Military Plaques and TV Tables

Greetings

Yesterday was bitterly cold (for Louisiana).  The bird bath was frozen solid and there was frost on the ground.  I had a guy wanting to buy one of my Military Plaques.  The price of $60 is clearly displayed on the ad and it is a discounted price for anyone that wants to support the Military by displaying a plaque.  He went into a dialog telling me that once his friends see the plaque I would get dozens of orders and I should give him a huge discount for selling so many plaques.  I explained that the plaques are tedious to make and I make them for enjoyment.  I am happy to sell them to cover my material costs.  I doubt I would sell any if I tacked on my time to the price as well.  Also I just want to keep busy, I don't need the pressure of filling dozens of orders on a time crunch.   The customer was not a Marine.  I just display the Marine plaque because it is my favorite one to make.

In the Shop

I completed the TV Table I was building.  Solid Oak and very heavy.  The table top is a bit larger than a standard table and a bit taller.  It feels a bit wobbly and I may put in some bracing to stiffen it up a little.

I love the spalled wood in the legs.  Makes for very interesting patterns.

 

Seneca Falls Star Lathe

 Greetings

    Yesterday was Ground Hog Day.  I typically don't follow the predictions of the Ground Hog since Louisiana doesn't follow any rules related to weather except that it constantly changes.  This morning there is frost on everything, the bird baths are frozen over.  It doesn't stop the birds from having fun.  Later today I could probably change into shorts and a tee shirt.  

In the Shop

    My brother-in-law has a sewing machine capable of sewing leather.  Just so happens I need a leather belt for my Machinist Lathe.  It is a Seneca Falls Star lathe made in the early 1900s.   It is over 100 years old.  It still runs now that I have a new belt for it.  Before the Safety Nerds all get in an uproar, yes it needs belt guards.  I am working on that.  The belt has a bump in it.  On the next belt I'll see if we can eliminate that feature.  It is noisy and the lathe needs a good cleaning and some restoration. 

New Egg Layer

 Busy Day

    Yesterday was pretty busy.  One of my chickens laid her first egg, I worked on a Marine Corps flag for a customer and I worked on an over size Oak TV table.  

    My first group of chickens have been laying for a while.  I got a second batch about six weeks later and three more chickens about four weeks later still.  The youngest chickens are Polish chickens that have a bunch of feathers on their head that stands up.  I caught one on the nest right after she laid an egg a few days ago.  Yesterday I got an egg I am sure came from the second batch of chickens.  The second batch is Olive Eggers and they lay green eggs.  I found a very tiny (for a chicken) green egg.  Typically the first egg is small, this is the smallest one I ever saw.  It is about the size of a ping pong ball.

In The Shop

In shop working on my over size Oak TV table.  I rounded over all the corners and sanded it down. Then I started applying polyurethane finish.  I got two coats on the legs and bottom of the table top.  I am letting them dry over night.  Same for the Marine Corps flag two coats on the back and let it dry over night.

TV Table and legs all Oak.