The triangle of my hobbies

 Was talking to a co-worker, who was intrigued that I had so many hobbies.  In explaining my pattern of hobbies to him, I realized that there's a "triangle" relationship to all of my major hobbies (writing and recording songs; hand tool woodworking; filmmaking).

I'm not going to draw out a diagram, so:  imagine a triangle, with the bottom left vertex being "creativity", the bottom right being "logic", and the top of the triangle being "technical".  Extend a line outwards from each of these three corners:  to "creativity" add "self-expression"; to "logic" add "problem-solving"; and to "technical" add "gear".

All of my major hobbies are an intersection of left-brain and right-brain activities (logic vs creativity), and all involve technical mastery of skills (e.g. playing an instrument; using woodworking hand tools).

The creative aspects manifest themselves in self-expression (emotions and ideas in the songwriting; storytelling through the filmmaking; and various physical forms (and creative decisions about shape, color, and general look and style for the woodworking.

Problem-solving occurs in songwriting (choosing the right notes that fit as a whole); filmmaking (various technical challenges, especially with my limited resources); and woodworking (creating something that's structurally sound and meets the needs, while using often "scavenged" materials).

Finally, all of these hobbies can be performed with a fairly basic set of tools -- but I tend to enjoy the gear (inexpensive, quirky stuff -- not the fancy expensive stuff) as well.  :)

So:  that's a diagnostic summary of (apparently) why my main hobbies are, indeed, my main hobbies -- and why other things (e.g. martial arts) have -- for now -- fallen by the wayside. 

--GG

 

What is the up?

 Huh!  Apparently I started my blog in April of 2006.  I've drifted away a bit -- but every once in a while I'll throw something online.  I don't do Facebook or Twitter or whatever is the popular social media platform:  I'm more "long form".

My last post -- back in October -- mentioned that I was "drifty".  Still am -- but getting better.  Watching more YouTube than I ought to -- but, it amuses me.  Still -- I ought to try to squeeze in something else between the time I get home from work and the time I go to bed.

Discovered Reddit about a month ago.  Dabbled in a few forums, but have settled on the filmmaking, cinematography, 8mm (film), and Super 8 forums.  I read the entries that sound interesting, comment on a few, and learn things I didn't know.  :) 

Am getting more into filmmaking these last few months, and am drifting away from woodworking and music:  haven't touched my guitar in months (but keep meaning top); haven't listened to LPs in perhaps a month (could do it tonight -- but really need to get back into a "nine to five" sleep cycle:  have been staying up 'til 2am-3am for the last week (most office workers in AU have Christmas through New Year's off).  

Spent my Christmas and birthday money on camera lenses and.... a smoke machine!!!  :)   Am editing the footage for my test/demo of the smoke machine, and one of the lenses, and am hoping to post them to YouTube in the next week or so.  Have already posted my "wide angle lens" comparison (nothing fancy; just something potentially useful for other beginners to reference:

 

I have eighteen (!!! - whoops!) micro-shorts where I've shot the footage, just need to edit, or add sound to the edit.  "Adding sound" is kind of the sticking point, as I don't currently have a good set-up for recording audio.  "Tidying my 'home office' space" is somewhere on my "To Do" list.

Lots of backlog -- but, I guess I won't be bored.  The backlog includes an edit I was doing for a video short of my kids, for my parents' birthday -- about half a year ago (whoops, also).  The edit has to be accurate within a frame or two -- but the software is getting laggy (I think due to saving all of the previous edits), such that it's hard to briskly scroll to to exact edit point -- so the work becomes tedious, and I abandon it.  I had planned to work on it during this week off -- but instead I ran errands, had a head cold, spent time with family, and shot test footage of my various film purchases -- not necessarily in that order.  :) 

Broadly, though:  things are going well, and I'm in a good place.  We'll see how 2022 turns out.  :) 

--GG

Woodturning is great

I was e-mailing Old Roomate, in response to one of his comments on my "lathe work" item on my "To Do" list, about how I really like lathe work.

Wood turning is  similar to mowing the lawn after it's starting to get shaggy, in that the sense of progress is obvious, through the contrast of what you've cut off, versus what's left behind.  

And unlike throwing pots (on a potter's wheel) -- which tends to be limited to liquid-holding or food-holding items (cups, jugs, bowls), due to clay's waterproof but not terribly strong nature -- wood-turning lets you make all sorts of useful things:  chair legs, ends of stair rails, cylinders, cones....

After a few minutes, the ground is covered with shavings -- and the chunk of wood that you had  loaded into the lathe has now become a recognizable "thing" -- a tool handle, perhaps.

 

Anyhow:  I like it.  :) 

 

Which means:  I should do more of it.

--GG

Vacation ambitions

In Australia a lot of office workers get the week between Christmas and New Year's off.  In addition to this, I took a few weeks off afterwards. 

As usual, I have a whole list of things -- about 85 -- that I'd like to get done during my vacation.  Clearly, I won't get all of them done -- so unlike my usual vacations where I don't make a list, or I only make a vague list, I've done a "brain dump" of various tasks that have been hanging around; I then put them into a spreadsheet (which I've added to as I think of new items), and classified them in terms of priority, whether it's for me or for the family/household, whether it's for fun or a duty/responsibility, whether doing the task frees up a bottleneck for other tasks, whether this task has any dependencies (i.e. I need to do something else on the list before I tackle this item), approximately how many days the item will take (ranging from "0.1" to "6 days"), and whether it needs pre-planning because it has many "stopping points" (e.g. need to let glue, or paint, dry overnight) and thus I can't crank it out on my final day of vacation.

I also noted which of these are best suited to a few weeks of vacation, rather than being a "weekend" project:  these would be things that require momentum, and/or where I tear something apart and it's totally in the way -- and then I put it back together the right way.

And then, as my vacation progresses, I can filter on un-completed tasks, as well as other characteristics (e.g. priority; how long they will take).

