New Member

Fred Close

Member
Messages
2
Location
Virginia
I've been hanging around for a few days trying to figure out the navigation of the site but now it is time to say, hello.

I'm from Virginia. I hung up my spurs over a decade ago, sold the house, car and furniture and went cruising. My wife an I spent eight years wintering in the Florida Keys and Bahamas and summering in the Cheaspeake, or New England or Canada. It was a great way of life but after a while, even ice cream gets boring so we are back as "dirt dwellers".

I have always enjoyed working with wood and on the boat, I had a lot of chances to practice sanding and varnishing. I have always enjoyed making sawdust and recently I had a chance to pick up an old Sears lathe with tube ways and a set of tools, so I started turning and making chips as well. Working with the late the first thing that I learned is that I didn't know anything. The catches were exciting!

One big problem in learning how to turn was where to get the wood to turn into chips. I just could not envision buying a nice piece of wood and turning it into chips. Well, to my amazement and delight, a big old hickory tree just toppled over in my back yard. Talk about an unlimited supply of chips! I've been producing about a garbage can a week. The only problem is that it is like a big old hunk of beef - I gotta figure out how to cut it up and cure it.

I'm still in the "beads and coves" stage of practicing but I have made a bunch of scoops and spoons, a few tops and a couple of bowls from the tree - nothing fancy, but its a start and it sure is a lot of fun and I have not made a dent in the supply.

Fred
 
Welcome aboard Fred! Always dreamed of the cruising liveaboard lifestyle, but I'm afraid I'm too much of a hoarder to fit everything on one boat! :thumb:
 
Welcome to the forum Fred, glad you came out of the dark and joined us. Now all you need to do is register as a voter do a few more posts and get up to 5 and you can enter for the free book give away and then you have info on how to sharpen them spinny chisels of yours so catches are a little less painful and your spinny woodworking a little more pleasurable.:D:thumb:
 
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