tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121667892011-07-28T15:50:12.783-07:00About wood and woodturning, observations of nature, links to things I find interesting, and other topics at whim. If you like the woodturnings shown here, please come visit my shop at <a href="http://teaktocks.com">TeakTocks.com</a> to see my latest work.Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-42380431382664637572009-03-22T00:01:00.024-07:002009-03-22T23:21:23.489-07:00

Six months after my last post I moved, lock, stock, and barrels of wood, to Scottsdale, Arizona. I soon discovered that I had merely traded one grounds crew for another. In the space of two weeks, this young desert cottontail nibbled the few scrawny patches of grass in the graveled backyard down to divots where he had dug out the roots.I was also pleasantly surprised by the great number and

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1157053617380824452006-08-31T12:55:00.005-07:002009-01-12T23:52:13.760-07:00

I had an unexpected visit from the local groundskeeping crew this morning. I managed to grab my camera and take a few snapshots through the window."Smile! You're on Candid Camera!""Quit licking your nose! It's gross!" "Did you hear what I just heard?""Hmmmm - I wonder what this stuff tastes like?"Pssst! Mom! Sis! Here comes the boss!""No more slacking off now! You hear me?"About then the

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1148003968603117862006-07-16T15:00:00.011-07:002010-03-01T23:43:28.825-07:00

Welcome! It's been quite a long time since I last posted - my apologies. I have had an interesting year so far. In January, I applied for a business license. Now I can spend my time doing paperwork when it is too cold to turn! I also delivered a long-overdue bowl, but that's for another post.During a three-week period in February, I hauled home a ton of fresh-cut, "green" wood. Literally. By

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1134380043774473702005-12-12T02:05:00.000-07:002005-12-18T23:19:19.620-07:00

My little black cat Snork is nearly fourteen years old, and she would almost rather be petted than be fed! Snork is convinced that humans were created primarily to fuss over cats – she loves people and every stranger is a potential new admirer!At our old house, she would follow us whenever we went hiking in the woods. Inevitably, as the underbrush got heavier and the greenery got taller, she

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1131047067431809702005-11-03T14:15:00.000-07:002005-11-03T14:31:38.386-07:00

At the October meeting of the Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild, I brought in these five pieces to be juried. Twenty-four suspenseful hours later (I always get nervous about things like this!) I got the call that said, basically, "Congratulations! You are now a Certified Member!"So what exactly does this mean? In our guild jurying process, a guild member submits three to five pieces which

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1127349121166135772005-09-21T17:40:00.000-07:002005-09-21T17:43:48.550-07:00

This bowl is, appropriately, made from grapefruit wood. Here is the story of how I acquired the wood and why the bowl has cracks in it.In 1978, my parents retired and moved from New England to Phoenix, and two or three years later, they planted two grapefruit trees in their backyard. For many years those two trees flourished, bearing bounteous crops of delicious grapefruit. In the desert

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1125555951421908742005-08-31T23:30:00.000-07:002005-08-31T23:44:38.736-07:00

This post is in response to Glenn Reynold's (Instapundit) call for bloggers to list a charity or other organization that can provide aid to the survivors of Katrina's wrath. Some percentage of those displaced by the storm and the flooding are professional craftspeople in many media. They undoubtably have lost tools, raw materials, finished inventory, and in many cases even their studios or

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1124609188935283982005-08-21T02:00:00.000-07:002005-08-21T02:14:22.610-07:00

It has been a while since I posted, but as with many enjoyable pastimes, life intervened. Shortly after my last post, my father took ill, and he passed away earlier this month. I drove with a friend down to Phoenix to give my mother some additional support and help with the funeral arrangements. They had been married more than sixty-three years. I will miss him.The trip was not all depressing,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1121457213940473952005-07-15T15:32:00.003-07:002010-03-01T20:02:06.607-07:00

The Cascara Buckthorn tree has long been known for the laxative properties of its bark. Stripped in the spring, dried, bottled, and marketed as Cascara Sagrada, the bark was in such high demand in the early-to-mid 20th century that the small trees were severely overharvested. Harvesting cascara bark entails killing the tree, and so throughout much of its native range, primarily the western side

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1120726480618651842005-07-07T02:15:00.000-07:002005-07-07T02:37:13.653-07:00

Back in April, I wrote at length about the new Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild. The guild website is now up and running, and has photos of members' work, links to local galleries that sell woodturnings, and other information. The How-to-join page allows prospective members to download the application form as a PDF file for printing.To give you an idea of the caliber of work done by our guild

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1120549871467235112005-07-04T23:31:00.000-07:002005-07-05T01:05:42.300-07:00

I bought an American flag kit yesterday, and set it up to be displayed from the steps on the east side of the house. It's a full-size "house" flag, 3' by 5', that is visible from anyone driving along the gravel road. Although I'm not an early riser, I got up at 6:30 a.m., and with the morning sun just above the hills and full in my eyes, I carefully unfurled the flag, settled the pole in the

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1117922468417430612005-06-04T15:10:00.000-07:002005-06-04T15:10:50.603-07:00

Update: I just reread more carefully the definition of "specialty wood" that I quoted in my previous post, and I realized that the problem is even worse than I thought.Here's the definition again:"Specialty wood" means wood that is:(a) In logs less than eight feet in length, chunks, slabs, stumps, or burls; and(b) One or more of the following:(i) Of the species western red cedar, Englemann spruce

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1117909610544338982005-06-04T14:05:00.000-07:002005-06-04T14:44:42.210-07:00