I've included some "easy wins" (e.g. "trim my beard!"), so that I can rack up accomplishments during my vacation:  inevitably I end up disappointed at the end of a vacation because I haven't accomplished all the things I wanted to -- so this is a way of recognizing all the things I did manage to do.

In no particular order...

1. Mow yard (fairly completely)
2. Clean up fallen shelves area
3. Cut coardboard for Harry Belefonte LP
4. Gmpa T audio
5. Test and install UPS (power supply box)
6. Tidy the music rack behind the door
7. Test SM58 for resistance to wind
8. Repair cables (mine; church’s)
9. Test USB drawing pad
10. Go through porch boxes
11. Catch up on laundry
12. Book electrician for solar panel
13. B/U HD’s (incl. One at M&D’s)
14. Other clothing repairs
15. Clean out work bag
16. Tidy neckties
17. Clean off bench end of porch
18. Visit D. Bretz
19. Edit blue timestreams video (incl. Color correcting and audio track)
20. Exercise
21. Edit park bench hat-adjust video
22. Finish adze knob
23. Put chopping block on legs
24. Make axe handle for re-rusted axe head
25. De-rust misc. tools
26. Bat signal
27. Roald Dahl instrument
28. De-rust small ball pien hammer
29. Lathe the vampire stakes
30. Lathe tool rack/box
31. Repair wooden chair leg
32. Repair wooden table leg
33. Suitcase drum kit
34. Adze handle for addt’l adze
35. Finish drainfield box
36. Write and record Max dancing song
37. Healer woman song
38. Build lathe shed
39. Suggest getting windjammer/dead cat for SM57 (but first test SM58 wind resistance)
40. Contact Rob on Gumtree for old PC parts (ask if he’d take CRT monitors) (also the giant tower)
41. Clean out (and re-stock) back of car/car boot
42. Sorry, buddy Timmy video
43. PVC frame
44. Repair M&D bench
45. Bretz steps
46. Finish prepping the wood in the water-filled wheelie bin (to make a chair)
47. Uncover drainfield hatch near wattle roots
48. Lay out boundary line
49. Clear off kitchen table (and floor)
50. Edit Max dancing video
51. Healer woman video
52. Lathe those angels
53. Lay tiles around the garden edge
54. Set up recording area
55. Build lumber shed
56. Repair fallen shelves
57. Instructional video for PVC frame
58. Ronin video
59. Make chair from wood
60. Test anti-feedback EQ
61. Test Inkel mixer
62. Drop off used books
63. Give old computer stuff to the hobby guy
64. Go through addt’l used books
65. Log items
66. Bottle recycling
67. Repair soft toys
68. Video chat w/ D #1
69. Video chat w/ D #2
70. Transplant plants to down lower
71. Clean out misc. plant area
72. Get BroDave firewood for black plastic sheet - DONE
    
73. Hand-mow dog yard - DONE
    
74. Finish cleaning out CB’s office (incl. Stationary cupboard)
75. Clean out kitchen
76. Learn my camera
77. Trim beard - TONIGHT
    
78. Repair/change brake light bulbs in white car
79. Finish small two-peg coat peg
80. Slab four pieces of wood from blue bucket
81. Sharpen long ripsaw
82. Sharpen regular ripsaw
83. De-rust and repair mattock

A lot of these are 0.1-day or 0.2-day items -- i.e. it'll take me a half hour or an hour.  Others are modular, such as "Going through the boxes on the porch", where even if I don't finish the entire task, I'll still have made quantifiable progress.

Another consideration is that I need to decide whether to accomplish one or two of my larger-scale projects (which would take a week or a week and a half) -- or rather to stick to small and mid-sized tasks (i.e. 2-3 days max).  One consideration is that it's summer, here in Australia -- so the longer tasks tend to be labor-intensive yardwork (e.g. building a stand-alone shed for my extra wood) is better suited for a cooler season.

--GG

Chair from a branch

There's a book out there by J. Alexander called Make a Chair from a Tree -- and I guess that's what I'm doing (incrementally) -- although I'm making it from a fallen branch, and the chair will look different from what they show in the book (and in fact, I'm taking a different approach from my understanding of what they teach in the book).

In mid-December a branch blew down in a storm.  It fell onto another tree:  luckily, there was no major damage to the other tree:  it only lost a small-ish branch.

The tree that lost a branch was a "volunteer":  we didn't plant it -- it grew by itself -- which is why it's so close to the "intentional" tree.

It's hard to tell the scale of the tree branch, but the base of the branch is -- well, a little smaller than my thigh.  That doesn't help you a whole lot -- but it gives you an approximate sense of scale (e.g. smaller than my torso; larger than my calf).

I salvaged most of the section that I outlined in red, and cut it into lengths that were as long as I could make them and still have that section of wood be reasonably straight.

I ended up with this (by the time I thought to take the picture, there are additional pieces that I've already rough-processed). 

The wood with the rough bark is wattle:  it's not a "lumber" tree because it doesn't grow big enough -- but it has a nice color (pink, which dries to brown, for the heartwood; a creamy yellow for the sapwood).  The longer, narrower pieces to the lower left are lagerstromia, which is the other tree that the large branch fell on.

My aim is to make a rustic-looking stick chair, using only the wood I've salvaged from these two fallen branches. I'm thinking something along the lines of this:

(Source:  A Lost Art Press blog entry)

I've been working on this project most weekends since I salvaged the tree branches on the 22nd of December.  But because I don't want the branches to dry out before I've split them (thus "freeing" the core, so that when they dry, and thus shrink, they're less likely to split and crack -- because the wood has "somewhere to go" rather than having tension encircling the core).  I've kept the wood that I haven't yet processed in a garbage can of water:  this keeps them wet until I have a chance to get to them.

My basic approach is to vaguely shape them with my hewing hatchet (check out all the chips of wood on the ground!!!, so that the billets (pieces of wood) are a little less asymmetrical when I put them on the lathe... 

...and then I turn them on my lathe... 

