30 projects in 30 days

scottb said:

round III... around the corner

Ok, the snow is still falling, but the temps are rising - so to speak. We are coming out of winter, and I'm thinking of putting the new - still not as of yet set up - shop though its paces. Its looking like a 30 projects in 30 days challenge this April or June.

I'm shooting for April, hoping that allows me enough time to get the barest essentials unpacked and set up. I just dug out some chisels for work yesterday! The sharpening station on the other hand… not ready for prime time. I suppose I can get to the table saw and mitresaw. The shopsmith is 95% assembled, but the bandsaw is DOA. Well, not dead, but in need of major TLC. I also have a "coupon" for a drillpress, dated last Nov. to cash in.

I'm also hoping for a few weeks of nights to plan out some great projects - though I suspect with my recent (renewed) interest in the pages of Make magazine. that not all of my projects will be entirely wooden
I also have 5 "pay it forward" gifts to crank out, and an overdue Christmas trade gift to make. - that, and a pair of overdue bowls for Karson takes care of one week!

Of course history shows that I'll probably get things up and working as needed, and I'll just spend the next 30 days putting off getting ready. So to that end, I won't intend to make and complete a project a day, but have a body of work of 30 projects started, and completed, in 30 days. Interestingly, the photographing and blogging was always the hardest part.

Anyhow, I've survived the move, and an eager to get back in creative business. Nothing like going from 0-60, (if not 120!) Well, wouldn't be a lumberjock otherwise

Stay tuned for details, photos and lots of sawdust!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilton-NH/Blanchard-Creative-Woodworking/32878627365?ref=sgm

Click to expand...

scottb said:

round III... around the corner

Ok, the snow is still falling, but the temps are rising - so to speak. We are coming out of winter, and I'm thinking of putting the new - still not as of yet set up - shop though its paces. Its looking like a 30 projects in 30 days challenge this April or June.

I'm shooting for April, hoping that allows me enough time to get the barest essentials unpacked and set up. I just dug out some chisels for work yesterday! The sharpening station on the other hand… not ready for prime time. I suppose I can get to the table saw and mitresaw. The shopsmith is 95% assembled, but the bandsaw is DOA. Well, not dead, but in need of major TLC. I also have a "coupon" for a drillpress, dated last Nov. to cash in.

I'm also hoping for a few weeks of nights to plan out some great projects - though I suspect with my recent (renewed) interest in the pages of Make magazine. that not all of my projects will be entirely wooden
I also have 5 "pay it forward" gifts to crank out, and an overdue Christmas trade gift to make. - that, and a pair of overdue bowls for Karson takes care of one week!

Of course history shows that I'll probably get things up and working as needed, and I'll just spend the next 30 days putting off getting ready. So to that end, I won't intend to make and complete a project a day, but have a body of work of 30 projects started, and completed, in 30 days. Interestingly, the photographing and blogging was always the hardest part.

Anyhow, I've survived the move, and an eager to get back in creative business. Nothing like going from 0-60, (if not 120!) Well, wouldn't be a lumberjock otherwise

Stay tuned for details, photos and lots of sawdust!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilton-NH/Blanchard-Creative-Woodworking/32878627365?ref=sgm

Click to expand...

scottb said:

round III... around the corner

Ok, the snow is still falling, but the temps are rising - so to speak. We are coming out of winter, and I'm thinking of putting the new - still not as of yet set up - shop though its paces. Its looking like a 30 projects in 30 days challenge this April or June.

I'm shooting for April, hoping that allows me enough time to get the barest essentials unpacked and set up. I just dug out some chisels for work yesterday! The sharpening station on the other hand… not ready for prime time. I suppose I can get to the table saw and mitresaw. The shopsmith is 95% assembled, but the bandsaw is DOA. Well, not dead, but in need of major TLC. I also have a "coupon" for a drillpress, dated last Nov. to cash in.

