corona virus projects any one?

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Jun 13, 2010
394
39
North Wales
I'm trying my hand at planting in containers. Mainly salad items and the like. Too many cats in the area for actual beds of veg. My daughter has potted some strawberries and they are in hanging baskets.
I have also just received a decent drill for my birthday, so I have lots of work to catch up on e.g hanging pictures, repairing the battens holding the curtain rail in the bedroom etc.
I also have a rusted felling axe head that I need to restore. It was given to me by my father in law. More information when I have it!
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,691
710
-------------
As the oak tabletop for my granddaughter is near enough done, it just needs the tiny pin holes filled in the lipping and Danish oiled so I've mostly just been playing about with handplanes today.

I have a Lervad beech bench top from a school that closed nearby, its got the usual scratched in pupils initials, random sawcuts and bits where the gormless little shites have been stabbing it with a compass.
Its got a few areas where the grain is reversing and a normal angle plane causes tearout so toothing plane it is. Oh and anyone who thinks I'm just mucking about now? Yup, I am.

Started out with the toothing plane, the bench top is in two sections which split so I've unbolted them so its nicer to move about.
This is both sides just set on top of my sawstools.
20200405-112811.jpg

One section including the tail vice set into it.
20200405-143919.jpg


Few mins later on, needs checked with winding sticks [just two bits of straight timber really) but looking a lot better. I'll never fully get rid of the scabbles cos some of them are too deep but as long as its good enough to work on I'm fine with it.
20200405-144632.jpg


Then this if what the shavings look like when its going with the grain, kind of stringy if I go across the grain its almost dust.
20200405-145041.jpg

This is the underside of one half.
20200405-143901.jpg


Then at some point I basically started messing about, mostly because its nice working off a decent bench top thats got bench dogs to hold the work steady.
I have a bit of birdeye maple flooring that I saved from the skip, its a right barsteward to plane as it tears out at the "eyes" so tried that.
Oh and I have a few bits of Lignum Vitae with wild grain. This stuff is one of the worlds densest woods and the grain goes all over the shop. Its defied all my other handplanes and the toothing plane does it nicely, it needs a go over with a scraper/scraper plane but its not getting the usual massive tearout.
Bit of Birdseye Maple held in place by the benchdogs.
20200405-112811.jpg

Bit closer.
20200405-112815.jpg


Basically I've just been looking around for something a toothing plane CAN'T manage, I very much doubt it will be good on endgrain which generally likes a far lower blade angle. I've got something else for that.

The toothing plane seems pretty good on whatever else I've tried it on though.
I'll have another final clean up on the bench top when I get to it but I'm blown away by my toothing plane.
 
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SaraR

Full Member
Mar 25, 2017
1,631
1,177
Ceredigion
Such a useful skill.
It's great for customising clothes etc, but it does take a lot of time. Great for keeping your hands busy while watching the news, if a simple pattern, or, alternatively, keep your mind off everything else if it's a complicated pattern.
 

mr dazzler

Native
Aug 28, 2004
1,722
83
uk
in the last week or 10 days I've made some felt and used it to make 3or4 drum beaters. Needling felt to adjust it is awesome, you can make it softer or denser and it affects the sound of the drum in different ways. Apart from that I've made "another" largish knife from a scrap of billhook steel, and a smaller finer one with a polar blade, plus sheaths for them. Remade a sheath for another knife I wasnt happy with....Also 3 or 4 blade guards for my elbow adzes, 2 curved sheaths for 2 large bent knives (that was an interesting challenge). Finished converting a 2 1/2 pound kent axe into a carving axe, plus made a sheath for it. Cleaned up scraped/sanded/oil finished my hultafors axe. Then I've tarted up my roselli axe. It was rehandled years ago but was a tad thick so altered that slightly, made a spare sheath for that too. I made some wood finish (mix of THICK danish oil/beeswax/briwax/genuine turpentine) and used it on a stack of tool handles, WASHED my knife tool roll LOL when I poured water into each pocket loads of alder and birch chips floated out..I never realised how grubby and grimy that thing was! I burnt my trousers a while back, thin russian ones dont stand up to angle grinding (the sparks make them melt and smoulder) so this afternoon I repatched them with knee pads made of swiss camo offcuts, nice contrast of russian digital and swiss "pizza". I stitched them by hand and must have stabbed myself 20 times at least. But anyway I been busy
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
It's great for customising clothes etc, but it does take a lot of time. Great for keeping your hands busy while watching the news, if a simple pattern, or, alternatively, keep your mind off everything else if it's a complicated pattern.