Until they look like this: 

The photo shows three of the pieces that will eventually become chair legs. As mentioned above, at the moment I'm just rough-turning them:  then I'll let they dry for a year or two, and then finish turning them.  The narrower pieces of wood, including the lagerstromia pieces, will be the spindles.  And I'll split the larger-diameter -- but shorter -- pieces into slabs, which will become the armrests and the seat.

I'm planning to make all the legs, and spindles, intentionally different:  it's more interesting that way.  Once I have all the pieces in their final shape (in about two years; see below), I'll lay them out and decide which ones would look best in which location -- e.g. the front legs should probably be thicker than the back legs.


The chair back will be made out of a branch that looked like this...

 ...and then I chopped the stub off, so that a curved section remained.

Then I used my hewing hatchet to rough-shape the rest of it, into an approximate seat-back shape:

And then:

 (The red flower pots are just there to hold it up, for the photo.)


In another few weekends, I'll have the parts collected. Then, as mentioned, I'll set them aside for a year or two, until the excess moisture content is gone -- and then come back to it.

--GG

A glut of gluts

Am working on a chairmaking project (see adjacent post) -- and as part of that I'm splitting some wood, to ensure that the chair components are reasonably straight-grained (i.e. minimizing grain run-out, to maximize the strength of the wood).

I have a splitting "kit", with a small mallet, about eight (would have to count them) metal wedges -- and, as you can see here -- a glut of gluts.

Gluts are essentially wooden wedges -- usually longer and wider than the metal wedges -- which are used to further the split as well as free the trapped metal wedges.  Typically they are user-made.

Most of the ones you see here had the point created by my hewing hatchet (which has a bevel [i.e. angle] only on one side -- which makes it easier to aim, and thus achieve the desired angle of cut.

As with most of my tools that I use outdoors (e.g. pruners; pruning saw), I've painted the ends pink:  makes them easier to find when I'm working over a brown and/or cluttered surface -- e.g. dirt, leaves, branches.

If you look closer at the photo (click to enlarge?), you'll see that I've marked most of them with the word "GLUT":  some of them are rather beat-up, so I don't want to accidentally mistake them for firewood -- and then have to craft new ones.  Instead, I plan to use these until they fall apart (had to discard two today, for just that reason).  


--GG

The end of vacaation -- Sunday

The last day of vacation.  So much left unfinished -- but, there's always next weekend.


We don't always go to church, but this time we did. 


Afterwards, I was going to go visit my friend at the nursing home, but I did a web search for visiting hours and it indicated that they didn't have any staff on during the weekend:  weird.  (It possibly referred to just the "business office"; presumably they'd have a front desk/reception person available at all times.  But, had to make a quick decision, and decided that since I didn't know his room number I should get more information -- later.  So instead, The Lady and The Girl drove off to Ikea, and I took the boys home -- but stopped by the store to pick up milk -- and immediately prior, I bought them cupcakes at the nearby bakery (I almost got the chocolate muffin, but decided to get the blueberry muffin for a change of pace; it was okay -- but should've got the chocolate muffin).


Put the laundry on; put the dishwasher on.  Had some food (a bowl of cereal?)


As mentioned, I foolishly stayed up 'til 1am last night (this morning) -- so I was tired.  Around noon(?) I set the timer on my phone for 30 minutes, for just a quick nap.  Unfortunately, I forgot to his "start", so I slept for more than 30 minutes:  woke up around 2pm, when hearing The Lady's voice (must've just arrived home).  

Changed into my yeardwork clothes.  Dumped out the vinegar soak and started to scrub the 15kg weight that I put in the plastic tub last night.  Decided that it needed more soaking, though -- so put it back in with more vinegar -- but this time diluted to abotu half strength, since it'll probably be in there until next weekend.


Worked on the property line some more, including a clever (so says I) lightweight solution involving a way to span the remaining palm tree:  using two sticks of bamboo as spreaders, similar to on a hammock (see photo).

But first, of course, had to source the bamboo (from a stash from 3-5 years ago), then cut to length, drill holes and make notches in the end for the cords.

It worked.


Also worked on the two door wedges:  cut them to length, based on the marks I made yesterday when I tried them out on the doors at the Cash Converters; sanded them; glued sandpaper to the bottoms.  Will oil them some evening this week, and probably deliver them next weekend.


Then it rained like crazy.  Being from the Pacific N.W., I considered continuing to work (eh; it's just water) -- but it was also thundering, and around here getting hit by lightning is a very real possibility -- so I came inside (which was disappointing). 

The Lady was clearing out a pile of things in the corner of the kitchen, so I helped out with that from about 4:50pm-5:30pm,  Then the rain let up a bit (but still drizzling, and I still had about a half hour of daylight -- so I went outside and pulled some weeds.  Did that until it was almost too dark to see. 


Came inside, chatted with The Lady, watched about a half hour of The Space Between Us (a movie) on Netflix.  That takes us to about 9pm.


Came over to my desk, and excavated a few things.  Was considering doing some mending, but I've been dong this blog entry for the last half hour -- I think -- and it's 10:35pm now.  I haven't played any musical instruments yet today, and I've been thinking about playing guitar -- so I'll probably do that instead of mending.


And... ended up finishing watching The Space Between Us, and noodling around on the three-string acoustic guitar.  Came up with some usable riffs:  we'll see if I remember them.  It's now around midnight; had pre-written the summary below; off to bed!!!


Over all, I had a productive -- and therefore "good" -- vacation.  I would've finished shooting the line along the property boundary, but the rain made the cord sag just enough to drag against some low items that would be difficult to shift:  better to wait until things dry out. 

Made some progress on a few small projects.  Watched a lot of the Black Mirror series -- plus various YouTube videos and other Netflix.  And had some great naps!!!  :)


Tomorrow:  back to the real world.

I will do very well at retirement...!!!


--GG

Day 5 of vacation -- Wednesday

Wednesday -- Day 5 of my vacation.


Helped everyone get out the door, again.