I'm also hoping for a few weeks of nights to plan out some great projects - though I suspect with my recent (renewed) interest in the pages of Make magazine. that not all of my projects will be entirely wooden
I also have 5 "pay it forward" gifts to crank out, and an overdue Christmas trade gift to make. - that, and a pair of overdue bowls for Karson takes care of one week!

Of course history shows that I'll probably get things up and working as needed, and I'll just spend the next 30 days putting off getting ready. So to that end, I won't intend to make and complete a project a day, but have a body of work of 30 projects started, and completed, in 30 days. Interestingly, the photographing and blogging was always the hardest part.

Anyhow, I've survived the move, and an eager to get back in creative business. Nothing like going from 0-60, (if not 120!) Well, wouldn't be a lumberjock otherwise

Stay tuned for details, photos and lots of sawdust!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilton-NH/Blanchard-Creative-Woodworking/32878627365?ref=sgm

Click to expand...

scottb said:

round III... around the corner

Ok, the snow is still falling, but the temps are rising - so to speak. We are coming out of winter, and I'm thinking of putting the new - still not as of yet set up - shop though its paces. Its looking like a 30 projects in 30 days challenge this April or June.

I'm shooting for April, hoping that allows me enough time to get the barest essentials unpacked and set up. I just dug out some chisels for work yesterday! The sharpening station on the other hand… not ready for prime time. I suppose I can get to the table saw and mitresaw. The shopsmith is 95% assembled, but the bandsaw is DOA. Well, not dead, but in need of major TLC. I also have a "coupon" for a drillpress, dated last Nov. to cash in.

I'm also hoping for a few weeks of nights to plan out some great projects - though I suspect with my recent (renewed) interest in the pages of Make magazine. that not all of my projects will be entirely wooden
I also have 5 "pay it forward" gifts to crank out, and an overdue Christmas trade gift to make. - that, and a pair of overdue bowls for Karson takes care of one week!

Of course history shows that I'll probably get things up and working as needed, and I'll just spend the next 30 days putting off getting ready. So to that end, I won't intend to make and complete a project a day, but have a body of work of 30 projects started, and completed, in 30 days. Interestingly, the photographing and blogging was always the hardest part.

Anyhow, I've survived the move, and an eager to get back in creative business. Nothing like going from 0-60, (if not 120!) Well, wouldn't be a lumberjock otherwise

Stay tuned for details, photos and lots of sawdust!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilton-NH/Blanchard-Creative-Woodworking/32878627365?ref=sgm

Click to expand...

scottb said:

obligation blogging

is not much fun. Nor, is obligation anything - even woodworking.

OK, so I was ITCHING to get this next challenge going when time was free, though temperatures and overall shop readiness just did not permit… So I gave myself the option of April, or June as a fall back. April saw the shop almost ready, but time was fleeting.

Last June we had at least 40 days of rain, so shoptime was easily found. This June is looking nicer, and time might be OK.

BUT…

One lesson I've learned from the previous months immersed in the shop was that, while I learned loads, the photographing and blogging took as much, if not nearly more effort than making the projects, and SADLY, the shop would then remain idle for a while afterwards, as I caught my breath, and caught up on things I'd been neglecting. Weeks or (gasp) months, depending on work, and life. You know how it is.

Having FINALLY gotten my new shop to 95% ready to go, I've decided to put it through it's paces SLOWLY and ENJOY my time there. Rather than dive in whole hog, and miss June as it passes by my dusty shop window, leaving me worn out, and desperate for a summer of beach and mountain time - only to get the woodworking bug back in time for the temperatures to plummet. Thereby driving me and my chattering teeth back into the house for a big bowl of homemade soup, pining for next spring when the sawdust can fly again.

Wait, did I just gloss over an entire year? Hmm, I've already been without a proper shop for months now, lets not give up any more time.

Methinks having a nice Summer and Fall to make sawdust, and give a whole new shape and life to that pile of wood that moved across town with me sounds a lot better than a 30 day sprint. I'll be a rainy day woodworker, at least for now.

