More wood

I have been playing with Wood again this week,  well for some of the time.  The first picture shows a simple small clock face mounted in a piece of scrap Oak (Quercus Robur).  The clock face is only about 1.5 inches diameter, and the dark perimeter is actually dark blue.

I was going to mount it in a piece of Elm Burr  (Ulmus spp) but that particular wood becomes too dark to show off the watch to its best, especially when it is oiled or varnished.

I really must improve the photography skill, as also the Oak is cut in the form of a parallelogram...that doesn't show too well.

The piece below is a 'Vase' turned from a log of knotty and wormy cherry (Prunus avium)

I turned this for a competition at the wood turning club I attend.  Pendle Wood turners and carvers. and I won 1st prize in the 'Improvers' class.  Its the second or third time I have won in the class this year, so I will have to move up to the 'Experienced' class next year, and struggle against the more arty and skilled club members.

Just for reference, it is about 5 or 6 inches tall and 3 to 4 inches diameter.

Well must get an early night as I am driving to Dunoon in the morning.  Night Night all.

Arms Dealer

I've had the brass shell case in my shed for as long as I can remember,  thought I would clean it up and see if any collectors wanted it, so I put it on e-bay.

Within 30 minutes, e-bay removed it from their web site and sent me a very nice e-mail telling me I had contravened their rules...I quote..."After reviewing your eBay account, it appears that you have violated eBay’s Ammunition policy. We realize you may not have been aware of this policy, or that this may have been a simple oversight, but unfortunately, we had to take the following actions:

- Violating listings have been removed."

It's a used 1942 40mm shell casing, with dings all over it...surely it can't be reused?

Ah well,  I won't be bothering trying to sell the H Bomb I've been storing in the garage.

Zakynthos

Well,  I keep promising to update this blog more frequently....doesn't seem to happen so I will try again.  Just returned from holiday in Zakynthos.  That is one of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.  It is just to the south of Kephalonia,  which itself is just south of Corfu.

This has been our first holiday outside school holiday time for more years than I care to remember, but as 'She who must be obeyed' has now retired from teaching, we took advantage of the slightly cheaper prices.

We sort of expected slightly cooler weather as well, it being in September...we were wrong on that count,  32 / 33 degrees C most days, but I could get used to that.

I love Greece and the Greeks,  they are having a hard time at the moment with their economy being in the state it  is,  even the ex-Pats living out there are being hit by extra taxes everytime they close their eyes...I have a good friend who has lived in the South of Zante for 19 years,  although he is comfortable, he is a bit concerned about the constant rises in the cost of living.

Just a quick taster of one of the 200+ photos taken whilst away, and a promise that I will start posting here more frequently.

Carving

Started trying my hand at a bit of wood carving recently,mainly to try and enhance my wood-turning.  Here are two recent attempts at carving signs,  I already posted one for "Old School House" back in September,  that one one incised carving ie the letter cut into the wood.  The two below are relief carving which of course means that the letter are left proud and the background is carved away.

CAVE SENEX  means 'beware of the Old Man'  this is done in Mahogany (Swietenia Mahagoni)  actually a piece of the remnant of out old mantle shelf... It will probably finish up on the shed door as a warning!

This one is in Oak  (Quercus Robur)  I finished it by stippling the face of the letters with my Pyrography machine.  It is destined for horse's new stable, which is down a dark corridor, so the light doesn't show the lettering very well hence the pyro work. I'm quite pleased with both of those, but unless I can sell them for around £100 a time I don't think there is much profit in the hobby.

Happy New Year

Well it has been quite a busy time,  The appearances on Emmerdale and Claire Balding's quiz came and went without me getting a call from Steven Spielberg,  fame will have to wait.

I got 2nd prize at the Wood turning club's Christmas Competition with the 'Decorated Platter' shown below. It is an Oak (Quercus Robur) platter approx 7 inches diameter and decorated with a pyrographed image, although personally, I have no religion, the image proved popular with those who have seen it

Daniel Laurence King

On New Years Eve, Helen, our elder daughter presented us with our second grandson. Daniel Laurence King weighed in at 8lb 1oz, and he has the same haircut as me.  Both are doing well, and my pal Thomas is extremely pleased with his little brother.