Some minor internet, then took what I intended to be a one-hour nap, but I hit my snooze alarm twice -- so maybe 9:30am-10:45am?  (I didn't take notes for today.)


Alternated between the internet and watching Black Mirror on Netflix (which technically is also the internet).  Somewhere in there I put a load of dishes on; a little laundry.  Headed outside somewhere between 2 and 3.


Made two more gluts (disposable wooden wedges); finished splitting the palm tree log; split some more of the logs; moved them from the neighbor's property onto ours (the split logs are now only half the weight!).


The Lady got home around 5pm, and we went out to pick up the car from teh mechanics.  Got there around 6pm; home maybe 6:20pm?


Shower.  A little more laundry.  Write and post yesterday's blog entry; write this entry.  Now 7:35pm -- dinner.


Dinner while watching yet another episode of Black Mirror.  Then watching another:  only a few minutes into it, but getting tired (now 10:10pm; been checking e-mail for the last few minutes).  Will noodle on three-string guitar while watching the rest of the Black Mirror episode, then to bed:  estimate 10:30pm; for me, early.


UPDATE:  Nah.  Ended up also watching the "Hang the DJ" episode of Dark Mirror, thus staying up about an hour later than intended.  That's okay:  my favorite episode thus far.


--GG

Day 4 of vacation -- Tuesday

So, it's Tuesday:  day #4 of my vacation.  (Oh:  never got around to playing my effects pedal last night:  got trapped by the internet instead.)


The other car is in the shop, so I'm stuck at home. That's fine:  plenty to do.


Helped everyone (except me) get out of the house:  made sandwiches and cut up apples for the kids' lunches (they assemble the rest).


Puttered around a little bit; maybe put some laundry on (I forget).  Took a nap from about 9:30 to 12:15pm.  Kind of "burning daylight" (i.e. should've been getting things done outdoors) -- but it was a fairly hot day -- and I enjoyed the nap very much -- so:  eh. 


Had a breakfast-lunch of two bowls of cold cereal while watching a half hour of the Netflix series Dark Mirror:  pretty good -- although I'm appreciating some episodes more than others.


Loaded the dishwasher and started it.  Did some laundry. 


Pretty humid:  some rain during the day. 


Another 15 minutes or so of Dark Mirror.  Finally got changed and went outside at 1:45.


Spent my time splitting the sections of palm tree that I cut down a few days ago.  Took me longer than I expected:  some species split easily; some don't; this one is in the middle of the range. 

Ran out of wedges, and my existing gluts (like wedges, but made out of wood; user-made; expendable) weren't thick enough, so I made some more.  That took me until near dark.


Borrowed the riding mower from my brother-in-law:  tidied a few places in the lawn (mostly the "soccer field" -- currently set up with two poles and a rope, to mimic a volleyball net).  Kept it overnight, to use tomorrow.


Packed up my tools around 6:30m; went inside; showered.


Decanted the remainder of expired food into a big bucket, and stashed it far away from the house:  didn't feel like trekking it down to the existing pile; stashed it far enough that vermin wouldn't be attracted to the house; will shift it tomorrow.


Made dinner for the boys and me (The Lady and The Girl were away at a sports thing).  Just sandwiches and cut apples:  usually we'd have frozen pizza, but for some reason The Lady didn't pick any up when she did the weekend shop. 


The Lady got home; chat with The Lady. 


At 8:30pm, watched some more Black Mirror (which drinking loads of water), then do laundry; more chatting with The Lady.


About 10:30pm actually plugged in the delay pedal and had a go (using a guitar wiith single-coil pickups).  Pleased with my choice of pedals:  the "digital" sounding echo rather than the "analog" (i.e. high-end fades with each repeat) that I chose to not get. 

Messed around with various riffs, chords, and some of the very few actual songs that I can play the melodies (e.g. "What Child is This"/"Greensleeves").  Came up with a chord progression that could make a song:  can hear it being doubled, with a different strum pattern, on acoustic guitar.  Still need a chorus section, and a vocal line (melody) for both -- and lyrics, of course.


Bed around midnight:  I'm nocturnal -- and I don't have to work tomorrow. 


--GG

Second day of vacation

Sunday:  second day of vacation.
Second day of vacation (Sunday, March 12th):


Sometimes we go to church; sometimes we don't.  This time The Lady and The Girl went, and the boys and I stayed home.

Watched various YouTube and Netflix -- possibly some web searches as well (don't remember; I'm writing this on Monday...).


After lunch I wiped down all the food items we took OUT of the pantry (one by one), circled the expiration dates, and restored each to the shelves (in an higgledy-piggledy manner).  Items that were just a month or two out of date, or about to expire, I put on a special shelf; items that were truly out of date I put in a box, piled the boxes/packages/cans on the front lawn, and later (with the help of the kids) emptied into a big bucket and then (just before dark) tossed into the bushes waaaay into our back yard (we have a big yard):  the animals may feed on them; it's sufficiently far from the house that I'm not worried about attracting pests; hope that some critter besides me enjoys that expired brick of Spam.

I recruited the kids to help me on the pantry-related tasks, on 30 minute rotations (I used the oven timer to measure the elapsed time):  I think each kid did three sessions (yow!  four and a half hours...!!!).


Watched a little Netflix, then around 3pm or 4pm chopped down (with permission from my neighbors!) a palm tree that straddles the property line:  a few months ago I tried to "shoot" our property line by hanging a cord from surveying peg to surveying peg, but the palm tree was in the way.  Used my late [paternal] grandfather's felling axe to chop it down, after having (a few weekends ago) re-ground it to a narrower pitch and then re-sharpening it.  Then chopped it into four logs about as long as my leg, plus the top bundle of "fronds", to make it move-able.  Plan on splitting the logs with wedges, then letting them dry for a half year or a year, to see if they end up being usable as lumber:  probably not, but it won't cost me anything except time (and I need to dispose of the logs somehow, regardless).