I don't think the importance of the time craftwork takes is appreciated enough. Until this situation occurred, I never seemed to have much spare time, it is precious to me. Some people play computer games with the time they have spare, but that just feels like a way to pass time to me, what does it achieve? What does it produce?

Craftwork usually creates something. You are left with a result of your labours that you can look at and remember how you used that precious time.

Life is far too short and our time should not be wasted.
 

SaraR

Full Member
Mar 25, 2017
1,631
1,177
Ceredigion
I don't think the importance of the time craftwork takes is appreciated enough. Until this situation occurred, I never seemed to have much spare time, it is precious to me. Some people play computer games with the time they have spare, but that just feels like a way to pass time to me, what does it achieve? What does it produce?

Craftwork usually creates something. You are left with a result of your labours that you can look at and remember how you used that precious time.

Life is far too short and our time should not be wasted.
No it isn't and that's why people generally aren't willing to pay (enough) for handcrafted items.

I tend to buy indie-dyed yarn and even though it can seem very expensive compared to commercial yarn, I still get months of enjoyment making something with it and then years of enjoyment wearing/using them.

I don't normally have that much time for knitting and my hands can only take so much at a time, so it seemingly takes for ever to finish things. But then a single sock knitted in fingering/4ply is about 13,000 stitches!
 
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Wayland

Hárbarðr
No it isn't and that's why people generally aren't willing to pay (enough) for handcrafted items.

I tend to buy indie-dyed yarn and even though it can seem very expensive compared to commercial yarn, I still get months of enjoyment making something with it and then years of enjoyment wearing/using them.

I don't normally have that much time for knitting and my hands can only take so much at a time, so it seemingly takes for ever to finish things. But then a single sock knitted in fingering/4ply is about 13,000 stitches!

People have been lamenting the slow death of craftsman-( and woman)-ship since the industrial revolution. Just think of Morris with his Arts and Crafts movement for example.

We live in an age where hands are more productive on keyboards than handling tools. People expect instant results at peppercorn prices and what they receive is rubbish as a result.

I tried making a living through crafts and nearly starved, so I turned to teaching instead. Now, with this lot going on, it looks like I'd better tighten my belt again.
 

SaraR

Full Member
Mar 25, 2017
1,631
1,177
Ceredigion
Luckily the second larger sock fits DH perfectly, so now I can frog (rip out) the first one and reknit that one. Thankfully it's DK yarn so not as painful as if it had been 4ply.
 
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C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,353
2,363
Bedfordshire
Quite a few projects, mostly not very bushcrafty.

First a couple of custom shelf things made of 19mm birch ply, one to support a new monitor with room for a laptop tucked underneath, monitor borrowed from work in order to work from home, and one to support my speaker, displaced from the table now occupied by the monitor. Was going to try box jointing, but as I don't have a jig, ended up just hand planing edges very straight and square, then screwing sides to tops.

Then there was the bracket to hold a mirror on the back of the bathroom door, to give me a fighting chance at cutting my own hair.
IMG_4392.JPG

IMG_4393.JPGIMG_4396.JPG

Then there was the discovery that the clippers that I bought years ago, and have never used, were broken internally, had a part rattling loose inside and wouldn't cut. With clippers in such short supply, I decided to have a go at fixing it if I could. First job, grind a drive bit to remove the three security screws sitting too deep for standard hex bits to reach. Then make a replacement for the broken plastic moulding that held the double spring that held the moving blade in place. Talk about a royal PITA. Hope my polycarbonate is stronger than their nylon. If it works for a couple of cuts it will be worth it. It does work now, so its just longevity I have to worry about.

