Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Netfoot]

After a pretty good morning at the market, I came home tired - as on most Saturdays. Cooked rice for lunch, with onion, cucumber and carrots and (as always) a little corned beef. And then, I thought I'd retire to bed, to read. This usually leads in quick time to my falling asleep, but not today! With some good tunes playing, my book getting sort of interesting and periodic visits from a Mo who wanted to play, cuddle and fight, I never did nod off at all!

Ever since Mo came home on 16th October in '21 weighing less than 5½ lbs., we have done a Garden Patrol. Every single night, without fail. Baby-Mo was afraid of the dark, so I had to escort him around the garden so he could do a wee before bed. 

These days Mo ain't afraid of nothin'! But we still do our Garden Patrol every night, pouring with rain, dry, or anything in between. Usually around 10:00 to 10:30 I will grab a torch and as soon as Mo sees me with that torch he forms up on me and off we go!

Recently, there is a new development. If Mo thinks the time is getting on, he will come and call me. It can be as early as 8:30 to 9:00 when he comes to find me and complains. The only thing to satisfy him is to grab that torch and start off on Patrol! He doesn't do it all the time, but tonight is one night that he did. So off we went and he thoroughly patrolled the entire yard, examining every leaf and twig, and all the stuff that mysteriously turns up lying on the grass. (Tonight, it was a new N95 mask that I took out of the package yesterday morning, and went missing before midday.)

Dinner was dumplings in a sauce made from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, corned beef, garlic powder, diced cucumber and a ladle of the dumpling water. It came out surprisingly tasty. During the making of the dumplings, I dropped a sizeable piece of dough on the floor. I picked it up and put it to one side in reserve. When all the other dumplings had been made, I took the lump of dough in reserve and rolled it out into a long, thin snake-dumpling 8-9" long and tossed it into the pot with the rest of them. When they were all cooked I transferred them into the sauce for a couple minutes for the flavours to meld, then I ate the lot! Except for the long, skinny dumpling, which I cut into little bites and put on the floor for Mo to enjoy.

I made a large bowl of dough, with mostly wheat flour, but about ⅙th lentil flour and ⅙th cornmeal. Less than ¼ of that made dumplings and the remainder was thoroughly covered and went into the fridge. I suspect fried flat-bread tomorrow for at least one meal!

Counting Cars by Dishwallah playing. I like this band but don't know much about them. I was visiting friends some years ago, and for some reason I now forget, they had to pop next door to their neighbor's house, and I went along. (The neighbor turned out to be a school friend of mine named Wayne, but only his wife was at home at that time.) On Wayne's kitchen counter was a Dishwallah album. I think it was Pet Your Friends, but might have been And You Think You Know What Life's About. Anyway, I saw the album, and it stuck in my head. A few days later I saw it for sale and I bought it on the strength of the fact that Wayne and his wife had it. I am so glad I did.  I now own three, possibly four of their albums. [ETA: Just checked the Linux box from the phone via SSH and it's five of their albums!]

Mozie is in the bedroom with me but has decided to sleep on an old towel on the floor. That's fine by me. I like snuggles, but I just like to know he's inside and safe from harm. 

Ok, with my new woodworm chuck, I am now able to use much smaller scraps than anything before, and produce small pieces from wood that would otherwise have to be thrown out. Tomorrow I think I will dig through my pile of scraps and see how many mini-blanks I can make from what was previously my discards pile. With a pile of mini-blanks I will be able to make a pile of mini bowls! I can't sell a tiny bowl for as much as a regular sized one, but if I can get $X, that's X bucks more than I was getting with that piece of wood in the scrap bin!

@Spunkygal's bowl which I made trying out the woodworm screw (and which I was, alas, unable to figure how to get to her) sold early this morning.

Anyway, Mo is in, door is locked, and I will try to get through a chapter of my book before calling it a day.

Edited April 16, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

G'day!

So far this morning, I've been examining scrap wood and cutting small blanks on the bandsaw. I don't like to run my tools on Sunday because I don't want to disrupt my neighbors with the noise. Nor do I want a delegation brandishing pitchforks and burning torches at my gate, yelling at me about working on the Sabbath...

But the bandsaw and the lathe for that matter, are relatively quiet. Even the table saw is OK so long as you don't overdo it. (Mr. Noisy is in a class all his own, though...)

So I started by cutting up a piece of mango that Austin gave me. 

Two of the pieces exceed the maximum on my lathe, as may be seen by the 10" circles drawn on them. You might have to zoom... Two others are sized fine for faceplates. The last few pieces will definitely be good for that wormwood screw. 

(The wormwood screw works in conjunction with a compatible chuck. The two together are often referred to as a "screw chuck".)

After this, I started cutting up scraps of mahogany. These are all suitable for the screw chuck.

Next, I sliced and diced my way through my extensive pile of tamarind scraps.

And a few pieces of purple heart...

And kabukali.

So that lot should make for fair pile of mini-projects for me to get stuck into when I have a little time on my hands!

Edited April 16, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I should mention these pieces of tamarind:

I turned these between centers a while ago. They are between 4½ & 5½ inches long and 1½ to 1¾ inches thick. I want to incorporate them into chisel handles for my own use. I would have the handle mostly of mahogany, with perhaps a small amount of purple heart, and a section of tamarind. The individual pieces would be joined end to end to make the handle. And to make sure the joints were sound, I would center bore the pieces and fit them over a stainless steel core of about ½" diameter.

I've been making quite a bit of tamarind stuff over the past few months and I don't actually have a single item made from tamarind to call my own!

I've also been looking at tiny pieces of scrap like this:

Waaay too small for even the woodworm screw! Pity it has to be thrown away.

Unless it could be turned into a couple of beads. People do make beads on the lathe. But what would I do with a bunch of beads? I mean, it isn't like I could make a necklace. Or a pair of earrings. Or a bracelet. I mean, I don't know how to make that stuff... But Sarah does. She imports silver and gold wire and little ceramic and glass thingies and semi precious stones and makes jewelry. She may even use wooden beads!

Damnit. Now I have to look into bead-turning and the accessories needed to do that. But it would maybe keep some of the tamarind from going on the bonfire...

[andidante]

8 hours ago, Netfoot said:

 

Just wanted to give you a candy update! My son liked them said they were potent though. He said he would snack on them. I did try one also, but I am a wuss when it comes to sour stuff so I will leave the candy to him! 🤣

[Netfoot]

2 hours ago, andidante said:

Just wanted to give you a candy update! My son liked them said they were potent though. He said he would snack on them. I did try one also, but I am a wuss when it comes to sour stuff so I will leave the candy to him! 🤣

Thank for letting me know! I'm glad he likes them. I like them too, but I don't eat them all that often. There are several people who make them, large and small, plain and peppery. I like them peppery, but there is peppery and then there is peppery! You have to  stick with one brand, or just trust to luck and deal with what ever pepper you get.