The tree fell the wrong way, BTW:  I chopped through about 40%, but apparently it didn't naturally "sag" in that direction like it was supposed to.  No matter:  I got out safely, and it didn't fall on anything important (in fact, it fell exactly on one of the "escape paths" that I'd cleared).

Also, I was afraid of the "hinge" (where I chopped) being too strong, and having to then free the felled trunk from the stump.  Quite the opposite:  completely fell off.  Probably due to the palm tree only having maybe 20% of the fibres of a "regular" tree:  the rest is filled with squishy stuff -- so, less tensile strength.

It's late summer, so it stayed light until maybe 6pm (I didn't keep track).  Brought my tools inside, then dumped the above-mentioned bucket in the lower back yard.


Since the kitchen isn't really usable (The Lady is still sorting the pantry, with things piled on the stove), she sent me out to pick up some pizzas for dinner.  I also put on some store-bought garlic bread, when I got home.


Re-strung the formerly 4-string, now 3-string acoustic guitar, while watching the rest of Get Out (suspense/thriller) on Netflix:  when playing that guitar yesterday had decided to change the tuning:  it had the correct middle four strings (A D G B) mounted, but was tuned to the lowest (thickest) four strings' tuning (E A D G).  But then when I re-turned it to the higher tension, I discovered that I didn't like this new (but correct!) tuning, because the higher string tension made me have to press down too hard to fret the notes, and it made it too hard to "bend" notes.

So, I removed all the strings, put the lowest two strings (E and A) back into the packet, and collected the highest-pitched four strings (D G B E) in the "wrong" positions (the centre of the neck, rather than the bottom four locations) -- with the intent of tuning them a little slack, so that the middle four strings would still be tuned correctly for their position (A D G B) -- but slightly slack.

However, when removing the strings, I somehow broke one of the strings near the tuning peg -- rendering it too short to mount.  So the current guitar is now just a three-string:  A [no D] G B.  This forces me into unusual fingerings, and I came up with some riffs that I wouldn't otherwise have stumbled upon. 

Anyhow, noodled around in that new configuration while watching the middle third of Get Out.


Finished Get Out around 9pm(?), but didn't feel like going to bed -- so finally watched Sin City on DVD:  bought it maybe half a year ago, on DVD, for a buck.  Engaging enough that I stayed up until about 11pm watching it, then went to bed.


End of Day 2.  Still enjoying myself thoroughly.  :)


--GG

Basically have all the tools I need

I took the day off work today, partly "just because", but also because I had to burn off some excess hours.  Dropped the kids off at school, watched the (oddly long) awards ceremony (one of my sons received a "high achievement" award for the semester), and then left around 10 or 10:30am (I don't remember).

Among my wanderings, I stopped off at Carba-Tec for the first time in about a year.  They sell machine and hand-tool woodworking tools -- for woodworking hobbyists, not the "hardware store" types of tools:  so, medium- to upper-end.  For some reason -- maybe because they sell Japanese-style saws, chisels and handplanes -- they also sell Japanese cooking knives.

I confirmed something interesting: there really aren't any additional woodworking tools I need -- or even particularly want:  I've reached saturation.  Any tools that I need to accomplish the sort of woodworking that I like to do, I already own.  So, really, I just need to log more shop time -- not accumulate more tools.

(Exception:  a old-style, 1-2 person crosscut handsaw -- for sawing more efficiently through larger logs.  But there's no urgency.)

Similarly:  even though I appreciate a good-quality cooking knife, I really only use four knives: a chef's knife, a Japanese cleaver-like vegetable knife, a paring knife, and a modified paring knife for coring apples.  And I already own all of those.  So even though they had a number of nice-looking -- and reasonably-priced -- Japanese knives... I don't need 'em.


Upon further reflection, I don't really need any more musical instruments or recording gear.  In a lot of ways, it's more interesting to operate within the limitations of my equipment.  And I have a simple recording interface; a few inexpensive mics; an acoustic and an electric guitar; an electric bass; an inexpensive synth; and various pieces of percussion.  That's really all I need to record any of the songs I've written. 

 
So -- even though it's fun to browse online ads, trawling for musical bargains -- I'd be better served by applying that time to actually recording -- or at least, playing an instrument.




--GG

Wood stashes

Similar to a quilter who has boxes of interesting scraps of fabric all over the house, I have stashes of wood for future projects.  Some of them have been around for a number of years -- out in the weather:  one of my "To Do" projects is to make a shelter for them.  But, by accident, I've learned that wood lasts a really long time "out in the weather" -- as long as its not lying in the dirt, and it has a chance to dry out again.


This is the pile of wood that inspired this blog entry:  I was selling something on Gumtree (the AU analog of Craigslist), and the buyer asked whether this was some sort of sculpture.

Nope:  just some chunks of wood, held up by some empty, inverted plastic pots.  I split the wood before it dries, so that the wood has "somewhere to go" when it shrinks as it dries.  And I paint the ends to try to minimize moisture loss from the ends (again, to minimize splitting and end-checking).

The rubber boot is there as a size reference:  I'm taking the photo with one boot and one stocking foot. 


The photo is dark, because it's inside my chicken coop! -- but here's a sash of 50+ year old beams that I've found around my property.  Been lying in the dirt (or, when it rains:  mud) for decades -- but only the surface was eaten away:  the core is good.  Hardwood; reddish color:  when slabbed it'll make some nice-looking lumber.

Would consider leaving some surfaces "weathered", and other surfaces smooth and oiled and pinky-red.


These are quartered "small logs", I guess you'd call them?  It's on a metal rack (a table, minus the top?).  Gonna make it into a rustic table:  it'll be an experiment to see if I can do the minimum amount of processing, and in particular, no slabbing.  Instead, the ends will be "tongued", to fit into grooves in the simple rails, and the legs will be tenoned into the bottoms of the rails.  I'll handplane the upper surface of the tabletop, but there's no need to plane (or even shape) the underside.  You'll see (eventually).

I think it's some sort of eucalyptus, but I'm not sure.  I wrote it down on the underside of some of them -- but I couldn't be bothered un-stacking the pile to see.