IMG_4412.JPGIMG_4413.JPG

A couple of DIY tarps made of Silpoly from Ripstopbytheroll. One catenary cut hex in 1.0oz and a slightly cat cut with doors in 1.6oz. The latter of which I find I have no decent photos. The hex packs down nice and small. Haven't weighed it yet, but I am happy with it. Took long enough figuring how to do the edge seams and they are not as neat as I would like. Anyone who tells you that you don't need to use grosgrain on the edges of tarps, just use a rolled hem, is most likely NOT talking about hex tarps. Without the ribbon there was miles too much stretch on the bias edges and they just flopped about in the wind, not a taut pitch at all. Went back and used 15-16mm ribbon, folded to over sew the existing rolled hem, and got the taut edges I wanted.

IMG_4367.JPG
IMG_4372.JPG
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
I'm having no problem at all staying as busy as I like. One more merit in retirement.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, there are 3 different kinds of poles.
1. Totem poles. The totems are your family heritage.
Read from the bottom up, the pole stands in front of your house and faces the water.
2. Mortuary poles. Kind of like head stones, they describe who you were.
3. Story poles. As the name suggests, they can describe an adventure or historical event.
Maybe a description of an event in nature. Everybody can carve these things.

I have several story poles on the bench. One will describe the life of a frog, from egg through tadpole to adult.
I'm up to the adult frog at present.

Another will be the life of a butterfly, from eggs through caterpillars then the cocoon then the emergent butterfly.
I'm doing a pair. Very tedious, more o than I expected.
The post was 5" x 5" x 64" clear, straight-grained split western red cedar.
I had to round it off with adzes and a draw knife. Then add the drawings, now the rough out.
Eggs are next after I get the caterpillar bodies rounded off. 5 sizes, I can't remember how many there are.

STORY C.JPGSTORY H.jpg
 
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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,446
3,650
50
Exeter
Quite a few projects, mostly not very bushcrafty.

First a couple of custom shelf things made of 19mm birch ply, one to support a new monitor with room for a laptop tucked underneath, monitor borrowed from work in order to work from home, and one to support my speaker, displaced from the table now occupied by the monitor. Was going to try box jointing, but as I don't have a jig, ended up just hand planing edges very straight and square, then screwing sides to tops.

Then there was the bracket to hold a mirror on the back of the bathroom door, to give me a fighting chance at cutting my own hair.
View attachment 58178

View attachment 58176View attachment 58177

Then there was the discovery that the clippers that I bought years ago, and have never used, were broken internally, had a part rattling loose inside and wouldn't cut. With clippers in such short supply, I decided to have a go at fixing it if I could. First job, grind a drive bit to remove the three security screws sitting too deep for standard hex bits to reach. Then make a replacement for the broken plastic moulding that held the double spring that held the moving blade in place. Talk about a royal PITA. Hope my polycarbonate is stronger than their nylon. If it works for a couple of cuts it will be worth it. It does work now, so its just longevity I have to worry about.

View attachment 58179View attachment 58180

A couple of DIY tarps made of Silpoly from Ripstopbytheroll. One catenary cut hex in 1.0oz and a slightly cat cut with doors in 1.6oz. The latter of which I find I have no decent photos. The hex packs down nice and small. Haven't weighed it yet, but I am happy with it. Took long enough figuring how to do the edge seams and they are not as neat as I would like. Anyone who tells you that you don't need to use grosgrain on the edges of tarps, just use a rolled hem, is most likely NOT talking about hex tarps. Without the ribbon there was miles too much stretch on the bias edges and they just flopped about in the wind, not a taut pitch at all. Went back and used 15-16mm ribbon, folded to over sew the existing rolled hem, and got the taut edges I wanted.

View attachment 58181
View attachment 58183


All amazing work- especially the carpentry !!
 

