Beginnings

As I sit at my parents house pining for my workshop I have got to thinking about my woody beginnings.  I’m not really talking my poor attempts at high school woodwork, but my first attempts at a new found hobby.

This was it, not really inspiring.  I just put a peace of scrap pine between centres, spun up the lathe and with no knowledge of what each tool did, speed changes, or what was safe.  This was it, tear outs galore, no objective shape, but about 20cm of pure joy.  I still have it hidden away in a box somewhere.
I soon wanted to investigate more.

This was my first bowl.  It was made of layers or scrap pine stuck together (pine is very under-rated).  It has thick walls where I was too scared to go too thin and lots of chips and tears.  Again it was a work of enjoyment.  Now I would be horrified to produce something, how shall I put it, rustic?  Also turning wood has made me a better photographer, these early shots are not so well composed, or even focused.

And finally my first pen.  This was a slimline made from, I don’t know what……wood.  Its turned too thin, the ends are undersized and it looks a little wrong, but I still use it today.
Of course these are all learning experiences.  With each creation comes knowledge, and enjoyment.  I am happy to look back at where I came from, and compare to the things I turn now, and it always makes me smile.  I wonder what my old woodwork teacher would think of what i am doing now?
What was the first thing you made?

A present for myself

I love a bargain, who doesn't?  My wife has trained me to always be on the look out for a bargain, and she has trained me well (though not yet to her standard).  So there I was in the local hardware store picking up a shelf for the bathroom when I stumbled across "Clearance Items".  Not only clearance items, but clearance Kinchrome tool boxes!  Yes, I was excited, there may have been a quick deep breath and furtive glance to see if there was any competition around for them. 

I have wanted a new big tool box for ages, but had said I wouldn't do it until we got the new house.  However, with so much less space everything that had hung on walls is now stuffed over flowing into my poor tool box.  The little demon in my head said buy, buy, buy! But the good angle of conscience said no, wait, wait, wait.  Don't you hate that little conscience fellow.  Think of what that money could be used for.

I battled with my demons and decided that I would walk away, possibly trying to with-hold a sob and trying not to look back. I did say that if I went back and it was still there it was meant to be.  Three minutes later I was back. Okay it was three days later.  But there it was, and she would be mine, oh yes, she would be mine.

A quick rummage through the draws behind the sales desk to see if they could find the keys and I was the proud owner of this bad boy.  Reduced by over $200, I could nearly convince my wife it was a bargain and folly not to buy it (I said nearly).

Now I can have the fun of transferring tools from one box to another and getting rid of my old tool box, well not rid of, just a bit emptier.

How do you keep your tools warm and cosy?

Dremmel 3000

I love a Dremel!  It is one of the original rotary tools.  I used to own a cheap brand version and was not very impressed by its construction or performance, however that can't be said for the real McCoy.  I was a lucky duck and was given one by my wife recently, just for being a great Hubby!  So with a new toy comes a new review.

This is the Dremel 3000, the latest evolution in the Dremel range and the new model replacing there most popular model the 300.  It comes in several packs, this was the 26 piece pack giving a great box of all the basic accessory bits. 

Looking at the Dremel it looks sturdy, and I have always reckoned the best way to look at quality and durability is at the cord, if that is thick and solid then it is probably a reliable tool.  I was a little sceptical about its size to fit in the hand for ease of use, but it is a comfortable fit and design.  The ON/OFF selector is also the speed control (5000 to 32000RPM) which was an easy single finger operation.

Changing drill bits and accessories is also straight forward and they have come up with a great design to stop you losing the nut wrench.  They call their new system the EZ Twist nose cap, basically you unscrew the nose cap and that is the wrench, no chance of losing that! Press your finger on the blue button to lock the spindle and turn, even I can do it.

So what can it do? I have employed it on a number of tasks, first was to sharpen a few garden tools, plus drill a few holes, no problems there.  The more tapered nose allows for an easy pencil like hold.  One of the bits I had lurking was an engraver, so why not give that a whirl.  I would post a picture of my glass engraving efforts but they were poor, no fault of Mr Dremel, more a clutsy operator.  With a range of carving bits available though I am very interested in trialing it with my wood work (stay tuned).

I really could list all the different attachments but there are too many, just check out your local hardware store to see or just click here.  I am sure I will be adding a few more to my collection.  The tool itself retails around the $100 mark depending on which pack you buy so would make a great fathers day gift.  The four year warranty means you can have piece of mind that it will last.

Overall I haven't found any flaws with mine, it has been up to the job.  It is a little noisy but certainly quieter than other make I have tried.  This model comes in a hard carry case which I am not fan of.  I did prefer the previous models soft bag to hold but that's just me, I already have too many hard plastic cases in the shed.  It is my favourite rotary tool on the market and their continued success means they are doing something right.

If you need more info just check  out the Dremel website.

What tool or gadget do you love in your shed?

Sydney timber and working with wood show

I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning today, why?  Yes it was the Sydney Timber and Working with Wood Show.  So much possibility lay ahead.  I have been looking forward to this event since my first visit last year, and hiding some cash away too.

This was the first year in a new venue at Sydney Olympic Park. There was great parking and a large cue to get in, but after the wait it was great to get it.  If you are into timber and tools, this is the place to be.

My first port of call was to look at the exhibitions of the fantastic and far too talented work of the wood turners out there.  I am blown away at how clever they are, and how much I have to learn.

One piece of equipment that really caught my were the lathes of the ornamental turns group.  They are something I had never seen before but something I will need to set my father upon.

After checking out the displays it was time to flex the cash and if need be the credit card (and yes, it was needed!).  There were of course stands from the leading wood shops, tool makers, and suppliers.  I was especially keen to check out the Arbortech stand and look at the carving tools.

There was also a great stand from Timberbits with some fantastic examples of Davids pens.

And of course there was plenty of wood in all shapes, sizes and varieties.

Some of the Red Mallee burls even managed to find their way home with me.  Luckily a new toy jumped into my bag to use on them (and I will review that soon).

If you have an interest in wood, get down to the Dome at Sydney Olympic Park this weekend (27th-29th August) and check it all out for yourselves.

Sydney Timber and Working with Wood Show