I heard about this woodpoaching problem at the woodturning club meeting Thursday night. Officials hope a new law taking effect July 1 will help curtail illegal tree harvesters. The measure requires a permit for transporting "specialty wood," which includes logs of less than 8 feet, free of knots, which can be turned into musical instruments or ornamental boxes. To read the text of

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1117847043203958142005-06-03T18:10:00.000-07:002005-06-03T18:13:19.596-07:00

These yearling blacktails are keeping close tabs on the local predators.Actually, they are eyeing my two cats, which were spending the day in the dog run. I spotted this tableaux as I was walking past the window, so I grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures thru the glass. Digital photography is wonderful!!!I live in a rural area, and my landlord has planted several acres of the property

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1117616923372763342005-06-01T02:24:00.000-07:002005-06-01T02:27:29.013-07:00

The property I am renting has a big double dog-run in the back yard. I don't have dogs, and it seemed a shame to have all that good chain-link fencing going to waste, as it were, so last week I bought a bunch of pole bean seeds.Now, I realize I could just use a pointed stick to plant those beans, but to a woodturner, a much more elegant solution is to make a garden dibble. It's a very useful tool

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1117611816512255042005-06-01T01:15:00.000-07:002005-06-01T01:22:15.533-07:00

I've been a member of the Handyman Club of America for several years. I find their magazine quite informative, with interesting projects, and their subscription price is reasonable. However, they recently sent me a hefty packet of info for a Member Survey. My reply is probably not quite what they were expecting!Here's my original email, sent early on a Friday afternoon:Dear Sirs,I recently

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1116406909718216752005-05-18T00:40:00.000-07:002005-05-18T02:36:04.573-07:00

I sometimes describe weed pots as vases on a budget, but they are in fact a distinct category of woodturned item. Turned vases tend to be medium to large sized pieces which are usually hollowed out and often relatively thin-walled. They may be classically shaped or free-form and sculptural. Finish treatments range from simple oiled-and-buffed to intricately colored, pierced, painted, sandblasted,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1115674974934869302005-05-09T15:20:00.000-07:002005-05-09T15:29:17.516-07:00

I went to the Oregon Mensa Regional Gathering held this weekend in Vancouver, WA. There were approximately 120 paid attendees, some from as far away as southern California, and another contingent down from "the other Vancouver", Vancouver, BC. It was an excellent turnout, and the raffle and auctions raised over $2000 for the Mensa scholarship fund.Although the theme was history, the presentations

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1115324705397846012005-05-05T13:45:00.000-07:002005-05-09T13:24:27.726-07:00

A friend forwarded this from the May 05, 2005 edition of the Christian Science Monitor. The article implies that the technology could be up and running commercially in two years or so. Will wood help fill US energy needs?By John K. Borchardt, Correspondent of The Christian Science MonitorForget corn processing. Don't wait for switch grass. The real key to producing enough ethanol for America's

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1114676059637878052005-04-28T01:02:00.000-07:002005-04-29T00:49:38.056-07:00

At a party last February, a friend called me over to look at a small log from the hostess' firewood bucket. I could not identify the wood, and neither could the hostess, but she graciously allowed me to take the log home with me.I still don't know what it is, but I cut a piece off one end and turned this egg.The log was about three inches in diameter, so I mounted the piece on the lathe with the

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1114579765135534722005-04-26T22:10:00.000-07:002005-04-26T23:00:22.256-07:00

Walnut egg after oiling - view 1This is what the walnut egg looks like after finishing. I first soaked it in Watco Natural Danish Oil, let it dry, applied a second coat the next day, and rubbed that dry. The following day I applied straight beeswax and buffed it thoroughly. The result is a soft luster rather than a glossy finish. It feels nice and smooth in the hand.The end result is somewhat

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1114578617857888882005-04-26T22:05:00.000-07:002005-04-26T22:58:57.550-07:00

Walnut egg after oiling - view 2Another side of the egg. Despite the rather flat lighting on this picture, you can see the pale horizontal bands near the top and the equator. These bands shift intensity when the egg is twisted in bright light, an example of chatoyance.Compare this picture with the "Walnut egg before finishing view 2" below which shows the same side of the egg. You can see where

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1114578236944242292005-04-26T22:02:00.000-07:002005-04-29T01:05:10.946-07:00

Walnut egg after oiling - view 3This is the best of the three pictures, probably because I had the lighting almost acceptable! I'm still learning about how to photograph my work, as you can see from the other views.woodturning

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1113983583686220142005-04-20T01:10:00.000-07:002005-04-29T01:04:16.923-07:00

Walnut egg before finishing, view 1 Here is the walnut egg before getting oiled. The delay in posting was due to two learning curves. First, I am learning how to photograph my work, at least well enough for a viewer to see that it is ROUND. Second, I've been learning about photoblogging tools and how to use them.woodturning

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1113984171513035592005-04-20T01:06:00.000-07:002005-04-20T01:21:57.496-07:00

Walnut egg before finishing, view 2 Here is a different side of the egg. As you can see, this piece of wood has some interesting color and figure. One of the pleasures of woodturning is watching the figure change under the tools as you shape it and refine it.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1113558101916787352005-04-15T01:01:00.000-07:002005-04-29T00:56:01.520-07:00

The Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild was first proposed early last year, and since then its charter members have determined the basic structure, written bylaws, elected officers, and registered as an official chapter of the AAW (American Association of Woodturners).The purpose of the PNWG is to promote the craft and the art of woodturning by educating gallery owners and the general public on

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12166789.post-1113468636290768822005-04-14T01:46:00.000-07:002005-04-14T16:18:42.883-07:00

"Mighty oaks from little acorns grow."Consider this an acorn.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212138712322930032noreply@blogger.com