any other thing I find of interest to share!

My sincere appreciation for all of my LJ buddies and their continued support, talents and inspiration. This is a fine web community and a big thanks to the creators of Lumberjocks for giving all of us artisans this wonderful platform to showcase our talents, get questions answered and have some laughs along the way as well.

As much as some of my writings may go on about the over amount of technology, endless electric handheld gadgets, machines etc. Life moves forward and it is important to keep traditions alive but also embrace what the future brings. If not for the invention of the internet all of this would not be possible, and for that I am grateful.

With that said I hope you will not mind joining me on a website that brings back the focus of the woods, the old trades and sounds of shavings soaring from the bench to the piles on the shop floor! The colors of all seasons, the tales of better days, those special hand tools used, and crafts displayed for sale and made by hand.

Welcome to spoonscarver.com
http://www.spoonscarver.com/



Be well, and enjoy!

Joe
 
#324 ·
Across the Seas of Woodcraft!

I was a very fortunate woodworker this week to receive correspondence from a special friend. Of course it is MADS!

Mads for the few who may be unaware of his positive presence on lumberjocks is a fantastic woodworker, designer, and all around spiritual character. Basically he makes the entire experience of sharing on Lumberjocks all the more interesting and fun.

As I opened the envelope there before me was a wonderful letter full of good things. A handmade Origami Crane…wow, I love it.

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Then an exercise from the master himself asking me to perhaps give it a try. He even supplied some papers for making one!

Well….I carved a little Swan made of Sassafras to share the spirit of the game…lol. I have to learn some Origami and look forward to it!

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Then this wonderful crafted strop for my carving knives….it is my favorite! I love the stamp and the color of the wood. Mads has this wonderful style of good taste, solid design, and flow to his ideas….bravo!

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Mads, Iet me say that I don't think your timing could have been any better for the arrival of this letter. Times in our world are so crazy right now, so much and too much violence and sad news on most things these days. Getting this letter was a wonderful example of the positive connection of crafts people. A strong life line of sharing where people from separate countries can connect with the things we hold close to our hearts. For all of us on here….it is the love of crafting with wood, making things, taking a hand plane and creating endless shavings that lead to our desired output.

I feel really blessed to receive what I like to think of as an affirmation of good will and the spirit of woodcraft.

Once I was at my carving log, spoon making tote, hatchet, knives, and my trusty new strop I sure went to task and created with joy.

I thank all of you for your participation, inspiration and positive support in my projects. This is a great social network of people sharing the sawdust and shaving the grain.

Most of all, I thank you Mads for a terrific letter and gift.

I hope you may read this blog in the best of spirits and know that your letter for me was a great inspiration to continue to learn more!

All the best to you and yours my friends,

Joe
 
#332 ·
Back to the bench!

Since taking such an extended time learning many aspects of carving spoons from green timber, I began to miss the other parts of working wood. I missed the use of my old Stanleys, Disstons, and Millers Falls! Yeah….I am a hand tool galoot for sure….GALOOTS UNITE!...LOL.

Of course while just starting to excel at carving, understanding the grips and sculpture of spoon making, it was easy to have a worry that my other skills were getting some rust as much as the tools began too!..lol. Oh….oh we have a few planes getting rusty….3 in 1 oil in isle 5 please!...lol. Ahhh, the tales of having a natural environment in an outdoor garage shop. Oil early and often…..I am telling myself that by the way, as a reminder.

So with some scrap 3/4 inch pine board I thought that this would be a fine time to get warmed up a little. Sure I have my 3 legged stool to finish, but I wanted something to
re-communicate old skills with. Mads always inspired me with his takes on Japanese tool box's and trying something like that has always been on my list…so I gave it a go.

This particular setup would be much smaller in size though, and I was actually happy for the required delicate nature I would have to take in order to build it. My feelings were that to have to create this with all hand tools and using such small pieces would only exercise my skills more, challenge my instincts and let me evaluate where I am at since taking such a long break from bench work.