This isn't "finally", as I have other stashes -- including under the eaves (back of the house), and on the (fairly long) front porch.  Anyhow:  a cedar-looking wood (except it isn't).  A boot again, as a size reference.  No specific plans or vision:  maybe a rustic bench? 

Brother:  next time you visit, you can make something, if you like.  And/or take a sample home with you. 


--GG

My happiest times

I usually hang my "yardwork clothes" on hooks on the laundry room door.  The specific contents vary -- but its an old shirt (either a retired [stained!] dress shirt or a cheap t-shirt), pants (either a certain denim pair of shorts, short sweatpants, or long sweatpants), and a hat (the floppy cloth hat [pictured], or a straw hat) -- plus my "tool belt" (pouch for pruning shears; pouch for my keys (shed keys, house keys); pouch for my cell phone (if The Lady phones during her errands, plus for taking snapshots of projects); and a pouch for my utility knife.

A few days prior, I had read a quote in a magazine (wish I could give a proper citation, but I looked, and couldn't find the quote again), where someoneone's mother (or grandmother?) had said that the secret to happiness is to find three things that you like doing -- and then try to do them a lot.

I took the photo because I realized:  some of my happiest moments are when I'm wearing those clothes -- puttering around doing yardwork, or doing some woodworking project -- or wandering back and forth between the two.


--GG

Compost bin patch

This is me knocking off a project that has been kicking around for a year -- maybe longer.

I have one of those "tumbler barrel" composters -- and a few years ago some critter chewed a hole in one of the corners.  The hole is about one and a half finger widths (an approximation; my fingers, at least), and about as long as my finger.  This means that whenever I rotate the barrel -- you're supposed to turn it three times whenever you add more scraps, just to mix everything -- some of the good stuff falls out the hole.

The difficulty was that I figured I'd have to use a sheet metal patch, and use some bolts (probably six, maybe eight), bend the metal around the corner, get the holes to all line up:  urgh.  I avoid using metal, for a variety of reasons --  and therefore I don't have a good stash of metal scraps.  And non-square pieces can be a nuisance to work with.  In hindsight, probably could've used the sides of an aluminum can (which would've been easier to work with than standard sheet metal).

Anyhow, a few days ago I suddenly realized that I could just use a section of branch:  I have tons of those -- and it's woodworking, not having to cut, then drill through, metal.

It's for function, not being pretty, so I didn't have to worry about cutting it precisely:  I just wanted to crank it out and cover (most of) the hole.


Here's the concept:  emergency patches on inflatable lifeboats use a similar approach.  Plate on the top; plate on the bottom; pull them together through the hole.

I didn't have the forethought to take a "before" photo -- and I couldn't be bothered to disassemble everything.  But here's one "after" view:  you can get a sense of how large the hole is.

Basically, just take a section of branch from the kindling pile; split it more-or-less in half; decide that the smaller "half" should go on the inside; clamp the two halves back together while you drill pilot holes all the way through; separate them and drill larger holes only through the top half (so that the threads of the screws can slide when passing through the top, but still grab the bottom portion); countersink the holes in the top; put in place and screw together.


Another view.  There's a little bit on the end that appears to not be covered -- but actually the end of the stick that's inside the hole mostly blocks it.

And here's a better-lit shot (and from a different angle), about a week later.

A design component is that the left end of the interior piece butts up against a piece of plastic on the inside -- and the right-hand screw (in the orientation as shown) butts up against the right-side end of the hole.  This means that there is no movement end-to-end.  And because the wooden patch is on a corner of the octagonal barrel, there's no side-to-side movement either:  it's wedged into the "V" of the interior corner.  So, it's pretty snug.

Oh:  and I soaked it in some Danish oil before mounting it, just to seal off the pores a bit.  It's hardwood, and because it's near the top of the barrel, it will be able to dry out (rather than rot, which it might do if it was on the underside, with wet compost constantly lying on it).  So, I don't expect it to rot.


It's functional (does the job); didn't take a lot of time; and has (I think) a certain rustic charm.

Most important:  it's finished.  :)


--GG

Special nails

On the way in to The Girl's netball game (similar to basketball, but the ball is smaller; you stand and pass or shoot, rather than dribbling; and there's no backboard behind the net) -- an "away" game -- I noticed that there was construction going on at the school.

On our way back to the car afterwards, I noticed a cluster of nails scattered on the ground in the dirt-and-gravel parking lot.  I picked them up and put them in my shirt pocket.

One of my "things" is that when I scavenge (or "salvage"?) materials, I keep track of their source.  Then I try to keep them consolidated in a single project (or, with a large enough stash, multiple projects).

So, this collection of nails -- one teeny, six medium, and six longer -- will end up in some mini-project.  I'm not sure what yet.  Maybe a small wooden box -- or (even smaller) a tray of some sort?

There's no hurry: the opportunity will present itself.

Meanwhile, I put them in a small metal "mints" tin -- along with the note that identifies where and when I found them.

When I do use them, I'll make a note on the bottom of the item about the provenance of the nails.



--GG

My first stool

This weekend I finally completed a project that I've been working on (in bits and pieces) since about Christmas -- and has actually been several years in the making.

It's a stool -- or, alternatively, a endtable or bedside table -- made out of a wooden slab and four thick branches as legs.

A wife of a co-worker gave me the wooden slab about a year and a half ago (November 2016), when they downsized from their house into an intentionally small two bedroom apartment.  Previously it had been used as a "bridge" between two kitchen counters, and at another house it had been some sort of shelf in the garage (my co-worker thinks that the black marks might be motor oil stains).

I intention-ally did not sand back the surface, because:  (1) I like the darker, more "aged" patina; (2) I think the black marks make it look more interesting; and (3) I also wanted to retain the blue (teal?) paint splatter on one corner.

