2016- The Year to reduce the woodpile.

[CHJ]

Great stuff Chas, I've been out in the old shed this weekend after not touching the lathe for a few weeks due to illness. Unfortunately got nothing to show for it apart from a couple of round blanks, ....

Glad you've managed some shed time, it's all good for the sole even if output is lacking, I spent an hour on another Yew bowl this morning that decided that I had not put enough CA in the cracks just as the finishing touches were being applied, initial frustration, but looked at as just a reinforcement of past lesson learnt it was not time wasted.

Must have spent at least 20 hrs this last week just sorting the stashed wood out and ferrying about 70% of it in the form of trimmings to the neighbours firewood pile* but overall a feeling of satisfaction when seeing the cleaned up stores.

* So much so that I came down to my last spare Sabrecut Bandsaw blade and had to give Ian a shout for some more.
How does that man do it, 7 blades made to order and delivered in 24hrs.

 

[Stiggy]

I have so much to do in my shed Chas - I've just been having fun and tinkering with my sharpening system...

...I need to make a decent storage area so I can make space and make my shed more accessible.

...Still, got a ruby wheel and set that up so my tools are a lot sharper than they were before - got my skew almost to the right shape/angles for me and spent a couple of hours playing with it, so all is good really

 

[CHJ]

The one that did not quite get away, the salvaged remains of yesterdays disaster.
Yew, 165mm dia.

 

[Dalboy]

Nice bowl Chas great that you managed a save on it.

 

[CHJ]

Lost 2/3rd's of it Derek, but better half said "why's that in the bin, there's still enough for a shallow bowl or something" so back on the spiny machine it went.

Got several dozen Yew blanks worth at about 12% that needs sorting but Yew Dust/shavings and I have a dodgy relationship at the moment so am having to ration the exposure, tried to move on to other species of stock from the same harvest of woodland thinning, holly, elm, cherry but they're still in the 20-30% area after two plus years and have been forced to wax up a days worth of blanks that were cut to reduce the bulk.

Got some strange stuff in another shed, Bean Tree from neighbours garden, three years and it's still above 35%, think I'm going to try rough turning to see if I can get away with drying it quicker, probably find it's been a complete waste of space knowing my luck.

 

[Dalboy]

Good luck with the drying. Not had any experience with bean tree but have managed to dry some wood in the airing cupboard(with the wife's permission) after rough turning with no splits and reduced it down to 6 months.
Is the problem with yew skin contact or inhaling problems the last seems to be the easier to solve I find.

I have been given loads of American white Oak, Beech, Tulipwood and Walnut so I may have a go at some segmanted pieces soon.

 

[CHJ]

..Is the problem with yew skin contact or inhaling problems the last seems to be the easier to solve I find....

Think it's mainly skin exposure, usually get away with it if I shower, but you know what it's like, no symptoms so you don't bother 4-5 hrs later you know you've made a mistake and "don't expect any sympathy".

Bandsaw'd a whole load the other day with crude extractor dumping any fine dust outside with no problems, emptied the lathe/shop extractor bin etc. next day, predominantly very fine dust, covered and masked with a good clearing wind blowing and had 12 hrs + agro.

Mind you one bad reaction bout I blamed Yew for about a month ago turned out to be more due to the CA glue exposure trying to hold it together, not careful enough with fumes and skin exposure it would seem.

 

[Dalboy]

Been down the CA route thinking that it is only one pen then knocks me out for a couple of days. I think that many a new turner get told enough about dust masks but not told about skin contact with things like the dust.

Hope all it cleared up now

Sorry did not mean to hi-jack your thread Chas

 

[CHJ]

That's not a problem Derek. How else are we going to expand on knowledge and experience other than having a natter about problems.

 

[CHJ]

More shed sorting and 'too good to sling' stock moved around and the resultant "must find a better way to store those" has resulted in the use of some 'TGTS' MDF offcuts being glued together, some spare Cupboard Castors finding a home and an oddment of paint getting used up out of the tin.

When the current rain downpour stops we'll see if it slides into the intended under-bench slot/gap that just gathers rubbish at the moment. Rather overkill for something that could just be clipped between a few pegs a-la Doug B's example ? (I think), but a high proportion of glass in the shed construction means there is a distinct lack of wall space for locating stuff.

 

[Dalboy]

A handy little project for those unused places. Looks like you can use the separating pegs for more hanging space. Is it a double sided rolling unit.

 

[CHJ]

Just single sided Derek, only had a 115mm gap to utilise, does compromise the stability.
It really needs something in the base with a bit of weight to improve things on that front, just weighing up if I've got anything in the way of jigs or tooling that will serve the purpose or just to use the bottom tray area to hold some of my short metal bar stock bits.

 

[CHJ]

The usual Glastonbury weather prompted a couple of shed hours this morning, much of a muchness, shapes dictated by the wood cracks, or more correctly the lack of them.
I'm loosing patience with trying to salvage the awkward bits, I'm afraid and a higher percentage is ending up as firewood.

Yew, 166mm dia.

Yew, 169mm dia.

 

[Dalboy]

Two well turned pieces Chas, I like the shape of the second best and also the leaving in of the inclusion to me it just adds character to the piece.

 

[CHJ]

More of the mundane, so many other tasks and projects around this time of year it's hard to find time for a few bits for the collection.

Yew, 170mm dia.

Yew, 118mm dia.

 

[CHJ]

Yesterdays offering.

Yew, 163mm dia.

This mornings visit to the shop.

Yew, 184mm dia.

Just been informed that another one is required for early tomorrow and tea will be later today so plenty of time :roll:

 

[Dalboy]

There is you reducing the woodpile and I am expanding mine. Some nice pieces I especially like the second the only thing for me personally is the foot is a little to tall.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Now you've made all that space Chas, you ought to get logging

 

[NazNomad]

That Yew has some mad grain in it... Gorgeous pieces.

 

[CHJ]

I'm positively avoiding collecting too much stuff at the moment Derek, despite some recent temptations.
Yes the foot does look a little high in the images, not so bad in the flesh and normal viewing perspective, always at a loss as to whether I minimalize a foot or extend it to a chalice proportions, sometimes the halfway house that emerges looks OK, other times....


Got a long way to go yet Bob before I go looking for more I've hardly made a dent in what I've got.
Expect the recipient of most of these pieces will have me making a judgment call again on woodland trimmings this coming winter, determined to be a bit more selective from now on, 3-4 years stocking and handling is a chore I could happily do without these days.

Anyway got the other one requested this morning blanked up and turned:-

Yew, 185mm dia.

Think I ought to have made some investments in CA manufacturing stocks.