I drafted a small plan out then took to my workbench. My only rules that I continued to affirm were to take time, use what I have learned, and let this be a joy.

First I had to rip this 3/4 inch board down….haaaa this was a small workout. Lucky me I had this old lovely Disston rip saw I purchased at an auction, it cost me about 3 bucks.

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I gave it a little tune up, some tallow, and then set about my rip saw voyage. The saw felt good, the accuracy was very on par for my level, I was feeling excited and inspired to be sawing some old pine dust once more!

Once the pieces were separated I dogged them with my high tech dogging system! 3 screws at the end of my simple bench…alla Roy Underhill…lol. I am one that would rather build things then get too lost in building benches so I can build things..lol. With that said I would love to get to building another bench…but I just keep making things..lol.

This is no offense to those awesome benches all of you guys are building…I think they are awesome. I will get to it….eventually…lol.

So on to the Stanley #3 to plane down my thin pine boards. I have found that tallow is about as best you can go in my opinion for easing your tools through a job, if your new to hand tools get some tallow for using your saws and planes with. It makes everything move much easier.

I also still have to say my Diamond stones….brilliant. Paul Sellers methods are easy, fast and I never have a dull blade. I don't care for fussing with science/math experiments and calculations on sharpening…lol. I like old school methods where the work is up front. Stop a blade on your thumbnail or shave your arm hairs off…son, it's sharp!

Wow, the Pine was really thin now…the most lightest project was being prepped for layout. I realized that my brawn would have to be put on hold for focused moves. No more of this strong arming a hatchet for hewing spoon blanks or making bowls. Now was the time for a concerto like calm effort of harmonizing with light Pine pieces for my saw to make box parts from.

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With a little time and detail put in I managed to get all of my pieces cut, glued them up and made this small Japanese….gift box? I varied it's design a bit by leaving out the indents on the ends and joined it with a combination of brads and wood nails.

I whittled the wood nails from some thin Poplar dowel. The Brad nails were too long for my thin joined dimensions so I simply put a brad in my metal vise, chopped the length with cutting pliers then peened over a new small nail head with a small ball peen hammer!

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Making this box was a real pleasure and challenge. I was happy and surprised at how well I adapted to dimensioning such small pieces and seeing the vision to the final product.

Woodworking is something that always reveals hidden applications we hold within ourselves. I feel there is a wide open road untraveled whenever we tap deep within our basic elements of instincts and primal curiosities of what we might make from sticks. Making things is something all of our ancestors at one time or another simply had to do, we find ourselves lucky to even call any of this current carpentry….tinker or hobby at all. To view the finished box check here: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/84063

With a small cabinet hammer, brad nails and some pine, life feels right and the tempo of my hammer follows the feeling.
The secret to most of it all is the amount of love you hold in your heart, allowing it to be shared down into your hands.
From there a crafts person shares it with those they care for, and a wonderful notion is spread throughout days far beyond our busy time.
I keep a weathered soul of strength, mystery and knowledge close to my courage to keep it company with my daily fears, sometimes my ideas surprise my own assumptions.
Above there are busy streets of youth and technology, time gives forth the passion of carefree days, but down below there is a workshop where the bodger shaves his grain, the blisters burst although he smiles with total satisfaction.


I thank all of you for your continued creativity and artisanship. Keep on the saw line and be well!

Joe
 
#336 ·
Old treasures, green mountains and great fortunes.

Hello friends, I have been meaning to share some tales of a wonderful trip I took at the end of August to upstate NY. Finally I have the chance to get this story and the pictures uploaded. I hope you may enjoy this blog and I thank you for taking a moment and reading….here we go!..........

The road was a winding ride through the beautiful tall green trees of upstate NY. The mountains were a backdrop of a totally peaceful environment showing strength and inviting calm. Around this area the folks that live here operate at a much different pace and lifestyle. You can leave your barn/garage open and go out to the store and you'll come back and everything is still there…lol. Maybe we need to think about that…I guess that should not be such a funny statement should it? Where and how did we lose such an trusted faith in our fellow neighbors in most areas of this great country?