[Lovecat]

What about a nice set of wooden dice?  Seems like it would be simple enough to cut cubes and put the pips on with a touch of a drill or maybe a wood burner, if you have one?

[Netfoot]

Well, I've gone to bed but Mo (who was just here giving me a bath) isn't ready to settle down and has gone out again.

Used some of the dough left over from yesterday to make a flatbread and fried it up in a pan. Ate it with red butter sparingly spread. Enjoyed it a lot. I love bread of all sorts and know that if I buy bread (which I sometimes do) I will eat bread for every meal until it's gone.

Down To The Waterline by Dire Straits. I remember when the Knopflers formed the band. I was a student in the UK at the time. Their first ever single from their first ever album is still a favourite of mine. And a lot of other people too, I suspect.

For dinner I had gruel. I actually quite like it, so long as you have a bit of sugar & milk or some fruit to put in it.

I will do a blood sugar test in the morning. I have to go out first thing because I have a doctor's appointment at the outpatient clinic of the QEH at 8:30. Typically, that means the clinic opens at 8:30 and everyone is given an appointment for that time, so you just go and fight it out. I will try to make a note of when I actually get to see the doctor.

The man is an ass, BTW. Not just because an 8:30 appointment means I have to drive through the horrible rush-hour traffic in Bridgetown, but just generally. I'm not looking forward to this, but I have to meet with him in order to schedule a biopsy on the Health Service. And if the biopsy confirms the findings of the CT, I'm assuming/hoping the surgery will also be scheduled on the Health Service. Because I certainly can't afford to pay for operation or biopsy.

Just let me get through this without draaama. Just tell me to come back next Tuesday for the biopsy and the following Monday for the surgery! But on the Health Service it is more likely the biopsy will be in November and the surgery in May of '24.

I'm more worried about what happens to Mo while I am dilly-dallying in the hospital!

10 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

What about a nice set of wooden dice?

I like dice! You know I sit on a large wooden die when I go to the market, right? I have been contemplating dice of various sizes for a while. Originally thought to build 2-3 biggish ones (max maybe 10") and use them as part of my display. Also thought of making them by drilling a series of small holes along the four sides of each face and stitching or lacing them together with Paracord. Or bank-line (except, tar). Just as a decorative twist.

Also contemplating making a die which is a storage device. One face comes off to allow access to the content, but is usually locked. To unlock, you have to start with a particular numbered face uppermost, then roll the die over on it's side to reveal another numbered face, and repeat until the complete "combination" has been "entered", at which point the die/box unlocks and you can open it up. Any erroneous number rolled to should invalidate anything that came before, forcing a restart. I would like to have the locking mechanism entirely mechanical and based on the movement of weights but I'm not smart enough to design such a system. So I would probably be forced to use an Argh!duino to track the movement and unlock the box at the right point. But if the battery went flat.... Just another one of my harebrained, unrealistically complicated ideas.

But I must make some relatively small, simple dice and see if anyone will buy them. 

There is one guy who sells simple wooden toys at the market who loves my die/seat. He has asked to borrow it several times to use as a backdrop for photographing his latest toy creations.

Well, Mo has curled up against my leg and is using my foot as a pillow. The moment I try to go lock the door he will be oudda here like a rocket. But I need to get some shut-eye because I have Bridgetown rush-hour traffic to deal with in only a few hours...

[Netfoot]

I'm at the QEH. When I got here they wouldn't let me in because I had a Leatherman in my pocket. I had to go stash that in my van where it could be stolen. And my van smashed open in the process. 

My appointment was for 8:30 and I presented myself to the Outpatient clinic at 8:29 on the dot.

Where is your card? What card? Your appointment card. I don't have a card. You can't see the doctor without a card. But he sent for me. Go to the "Records" department and make an appointment. But I have an appointment, for 8:30, which is now! No card, no doctor!

So I went to the "Records" department and pulled a number. #160. The sign said "Now serving 119." That was one hour and 20 minutes ago. The sign now says "Now serving 130." There is nowhere to sit, because the 16 chairs in the waiting area are all full. And have been since I got here. Presumably filled by numbers 131 thru 146. No idea where 147 thru 159 might be.

It's taken around 90 minutes to process 10 numbers. At this rate, I will be here for the next 4½ hours, before I get my card. By then, I will only be 6 hours late for my appointment, despite being here exactly on time.

I brought my book, but I can't read that standing up. My back is killing me. I didn't have any pain when I got here but it's bad now. By time they call #160 I will probably require a doctor urgently.

Of course, it is doubtful the ass of a doctor will still be here seeing patients. And on the off chance he is, I expect he will make the very silly mistake of trying to admonish me for being late. 

[Netfoot]

It's now 10:53 and I just got a place to sit. Not in the waiting area, of course, but about 30 yards away, on the edge of a flower bed, where I can't see the sign. They were processing #141 when I got here a minute ago. 

Of course, they might call my number and I don't hear it

 But I can't help that because I was on the brink of falling down so sitting was an essential move. I was about to sit on the ground, I was that desperate.

There are three little windows inside "Records." Each with a chair behind it. And one of which is sometimes occupied by a worker. I'd say she sits for three minutes shuffling papers and then she gets up and vanishes out the back for the next seven minutes, so working only 39% of the time. If paper shuffling classifies as work.

Oh, look! An actual chair has become available, over there. Prolly more comfortable than my flower bed, but even further away. I think I will stick with the flower bed. In fact, I may take the risk and pop over and see what number they have reached!

#142...

[Netfoot]

Just got an actual seat in the actual waiting area! It's now 11:18 and they are working on #145. No, just went to #146. 

I may actually get the appointment for my appointment before the place closes up for the night!

[Netfoot]

Ok, at 12:45 my number was called and I went in to get my appointment card. The doctor had left for the day and they couldn't get him on the phone. So at 12:58 after nearly 4½ hours of waiting, I got an appointment card with no appointment written on it! They are to call me with the date/time of the rice. 

[ETA: Rice?!?? With the date and time of the appointment!]

I am home now, cooking some rice and looking forward to lying in bed this afternoon. (In stead of making dice, planters, bowls, or anything else.)

Dr. Kristi called to ask how the appointment had gone. I explained all that happened and she is now spitting blue sparks!  I now have to calm her down...