However, I did choose to sand across the tops of the round mortices, where the legs and the wedges come through the slab -- just to smooth everything (the stubs of the leg tenons protruded above the surface of the seat).  So I lost a little patina around there.  But that just means that you can see what the wood would have looked like -- had I sanded the whole thing.

Likewise, I intentionally made wooden wedges out of a darker wood, because I wanted the wedges to be obvious (an accent!  a "design feature"!) and contrast with the color of the legs.  I cut the wedges to four degrees -- because that's the angle that Chris Schwarz mentioned that he uses for his wedged chair legs.  Shore.

Note that the wedging forces are against the ends of the long grain -- because I didn't want to risk splitting the seat.  

The legs are lagistromia (crepe myrtle):  very slow growing, and can be pruned to be more "bush-like" or "tree-like", depending.  These are leftovers from prunings from about ten years ago, and I knew that they would someday become stool, chair, or table legs:  I was just waiting for the right project.

I intentionally left the bark on the branches, and kept them intentionally "rustic":  it looks more interesting. I also intentionally left the legs a little long:  I chose two long branches from my stockpile that suited my intended diameter, and cut them more-or-less in half, to maximize the leg length.  An alternative would have been to cut one of the branches in thirds, then cut a fourth leg to a matching length from the remaining branch:  this would have been fine, as the resulting stool would've been about knee height (sufficiently ergonomic) -- but I preferred have something that was ambiguously stool/table height.

I also made an engineering decision to splay the legs -- very slightly! -- rather than to make them perpendicular to the surface.  My rationale was that the torque would be minor, but the slight splay would provide a wider foundation, and thus increase the stool/table's stability.

Oddly, I didn't mark the source of the wood like I usually do.  As you can tell, I keep track of the source of the wood for my projects -- and usually I like all the components to be from the same source (or at least, identifiable sources) -- e.g. "from the construction dumpster from my kids' old school".  But it was either from the tree in the front yard in the house we lived in before this one (which was my wife's late grandmother's house:  we lived in it for a few years after the grandmother died), or else from the tree in our front yard (which was transplanted with a backhoe from the grandmother's back yard, place in our front yard, and then I pruned the excess branches so that the reduced root ball would not have to support an excess amount of branches).  But my best guess is that it's from the grandmother's front yard.

This stool marks a few firsts:  it's the first substantial project where I used my woodturning lathe (it's way easier to drill holes, then lathe the end of the legs, than it is to mortice a square or rectangular hole!).  It's the first chair/stool/table that I've made.  And actually, it's my first piece of furniture (I've made a few simple shelves - but I don't count those).

As is my practice, I documented the heck out of it, in permanent marker on the underside of the seat:  the completion date; the sources of the wood; instructions for adding additional coats of finishing oil (if desired); and my initials.  

I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but my feet are about two inches off the ground.  I could shorten the stool legs a bit -- but at the moment it can be used equally well as a stool and as an endtable:  if I trim down the legs, then it won't be quite the right height near a bed.


As you can probably tell, one of the things that I like about woodworking -- and songwriting and recording music, for that matter -- is the intersection of logical/engineering problem-solving, and creative/aesthetic decision-making.  In woodworking:  Will the thing that I'm making serve its intended purpose, and hold up under the anticipated loads?  But also:  do I like the design; do I like the way it looks?  In songwriting and recording:  what mood do I want to convey?  What sounds do I want to create?  And then:  how do I achieve those moods and sounds?


Anyhow, with this stool/table project:  I am pleased.  :)


 --GG


P.S.  All photos are by my son B2, Tech Boy

P.P.S.  In the final photo, I'm on the phone with my sister.  :)  

Best vacation EVER

I'm doing well: best vacation ever...!!!


Similar to professional chefs (well: I imagine) who have several dishes going in parallel -- I have four(?) projects that I'm hoping will all get completed by the end of my two-week vacation.

I putter along with one, until I reach a stopping point (usually gluing or applying an oil-based finish), then let it "rest" overnight as I turn to the next one.


The projects are:

1. Making substantial progress on my mini-drumkit in a suitcase.  I've been working on this during most weekends for the last month or two (would have to check the date-stamps on the photos I've been taking).  Lots of minor components:  as mentioned above, when one needs gluing or oiling, that's the stopping point for that specific component -- so I turn to another.
2. Making a stool out of a wooden seat that I got from a co-workers wife, plus some thick branches that I've been saving for about five years, for just such a project!
3. Making a stool-slash-endtable out of a short stump or piling (the local style of architecture would raise houses up on "stumps" -- basically pilings -- like this -- but made of wood.  The total length is about the width of an office chair -- so, pretty short, so I'm having to engineer a solution.
4. Recording a song that I wrote a few weeks ago.  It'll be the first song that I've recorded that has me playing actual drums -- rather than using a programmed drum machine, or just foregoing drums. 
5. I picked up (used; online) two wooden boxes that will go under my desk at work to hold some of my "things" (e.g. I have a spare change of clothes -- just in case I totally spill; also a towel (Hitchiker's Guide); also a pillow and a blanket...).  I'm patching some holes, oiling them, and doing a mod to the bottom of the larger one.
6. Miscellaneous lathe work:  two weekends ago my next-door brother in law (the mechanically-minded one) repaired my lathe (an easy fix; duh) -- so I've been having a great time making various pieces of wood cylindrical.  It's full of micro-reinforcements (e.g. seeing the shavings fly off; continually changing the shape of the workpiece) that makes it inherently enjoyable to me (but YMMV).  Lovin' it; not yet tired of it. 
7. Creating an auger-ing jig for stool-making, to control the angle of the hole that I bore in the seat (the legs are then mounted in the holes). 
8. Planted some date pits (hoping they will sprout); planted a sprouted avocado pit in a large pot; and have suspended another avocado pit, and also a mango pit (seed?) in water to try to sprout them.
9. Have re-ground a skew chisel blade (picked it up at some garage sale, perhaps a year ago?) and tang, and will probably turn a handle and mount the blade.
10. Finally finished sharpening the hewing hatchet that I modded from a "regular" (symmetrical) hatchet. 