I found the people here very hard working, experienced, easy going but nobody's fool. Many grow up shooting a rifle, crossbow, using a knife, and somehow crime is extremely low in this area, perhaps another lesson for us to ponder in our increasing troubled times and gang growing youth.

It was a nice sunny day and me and my girlfriend were off to visit her dad Topper. My past blog work has included Topper, he's a very interesting character.

To my lucky surprise just at the beginning of a 2 minute ride up the hill to Topper's house we found an older lady having an outside auction in her front yard. We pulled over and took a few minutes to look some things over….no worries, old hand tools appeared! There were at least 8-9 old hollows and rounding planes but far out of whack and way too worn for my latest craving of old relics to tinker with. I rooted around in a bucket of about 15-20 various rusty files, screwdrivers and pieces of this and that although still nothing I could not live without.

Then…..she sat on the edge of the first of 3 tables, rusty, old, and calling my name….a saw vice!!!! Oh boy, was I quick to wrap my hands on that and begin to see what worked and what didn't. The wing nut was half broke off but the actual job of the tool seemed to vice up fine. I figured with some WD-40 to the rescue I could see positive things in using this piece, so I had to get a price for it! I approached the kind old lady and asked "Good afternoon, how much?" "Ten dollars" she replied. I was almost as quick as John Wayne in "The Shootist" drawing that ten dollar bill out of my wallet…lol. I recall past annoying ebay scenarios more than a few times and got tired of the endless bidding for one of these as the prices got so out of hand with the shipping.

But not today, this was a really nice vice and honestly a terrific price for something that worked!

With vice in hand we were onward and upward to Toppers!

I think the cool part of living your life is if you stick around long enough perhaps you may be blessed with meeting a few good and unforgettable people. I have been very lucky to meet some interesting and good folks in my short time. Topper is one of those people. I don't know anyone else like him, he's an outlaw of sorts, a teacher, a joker, a man of incredible instincts. He is not in any way a weekend warrior of hunting, fishing, or wood skills. Topper is a part of the woods and the woods are a part of him. Topper is one of the most respected deer hunters there is in that section of upstate NY.

So you can only imagine the knowledge of many things he shares within 5 minutes of just casual chatter at his kitchen table, take notes…there is a a lot of it..lol.

From the various plants, trees, animals, leaves, guns, knives, beer, deer, venison, poker…haaaa and his beloved China Buffett…lol, I never find spending some time with Topper ever to be boring. As you carry on forward with conversation you take notice of how Topper hears and sees everything, it is amazing his delicate senses to the sounds, although I suppose that is the many years of hunting that have provided him with that and many other skills.

After a well spent afternoon with us three taking a small hike and seeing the various trees, plants and portions of lakes we headed back to his house so I could …..look in his barn….oh yeah…the tool junky within ….took me over…haaaa, get ready friends and let the search begin!

The barn doors opened and that wonderful smell of old wood, engine oil and history rushed into my senses. It was dim inside but once my eyes adjusted the treasures unfolded. A bow saw….a real old school rusty bow saw. A few hickory handled axes in the corner next to his old blue tractor. An old wooden beat to hell tote with some rusty chains intertwined with some nice old drill braces, files, and a rugged small crow bar. A huge eggbeater shoulder drill off to the side with a portion of an old hand plane. A white pale sat towards the one corner and sticking awkwardly in the center of cluttered parts and pieces was a nice old handsaw! I pulled the old lovely out for a look, a ton of caked rust and paint decorated the years of the blade. It had good teeth but was slightly warped, just like me….lmao. Nonetheless I loved it and envisioned in my minds eye of what a good cleaning session could make it look like again.

Here are some photos of the saw before and after:










Topper sat inside the edge of the barn upon his riding mower like a jolly Santa Clause in a junk pile…saying "Take it, I ain't gonna use it."