So to that end, I'll be making my third (and perhaps final - cause things happen in threes) round of 30 in 30 this coming November - a last minute rush of projects, before I retire my energies for the Holidays. Hopefully a nice slew of Christmas presents to give, or sell (to further finance my turning habit). Then, I might as well take a break when the world wants me to, right?

For now, I've got a toybox to put the finishing touches on (well, just the finish), and I've started laying out a puzzle and perhaps another box. The sawdust will still fly!

Click to expand...

scottb said:

obligation blogging

is not much fun. Nor, is obligation anything - even woodworking.

OK, so I was ITCHING to get this next challenge going when time was free, though temperatures and overall shop readiness just did not permit… So I gave myself the option of April, or June as a fall back. April saw the shop almost ready, but time was fleeting.

Last June we had at least 40 days of rain, so shoptime was easily found. This June is looking nicer, and time might be OK.

BUT…

One lesson I've learned from the previous months immersed in the shop was that, while I learned loads, the photographing and blogging took as much, if not nearly more effort than making the projects, and SADLY, the shop would then remain idle for a while afterwards, as I caught my breath, and caught up on things I'd been neglecting. Weeks or (gasp) months, depending on work, and life. You know how it is.

Having FINALLY gotten my new shop to 95% ready to go, I've decided to put it through it's paces SLOWLY and ENJOY my time there. Rather than dive in whole hog, and miss June as it passes by my dusty shop window, leaving me worn out, and desperate for a summer of beach and mountain time - only to get the woodworking bug back in time for the temperatures to plummet. Thereby driving me and my chattering teeth back into the house for a big bowl of homemade soup, pining for next spring when the sawdust can fly again.

Wait, did I just gloss over an entire year? Hmm, I've already been without a proper shop for months now, lets not give up any more time.

Methinks having a nice Summer and Fall to make sawdust, and give a whole new shape and life to that pile of wood that moved across town with me sounds a lot better than a 30 day sprint. I'll be a rainy day woodworker, at least for now.

So to that end, I'll be making my third (and perhaps final - cause things happen in threes) round of 30 in 30 this coming November - a last minute rush of projects, before I retire my energies for the Holidays. Hopefully a nice slew of Christmas presents to give, or sell (to further finance my turning habit). Then, I might as well take a break when the world wants me to, right?

For now, I've got a toybox to put the finishing touches on (well, just the finish), and I've started laying out a puzzle and perhaps another box. The sawdust will still fly!

Click to expand...

scottb said:

obligation blogging

is not much fun. Nor, is obligation anything - even woodworking.

OK, so I was ITCHING to get this next challenge going when time was free, though temperatures and overall shop readiness just did not permit… So I gave myself the option of April, or June as a fall back. April saw the shop almost ready, but time was fleeting.

Last June we had at least 40 days of rain, so shoptime was easily found. This June is looking nicer, and time might be OK.

BUT…

One lesson I've learned from the previous months immersed in the shop was that, while I learned loads, the photographing and blogging took as much, if not nearly more effort than making the projects, and SADLY, the shop would then remain idle for a while afterwards, as I caught my breath, and caught up on things I'd been neglecting. Weeks or (gasp) months, depending on work, and life. You know how it is.

Having FINALLY gotten my new shop to 95% ready to go, I've decided to put it through it's paces SLOWLY and ENJOY my time there. Rather than dive in whole hog, and miss June as it passes by my dusty shop window, leaving me worn out, and desperate for a summer of beach and mountain time - only to get the woodworking bug back in time for the temperatures to plummet. Thereby driving me and my chattering teeth back into the house for a big bowl of homemade soup, pining for next spring when the sawdust can fly again.

Wait, did I just gloss over an entire year? Hmm, I've already been without a proper shop for months now, lets not give up any more time.

Methinks having a nice Summer and Fall to make sawdust, and give a whole new shape and life to that pile of wood that moved across town with me sounds a lot better than a 30 day sprint. I'll be a rainy day woodworker, at least for now.

So to that end, I'll be making my third (and perhaps final - cause things happen in threes) round of 30 in 30 this coming November - a last minute rush of projects, before I retire my energies for the Holidays. Hopefully a nice slew of Christmas presents to give, or sell (to further finance my turning habit). Then, I might as well take a break when the world wants me to, right?

