Having trouble with the website

I decided tonight to take some pics of some of the projects I have been doing in my spare time. I was trying to put them on my website but I couldn't figure it out. It kept saying the picture was to big. So it will be a little longer before I can show them. That doesn't stop me from making them. I have 2 key chains, both made out of maple burl. I have 2 twist pens, one is made out of bloodwood and the other is a teal & violet double-dyed stabilized box elder. Very cool looking. I will figure out the website problem so keep an eye on my site www.brwoodcrafts.com

Next I will make some bottle stoppers for wine bottles. Back scratcher and pizza cutter will soon be on the site. Thanks for reading.

I will be back soon.

Brian

Wow, sorry for the delay in writing. Been busy at work and in the shop. My oldest son just got married on July 26th so up to that time it was fun and crazy all at the same time. Now I'm back in the shop. I made a pen out of a material that was called double dyed box elder. It was a blue, gray and tan color mix. It turn out great. Before the weekend I will put a picture of it on my website at www.brwoodcrafts.com.

I just received my Tormek T-7 sharpening system. What a tool. I had a friend of mine that is in the wood club that I go to, grind all my tools to the correct grind. He did a great job. Now I can sharpen my tools with the T-7 to the same grind time after time. I did try one of my 3/8" spindle gouges before I put a final sharpen to it, and I believe it was sharper than when I bought it new. I have always been told "sharp tools are the turners best friend".

Off the subject for awhile, I am still trying to help my wife in her adventures with Tupperware. Actually, I must admit that I enjoy helping her. They have a lot of new stuff and they still have the same old stuff that I grew up with. Anyone remember that plastic round ball that has all the different shapes, (stars, squares, circles and x's) that you match up so they will fall in the ball? Well they still have it. See it and all the other stuff at my wife's website at www.my.tupperware.com/connierichards.

Thanks for reading and come back soon!!

Brian

Sunday and it is hot

Hello everyone,

I live up here in Snohomish, Wa. and today my outside thermometer is saying 88 degrees. With the humid heat it makes for a very hot day. You start sweating in your shirt just standing still. I went into the shop and it was a cool 60 degrees. I guess my insulation is working. I decided to work out there instead of inside the house. I was finishing up my project of hanging my lathe tools. I took the magnetic strip down from the wall. I had 2 hanging cabinets that I mounted above the lathe tools. I store my polish,wax, sandpaper and glues in there. I didn't think when I hung them, because when I opened a door to get some sealer or polish I would forget to shut the cabinet door and when I turned back to put the stuff away I would smack my head on the end of the door. It didn't take me to many times of that to figure out I needed a new design. So on went the project of the lathe tools. I looked around in the shop for a piece of wood that would be long and wide enough for a shelf. I found a 6ft x 6" piece of Oak. I ripped 2" off it with my 3 hp Grizzly table saw. I put pocket holes on the back side and mounted it to the wall. Then I took the 2" piece and drilled a 5/16" hole every inch. I grabbed some 5/16" wooded dowel material and cut it to 2" pieces. I took the dowels over to my Ryobi 6" belt sander to chamfer the ends. (rolled the ends on the belt to round the ends). They fit pretty tight in the Oak so I did not use any glue. I cut the 2" strip to the length I needed for the height of the lathe tools. I wanted the shaft of the gouge, skew, parting tool etc. to fall in between the dowels. I had 3 different sizes of lathe tools. So I cut the 2" piece of oak on my DeWalt chop saw to the lengths I needed for the different sizes of tools. I mounted the 2" pieces on the wall according to the height I needed for the tools. I then found out that I needed something on the front of the shelf to stop the tools from slipping off the shelf. Found a 3/4" x 3/4" piece of scrap wood. (it happened to be oak also) I glued the piece to the front of the shelf. It looks good and it is very functional. At the end of the shelf I now have my glues, sealers, polish and wax at my finger tips. By the way, I hung my cabinets above the highest lathe tool so I can stand under them with the doors opened. I store my dust masks, respirator masks etc. in the cabinets. It keeps the dust off them. Nobody likes to put on a respirator mask and breathe in dust. Now my problem is, where do I put my stereo system. It used to be above the cabinets. I have a 8' ceiling. Believe me, I will find a place for my music!

Brian
It's always "Fun in the wood shop"
www.brwoodcrafts.com

Well I'm in the shop again today. Trying to arrange my lathe tools. I have them hanging on a magnetic strip which works fine except, I think my tools are being magnetized and sometimes hanging up on my tool rest. When I try to do a finish cut straight across the tool sometimes sticks and I force it. Then it digs into to wood. Then it requires another final cut, therefore getting smaller than I want. I'll let you know how it turns out. Any suggestions wood be helpful.

Brian
brwoodcrafts.com

Sharpening wood turning tools

Ok someone tell me the best way to sharpen my turning tools. I recently was given a Tormek T-7 as a bonus at work for sharpening my tools. ( Have not recieved it yet). If anyone owns one tell me something about it. I'm excited about getting it. At a wood show last year I saw it in a demo and almost bought it on sight. I thought it was expensive so I didn't. Now I am getting one. I will let you know what I think of it when I get it.

Brian
brwoodcrafts
It's always "Fun in the wood shop"

The tools to get you started.

As I said before, I have a 20' x 30' wood shop. When it was built I had to figure out how to arrange it. Everyone kept on saying that the table saw was the heart of a wood shop. I agreed and bought a Grizzly 3 hp table saw. Wow! What a saw. Cuts wood like butter. Even with a dull blade it will get through it. (I don't recommend cutting with a dull blade) I placed the saw in roughly the center of the shop leaving enough room for an out feed table that would double as an assembly table. Works great. I topped the table with hardboard so it can be replaced if needed. I have paint stains, cuts, holes and various other spots on this table. I can tell you each project by the spot! What memories.
Next I bought a bench top Orbital sander by Delta. Then a bench sander from Grizzly and one from Ryobi. Next came the 20" DeWalt scroll saw. After that I couldn't go without a full size Jet wood turning lathe. I needed a planer so I looked again at Grizzly. Got a 12" planer. Grizzly also had a nice bench top radial drill press. Had to have it.
This might sound like I had all the money in the world to buy all this, but actually it has taken me several years to get all these tools. My latest tool was a Grizzly Band saw. I still want a joiner but I'll have to wait awhile.

If anyone has any suggestions on what else would be useful, let me know.

Brian
brwoodcrafts

In the Beginning

I love spending time in my shop. It was built about 5 years ago with the help of my father-in-law and my 2 sons. The size is 20' x 30' with a 8' ceiling. The walls and ceiling are insulated. I put up OSB board instead of sheetrock because it makes it easier to hang something without finding a stud. The shop stays warm with a baseboard heater that keeps the shop at an even 60 degrees through the winter. I have been told that 60 degrees keeps the surface rust off metal. I put up eight 8' flourescent lights to help with the lighting. Works real well, not a dark spot in the shop. When we were doing the roof I decided to put in 2 skylights. It is nice in the summer when you go into the shop and don't have to turn any lights on. The shop has one man door and an 8' roll up door that is metal and insulated. That makes it easier for hauling in wood and bigger projects out.

Next blog I will share my tool selection for the shop.

What the heck is Blogging?

Two weeks ago I did not know what a blog or blogging was. Now here I am writing my first entry into my first blog! I'm not real sure what I will blog about other than my woodworking hobbies and adventures in my shop.