Spring Clean

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Random Orbital Bob

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I seem to have become "unblocked" recently! My garage/workshop had silted up ever since my wife was diagnosed with cancer and it reached the stage where you couldn't move to get at anything you wanted so major projects got postponed because the environment had become so depressing.

Well it seems the trigger that unblocked me was a) my wife getting the all clear and b) selling my CL4 and repositioning my Woodfast so it's not blocking the main work space.

It caused a whole series of events to follow each other culminating in a massive wood milling and clear out exercise this past week. Not quite finished yet.

My turning club has a wood auction every June and some fabulous species/bargains are to be had so sure enough, like clockwork, I fill my estate car boot with the seats down and it goes in a pile in my workshop to be dealt with "later". The best it gets is sawn through the pith and end sealed so it doesn't get any worse. Well this week has seen me tackle this monster pile of interesting log material to stack my wood turning blanks store. I also did a general clear out and removed any split/rubbish blanks from the store.

It never ceases to surprise me just how dam good you feel after you've done a mammoth clearing out exercise and it reminds me how important your work environment is. For me too much clutter just distracts me as it screams at me to deal with it and that prevents me from getting on with the job.

So here's a few snaps of the new "improved" wood turning blanks factory and the rest of the pile still to do. Species include: Laburnum, Walnut, Brown oak, Ash, Cherry, Apple, Plum, Mimosa, Hornbeam, Yew, Oak, Robinia, Beech, Spalted Conker, Hazel, Blackthorn, Holly, Lime, Chestnut. Like I said in another thread, it doesn't take long to accumulate an awful lot of wood!

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I know the feeling. I too can't work well in a muddle and it's a great to have had a grand clear-up.

So glad your wife has had the all clear - been through it myself with my wife and for quite a while I just couldn’t think of anything else. Such a relief when you get that all clear. :)
 
Really pleased for you dude - that must be such a relief for you both.

I know what you mean regarding a spring clean. I had lots of timber on the floor in my workshop while I made a sideboard. Stupid really, as it was really dangerous having to clamber over it all the time. After I'd finished the project, I tidied it up and rearranged a few things, and it felt like I had double the space.
 
Pleased to hear your good news Bob.

Now get cracking on some turning, there looks like a good two weeks turning supply there :lol:

Regards Keith
 
RogerP":2dyif70h said:
I know the feeling. I too can't work well in a muddle and it's a great to have had a grand clear-up.

So glad your wife has had the all clear - been through it myself with my wife and for quite a while I just couldn’t think of anything else. Such a relief when you get that all clear. :)

Yes, it's an odd feeling isn't it Roger? Even though you still have occasional spare time (not easy with two young kids mind), I just couldn't concentrate on details or on creating anything. A kind of shadow was cast over our lives and I found that robbed me of the desire to build or make. Just background worry I guess. But once the clouds are lifted, all it needed was the first blocking item to get moved to open the flood gates. That first thing was the lathe switch and it crystallised a heap of clearing (and associated back ache).
 
MattRoberts":10co2szf said:
Really pleased for you dude - that must be such a relief for you both.

I know what you mean regarding a spring clean. I had lots of timber on the floor in my workshop while I made a sideboard. Stupid really, as it was really dangerous having to clamber over it all the time. After I'd finished the project, I tidied it up and rearranged a few things, and it felt like I had double the space.

Thanks Matt

I remember reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance a very long time ago and the author discusses his need for a tidy and comfortable work space in order to do "quality" maintenance on his bike. He argued that if you're squatting on a cold, hard concrete floor then you'll engineer your mood into the bike. The corollary is if you're warm, comfortable, alert and with a tidy workshop, you'll engineer good quality into the machine (or indeed wood or whatever you're making in fact). That pearl of wisdom has always stayed with me and whenever I'm going to tackle a tricky or lengthy build, I make sure the work environment is conducive to "quality". That extended to a kettle fairly recently :)
 
Woodchips2":dz5zdr6v said:
Pleased to hear your good news Bob.

