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Bob Easton

Chocolate powered woodworking

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Wow! They had a Party!

June 23, 2013 by Bob Easton Leave a Comment

How often do you order something online? How many times have you seen the “Your order has shipped” email message? They’re usually polite, business like and factual.

Not THIS one… I wanted a few pieces of beech for a tool making project (details later, maybe, beech = planes usually) and went shopping online. Woodworkers Source listed just what I wanted at a price I think reasonable for the project. It was a small order, $32 total. Little did I expect the following as “Your order has shipped.” Enjoy.

I have some great news, Robert.

Our team of 107 hard working (and exceptionally good looking) employees has – with great care and attention – selected, packaged and shipped your order #78701 on this beautiful day.

I really think you’d have enjoyed watching all the action when your order came through. When I handed it to Robert, our master packager, he looked at the order, smiled, pulled out a pair of his favorite Italian leather gloves and slid them onto his hands. “Nothing but the best,” he said. And off he went! As he selected your order, he placed it all on a satin-lined chariot to transport it to the packaging center. And there’s more . . .

All other 106 crew members stopped. Every last one of them. They gathered around, lit incense and candles, and watched with hushed awe as he wrapped the entire order in the finest gold-laced cardboard and stretch wrap that money can buy. Seriously, you could have heard a pin drop.

In the end, the guys were so thrilled that they wanted to throw a party just for your order. We’re talking about a big fiesta with live music, a roasted pig, and a dessert spread of homemade chocolate ganache, Ukranian prune tortes, and cinnamon madeleines. You should have seen the look on the UPS driver’s face when he showed up. He thought he was going to pick up the packages as usual, but instead we picked *him* up carried him down the street on our shoulders while the band played. You can imagine what happened next, right? Our neighbors came outside to see what the fuss was all about, and when they saw your beautiful order they joined in, and toasted ol’ Robert who then delivered a rather moving speech on the joys of working with wood as a means to self improvement.

Someone must have called the local TV stations because the next thing I knew I had six interviews to handle for reporters who asked, “What does Robert Easton intend to make?” But don’t worry, your secret’s safe. I told them, “World peace.” Man! If only woodworking could do that!

Anyway, the guys hope to see pictures of what you make so we can have another party (I know what you’re thinking). I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at Woodworkers Source. We enjoyed every minute of it, and we’ve named you “Customer of the Year.” That gets you a pretty good parking spot right out front if you ever come see us. So come see us some time.

Okay, okay. You want the info, I’m sure. Your tracking information is below, or you can also get it all by logging into your at account at our website.

After you receive your order, we’d love to know what you think:
http://www.woodworkerssource.com/myorder.php

Thanks again,
Craig Haggarton and The 107 Good Looking Lumber Pickers
Woodworkers Source

Yes, putting some extra fun into business has me wondering what the next “Your order has shipped” message will say.

Oh by comparison, an order for some extra strong neodymium magnets sent a “Your order has shipped” message that was a long page of warnings about how dangerous the things were, warnings about not eating, swallowing, breaking, cutting, sawing, drilling, setting fire to, breathing the toxic fumes from burning, or placing them near stuff you want to keep working … like pacemakers. Nice info, but the tone of the Woodworkers Source message made for a much bigger smile.

Filed Under: Shopmade, Woodworking

Cub Scout Neckerchief Slide

May 13, 2013 by Bob Easton 3 Comments

A young scout was awarded his fourth rank recently, the Bear. As before, another neckerchief slide. Carved in basswood. Finished with acrylic colors topped with satin poly.

photo of bear slide from 6 points of view
Earlier slides:

  • Wolf
  • Bobcat and Tiger Cub

Other carvers and their scouting slides

Filed Under: Woodcarving

Carving on a Turned Lidded Container

May 8, 2013 by Bob Easton 1 Comment

Walnut. 2 and 3/4 inches in diameter. 3 and 3/8 inches tall. The grain matches from container to lid. This is the first container turned on the treadle lathe, and my first turned container in about 30 years. Coins in the photo are for size reference, a 2 Euro (Italian/Dante) and a US Quarter (Indiana/Indy 500 – we used to live 1/2 mile from there.) The pig is an Austrian good luck charm. Turning and carving details follow these photos.

photo of a turned walnut box with monogrammed lidphoto of a turned walnut box with monogrammed lidphoto of a turned walnut box with monogrammed lidphoto of a turned walnut box with monogrammed lid

Having watched half a gazillion YouTube videos about container turning techniques, I did this one a bit differently than what I saw in any of the videos. Being of Scottish heritage and a bit “thrifty,” I haven’t yet bought one of the 4-jaw chucks we so often see used for this type of work.

Instead, I sandwiched the walnut blank between two pine waste blocks (saves wasting 50 cents worth of walnut) and mounted the sandwich on a simple $10 faceplate. I trued the blank with a live center taking up the tail. After truing the blank into a cylinder, I trued a perpendicular face on the tail end of the blank, i.e on the end of the waste block there. That prepared a surface for mounting yet another simple $10 faceplate for working the lid.

The rest of the turning followed fairly standard procedure.

  • Turn a rough profile for the entire container.
  • Refine the lid profile to nearly final shape.
  • Part off the lid piece.
  • Mount a faceplate on the lid piece.
  • Remove the body from the lathe and mount the lid piece.
  • This leaves the inside of the lid accessible. Hollow the inside to desired depth. Refine, sand and finish the inside.
  • Remove the lid from the lathe and mount the body.
  • Turn a tenon on the body that accepts the lid as a very snug press fit.
  • Remove the lid’s waste block and faceplate. (The waste block was glued in place with a paper separator layer, hence easily cut off.)
  • Press the lid onto the body’s tenon.
  • Complete the shaping and finishing of the lid. For this particular turning, I left a raised ring of wood on the lid that later becomes the “C-bars” in the carving.
  • Refine the outside shape of the body.
  • Hollow the body.
  • Sand and finish the inside. (Did I say “sand?” Hate sanding anything!)
  • Cut the body from the waste block.
  • While still mounted, turn the waste block to form a plug / jam chuck for the body.
  • Press fit the body onto the plug and turn a very slight concave bottom surface. Sand and finish the body.
  • Remove all from the lathe.
  • Remount the waste block used for the lid and turn it to form a plug / jam chuck that fits inside the lid. This is not used for any more turning, but as a mount for holding the lid while carving.

photo of turned box on the lathephoto of turned box on the lathephoto of turned box on the lathe

All that remains is a simple matter of carving. The design is a single letter monogram set between two classic “C-bars.” The carving is different from most in that it is carved in end grain. While that eliminates the usual grain sensitivity of carving, it presents another difficulty. Carving in end grain is like pressing a knife into the end of a bundle of soda straws. Extra sharp tools are the order of the day, along with a healthy helping of patience. Also helpful are a white wax marker and a fine spoon shaped chisel.

I’m not sure what the recipient will keep in such a container. It has enough room for about 211 calories worth of Gummy Bears, or maybe a few spare gold coins. We’ll see.

photo of carving the lidphoto of carving the lidphoto of carving the lidphoto of carving the lid

Filed Under: Boxmaking, Woodcarving, Woodturning

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