Edited April 17, 2023 by Netfoot

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

Ok, at 12:45 my number was called and I went in to get my appointment card. The doctor had left for the day and they couldn't get him on the phone. So at 12:58 after nearly 4½ hours of waiting, I got an appointment card with no appointment written on it! They are to call me with the date/time of the rice. 

[ETA: Rice?!?? With the date and time of the appointment!]

I am home now, cooking some rice and looking forward to lying in bed this afternoon. (In stead of making dice, planters, bowls, or anything else.)

Dr. Kristi called to ask how the appointment had gone. I explained all that happened and she is now spitting blue sparks!  I now have to calm her down...

Good for Dr Kristi!  I hope she's able to contact that clinic and give them what for!  There is no excuse for such incompetence.

[Netfoot]

On 4/17/2023 at 3:50 PM, Notabug said:

Good for Dr Kristi!  I hope she's able to contact that clinic and give them what for!

QEH = Queen Elizabeth Hospital, primary health care facility in the island. "Named with her majesty's gracious consent and opened by her husband HRH Prince Philip in 1964." Yes, I spent four hours today looking at the sign.

(Gino by Dexy's Midnight Runners. Kevin Rowland. A remarkably disastrous solo career, but some of the tunes from the earlier days of The Runners are unforgettable.)

Dr. Kristi was very upset by today's events. (And having a sick puppy on the way out doesn't help. I've offered Mo for cuddly-wuddlies as necessary, but she has several fuzzy children of her own to comfort her.) She arranged with Dr. Nebhnani for me to attend today's clinic, and I had to collect a letter from her that explained it to whom ever it concerned. Unfortunately the nurse at the Outpatient Department refused to look at it, and so did the clerk at Records. 

Dr. K. is really ticked, as is Dr. N. but I think the staff at QEH will enjoy his wrath, not hers. He has told her as much, and that he will let her know when I am to try again. I think he has a clinic at QEH on Mondays, so I will have to wait at least a week. Let's just hope I don't doe die in the mean time, eh?

(Get It While You Can by Janis. I think Pearl was the first album I ever bought, way back as a teenager. It was certainly one of the first, but I think it was the first. And when the fire destroyed my entire music collection (and large pieces of me, too) it was one of the (if not the) first albums I replaced.)

(I use (lots of) parentheses (for some reason). (I wonder why) I never took to LISP, that (programming) language (from the early 60s), much loved by AI researchers (and notorious for using (large numbers of) parentheses?))

A story about my wormwood screw. I wanted to order one, but for that I needed the part number, and to get that you have to place a call to their 800 number. But their 800 number does not work here. To get that number could easily have cost me $25 in phone charges. And since I'm skint,  I asked my niece who was in the USA to call the 800 number and get that info for me. She was there for over 3 weeks but she couldn't find the time. Fortunately for me, one of you made the call and passed the part number back to me. The part was ordered and is a very useful accessory.

Months ago, my niece asked me if I could build her an Adirondack chair. Her daughter had a child-sized chair which her [grand] daughter uses regularly. But now she has a second daughter and the two girls fight over the chair. Would I duplicate the chair so they have one chair each? Of course! Those girls are my great, grand nieces, after all. Just bring the original chair for me to take measurements from. Well, months passed, I asked repeatedly when I was going to see the chair, and eventually gave up on it.

Now, suddenly, the chair is a priority and Heidi would like the new chair completed within the next 10 days. I should have told her how much I'd love to help, if only I had a woodworm screw..... But I'd like to build a few and see if anyone would buy them. However, I suspect I will not only be expected to build them, but I will be roped in to paint them as well. I hate painting!

Digging around in the back of the fridge, I found a package of penne pasta and a tiny, dried up piece of red herring. That stuff has a powerful flavour so I cooked the penne and ate it with a red herring and garlic butter sauce with cayenne. Went down well! 

Finished my book. Got almost to the end while wasting time at the hospital, then finished it this afternoon when I was lying in bed trying to unkink my back. Fortunately when I took Mo to the vet last week I found a book I wanted to read in their shelves and paid $1 for it. But I won't start that tonight. My eyes are closing down and I feel I'd better call it quits soon.

I want to go to the bank tomorrow, and there are a couple other things I should look into, including turning a couple small bowls. And I have to briefly see Dr. Kristi as well. And now Mozie had jumped into bed and is nibbling my toes. So I'm think it's time.

Edited April 20, 2023 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

I predict that any child-sized chair would sell like hot cakes! Genius idea! You may use a lot of (((((  and )))) but I’m partial to my !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Netfoot]

The chair has arrived. 

It is pretty dirty, but that won't be a problem. I now have to take a series of measurements and draw patterns. From that I can derive a bill of materials. 

I think @Spunkygal is right. Done correctly, these could sell and sell well!

But I'd probably have to paint... 😠

ETA: Large mug placed to give an idea of scale.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

It’s adorable! I wish I were nearby because I love to paint! In general, I think items that sell well are either dog or kid related. Have you thought about selling some of your knotted dog collars too? 

[andidante]

5 hours ago, Netfoot said:

The chair has arrived. 

It is pretty dirty, but that won't be a problem. I now have to take a series of measurements and draw patterns. From that I can derive a bill of materials. 

I think @Spunkygal is right. Done correctly, these could sell and sell well!

But I'd probably have to paint... 😠

ETA: Large mug placed to give an idea of scale.

I love that! I agree with Spunkygal; they would sell really well!

[Netfoot]

27 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

Have you thought about selling some of your knotted dog collars too? 

There is a woman there with her own tent who sells all matter of really elaborate creations from Paracord, including collars leashes, and a number of dog-related items. Also belts, bracelets... All sorts of stuff. I will see if I have any photos I can post. 

[Netfoot]

32 minutes ago, andidante said:

I love that! I agree with Spunkygal; they would sell really well!

I've begun the process of making patterns. There are five different shaped pieces for which I will need templates. I will use those templates to make two arms, two arm supports, two rear legs (which double as seat supports), one upper back support and one lower back support. The other pieces are all straight, maybe with an angle cut on one end, so no pattern will be needed, only measurements. The back is made up of tapered slats that give that fan-shape, but again, they are easy cuts that can be made with a very simple jig. I have most of the patterns made in cardboard; the long rear leg/seat support is very tricky to copy, but I will get going on that first thing in the morning.

When the cardboard patterns are finished I will use them to make some more durable hardboard or thin plywood templates and then look to build my first chair from those.