Regarding the lathe:  having a functioning lathe now opens the world of possibilities for making stools.  Before, I could cut a square or rectangular tenon on the end of a stool leg, then chisel a corresponding mortice in the seat -- but, that's a pain.

Whereas:  with a lathe, as long as the leg is short enough to fit in the lathe (not sure about tall stools...), you turn a round tenon, and then just drill a hole in the seat:  easy!


Anyhow:  grand times; making progress on all of them; and will have at least some things to show for the vacation.   :)


At some point, I'll post photos and create blog entries on most or all of these...   ;)


--GG

Book recommendation about book on introverts

I haven't quite finished reading this book -- but I was inspired to recommend it anyhow.  It's called Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.

Its focus is on introverts, and that it's okay -- even **good** -- to be an introvert. But, of course, to discuss introverts it has to compare and contrast them to extroverts.


Basically (my interpretation/summary):

• Introverts "like" people just fine -- but they find that interacting with people "uses up" energy; whereas extroverts are recharged by social interactions (this is one of the key diagnostic points).
•  
• Extroverts tend to have "gangs" of friends, and like throwing big dinner parties and get-togethers and engaging in light chit-chat; introverts tend to have one or two close friends, and prefer to get togther in groups of two or three, where they tend to discuss things more deeply (whether the topics are personal or intellectual).
• 
  
• Introverts tend to have difficulties "pushing forward" their views in group ssituations, so their often get overlooked. Which is a shame, because they often have good ideas and keen insights -- in part because they tend to be meticulous, methodical, and well-researched rather than jumping to conclusions.  Because of their tendency to be quiet, rather than the "center of attention", they tend to make keen insights.
• 
  
• Introverts that feel strongly about things (e.g. activists, crusaders) are often able to put on a bold face and meet-and-greet, make speeches, etc. "in the name of the cause" -- although they find this draining and then have to go "recharge" for a few hours.

I'm about 80% introvert, I think: my main interests (woodworking; writing and recording songs) are pretty solitary, and I'm very happy with my own company. But I'm very much able to "chat up" sales clerks and etc., and (possibly due to teaching classes while in graduate school) don't have a problem with speaking in public or "cold calling" people. But mostly I prefer to be on my own.

I found the book to be a reasonably engaging read (and have noted a fair number of good quotes) -- although for me it wasn't a "plow through it in three days straight" kind of book: I keep getting sidetracked by recording magazines and etc. ;)


--GG

The world is my oyster

So:  today is the first day of two weeks' vacation:  I return to work after New Year's Day.  The horizon stretches before me...


I have two weeks -- and no particular commitments.  So, one way or another, I'll get "creative things" done.  It's just a matter of in which realm:  woodworking, or recording some songs.


My brother in law fixed my woodworking lathe for me, so I can now make cylindrical things.  So I might make my first, simple footstool:  just a plank plus four cylindrical legs, which I'll turn from some of my "found"/"rescued" wood.

Or, I could try to finish my "micro drumkit" that I've been working on during weekends for the last month or so:  a fully-functional drumkit that fits into a small "flight attendant"-sized rolling suitcase.

Or, maybe turn some other things on the lathe -- like some drumsticks made out of exotic wood.

If I make a bunch of drumsticks, or a bunch of stools, it's likely that I'll start to give them away.  My paternal grandfather used to enjoy making things out of wood -- but then would end up giving away most of the items, because the interesting bit is the designing and executing (the making).  Once you've made them -- well, how many cutting boards, footstools, and etc. do you really need...?   ;)  So I suspect I'll be the same way.


I've been meaning to record a song that I wrote a few weeks ago, about people going back to college, taking up exercising, and etc., in an effort to make their lives better.  Plus, a few nights ago I finally sat down and noodled around on the electric guitar -- and came up with a chord sequence that would make a good song (energetic, but slightly loose and sloppy).

I'm planning to do my first recording with real drums:  all of my existing recordings either use a drum machine, or are drum-less.  So first I need to figure out which is my preferred pair of room mics for drums (my inexpensive USB recording interface only has two inputs), then record both drum tracks for the two songs in parallel (i.e. "in the same session"), and then go back and forth between the other tracks for the pair of songs.

The recording process keeps getting delayed because we've been having nice weather, so on weekends I keep thinking, "Well, I'll do woodworking during the day, with the natural light, and do recording at night."  But by the time of nightfall, then having dinner, and doing things with the kids, and then checking e-mail -- well, it's time for bed!  ;)


Also, I have some yardwork types of tasks that I could do this week:  maybe finish tidying that pile of bricks at the end of the yard, and cut up some fallen branches for firewood.  Maybe pick up the various piles of miscellaneous (e.g. stashes of "found" wood) and consolidating them somewhere.


In the end, it'll be a balance between "going whichever way my mood takes me" and "being careful to NOT start 'yet another project', before finishing the ones I'm already working on".


And:  the family will probably catch a few movies.  For fun, we might try to catch two movies in a single day.


Regardless:  as long as I keep busy doing things that I like to do -- that's a well-spent vacation.  :)


--GG

Electric guitar is like woodworking

Last night I played the electric guitar for the first time in maybe a month.  As always, once I started it was hard to stop -- except for (like always) I started somewhat late at night -- so I had to stop so I could go to bed (had to get up for work the next day).

I noodled around for a bit, but after a few minutes I ended up playing a chord sequence that I'm going to try to turn into a song:  it had good energy, and I could "hear" the drum beat that will accompany it.

As I was playing, I had the same emotion that I do when I'm doing woodworking.  And the process is the same:  whether I writing a song, then recording and mixing it, or sketching out some plans, then preparing the materials and assembling it -- it's still "making 'something' out of 'nothing'."

Love it.  If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd spend about 80% of my time doing woodworking and doing music -- drifting back and forth depending on my mood that day, but also what I was in the middle of (e.g. if I was partway through recording a song, I'd probably do music that day).


--GG