For now, I've got a toybox to put the finishing touches on (well, just the finish), and I've started laying out a puzzle and perhaps another box. The sawdust will still fly!

Click to expand...

scottb said:

obligation blogging

is not much fun. Nor, is obligation anything - even woodworking.

OK, so I was ITCHING to get this next challenge going when time was free, though temperatures and overall shop readiness just did not permit… So I gave myself the option of April, or June as a fall back. April saw the shop almost ready, but time was fleeting.

Last June we had at least 40 days of rain, so shoptime was easily found. This June is looking nicer, and time might be OK.

BUT…

One lesson I've learned from the previous months immersed in the shop was that, while I learned loads, the photographing and blogging took as much, if not nearly more effort than making the projects, and SADLY, the shop would then remain idle for a while afterwards, as I caught my breath, and caught up on things I'd been neglecting. Weeks or (gasp) months, depending on work, and life. You know how it is.

Having FINALLY gotten my new shop to 95% ready to go, I've decided to put it through it's paces SLOWLY and ENJOY my time there. Rather than dive in whole hog, and miss June as it passes by my dusty shop window, leaving me worn out, and desperate for a summer of beach and mountain time - only to get the woodworking bug back in time for the temperatures to plummet. Thereby driving me and my chattering teeth back into the house for a big bowl of homemade soup, pining for next spring when the sawdust can fly again.

Wait, did I just gloss over an entire year? Hmm, I've already been without a proper shop for months now, lets not give up any more time.

Methinks having a nice Summer and Fall to make sawdust, and give a whole new shape and life to that pile of wood that moved across town with me sounds a lot better than a 30 day sprint. I'll be a rainy day woodworker, at least for now.

So to that end, I'll be making my third (and perhaps final - cause things happen in threes) round of 30 in 30 this coming November - a last minute rush of projects, before I retire my energies for the Holidays. Hopefully a nice slew of Christmas presents to give, or sell (to further finance my turning habit). Then, I might as well take a break when the world wants me to, right?

For now, I've got a toybox to put the finishing touches on (well, just the finish), and I've started laying out a puzzle and perhaps another box. The sawdust will still fly!

Click to expand...

scottb said:

Make art everyday

or at least try to.

In the past I've taken a couple of stabs at turning out 30 projects in 30 days. My first attempt was the most ambitious, trying to churn out, not only a project a day for 30 days, but to make them also be a sellable one every day. In the end I created more than 30, and spent about as much time on the photographing and blogging as I did the actual work. Quite the busy month - perfect cover for my wife to catch me off guard with a surprise birthday party - one in which I sold several of said projects as Christmas presents.

Anyhow, I followed the success of that attempt, with another the following June. This time, not out to make something sellable every day for 30 days, just to make 30 projects within 30 days time. Again, the photographing and the blogging were the real time killers. This time, I had the company of 2 fellow Lumberjocks, joining me with their own 30 projects in 30 days challenge.

I know I learned loads, despite the pressure on myself. I got really good at sharpening my chisels (as most of my projects came off the lathe) as well as the photography aspect. It had been sooo many years since I'd lived in the highschool and college darkrooms.

There was to be a third attempt at 30 projects, but with moving the following November, that was not to be. Coupled with setting up a new shop, and a really cold garage shop at that, the April and June stabs were put on hold for want of getting things situated and running. Still need myself a new tablesaw. One that turns on 100% of the time, and turns off any amount of the times I throw the switch… but I digress.

This month (Yes not a 30 day month, but whatever) I'm getting back to the original spirit of the 30 projects in 30 days challenge - in where fellow artists of every stripe, painters, writers and so on - were merely challenging themselves to get out and PRACTICE their craft everyday for a month. (if you want to take a good picture, you have to burn through a roll of film.)