The original chair was a gift from my mother for my grand niece when she was very little. It made by mum's second husband. My grand niece now has two daughters of her own, which is why she needs a second chair. I think they want to retain the original chair given to them by "Great-Granny" and have me build as exact a copy as possible.

I've found a bad crack in the chair. Not dangerous but unsightly, if you view the chair from the wrong angle. I would like to build two new chairs, so I can eliminate the crack, make a few improvements and ensure they are both identical. But I'm pretty sure they aren't going to go for it.

I am also making a wooden popsicle (7" wide, a foot tall plus stick, with a bite taken out of the top corner) for one of the vendors who sells popsicles. No urgency, but I will try to get it finished by the weekend. Oh, and to needs to stand upright so some sort of base will be needed as well. Why do I let myself be drawn into these projects?

I've been thinking "Dice!" all day, but not got around to doing anything about it yet. Had to visit Dr. Kristi's clinic {didn't actually see her, alas) and the bank, and I have to go back to the bank again tomorrow.

Was going to buy some teatime & Shirley biscuits to share with Mo, but discovered that my pocket was actually empty. Came home and nearly burned down the house trying to make a cup of tea. Flicked the switch on the kettle and (luckily) did not go and wait for the click. Was doing something else in the kitchen when I noticed a bright red glow emanating from the kettle. The kettle was actually dry and the element was glowing red hot. (Shouldn't there be some sort of safety mechanism to prevent that sort of thing?) I had actually poured out every last drop of water making my previous cuppa, but somehow thought layer that the kettle was full.  Left it 30 minutes to completely cool, filled it with water and it made me a fine cup of tea. But that was a close one!

Going to go cook something for dinner, now. 

[Netfoot]

Dumplings in a corned beef sauce with balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, chives, red pepper flakes and some starchy water from the dumplings. Made a large batch and two long, snakey ones extra because I know Mo would be waiting for his share. They were good. Mo seemed to think so as well.

He demanded we go on our Garden Patrol at 9:30, so here I am in bed with him taking liberties with my tummy, listening to A Hard Day"s Night by the Liverpool lads.

It's probably a good thing I have come to.bed early. I have a new book to start, and I can get a few chapters in before sleep holds me.

Oh, by the way, I got a call from Records to give me a date for my second attempt at seeing Dr. Nebhnani. 15th May. So a delay of four weeks. Damned good thing we aren't dealing with something that could kill! Oh, wait...

So, tomorrow is a Wednesday. I must work on that final pattern for the mini-Adirondack. If I finish that early I will search for suitable template material in my garage and go buy some if I can't find any. Got to go to the bank. May take the opportunity to buy some groceries and pay my water bill. And possibly some candy for Saturday, and a bit of gas in the tank. 

Mo has gone out again.  This might be the perfect opportunity to start that book.

@Spunkygal, I could have sworn I had a couple photos of the Paracord lady's tent, but I've looked and looked and can not find. I can't remember her name off hand but she is quite pleasant. 

My back is hurting. 

[Spunkygal]

Actually, now that you mention it, I do recall that you told us that a lady was selling cord items at the market. It was when you first started going to market. But I’ve slept since then and forgot!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Netfoot]

Went to the hardware store and bought some wood to build a prototype chair. Put $30 in the car on the way from there to the supermarket. On the way back from the supermarket, visited the bank briefly. 

While at the supermarket, I lost my mind.

I bought potatoes, pak choy (four heads), a piece of belly-pumpkin, half a white cabbage ($7.12), cucumbers, two plantains for $3.10, three packs of macaroni and one of Linguine, corned beef, tuna fish and pigeon peas in tins, a pot of red butter, two liters of milk (because it was on special for 90¢ off), some salt, some lime juice, some sugar, a bunch of sweets to use as bait at Brighton, a coke, two packs of Teatime biscuits and two packs of Shirleys, and some butt fodder. The butt fodder is $1.25 per roll, but you can get a deal if you buy a pack of six for $7.79 instead.

Oh, I also bought cooking oil and a piece of cheese for Mo's medication.

Price for all that was $153.81 and I must be crazy.

6 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

But I’ve slept since then and forgot!!!

LOL!

Edited April 20, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Listening to I Don't Want To Talk About It, a cover by EBTG. Early to bed because I'm not feeling very well. Mo is bathing my feet. I didn't want to go spend any time in the kitchen so I skipped dinner. I bought cheese today but deliberately did not buy bread or crackers because that cheese is for Mo! He has 3 more days of medication to go, and the cheese is working very well.

On the way into bed, I remembered I'd bought two tiny packets of Shirley biscuits today, with Mo out by the gate looking for a reason to bark, I tiptoed into the kitchen, retrieved a pack of Shirleys and headed to bed. Mo arrived for his share before I reached the end of the passage. 

Got my cardboard templates finished and started transferring the shapes onto ¾" plywood. The chair will eventually be made of ¾" pine so these plywood bits can be fitted together and checked. If anything needs to be adjusted it can be done to the ply parts. When it's all just right, the plywood chair can be taken apart and the pieces used as templates for shaping the pine. 

Here you see the shaped pieces almost complete. Two rear leg/seat supports (nailed together), two arm rests ditto, two arm rest supports ditto, and one each lower and upper back supports. The duplicated pieces are temporarily nailed together so they can be sanded on the disc sander so they are identical. Some inside curves can't be done on the disc sander so tomorrow the spindle sander will get a workout. 

The two front legs are rectangular. The two back braces are too, except the top ends are cut at an angle. The seat slats are also rectangular. These things should be easy to cut on the table saw. 

The five boards that make the fan-shaped backrest are tapered. I will have to knock out a quick tapering jig to produce that taper by just putting a rectangular piece of wood in the jig and running it all through the table saw.

Many of the pieces will be rounded over with a router on the final chair. I won't bother to round over the template pieces. Rounded edges would make the templates harder to use and it's not like I can butt-test this little thing anyway!

Mo has given up his attempt to get Shirleys and is now snoozing by my feet. I will attempt to open the packet quietly. I am well aware there is no chance in hell I will get to eat my biscuits unmolested. But I wonder how far I can go towards opening them before a snoozing puppy sticks his very demanding nozzle in my face in expectation of getting some of my bikkies! I will get my camera ready to capture the little pirate in glorious Kodachrome...

It went about as you would have expected, if you know Mo (which you all do, pretty much).

I barely picked up the package and those ears, highly attuned to the sound of crinkling cellophane, had perked right up. Before I could even get the packet oriented so I could open it, a black prune-shaped nose was pressed up against the plastic. I got the packet open and gave him one of the five biscuits, eating one myself. He is back already, pretending to sleep with his head on the pillow, right next to the packet. I am now going to extract another biscuit....

