a practical mushroom

[DaveL]

We have had LOMLs younger sister staying for a few days, on Sunday she asks if I can made a darning mushroom, of course says I, not until later do I find out she is going home on Tuesday. :shock: So last night, home from work, straight out to the shop, no time to look at the forum, :x select a length of padouk and bad saw a couple of bits of the end, sorry no work in progress pictures.
Here it is when I brought in in doors, no finish on it, just been sanded.

A tight push fit for the handle.

Turning this wood colours everything :roll:

I sat for ~ 10 minutes armed with a soft cloth the tin of wood wax 22 and the Chestnut brush to work on the finish.

So I am quite pleased with the results, and SIL went off home with it while I was at work.

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Dave,

Good job there mate. Looks like you got a good even curve on that dome. Nicely shaped handle too.

I didn't know people still darned socks!!!

Richard

 

[Doug B]

she asks if I can made a darning mushroom

Blimey Dave, I remember me old mum darning me dads socks when i was a nipper, but i thought all that was a thing of the past. :shock: :shock:

Lovely darning mushroom though, just like me mum`s if i remember correctly.

 

[Bodrighy]

My grandmother used one but I don't remember it looking as posh as that one. Very swanky. :lol:

Pete

 

[CHJ]

A tight push fit for the handle.

The ones that were around our family had a threaded handle-dome joint, the handles were hollow to keep the darning needles in.

I think they must have been sold in craft supply stores in the early 30's as several in the family (originally plain Beech) had paint decoration by my Mother in Art Deco-Claris Cliff style.

 

[tekno.mage]

What a nice darning mushroom, Dave! I've still got my mum's old one, which is nothing like as posh as that. Not sure what wood my mum's one is either - it's rather tatty and worn with lots of needle marks on the top and a lovely patina to the handle - but it's doesn't unscrew to reveal a needle compartment in the handle.

tekno.mage

 

[DaveL]

Well thank you for the nice comments.

As for it being used I am not sure that will happen. :shock:

My mum has a beech mushroom that was used for dads socks, but he just chucks out any that get holes in these days.
I had a nice one, some sort of red hardwood, handle threaded into the top, no storage inside. I used to darn my own socks. 8) When I rode my old A10 I used to wear M&S thermal socks, I could not afford to replace them when a hole appeared. But I hunted round for it as a pattern, I can't find it but then I am a soft company car driver now so no need for the super warm socks.

 

[DaveL]

I liked the idea of threading the handle into the top, but I don't have any chasers or the skill to use them. So I dug out my old whit taps and dies. ½" whit looked to be a good choice and I did mange to cut quite a good thread in the hole in the top. Sorry no pictures, you will understand why later.
However I could not cut a usable thread with the die. I tried a number of times, soaking the wood with finishing oil as the instructions that came with the large wood threading set I have.

As you can see the padouk was having nothing to do with holding the thread form, is there a trick to this or am I wasting my time, maybe I just need to use a different wood. :-k
So I figured that I could just drill the thread out on the top and turn a bigger spigot to fit, will it was a plan, but I think Baldric had a hand in it. :roll:
The spigot was just a bit on the tight side so I gave it a tap with a small mallet:

to

So more designer fire wood. ](*,) A bigger hammer is not always the right answer. #-o

 

[Jenx]

I'd Check with George ( Cornucopia ) or some of the lads who do a bit of 'chasing' Dave ... I'd have thought Padauk may not have had maybe quite the structural strength in it to hold a thread, as opposed to the African Blackwoods / Cocobolo's of the world....

I could be wrong of course.... thats just a guess :roll: :?

Someone with a better knowledge of it than me would be the best to consult... I'd ask a Corny or a Chas or a choice of Marks, or a Duncan etc... They'll know the crack