What with spending half a year without a working shop, I'm really itching to just get out there and do anything. I've got a notebook full of some creative ideas, but really should get back into the swing of things before attempting new and different things. I really should just get out there and make some sawdust with no agenda or end product in site, before another over the top attempt at 30 sellable projects in 30 days come Fall. Or even before attempting anything remotely planned out. Get into the groove, get a feel for things - or at least get the chisels all nice and sharp (and pick up some new toys while I'm at it)

Anyhow…

with little or no plan or agenda, here are the first 3 stabs at turning out something, or nothing this month.

July 3rd - 5th

Attempt at making a 7.5 inch plate or small platter:

Salvaged Cherry board, before.

Bottom of plate, with sister board. Cleans up really nice, don't you think?

Side/top view, mounted on lathe. Need to mount this on a glue block, buy or rig up some cole jaws to trim off that middle portion… OR… I could use this as the bottom level of a 2 or 3 tier candy/dessert rack. Yeah! Oh the fun of being able to run with design/project changes!

Attempt at a small maple bowl with a walnut stripe.

Profile of small bowl. approx 1.5 cup capacity.

Got a little tooo close to the bottom when trying to clean up the inside corners. well… it's surely neither a bowl or colander now. I imagine I can sand the bottom smooth, glue up another layer and still make something out of this… A notch in the original glued up blank forced me to make this bowl a bit smaller than I would have liked anyhow.

Apple vessel:


And finally, I had this chunk of applewood. A baseball sized, somewhat triangularish piece, cut from the intersection of three branches. Not good for much, with some cracks in it, but surely home to some fascinating grain.

Approx 2 3/4 inches across, 2 1/2 tall. Hole bored out with a 1 3/8 forstner bit and cleaned up with a scraper - that is some tough, hard wood inside. Outside sanded to 220 and finished - wood and bark - with Howards Orange oil and beeswax.

Click to expand...

scottb said:

Make art everyday

or at least try to.

In the past I've taken a couple of stabs at turning out 30 projects in 30 days. My first attempt was the most ambitious, trying to churn out, not only a project a day for 30 days, but to make them also be a sellable one every day. In the end I created more than 30, and spent about as much time on the photographing and blogging as I did the actual work. Quite the busy month - perfect cover for my wife to catch me off guard with a surprise birthday party - one in which I sold several of said projects as Christmas presents.

Anyhow, I followed the success of that attempt, with another the following June. This time, not out to make something sellable every day for 30 days, just to make 30 projects within 30 days time. Again, the photographing and the blogging were the real time killers. This time, I had the company of 2 fellow Lumberjocks, joining me with their own 30 projects in 30 days challenge.

I know I learned loads, despite the pressure on myself. I got really good at sharpening my chisels (as most of my projects came off the lathe) as well as the photography aspect. It had been sooo many years since I'd lived in the highschool and college darkrooms.

There was to be a third attempt at 30 projects, but with moving the following November, that was not to be. Coupled with setting up a new shop, and a really cold garage shop at that, the April and June stabs were put on hold for want of getting things situated and running. Still need myself a new tablesaw. One that turns on 100% of the time, and turns off any amount of the times I throw the switch… but I digress.

This month (Yes not a 30 day month, but whatever) I'm getting back to the original spirit of the 30 projects in 30 days challenge - in where fellow artists of every stripe, painters, writers and so on - were merely challenging themselves to get out and PRACTICE their craft everyday for a month. (if you want to take a good picture, you have to burn through a roll of film.)

What with spending half a year without a working shop, I'm really itching to just get out there and do anything. I've got a notebook full of some creative ideas, but really should get back into the swing of things before attempting new and different things. I really should just get out there and make some sawdust with no agenda or end product in site, before another over the top attempt at 30 sellable projects in 30 days come Fall. Or even before attempting anything remotely planned out. Get into the groove, get a feel for things - or at least get the chisels all nice and sharp (and pick up some new toys while I'm at it)

Anyhow…

with little or no plan or agenda, here are the first 3 stabs at turning out something, or nothing this month.

July 3rd - 5th

Attempt at making a 7.5 inch plate or small platter:

Salvaged Cherry board, before.