😄 Barely lifted up the packet as quietly as I could, and he was on point instantly! There were only three biscuits left and they are really only two bites each, but he got a quarter of each biscuit, and my dinner was not very large at all! Then he stole the empty wrapper from the bin and ran outside with it. There is not a crumb in it, but he will entertain himself with it for a short while.

Anyway, time for my book. I don't think I mentioned before; it's called Bad Luck & Trouble, and the hero is Alan Ritchson Jack Reacher. This book is the one upon which Season 2 is based, and it is one of the few I have not read. I was very pleased to see it for sale for $1 at the vet.

So I will read a chapter and then lock up and go to sleep. Got to get moving on the chair tomorrow. Heidi is already asking if I'm done yet!

[Netfoot]

Sanded the inside curves on the spindle sander and started assembling my templates into a pseudo-chair. Got as far as this:

The arm rests could go on next, but they would need to attach to something at the rear as well as the top of the front legs. I went to cut out a couple struts that run from the rear legs up to the upper back support, but I suddenly realized...

They are tapered! Argh! Made a simple jig to taper two struts and cut them to length but it was time for Mo's lunch. I have come into 18 sachets of flavourful dog grub. Bacon & Filet Mignon. Slow Cooked Beef. Hearty Chicken. That dog eats better than I do! Anyhow, mixed some slow-cooked beef with his usual scoop of chow and he inhaled it! So I guess he will get a tasty treat every couple of days, until it's all gone. 

Meanwhile the phone has been playing the arse again this morning but I managed to get it up and running again. So with that, and the time past one in the afternoon, I had better cook something for me to eat. Like rice with carrots, pak choy, cucumber and filet mignon corned beef. Maybe a little pumpkin as well. I only had three Shirley biscuits for dinner, so I could eat a hearty chicken horse, right now...

[Netfoot]

What ever plans I had for this afternoon are out the window. After a tasty rice lunch, I was standing at the drill press when I felt a pain in my tummy. It was quite uncomfortable. I went to the toilet to see if that would help, but no. Took a shower (because being dusty & sweaty can only make you feel worse), and I'm now lying in bed, listening to I'd Really Love To See You Tonight by England Dan & Joh Ford Coley.

And wondering why it is that I spend so much time with Mo's butt in my face. He sticks he's tail end in my direction with no consideration. When he goes to look out the window and especially when he backs away from it.  I mean, I love the whole dog, but I'd rather cuddle with the front end of him than the other end!

The tummy pain is easing a bit, but I will remain in bed smite longer. I want it to ease quite some more. I may try reading but no sooner did I lie down that I felt sleepy.

[Netfoot]

I think it happens when I eat a little too much. I cook, it turns out to be a bit more than I was expecting, but since I don't have a microwave, I can't save some of it for later, so I just eat it all. I have various things wrong with my stomach, which generally don't bother me in any way. But I think when I overload, I trigger those conditions and either individually or in combination, they act to make me pay the price. By the way, I'm surprised nobody reacted to my comment of a few days ago (yesterday?).

On 4/19/2023 at 2:13 PM, Netfoot said:

The butt fodder is $1.25 per roll, but you can get a deal if you buy a pack of six for $7.79 instead.

Maybe you thought I was just joking...

Did I tell you about the wooden popsicle stick I got myself roped into making?

[andidante]

39 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

I think it happens when I eat a little too much. I cook, it turns out to be a bit more than I was expecting, but since I don't have a microwave, I can't save some of it for later, so I just eat it all. I have various things wrong with my stomach, which generally don't bother me in any way. But I think when I overload, I trigger those conditions and either individually or in combination, they act to make me pay the price. By the way, I'm surprised nobody reacted to my comment of a few days ago (yesterday?).

Maybe you thought I was just joking...

Did I tell you about the wooden popsicle stick I got myself roped into making?

I must have missed that the first read over! I calculated it and it is actually 4 cents more per roll that way! Unless I did my math wrong. Hope your stomach feels better.

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, andidante said:

I must have missed that the first read over! I calculated it and it is actually 4 cents more per roll that way! Unless I did my math wrong.

It's ludicrous! I couldn't believe it when I saw it? Who would pay more for a six-pack than for six rolls individually? Somebody dropped the ball there. Or maybe they know something I don't know?

Quote

Hope your stomach feels better.

It feels much better. Still a teensy bit tender, so I am not going to cook anything for dinner. (Once more I regret the lack of bread or crackers along with something... say peanut butter.. to put on them.) So it looks like Shirley biscuits for dinner again tonight.  

[andidante]

52 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

It's ludicrous! I couldn't believe it when I saw it? Who would pay more for a six-pack than for six rolls individually? Somebody dropped the ball there. Or maybe they know something I don't know?

It feels much better. Still a teensy bit tender, so I am not going to cook anything for dinner. (Once more I regret the lack of bread or crackers along with something... say peanut butter.. to put on them.) So it looks like Shirley biscuits for dinner again tonight.  

I think they word it that way so you think you are getting some big bargain as most people would probably not take the time to do the math. 

Glad you are feeling better! 

[Netfoot]

Been giving the tummy ache situation some thought. 

I enjoy simple meals. That doesn't mean I dislike a fancy spread. Far from it! But I can eat simple and be happy. Which is a good thing, seeing as how groceries are a very low priority, after rent, bank charges, electricity, phone/net, water and dog chow. With funds so extremely low, I have to watch my costs in the supermarket.

This doesn't just mean noticing that the "deal" on the TP is actually a ripoff. It also means comparing prices between brands, and watching for the best deals in things like pasta. Available in 250, 400 or 800 gram packages, I have determined that the cheapest type of pasta is macaroni, the best value for money is from that brand with the green & red packaging, and the best size is 400 grams. But I do the math again, next time I'm in the supermarket just in case there is a change.

Another consequence of being so skint is I hate to waste food. So when I throw stuff in the rice-pot and it ends up being more than usual, I'm not going to throw it out. And since I can't conveniently reheat due to the lack of a microwave, I eat it instead. And get a bellyache, like today. 

But it occurs to me that what I need to do is stop cooking rice with everything. I need to create a vegetable soup/stew and cook white rice (or boiled potatoes, or pasta, or dumplings, or frybread...) separately. Then I can control how much I cook and after it's ready,add a dollop of stew to the carbs and put the remaining stew back into the fridge/freezer.

this all presupposes there will be more food to come in the days ahead! If Mo isn't careful he might lose some of his Hearty Chicken!

