What's happening in your shop this winter?

[Odyssey]

I saw a hammock design using barrel staves. Have you tried that yet sweeper?

 

[sweeper]

I have, it's on my bucket list of things I want to build.

 

[Iskweo]

No Title

Well, since you asked, this is one of the things that I have been up to. A couple of years ago I decided, for no good reason, to hack up a two burner coleman gas stove that had no tank and make it into two single burners. I did the sheet metal work and then lost interest until last month at Princess Auto when I stumbled upon this neat little converter to use propane cylinders on a gas stove. Eureka!!!! I had originally intended to shorten a tank by cutting and rewelding it. This is much better.

Now, the spring idea to keep it in contact with the burner is rather hokey so I intend to shorten it and make a bracket to attach it to the side of the case like the original tanks were. Complete with cotter pin to hold it in place. The regulator assy will then be short enough to stow inside the case for travel.

I did spark it up and it works like a champ. Lots of heat too as the burner orifices are a touch bigger than propane ones would be.

Christy

 

[Canotrouge]

If you want more heat, you can add more "rings" to the burner and you get quite a bit more output!! Mushers up here use to do that but now they are all on alcohol burners... Like Trangia on steroids...

 

[Jim Dodd]

So I was killing time tonight trying to make a sphere out of the toilet seats ( outer part of the barrel head after we cut an 18" circle for a 'Lazy Susan').

Things went smoothly until I set the sphere on the floor. I grabbed a (wrapped) head and set it on top of the sphere.

Now That is Cool !
Can't wait to see it varnished !

 

[sweeper]

Thanks but before I varnish one I'll have to sand more rings, then build another. This thing started out to be a simple hanging sphere as in the 2nd pic, then showing it off to my wife is when it became a table.

 

[Robin]

Drying out my tent after setting it up in Maine with the G'Kids for hot dogs and hot chocolate.

Before the storm




during the storm,





and drying the canvas in my basement shop,

 

[sweeper]

Almost time to start them tripping

 

[Robin]

Almost time to start them tripping

Pretty soon, I tried last year but they weren't quite ready.

 

[Odyssey]

Sippin' cowboy hot chocolate in grandpa's tent. Good stuff.
I'd say their tripping days have already started.

 

[Iskweo]

Holeee man, I would say you have a lock on the "cool Grampa" thing. Some shining times for sure.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Holeee man, I would say you have a lock on the "cool Grampa" thing. Some shining times for sure.

X2 ! I need to do that with my Grand Daughter, before Winter is over !

Jim

 

[Alan Gage]

Sewing!

20170102_004 by Alan, on Flickr

I've been threatening to learn for the past couple years and finally took the plunge. Got an old Singer for $2.50 at an auction and after $20 in new parts and some head scratching she's sewing up a storm. Figured hats would be a good thing to learn on. Bought a couple patterns but wasn't happy with the fit so started to come up with my own. Lots of trial and error (mostly error) but I've just about got it now; just need to add about 3/4" and it should be good. Or at least I hope so. I'm sick and tired on making hats. Fifteen in the last 2 weeks. Time to move onto a Bivy bag, long underwear, maybe a small tarp, a shoulder bag for day hikes and then canoe spray decks.

20170102_005 by Alan, on Flickr

I also lucked into over 300 board feet of rough sawn Walnut this fall and brought some of it in the shop the other day to acclimate before running it through the planer. I think I'll trim the inside of my house with it. That's another project I've been threatening to do for the last few years. We'll see if it actually happens or not.

20170102_006 by Alan, on Flickr

Alan

 

[Magnus919]

Alan, how did you get started on learning it? My daughter has been using her mother's sewing machine every day to run a successful Etsy shop, but I got her a fancy new Brother machine for Christmas. Now her mother's machine is suffering a lack of use. I've got a really big head so I might have to learn to make my own hats, too, since I can't buy any in stores.

 

[Alan Gage]

Alan, how did you get started on learning it?

A month ago I honestly didn't know anything about sewing. It was a bit of a revelation when I saw how the bobbin under the needle worked. My mom told me a few basics and then I just dove in. I bought a couple patterns, measured my head to get the correct size, figured out the people who made the patterns didn't have them sized even close to correctly, made adjustments to the patterns, made measuring mistakes, forgot to take the seam allowance into account, threw the patterns away and started drawing up my own based on a hat I like, made more mistakes, changed more things, and finally got something close to what I want. That's how I learn best. I still don't know much but at least I'm off and running.

Fleece is a nice fabric to start with as you don't really need to worry about the cut ends unraveling.

Alan

 

[Canotrouge]

No Title

Sewing is great... I started doing things this year to... I made a few things, but the latest was winter skirt for my wife and daughter, made of canvas and would blanket. I also made a bunch of small fire starting pouch for the kids and the adults we travel with!

I have 2 sewing machines, on old singer made in England, that work super well now that I have it tuned up!! And one huge Pfaff that I got cheap that can sew through 1/4 inch of vegetable tan leather w/o slowing down one bit!!
I like sewing quite a bit!

 

[Robin]

I'm back in my basement shop, sanded both wood canvas canoes, 15' Farber got it's first coat of dark green on its new canvas, 15' Chestnut Chum got it's second coat of light green on its new canvas.

 

[Odyssey]

Robin, they look faster already. That light green Chum is sweet.
Nice looking sewing projects too gentlemen.

 

[Robin]

Robin, they look faster already. That light green Chum is sweet.

I was going to paint the Faber red cause red is much faster than green but age of the decider won out...no hurry here. HaHa

 

[Odyssey]

I forgot which colour was faster. It figures I've got a few green shirts, but no red ones. It's all making sense to me now.

Any fumes to deal with Robin, in the basement shop?