Bottom of plate, with sister board. Cleans up really nice, don't you think?

Side/top view, mounted on lathe. Need to mount this on a glue block, buy or rig up some cole jaws to trim off that middle portion… OR… I could use this as the bottom level of a 2 or 3 tier candy/dessert rack. Yeah! Oh the fun of being able to run with design/project changes!

Attempt at a small maple bowl with a walnut stripe.

Profile of small bowl. approx 1.5 cup capacity.

Got a little tooo close to the bottom when trying to clean up the inside corners. well… it's surely neither a bowl or colander now. I imagine I can sand the bottom smooth, glue up another layer and still make something out of this… A notch in the original glued up blank forced me to make this bowl a bit smaller than I would have liked anyhow.

Apple vessel:


And finally, I had this chunk of applewood. A baseball sized, somewhat triangularish piece, cut from the intersection of three branches. Not good for much, with some cracks in it, but surely home to some fascinating grain.

Approx 2 3/4 inches across, 2 1/2 tall. Hole bored out with a 1 3/8 forstner bit and cleaned up with a scraper - that is some tough, hard wood inside. Outside sanded to 220 and finished - wood and bark - with Howards Orange oil and beeswax.

Click to expand...

scottb said:

Make art everyday

or at least try to.

In the past I've taken a couple of stabs at turning out 30 projects in 30 days. My first attempt was the most ambitious, trying to churn out, not only a project a day for 30 days, but to make them also be a sellable one every day. In the end I created more than 30, and spent about as much time on the photographing and blogging as I did the actual work. Quite the busy month - perfect cover for my wife to catch me off guard with a surprise birthday party - one in which I sold several of said projects as Christmas presents.

Anyhow, I followed the success of that attempt, with another the following June. This time, not out to make something sellable every day for 30 days, just to make 30 projects within 30 days time. Again, the photographing and the blogging were the real time killers. This time, I had the company of 2 fellow Lumberjocks, joining me with their own 30 projects in 30 days challenge.

I know I learned loads, despite the pressure on myself. I got really good at sharpening my chisels (as most of my projects came off the lathe) as well as the photography aspect. It had been sooo many years since I'd lived in the highschool and college darkrooms.

There was to be a third attempt at 30 projects, but with moving the following November, that was not to be. Coupled with setting up a new shop, and a really cold garage shop at that, the April and June stabs were put on hold for want of getting things situated and running. Still need myself a new tablesaw. One that turns on 100% of the time, and turns off any amount of the times I throw the switch… but I digress.

This month (Yes not a 30 day month, but whatever) I'm getting back to the original spirit of the 30 projects in 30 days challenge - in where fellow artists of every stripe, painters, writers and so on - were merely challenging themselves to get out and PRACTICE their craft everyday for a month. (if you want to take a good picture, you have to burn through a roll of film.)

What with spending half a year without a working shop, I'm really itching to just get out there and do anything. I've got a notebook full of some creative ideas, but really should get back into the swing of things before attempting new and different things. I really should just get out there and make some sawdust with no agenda or end product in site, before another over the top attempt at 30 sellable projects in 30 days come Fall. Or even before attempting anything remotely planned out. Get into the groove, get a feel for things - or at least get the chisels all nice and sharp (and pick up some new toys while I'm at it)

Anyhow…

with little or no plan or agenda, here are the first 3 stabs at turning out something, or nothing this month.

July 3rd - 5th

Attempt at making a 7.5 inch plate or small platter:

Salvaged Cherry board, before.

Bottom of plate, with sister board. Cleans up really nice, don't you think?

Side/top view, mounted on lathe. Need to mount this on a glue block, buy or rig up some cole jaws to trim off that middle portion… OR… I could use this as the bottom level of a 2 or 3 tier candy/dessert rack. Yeah! Oh the fun of being able to run with design/project changes!

Attempt at a small maple bowl with a walnut stripe.

Profile of small bowl. approx 1.5 cup capacity.