Judy Blue Eyes by CSN&Y at Woodstock. ("We'd like to introduce our friend Neil Young!") And then Jump by Van Halen. A #1 track from the DLR era. A couple of years later David was gone, replaced by  Sammy who did a first class job for the band, no denying. But DLR was one of those unforgettable characters you rarely encounter any more. And now Just Shoot Me, Baby by Canadian (I think) band Crash Test Dummies. Followed by Just What I Needed by The Cars, who I've always thought of as a fun band with lots of good tunes.

Mo was just here, and he's gone off in a huff. While he was outside barking at the moon (or what ever), I ate the Shirley biscuits. He is annoyed he was not present to strong arm me out of 40% of the packet. The fact that I left a whole Shirley just for him seems not to have mollified him at all.

Tomorrow is Friday. I have made nothing for myself all week. Losing Monday didn't help. Then Heidi demanding her chair without delay. Plus the popsicle I am making for Haley, who makes and sells them at Brighton. 

Now tell me what you think. Haley asked me if I would make a simple wooden popsicle she could use as part of her display. I told her that I could. We agreed on what she wanted, drew me a sketch, and I agreed to go ahead. Overhearing this discussion was a customer, a guy I've known for so long I can't remember his name. I just use his nickname that I've used for 40-50 years: Beano.

So after Haley told me what she wanted and I agreed to make it for her, Beano stuck his oar In. He rapidly listed half a dozen extra features the popsicle should have and without consulting me, promised Haley I would include them for her. Unfortunately, the extra features he promised have made the entire job much harder. Originally, I would have only had to glue up a panel, and the next day when the glue was all dried, put it on the bandsaw and cut out the shape of the popsicle. 

Anyway, I gassed up the car Wednesday, and bought extra sweets and tamarind balls at the same time. So I will have more time to do what I need to. For Heidi's chair and Haley's popsicle.

I'm going to read my book until Mo comes back. 

[Netfoot]

Started at a couple minutes after six this morning. Want to progress other projects before turning a few items for sale.

A bit of work on the patterns/templates for the Adirondack chair:

Maybe this photo will keep Heidi off my back until the latter part of the weekend.

Then there is the wooden popsicle for Haley:

Not too bad, all considered. It needs masses of sanding and the construction of a stand of some sort, but I will take it tomorrow for her to look at, and we will discuss options for a stand. Will take my Shinwa bevel gauge as well, so she can pick the ideal "lean" to suit her needs.

And finally, a little mahogany bowl I finished hollowing a few days ago. All I had to do was sand it, add the two rings I like to put on the bottom of a piece, and finish with beeswax & paraffin oil (a.k.a. "mineral" oil). 

Coke bottle cap for scale. This little bugger fought me like a pair of pirates! It flew off the lathe several times, it resisted the clean addition of the two circles, not once but five times until I gave up and have abandoned the idea of adding them.

By which time I thought it must be nine, nine thirty and I could have a cuppa tea... Eleven twenty-five! Mo must get medicated cheese and (30 minutes later) lunch. And I will need lunch as well. Maybe some vegetable soup.

Where does the time go? Gone to graveyards, every one... (I hate that song.)

[Lovecat]

That popsicle is cool, no pun intended... I do hope you have discussed compensation for your work!

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, Lovecat said:

I do hope you have discussed compensation for your work!

Initially I said $40, but I'm thinking I might see if I can persuade her to give me one popsicle a week until an equivalent value has been reached. (I have no idea what she charges for a popsicle.) On the other hand, if sales are bad I may just take the forty bucks and call it a day. 

I still have to make a stand for it...

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Just finished this really sweet little tamarind bowl with a full, live-edge rim.

So pleased this piece didn't have to be thrown out as a too-small scrap! It stands at 2½" tall at the lowest point of the rim and 4" across. 

Made a pot of corned beef soup with vegetables for lunch. Pumpkin, pak choy, potato, cucumber, carrot and carrot [Carrot & carrot? Sounds like a law firm. Carrot & onion...], and completely forgot to add the corned beef. Spiced with garlic and cayenne (a little more than I'd planned) and dressed with red butter. At the last minute I quickly rolled out some dumplings and there was just time enough for them to cook before the pot had to come off the stove. Mindful of yesterday's tummy ache I only had a small portion and will reheat and finish the rest for dinner. Don't even think I will add the missing corned beef!

Mo inhaled his lunch again, chow with half a sachet of Hearty Chicken. The other half will be in his dinner.

Not two thirty yet, so I will see if I can make another mini-bowl before my back gives out.

Edited April 21, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

After that lovely little live-edged bowl, I grabbed up another piece of tamarind and started turning. All went well I til I spotted a crack. The crack extended all the way to the middle so there was no rescue for that piece. 

Deciding on a change of pace, I grabbed a piece of wet mango and produced a thick-walled, rough turned bowl. Hopefully it will not crack, check or split while it drys and later this year I will be able to put it back on the lathe and end up with something pretty. 

Remembering that I'd already done two very small wet turnings of the mango, I sought them out and put the three together:

While searching for the two smaller mango bowls, I came across that nasty little Easter egg. Do So many people told me to finish it, that... I did. Hot off the lathe (this shape is a nightmare to work with) with a wax/oil finish, I still don't like it much. But it was so much work that I can't just give it away. These two-piece items are three times more difficult to make. The top is equivalent to a piece on its own, and so is the base. But then, you have to marry the two together!

Also, I don't think I've mentioned it but I started work on a wooden sheath for my tanto machete. 

When the two sides are glued together, the blade slot must be tight enough that the blade won't rattle and it won't fall out when turned upside down. Yet it must be slack enough to slip easily in and out. I think I'm about there right now, but if I glue it together and it's too slack or too tight, I throw it all away and start again. 

If the fit is acceptable, I will carve and sand the outside of the sheath to shape, stain it black and then apply some sort of hardening finish. Linseed oil? Polyurethane? Not decided. Then I will do a Turk's Head of black, gutted, trippled Paracord on the bottom end and, and another at the top, by way of making a sageo, but it will be black, red and black. Or black, blue and black. 

If I like how that comes out, I also have the Wakizashi and the katana machete, so perhaps matching sheaths?

Stopped work now. Back hurting, light beginning to fade as the sun sinks in the west. Decided to drink a cuppa tea but changed my mind and had a lime squash instead. Tasted delish! 

Now, I'm coveted covered in crap so I will go have a shower. Hopefully there will be enough water pressure for me to get hot water. Otherwise I will have to be showering at 3:00 AM. Brrrrr!