I was truly like a kid in a country hardware store with all of these fantastic treats that I could clean and possibly use again! Saw sets large and small, a great compadre to my latest saw vice purchase! A shoulder plane, a leather punch, some additional aged jagged this and rusty ole that…the list kept growing!

As the list grew Topper continued "Take it, I ain't gonna use it." What a wonderful gift and I realized he saw the joy in my finds as I continued to contort myself around tractor tires and various boxes of parts searching like a kid on Christmas morning for more toys.

My beautiful girlfriend laughed with her Dad seeing just how much of a goof I was over a pile of things most would be relieved to chuck into the dumpster…hey we all have our own song to sing and mine has melodies of sweet woodcraft and planed pine shavings for all…lol.

Here are a few pics of what I was able to salvage with this hand saw. It is Warranted Superior medallion Dec 27, 1887. It will require some light anvil work to attempt to straighten the blade out more, as well as a nice sharpening that my newly purchased saw vice can provide. If it cannot be used it can remain a wonderful time piece to hang in my shop and enjoy. I really cherish these old tools as most of them were Topper's father's. His dad was a carpenter and some of these very same tools may have been handed down to Topper's Dad from his Grandfather, pretty neat stuff indeed.

It is important to keep these old tools and their owners legacy alive. With caring and a little cleaning we can once again share their history, see their tool marked stories on parts of their beaten bodies of hard work from a past time.

As you drive around some old country roads you never know and it is sure fun to think, what may lie inside some old barn. As the summer high pines stand tall and the waters flow true and strong there can always be old treasures, green mountains and great fortunes.

The tools as always were only an added bonus for it was the quality of the company that made the entire time a real blast. Perhaps the real favorite of it all was remembering to snap a picture of me and Topper.

It reminds me of a fun moment at lunch we shared. All 3 of us were at the China Buffet…of course…lol. At the end of our pig out fest we in true tradition read our fortune cookies. Topper read his message and it went something like this "You are surrounded by people that care about you" Amen to that, and thank you Topper, your fortune was right on target.

Topper and me.



May all of your fortunes be as great and thank you for reading!

Joe
 
#337 ·
Thanks for sharing your journey and the bounty you received.

Work Safely and have fun with your restorations.

Best Regards. Grandpa Len.
 
#347 ·
A book worth more than just shavings

What book is that? Oh, it is the rereleased printing of Wille Sundqvist's "Swedish Carving Techniques"

For a few years now this fine book has become a sort of cult classic and being that this book was out of print the powers that be that did have it for sale were sure to put a hefty price tag on it. I have seen copies in various condition ranging anywhere from $150-$500…..yeah…..It pays to wait.

Finally about 8 months or so back this book by popular demand was rereleased and just recently last month I finally got around to getting a copy for myself. Some of you may have this book, many probably do not. If you do, I hope your knowledge and joy of the subjects in this text may have made your life a little bit better. I can say for myself this book is worth more than just shavings.

I find this book to be a friendly companion to anyone that needs to take a break from the maddening routines of the modern world and all of it's high tech clutter. This book is also a great break for those woodworkers that make production pieces and are getting burnt out from the daily grind of doing that.

This book to me is a simple text with amazing complexity, pride and care that reminds us of many lost skills that are valuable to everyone in one way or another. Each chapter contains wonderful lessons. Wille explains the care and craftsmanship of creating a ladle, spoon, bowl, or wooden buttons, all the way to correctly sharpening a pencil with your sloyd knife.

The chapters are all about care and having pride for your various crafts. I found the subject of using sandpaper very helpful and interesting. It has a spirit of the wilderness while embracing natural shapes and elements to see what we can use timber for in our own daily lives.

I would say it celebrates the tree and traditional tools as well as plugging into some electrical aspects of your shop ranging from the use of a bandsaw or lathe.

Personally I think if you never have carved before or simply do not care too carve at all that this book still contains some wonderful views on the subject of carrying on traditions for us and the future of our youth to explore.