Got a little tooo close to the bottom when trying to clean up the inside corners. well… it's surely neither a bowl or colander now. I imagine I can sand the bottom smooth, glue up another layer and still make something out of this… A notch in the original glued up blank forced me to make this bowl a bit smaller than I would have liked anyhow.

Apple vessel:


And finally, I had this chunk of applewood. A baseball sized, somewhat triangularish piece, cut from the intersection of three branches. Not good for much, with some cracks in it, but surely home to some fascinating grain.

Approx 2 3/4 inches across, 2 1/2 tall. Hole bored out with a 1 3/8 forstner bit and cleaned up with a scraper - that is some tough, hard wood inside. Outside sanded to 220 and finished - wood and bark - with Howards Orange oil and beeswax.

Click to expand...

scottb said:

Make art everyday

or at least try to.

In the past I've taken a couple of stabs at turning out 30 projects in 30 days. My first attempt was the most ambitious, trying to churn out, not only a project a day for 30 days, but to make them also be a sellable one every day. In the end I created more than 30, and spent about as much time on the photographing and blogging as I did the actual work. Quite the busy month - perfect cover for my wife to catch me off guard with a surprise birthday party - one in which I sold several of said projects as Christmas presents.

Anyhow, I followed the success of that attempt, with another the following June. This time, not out to make something sellable every day for 30 days, just to make 30 projects within 30 days time. Again, the photographing and the blogging were the real time killers. This time, I had the company of 2 fellow Lumberjocks, joining me with their own 30 projects in 30 days challenge.

I know I learned loads, despite the pressure on myself. I got really good at sharpening my chisels (as most of my projects came off the lathe) as well as the photography aspect. It had been sooo many years since I'd lived in the highschool and college darkrooms.

There was to be a third attempt at 30 projects, but with moving the following November, that was not to be. Coupled with setting up a new shop, and a really cold garage shop at that, the April and June stabs were put on hold for want of getting things situated and running. Still need myself a new tablesaw. One that turns on 100% of the time, and turns off any amount of the times I throw the switch… but I digress.

This month (Yes not a 30 day month, but whatever) I'm getting back to the original spirit of the 30 projects in 30 days challenge - in where fellow artists of every stripe, painters, writers and so on - were merely challenging themselves to get out and PRACTICE their craft everyday for a month. (if you want to take a good picture, you have to burn through a roll of film.)

What with spending half a year without a working shop, I'm really itching to just get out there and do anything. I've got a notebook full of some creative ideas, but really should get back into the swing of things before attempting new and different things. I really should just get out there and make some sawdust with no agenda or end product in site, before another over the top attempt at 30 sellable projects in 30 days come Fall. Or even before attempting anything remotely planned out. Get into the groove, get a feel for things - or at least get the chisels all nice and sharp (and pick up some new toys while I'm at it)

Anyhow…

with little or no plan or agenda, here are the first 3 stabs at turning out something, or nothing this month.

July 3rd - 5th

Attempt at making a 7.5 inch plate or small platter:

Salvaged Cherry board, before.

Bottom of plate, with sister board. Cleans up really nice, don't you think?

Side/top view, mounted on lathe. Need to mount this on a glue block, buy or rig up some cole jaws to trim off that middle portion… OR… I could use this as the bottom level of a 2 or 3 tier candy/dessert rack. Yeah! Oh the fun of being able to run with design/project changes!

Attempt at a small maple bowl with a walnut stripe.

Profile of small bowl. approx 1.5 cup capacity.

Got a little tooo close to the bottom when trying to clean up the inside corners. well… it's surely neither a bowl or colander now. I imagine I can sand the bottom smooth, glue up another layer and still make something out of this… A notch in the original glued up blank forced me to make this bowl a bit smaller than I would have liked anyhow.

Apple vessel:


And finally, I had this chunk of applewood. A baseball sized, somewhat triangularish piece, cut from the intersection of three branches. Not good for much, with some cracks in it, but surely home to some fascinating grain.