Edited April 22, 2023 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

That raw edge bowl and egg are gorgeous! I would buy that bowl the minute I saw it if I were there.

[Netfoot]

No hot water. Grrr! Shampooed and showered in the cold so I don't have to do it 'foreday morning.

While turning this afternoon, I was using the woodworm screw and the chuck. It's convenient. You wind the wood blank onto the screw, turn sand and finish the outside, unwind from the screw, open the jaws of the chuck to release the woodworm screw and put the piece back in the chuck directly for hollowing. 

What you don't want to do is open the chuck jaws and drop the woodworm screw into a huge pile of shaving over a foot deep! I had to use the ShopVac to vacuum  up the shavings little by little until the lost item was revealed. I had to fill a 12 gallon ShopVac with shavings before I could find it, and believe me, there is a lot more where that came from!

Soup for dinner and early to bed. Car already packed so only my togs need to be laid out. Just don't let me forget my 8:00 AM meds like I did last week.

Not sure who I will be sharing with tomorrow. I think Toni will be there and she has asked me to share with her when she is, but Alison seemed to think she wouldn't be there tomorrow.

[Spunkygal]

Don’t you dare lose that dang wormwood screw! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[andidante]

7 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Then there is the wooden popsicle for Haley:

Not too bad, all considered. It needs masses of sanding and the construction of a stand of some sort, but I will take it tomorrow for her to look at, and we will discuss options for a stand. Will take my Shinwa bevel gauge as well, so she can pick the ideal "lean" to suit her needs.

 

 

 

I love this! 

[Netfoot]

41 minutes ago, andidante said:

I love this! 

I hope Haley does...

[Netfoot]

A while back the bedroom bulb went out and I had to search the house for an infrequently used one to "borrow". Turns out it was an incandescent bulb and it has this weird yellow light that seems so strange now, but was the absolute norm, back in the day. Yes, it was these or pitchoil (AKA Kerosene) lamps.

It is uncomfortably still tonight. I'm in front of the bedroom fan and it really isn't doing much to help. Mo has just joined me. While on Patrol I discovered a pencil he had stolen and he is on tender-hooks waiting for some sort of punishment to descend upon him. I told him at the time that he was a naughty puppy for stealing, but that is all. I wonder about him. Sometimes I will pick up a stick or a hammer or something, and he will shoot off like he thinks his life is in jeopardy. I dunno why he is so jumpy. I've never whacked him with a hammer, I assure you!

The balance of the soup went down fine for dinner. I added nothing, and had it with lime squash. (At lunch I had it with a Coke that had been sitting in my fridge for several days and was beastly cold, like Cokes should be.)

Mo is now sticking his butt in my face again. 

All ready for the off, except I have not transferred my EDC from shorts to jeans. I will do that when I get up to lock the house. I've got $55 in my wallet plus $10 for Alison. The car is fueled and packed, and while I don't expect to make as much as last Sunday, it would be nice to bring home a Grantley. Hopefully I won't score a duck!

Listening to A Kissed Out Red Floatboat by Cocteau Twins. It's off Blue Bell Knoll and as usual Elizabeth Frazier sings like she is making up the language as she goes along. This is one of their tracks that actually has English lyrics, and even reading along as the track plays, I have difficulty matching what I hear to what I read. 

Mo has gone. This morning he was so snuggly and cuddly! I opened the door at 4:30 and let him in - he had insisted ongoing out several.hours earlier. He is such a good snuggler it's a real shame he prefers to spend most of the night prowling around outside!

Anyway, I got a chapter to read and then I will lock up and crash out. If I share with Toni, tomorrow might be interesting. Apparently my thieving sister is one of her regular customers. But maybe she will be in her usual semi-vegetative state and not know who I am.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Brighton is dead. Sold my Easter-egg box for $40, but there are so few people I doubt I'll get much more on sales. 

Haley loves the popsicle and had offered to increase the payment to $50, but we will see how it goes. She has borrowed it for the morning, but I've told her it has to come back home with me. 

Toni isn't here so I guess Alison knows better than I. Therefore I am sharing with Marva the coconut bread lady, whose real name is apparently Betty.

(Suffering from shadow-face as does everyone avoiding the early morning sun-in-the-eyes syndrome.)

The small crowd is disappointing. But there is a steady trickle of people arriving, so maybe things will be better.

Fingers crossed!

Edited April 22, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Home 

It's been boiling hot all morning and I could not wait until I could get home and strip down to a pair of shorts.

Sold a total of $100 in items, but if you deduct $10 for Alison next week, that is a net $90 taking. And if you deduct the $30 in groceries I bought on the way home, it is still $60 in my pocket that wasn't there before.

Had plenty of Back-Next-Week shoppers today, but none of last week's Back-Next-Week shoppers came back this week... 

Thought that little live-edged bowl would be a quick seller. But I sold the egg and a small mahogany bowl.

So I came home gave Mo a cheesey treat (today is his last day for tummy-meds) and made myself a giant lime squash. Sat drinking that in front of the fan. I will have another with lunch which will be right after Mo gets his filet mignon.

Got very little sleep last night and was up early, so I will prolly take a nap this afternoon. 

[Netfoot]

Decided to put some pepper sauce on my dinner. The bottle was nearly empty but there was more than enough for my needs. I removed the cap from the bottle and set it on the low table at my side. It was covered in gooey pepper so I figured I would need to clean it with a paper towel before resealing the bottle. 

I put a generous amount on my plate, and then I went for a paper towel. When I came back... I couldn't find the cap. Searched high and low. Had I knocked it onto the floor when I got up? I was about to get down on the floor and look under the table, when...

Mo ran up the steps and began drinking water in copious amounts. OK, I get the picture, now. And klepto-pup gets his comeuppance. I had no sympathy for him! Fortunately, the pepper was not fresh and most of its force had been spent so didn't have to be concerned about him. And he was quickly over the novel experience and back to being the klepto-puppy I have come to know and love: while on Garden Patrol, I found the chewed-to-bits pieces of my patented egg poacher...

Today at Brighton a guy came along and was asking me about my work but I suddenly realized who he was. Tony and his two brothers were favourite friends of my first serious girlfriend (and her whole family), back when I was 15 or so. He was struggling to remember where he knew me from, so I put him out of his misery and told him.  Back then, his brothers plus two other guys - also brothers - were in a popular band called... What was it again? Oh, yeah! "The Brothers". 😐

Anyway, he is now a member of a film making group and he says that the team is filming what sounds like a docu-travelogue about the island. One section of which will be about arts & crafts and craft markets, etc, and they will be at Brighton next week, to film that segment. Not sure if I should make an extra effort to be there, or deliberately stay at home!