Kerne

Maker
Dec 16, 2007
1,766
21
Gloucestershire
A sailing mate of mine gave me an old sail from a Laser dinghy and it's been lying around for ages. Decided that I ought to do something with it and came up with this:

Sailbag.jpg

Put a sneaky little pocket in the weather lid:
Sailbag inner.jpg

Got loads of sail left so I think I'll have a go at another one - got some modifications I'd like to include to improve the basic design. Also might try my hand at some sailcloth buckets and a holdall/seabag. Plenty of time on my hands...
 
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Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
27,800
2,892
62
~Hemel Hempstead~
Finally completed this small belt pouch after three years of picking it up and putting it down at various meets and camps.
1f642.png


Just need to find some antler tine beads to finish it off. If anyone knows of a supplier please let me know

94219321_10157408055573152_5688594092317999104_n.jpg
94220686_10157408057138152_6321337723860811776_n.jpg


I also decided to make this mask for a laugh, it might come out at the Naughty Corner Steampunk night at the Bushmoot. There's been a couple suggestions from friends that I might have to bring a bottle of chianti and some fava beans with me... :rofl:
20200419-144816.jpg
20200419-144752.jpg
 
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Jun 13, 2010
394
39
North Wales
Helping my 10 year old daughter build a stone/block raised bed in the garden. She is proud of our ugly thing. We will be doing 'hugelkultur' method. Need to figure out a way of keeping the neighbours cats off it though. Need some netting or chicken wire.
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
Boreal-Bag-I.jpg


You may remember I decorated a bowl and kuksa recently for a winter trip to Finnish Sápmi that I am planning with friends. I chose a Sámi mythological theme for them using traditional symbols from their Noaidi Drums in keeping with the Arctic destination.

I wanted a nice bag to carry them in, not just to protect them in packing but also to store them safely around camp. The most practical way to do the latter is often to be able to hang it from a line in the shelter.

I had a small amount of Sámi made, birch tanned reindeer leather left over from some other jobs. Working with this material, with it's distinctive aroma, always evokes memories of my time up at Lofotr in the Summer. A wonderful time spent in the land of the Midnight Sun. I obtained the hides from the Winter Market in Jokkmokk, another destination up north of the Arctic Circle.

It seems therefore the most appropriate material I could possibly use to make the bag I wanted for my Saivo Bowl and Firefox Kuksa.

Boreal-Bag-II.jpg


Many cultures believe that there is a "right" way to do things and a "proper time" to do them as well. The concept is often translated simply as "auspicious" but it is more complicated than that. The Inuit say for example that it is about showing correct and proper respect to the spirits and ancestors.

For me at least, yesterday, as the planet revolved again and completed it's 56th orbit of the sun since I came kicking and screaming into this world, just felt like the perfect time to be making this bag.
 
Boreal-Bag-I.jpg


You may remember I decorated a bowl and kuksa recently for a winter trip to Finnish Sápmi that I am planning with friends. I chose a Sámi mythological theme for them using traditional symbols from their Noaidi Drums in keeping with the Arctic destination.

I wanted a nice bag to carry them in, not just to protect them in packing but also to store them safely around camp. The most practical way to do the latter is often to be able to hang it from a line in the shelter.

I had a small amount of Sámi made, birch tanned reindeer leather left over from some other jobs. Working with this material, with it's distinctive aroma, always evokes memories of my time up at Lofotr in the Summer. A wonderful time spent in the land of the Midnight Sun. I obtained the hides from the Winter Market in Jokkmokk, another destination up north of the Arctic Circle.

It seems therefore the most appropriate material I could possibly use to make the bag I wanted for my Saivo Bowl and Firefox Kuksa.

Boreal-Bag-II.jpg


Many cultures believe that there is a "right" way to do things and a "proper time" to do them as well. The concept is often translated simply as "auspicious" but it is more complicated than that. The Inuit say for example that it is about showing correct and proper respect to the spirits and ancestors.

For me at least, yesterday, as the planet revolved again and completed it's 56th orbit of the sun since I came kicking and screaming into this world, just felt like the perfect time to be making this bag.
I just love these, such amazing craftsmanship.

If you want some thing new to do have a look at Sami shamanic burl drums.
 

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