turning time

Finally have a clear week to make progress on my giant bird feeder commission. When finished it will stand over a meter high by 650mm wide. It's design is based on a three tier Chinese temple, with each section graduating in size. Made in Poplar, the bird feeder will be finished with a weather resistant black lacquer, with gold lacquer details. Rods of solid 4mm brass will run between the stages to keep out unwanted squirrels, but still allow the birds to enter and exit.

My tasks this week were to create each stages roof mouldings, and the turned Bamboo style posts that sit in the corners and connect the frames together. 

I wanted a good deep curve moulding for the roof sections, something that I could not achive on my spindle moulder because of  limitations in the size of cutters it could take. So I resorted to setting a stop on my table saw carriage and haunching out the curve. This was a bit time consuming, but the reward was a more dramatic curve. 

Then it was time to dust down my old lathe. It must be over six months since I've done any serious wood turning. Just like riding a bike it all comes back to you as soon as you get started. The turning tools I used did need a bit of attention, I prefer to use them straight from a trip to the grinding wheel, avoiding any messing around with sharpening stones. It was a pleasure to spend a day at the lathe. And as I listened to that magical crisp noise of wood againsted chisel, I thought how important these sounds are to the woodworker, they tell us if our tools are sharp,under stress or if work is not held fast. It's these skills aquired over time without us even realilising, that built to make a master craftsman.