 Something occurred to me at Brighton today. As you know, I usually sprinkle my bowls with a selection of mints, toffees, boiled sweets, tamarind balls, etc for the kids (of all ages) to enjoy. I refer to that stuff as "bait!" Also, Brighton allows you to bring along your "well-behaved dog, on a lead." (Mo couldn't pass for well behaved at night on the dark of the moon.) So, I am contemplating getting hold of some doggie "bait" and offer a bit to the dog owners who wander past. I looked into baking my own, but upon investigation it turns out there are certain requirements to be met before such an endeavor can be successful. Particularly, you need ingredients and the skill/knowledge to combine them properly!

Despite having a generous nap this afternoon, I an drowsy. I have finished my book so I will just lock up and go to sleep. It's just turned midnight, so all I can do is get Mo to stop howling & barking outside and come to bed.

Edited April 23, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

In bed, with a "new" book to read. Former NTSB investigator obsessively looks into crash that killed his wife and the evidence points towards sabotage. May be good, may be crap, who knows?

The rain is hammering down so I can only have the window open a crack. Fan is going to compensate, Deacon Blues by Steely Dan is playing.

BS this morning was 5.1 mmol/L which is near perfect (although I prefer it lower), so I suppose I can have some carbs for dinner.

Wow, the rain is really pounding down now. It's been dry all day but suddenly it's bucket-a-drop!

Did a little work on the Adirondack chair but not much. Like to take Sunday off and prefer not to be running machines very much (and Mr. Noisy not at all) while neighbors are home at the weekend.

Mo can't make up his mind whether he's vexed with me or not. He barked directly into my ear at 1:00 AM until I couldn't ignore him any more. Situation normal. But he expects to be let back in again at first light; say 4:30 so we can have a long snuggle session. But this morning I just lazed around in bed until after seven, and when I finally did let him in, he ran directly into the bedroom but I started my day with a BS test and kept rolling from there. So he was mad, but then he got Bacon & Filet Mignon with his chow for lunch. Now he doesn't know if to give me cuddles or the cold shoulder. 

Anyway, book time!

Edited April 23, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

OMG!

Lying here with my book when Mo came galloping in, looking as spiky as  a hedgehog and soaking wet!

He jumped on top of me (so now I am as well) and began rolling around to dry off on me. I went and fetched a little towel and gave him a tousling.  He started rolling on my pillows, decided to bite my fingers and steal the towel. 

I wonder why he waited until the deluge stopped before doing this? Maybe he just enjoyed playing in the rain?

I have a vague memory of running outside and playing in a downpour and getting my botty smacked for my pains. That was at the house in Cascade, and I celebrated my 4th birthday at Saddle Valley house in Maraval so I can't have been older than three when I went out and played in the rain.

Mo has gone out again and will probably be rolling around in the wet grass and any puddles he can find....

ETA: Yesterday was Unka Rudy's birthday! Ninety years old and as tough as old boot!

Edited April 23, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I don't know why I'm so knackered. I could barely keep my eyes open to watch a new video from Clickspring Chris! Staggering around bumping into things, left knee feeling like it's about to give up the ghost, right foot making me wonder if I should take my penultimate dose of Panadol or save it, 

I didn't take a nap.this afternoon, but I was lying restfully for a couple of hours, interrupted only by the drenched doggie.

Anyway, after a Garden Patrol during which I recovered an old tee shirt I use to insulate my hands from the heat of the sandpaper on the lathe and to friction-finish the beeswax onto the complete piece. I also recovered the towel I used to dry off Monster this afternoon.  

Band On The Run from the album of the same name, by Paul McCartney & Wings. Apart from the band members themselves (of which there were only three at that time) I only "got" three of the other prisoners on the iconic cover image: James Coburn and Christopher Lee (both actors and fairly well known) plus Michael Parkinson (a TV personality).

Anyway, dog tired and so I'm going to shut the house and switch off. Mo will either be inside or out, as he desires. 

Edited April 24, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Mo chose to sleep outside last night, but the racket under the bedroom window at 5:30 woke me and caused me to look out. As soon as he saw my face, he rushed around to the front door, assuming... But he was right. I let him in and almost immediately regretted it. By ten to six I'd had enough of his barking in my ear and using The Paw/Claw on me, so I got up and made a cuppa. Mo got a bowl of warm milk, in the vain hope he would transform into a cat... No! Anything but that!!!

After my cuppa, I went out and started work on a little bowl. It went fairly well, although smaller pieces can be extra difficult because you can't cut a normal-sized tenon nor can you draw the chuck up as tight on the little tenon. 

I subconsciously name my pieces. Not like "I dub thee The Goldfish Bowl!"  More like "You look like a goldfish bowl." But this piece, I can't make up my mind:

Is it a thimble or a bottle cap? Well, it's kinda cute but I won't be getting a whole lot for that! Still, if I get $30 or $40 that will be $30 or $40 that was previously going to be thrown out.

I went to start another piece, and this happened:

One of these days food for the puppy won't depend on tools that just decide to fall apart in your hands for Mo good reason! What I need is a wealthy wife!

Hopefully I can grind that out without the entire tip of the chisel getting destroyed...

Here is the little Monster now. Fast asleep after prowling around the entire night. Head on a tool case, covered in sawdust, not a care on the world. 

[Netfoot]

Ok, after diamond-flattening the wheel and grinding across the flute, I eliminated the missing chip of steel. This leaves a flat surface where there should be a sharp edge. This is seen as a shiny arch when held at the correct angle to the light.

Ok, it is now very, very dull, but no longer broken! All that it needs now is sharpening. Because making a video is not easy, I've never shown the sharpening process. But it usually takes only one sweep - maybe one second - to touch up the edge. It takes longer to put the chisel in the jig than it takes to sharpen it.

But this chisel will take more than one pass! Many more. Which means heat. I therefore got a bowl of water, set the chisel in the jig and got to grinding. after each sweep ii did a deep dunk in the water. After 40 or 50 sweeps:

Ready to go! Time for another bowl...

Maybe I will do one more before lunch, then do some Adirondack chair work.

[Netfoot]

Third time's the charm! I love this little guy!

Now, it's 11:30 so I better sit here contemplating lunch. Maybe I will cook up a big pot of sweet, vegetable rice, eat only half, and tonight turn it into vegetable fried rice!

And as usual, all vegetable dishes are greatly improved by the addition of bacon...

[Spunkygal]

Cute little bowl! Could be used for ladies to put their rings or earrings in at night. BTW, have you ever made a lidded box?