Approx 2 3/4 inches across, 2 1/2 tall. Hole bored out with a 1 3/8 forstner bit and cleaned up with a scraper - that is some tough, hard wood inside. Outside sanded to 220 and finished - wood and bark - with Howards Orange oil and beeswax.

Click to expand...

scottb said:

Off Center

I like asymmetry, and am particularly drawn to projects that do not appear to have been created on the lathe, and beg the question, "How did you turn that?"

These forms, are the result of experimenting with Therming. Turning one face of a piece at a time, around an axis that doesn't pass within the form. Thus creating a multi-sided, yet still turned piece. Bedposts are a classic example, with rounded sides, but a clear vertical edge line where the faces meet.

The two smaller pieces are duplicates, created at the same time, while sandwiched around a carrier board serving as the central axis. These three forms are all the result of one turning session at the lathe. The largest piece, the carrier board, is actually scrap (beautiful maple scrap), but shows how thick the boards all started out as.

These don't neccessarily serve any particular function and may continue to be experimented with. I was initially going for something fishy and ended up with this form. Something along the lines of an interstellar racer, perhaps. I quickly found the pieces losing mass as I went through the process of turning one face, detaching, flipping, remounting and turning the other side. Next time, I'l start with larger, if not longer boards. So much potential for interesting forms, bizarre chess pieces or the fanciest kindling you've ever seen.

Click to expand...

scottb said:

Unofficial? three-peat.

So here I am on Day 8 of what may, or may not be a run of thirty projects in 30 days. 30 new projects from scratch all started, and completed within the span of a month. This time, not limiting myself to a standard "30 day month" (April, June, November…) but just starting when I happened to begin, and will ride it out for as long as I can.

More to the point, I'm getting a new batch of salable projects ready for the gallery, plus a little backlog for the following shipment. ALSO doing what I can to get the shop cleaned up a bit. and in very little time devoted to that, I've already moved out a carload of well seasoned firewood to my sisters house (and came home with a new (to me) scroll saw!.. I also have a significantly cleaner space than I ever had in the past six months. Is that really floor space?! It's also nice to get out in the shop in defiance of the weather. Last year I just pretended the shop didn't exist… it worked for a while, then I got really antsy. So far, a radiant quartz heater, new sock liners for my boots, and layers of sweatshirts and fleece are keeping me perfectly comfortable.

The "week" so far, yes its a bunch of the same (but when the gallery sells stoppers, and asks for more. Well…










(is the "instant gratification" of the lathe ruining me for other projects?... well, I suppose I'll take what I can get when the days are short and the temps are very LOW. Still not cold enough yet to get me to throw in the towel!
But I am running low on stopper hardware. Something else will be on looming on the horizon very shortly!

Click to expand...

scottb said:

Unofficial? three-peat.

So here I am on Day 8 of what may, or may not be a run of thirty projects in 30 days. 30 new projects from scratch all started, and completed within the span of a month. This time, not limiting myself to a standard "30 day month" (April, June, November…) but just starting when I happened to begin, and will ride it out for as long as I can.

More to the point, I'm getting a new batch of salable projects ready for the gallery, plus a little backlog for the following shipment. ALSO doing what I can to get the shop cleaned up a bit. and in very little time devoted to that, I've already moved out a carload of well seasoned firewood to my sisters house (and came home with a new (to me) scroll saw!.. I also have a significantly cleaner space than I ever had in the past six months. Is that really floor space?! It's also nice to get out in the shop in defiance of the weather. Last year I just pretended the shop didn't exist… it worked for a while, then I got really antsy. So far, a radiant quartz heater, new sock liners for my boots, and layers of sweatshirts and fleece are keeping me perfectly comfortable.

The "week" so far, yes its a bunch of the same (but when the gallery sells stoppers, and asks for more. Well…










(is the "instant gratification" of the lathe ruining me for other projects?... well, I suppose I'll take what I can get when the days are short and the temps are very LOW. Still not cold enough yet to get me to throw in the towel!
But I am running low on stopper hardware. Something else will be on looming on the horizon very shortly!

Click to expand...