Sadly I am reminded by reading this book that many of our current youth are lost. They lack proper mentoring and would benefit greatly from learning a craft. Bells, whistles, icons and phone apps should not be the only breakfast, lunch and dinner for our society to gulp down and drone forward on mindlessly and empty. Kids need something more personal that will install pride and discipline within themselves that they can carry with them throughout life. Although I would also agree that many of us adults could benefit from these solid principles as well.

I am glad to say that this book can now be purchased through country workshops as well as other outlets for a very decent price of $25.00. You may find this link helpful if you have the interest: http://www.countryworkshops.org/books.html

Just recently made my first butter paddle, another lesson in one of the books chapters. It was a real blast to give it a try and see new shapes and be challenged by them. If you care too, please stop by my latest project and check it out along with 2 new spoons. All done in Cherry!

I hope this may inspire some or even one of you to sharpen your hatchet, get a yourself a handy, sharp knife and spend an hour or few outside along a tree or in your shop. Life is full of wonderful, free and natural gifts that we take so much for granted.

Enjoy every shaving, and be well!

Joe
 
#352 ·
Resurrecting craft in a throw away society

Somehow things in our modern world have moved so fast that I think the craft, care and pride has become second to strictly making money off of dumbed down consumers. Tools, automobiles, furniture, so many things seem spit out of a robotic assembly line and tossed in our faces through constant visual media.

The machine of the marketing world I think at most depends on our stressed out, overworked lifestyles to cave in and just except modern junk. It attempts to pacify our weary minds with fast buttons on amped up hand held gadgets convincing us that the next fast and gratifying minute is worth forgetting our present moment. We continue to see jobs where souls once gave their hard earned hours now being taken over by computers, robots and people so desperate they are willing to work faster, cheaper, and keep the machine of big business selling us a lot of stuff.

We live in a throw away society. I feel sad that many of todays youth feel fine being ignorant of the simple pleasures of living in order to have more gigabytes to speed things up and push buttons to make things seem fantastic. We are slowly becoming hamsters spinning around without even realizing it.

The latest phrase that the marketing ignorant are selling our modern household is "I can be the hero" I think that stinks. I think of our veterans, young men and women today without limbs…our modern world of self entitlement needs a swift kick on it's backside and a fast dam humbling. Every time I see a WWII veteran I am in awe of them….they are hero's. I would not even have the right to type this if not for what they did. We are losing values I fear, so many of us focused on ourselves with plastic junk that we toss away.

Well, I need to share some good things now. I am not here to blog and bum everyone out..lol.

Life is what we make it…so let's make something!

I had these rather rectangular and boring looking hinges that I will be using for a new tool box I have been working on.

I suppose my previous rant above was in my head looking at these cheap hinges. Sure they will do the job, but I thought…perhaps I can resurrect the craft in a throw away society….jazz these suckers up a little..lol.

Here is a before and after to get the idea of the original shape:



I set about my task with a Rats Tail file and Combo file to follow my new idea. I used my Grandfather's vise for the job. I tried a little Whitesmithing I suppose, it's alway fun to work metal. If you do so please try and wear a mask.


Now onto the new tool box I hope to unveil in the upcoming month. I like the curves and the bit of flow these hinges give off now. It felt good to take something and customize it, sort of add your stamp on it.


Well I surely know that my little hinge operation will not solve the worlds problems, but I do think it keeps my focus on some things that are important. We all have the great option to make things, to take media of any sort, paper, music, timber, metal, etc. and excuse ourselves from throw away mass produced junk.

No matter how well or how rough our creations become, they have soul, and I like to think they honor those that paved the way for us today. Make no mistake, it is a world of wonderful things. We have made amazing gains in many fields. My thoughts are that we all need to keep the course on the shore of fast waves and ever changing tides. Unlike our computers, there are no reboots in our lives, try to enjoy each moment.

Thanks for stopping by…and file those hinges!

I will always keep a sharp saw in the till for ya,

Joe
 
#365 ·
Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.

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This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!
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Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.
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Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?

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Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.
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Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!

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How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.

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Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!

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Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.


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So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe
 
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