What did you do in your shop today?

Been working on a pile of bowls but this is the first one ready to be sanded some then buffed. Finally nice to get something toward the end!!

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I just got to the shop to put in an art fair application, going to try and do a few with all the inventory I have on hand and my wife is insisting I'm not out of business, I've just changed the business up a bit for now.

Otherwise today I was in my fist day as the Shipping/Receiving, Inventory Manager at this company- Going forward, if you get a saw from them, odds are I will have laid hands on it at some point.

www.badaxetoolworks.com
 
I'm in agreement with your wife, do both, never put all your eggs in one basket. You are far too talented to completely walk away from the wood business. Do both while you realign things. I'm pulling for your continued success.
 
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Today I sanded. I hate sanding. But these blanks are cleaned up and ready to get hit with a coat or two of a spray finish to pretty them up to be sold.

All that sanding done just in time to do it again soon. Have a round in the chamber that I'll be curing Monday. Then, by Monday night, all four chambers will be loaded and under vacuum and, within a week, those will be cured and ready for sanding.

Species of wood represented:
Amboyna Burl (nice and sappy!)
Mangrove Burl
Spalted Bigleaf Maple Burl
Boxelder Burl
Spalted Oak
Curly Horse Chestnut

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Today I did some baking.

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And some smoking.

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All done! (And ready to clean up on the sander...)
Species in there:
Spalted Bigleaf Maple Burl
Spalted Maple (some Curly)
Boxelder Burl
Quilted Maple
Curly Gum
Mappa Burl
Black Locust Burl

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@Steve Walker - there's some nice curl hiding in some of that Spalted Maple!

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Spent a little time in the shop yesterday, made up the leg assemblies for some drop leaf sewing tables and got the parts cut for some sewing machine bases and then glued up two tabletops. Tabletops came from two boards I found leaving in the wall at my lumber supplier, seriously curly ambrosia maple for only 4.00 a board foot.

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- there's some nice curl hiding in some of that Spalted Maple!

@Sprung
I know....that's why I couldn't burn it....
I know, and you know, and a bunch of people are gonna wish they had the opportunity to know and asked for free spalted curly maple.
 
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Steve Walker said:
- there's some nice curl hiding in some of that Spalted Maple!

@Sprung
I know....that's why I couldn't burn it....
I know, and you know, and a bunch of people are gonna wish they had the opportunity to know and asked for free spalted curly maple.
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I'm working my way through it in stages. In addition to the pieces you marked for me to dye for you, I've been working my way through getting the pen blanks and knife blocks stabilized and have most of them done. Next is the pot call blanks. Then on to the call blanks/larger pieces. By this weekend I'm going to have to be placing an order for more Cactus Juice.

BTW, the blanks that are headed back your way all went into the chambers earlier today for their second colors. They're all getting double dyed. I'll start vacuum on them tomorrow and should have them ready to head your way next week sometime. I consulted with my wife on some of the color choices. She's better at than I am!
 
They do look really interesting! Need to let them set a few days for the resin to finish curing, then see if it penetrated the oatmeal, like I hoped it would. I didn't stabilize it, was afraid of what the oatmeal would do if I cooked it. Simply dyed it in alcohol, and let it dry, hoping the casting resin would penetrate. May have too rethink that, we'll see how bad it tears out when turned.
 
I must admit You Guy's have caught my Attention. I often think about getting into stablizeing. But I have no idea how to go about purchasing the proper equipment. I just can't make myself buy the cheaper stuf & then realize I need to buy a larger & better upgrade. That puts me wasting the money I put into the starter kit. I will continue looking at the amazing Work of my Friends @ WoodBarter. Great work
 
Well the granola bars aren't stabilized. And while I did put them in the pressure pot initially my catalyst seems to be having issues and I had to add more, remove from the pot, and try a second time. That batch I simply set on the saw with it running, to vibrate bubbles up, which works well with slower setting resins and some things that are cast.

Stabilizing is way more fun, but yes there is the initial investment of vacuum pump and chamber. I can honestly say however, it's been worth every penny I put in that, and I went big in that respect. However, if I want to stabilize a 10-12 inch bowl blank I have that ability.

The costs there are on going too, as resins and dyes aren't exactly cheap either.
 
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