Now get cracking on some turning, there looks like a good two weeks turning supply there :lol:

Regards Keith

That's the plan Keith :)

Having said that, the Guvnor wants me to build a desk for the nipper and I've got some lovely 2 centuries old pitch pine boards that came out of my neighbours cottage about 5 years ago. They'll do a nice job on the top at about 1" thick. I just have to think about the apron and I might be tempted to turn the legs. Bit worried about colour matching with the old pine though. Need to think that one through.
 
Hi Rob,

Are the pics before or after the tidy up ? !!! :wink: :lol:

I'm only jealous :mrgreen:

Cheers, Paul
 
The piles of wood shown in the pictures made me feel quite at home, except yours are tidy. If you want the "before" pictures I have them here :)
 
Well I was going to do a WIP of the Woodfast but it's taking rather a long time due to the cancer interruption. It's a beauty and no mistake. About 20 years old I reckon, from the days when Axy were reselling the CX1000 but it was still made in Australia and their engineering is every bit as good as ours or European made stuff. The precision in all the components is off the chart, solid as a rock and true. it was sporting a fair old bloom of rust when rescued from a garage with a broken inverter but it's now well on its way back to glory.

At the appropriate time I will do a WIP but since it's got a piece of wood clamped to it with the inverter screwed to that and no potentiometer rigged up yet I'll hang on.

It doesn't stop me using it mind and it is a fabulous machine. In fact it's a bit of a distraction, every time I get bored spring cleaning I "accidentally" pop a piece on to see what the grains like....that behaviour culminated in these mini candle holders for our local church. The kids use them during christenings.
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Onwards and upwards, looks a wonderful collection you have there.
 
paulm":7jghs2zn said:
Hi Rob,

Are the pics before or after the tidy up ? !!! :wink: :lol:

I'm only jealous :mrgreen:

Cheers, Paul

Actually Paul, your wood stock (that you had on shelves in your workshop) was a veritable inspiration as I recall. Nothing in the round, everything beautifully band sawn either to perfectly spherical bowl blanks or symmetrical spindle blanks. Lets not forget all that wonderful Walnut either. No you've nothing to be jealous of, your wood stash was phenomenal. Are you in a position to turn still or is the house changing causing things to be temporarily suspended?
 
Still in suspension Rob, blimmin builders !!! :)

They were supposed to be finished last July but didn't actually start till November !

Now nearly finished though, only a few weeks to go.

Once they are done we can look at selling up and go in search of a new workshop, oops, I mean a new house :lol:

So I've been workshop'less for just over a year now, everything crammed into a storage shed, very frustrating. Has encouraged me to do a few other things though that don't need a workshop, spoon carving, leather work and stuff, but I do miss the woodturning !

The timber is still mostly there though, just biding it's time, and the new workshop, wherever it turns out to be, will be even better I've promised myself :)

Cheers, Paul
 
Of course mate, I'd forgotten it was all wrapped up. You know you're more than welcome to spend a day/afternoon/evening round my gaff if you get the turning urge. I appreciate my manky old Woodfast isn't quite the Wivamac but the old girl spins :)

I could ply you with coffee and bore you with tails of that really bad catch I had with the skew :)
 
Hahaha, will take you up on that Rob, perhaps even break out the alaskan mill and saw and bring that over like I was supposed to do a long time ago :oops: !!!

Cheers, Paul
 
Nice to see you finally got your finger out matey!

Luckily, some of your timber is now lovingly stored in MY wood store!

...and I'm glad I could help with clearing that old CL4 you had lying about - it is doing me very well thank you.

When's the next meet?

:D
 
Stiggy":39tnoooe said:
Nice to see you finally got your finger out matey!

Luckily, some of your timber is now lovingly stored in MY wood store!

...and I'm glad I could help with clearing that old CL4 you had lying about - it is doing me very well thank you.

When's the next meet?

:D

Hi Dave

Glad to hear your wood store has "cuckoo like" got some of mine in there :)

You're welcome any time old son....you know the price....hob nobs :) (has to be chocolate)
 
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