Learning The Wood Thing
(or my sawdust factory)
and other stuff

Much like many of my projects this wood working thing has been something that I have wanted to learn for some years.  I am now starting the process.  My shop (anyway the wood whittling part) is real basic and I have only the basic tools so far. Above is the main wood bench with a table saw, router and a scroll saw (behind the router).  It is all built on a "T" shaped bench that I can roll completely under with the wheelchair.  The major concern of course is with my lack of hand function and poor balance there is a safety factor with the high speed metal tools that remove fingers as well as wood.  I DO HAVE a a lot of respect for these tools and always approach working with them with great caution.

My favorite saw is the scroll saw so far.  My first one used only the pinned blades and was a real job for me to change them as well as the options for pinned blades are very limited I found out.  My new one takes straight blades and is much simpler to use.  Along with the saws I also use my drill press, a dremel an old 12 inch lathe that come over on the Santa Maria ( it was made by Toastmaster) of which I want to replace some day and of course various files.  The hard part for me is the sanding for several reasons. One of which is the fact that my fingers don't work so coming up with some way to hold onto sand paper to do fine stuff or in odd shapes and places becomes a real challenge. the next and bigger problem is by the time I get to the sanding portion of the project I run out of patients. Most of my projects so far suffer from poor sanding which I am finding really messes up what could be a very nice piece of work. Living out here in a small town the education  process is limited as well. I know no one local that I can ask questions or go see how something is done and to get to any class on something like this (even if they did offer it) would be a minimum of 20 miles and probably 60. That leaves me with trial and error and error and error. My only guidance is via ham radio where I do get some hints and advice from knowledgeable people who guide me along. Below are some projects I have done so far.  With each one I have learned something however so it not a lost cause as of yet.

Below are some pictures of my attempts.

my first true project. My neighbor was impressed with the waterfall on the pond so ask me to make her a small one for her turtle aquarium. Well I wound up building her this terrium base for her turtles.  it is 4 ft long and 18 inches wide. The waterfall is above the blue catch pan (it is a paint roller pan) there are flowers, rocks and a hummingbird on the water fall.  Gravel will fill the base to the top of the catch pan and of course she will put Plexiglas around the sides.  The two posts in front were lodge pine pieces I finished out.

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the chain between the posts hold a sign and a small turtle sits on the edge
there are some small rocks glued to the sign that I had polished earlier last summer.

some other wood stuff

                   
a jd tractor

jd lamp

   

steer head

Queen Gator

terrium top....now overgrown

neat dragon cage

mr-n-mrs gnome

thier house

made this fountain thing for my sis' fish pond
 
da plane..da plane

how about a key made out of plumb wood

Well cross your fingers that as I continue to learn the wood working that I maintain all of mine.  I will post more pics of projects if they turn out presentable

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