7/20/2013

When I returned from the farmers market Raven was already there early painting the driver side window. I opened a cantaloupe fresh from the market, so sweet.  I need to make a wooden drum for my brother today as I’ll be in Michigan next week for his birthday and friend Tom wants to know how as well. It’s all table saw work and complicated angles as a truncated pyramid.

Raven’s getting hungry (me too), so I broiled some O chicken, steamed the garden wax beans, cut mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil all from the garden. Raven brought another big yellow sweet tomato, kale and balsamic vinegar, a large dash of Patsy’s good olive oil for an amazing salad. Rosemary cheese rolls reheated with the chicken, dipped in the salad juice, oh, so good.

Raven painted the windows burgundy inside and out, plus the door window inside, all very detailed cut in work with small brushes, first coat. I finished the drum cuttings, rubber banded and clamped it together, to be glued in Michigan so it will fit in my luggage in pieces. Here are the pics:

D window outside

 

D window inside

 

P window inside

 

The drum insides, wooden head beneath

Another fine day of vardoing.

7/13/2013

Saturday, a minor vardo day. Went to the farmers market in Healdsburg and picked up some pickle stock cucumbers. Wow, some little gherkins, great, cornichons and a few big ones for dills.

An email from Raven said she may show as her retreat got cancelled, though she didn’t before dusk.

I prepped the pickles in salt, then worked on the counter. The glue didn’t stick before so I stripped it and bought new spray glue 3M 90, seems stronger. I scraped the old side stock backing down to raw Formica, sprayed it with the new glue and let it dry to tacky. As it was bubbling up I popped the bubbles. I secured the table end first, lining it up carefully as this stuff is already to width, good, trimmed the ends with a file, nice tack. Next I scraped and secured the door edge to the indent curve with more to width stock. Oops, a little shy on the indent end, filed it back so the next piece will fit, no problem.  The next piece is wide, salvaged from the original sheet. Sprayed it with glue feeding it under the saw horses long, dry enough. Secured it to the edge and curve, then went looking for the flush cut router bit, found it hidden with the other bits. Trimmed the wide edge stock except the inside curve, top and bottom. The small 2″ drum sander fits the drill, that will work, sanded down the curve. Time for the top.

What’s left of the Formica stock barely fits and is snapping to curve, but should work. I cut the length with the paper cutter, set up both sets of saw horses with a door bench for the Formica. A brick at first, then clamps to hold it straight, clean everything. I cleaned all the slats I’ll need to keep it apart while I line it up, set aside in order. Spray the glue on heavy to the wood, then the Formica, running low, I grabbed the 3M 77 to cover a bit more in the middle.  I used a piece of door edge to keep the Formica straight as I transferred it to the counter. I got it lined up, then pulled the slat in the middle where the curve is, pulling slats (hmm some stuck, reach under and pull) then smoothing it into place. It fits OK, although there is a crack near the window, but it’s stuck. I used a piece of wood and a hammer to smack it into place.

I used the  router flush cut to trim the perimeter of the Formica, a couple passes to fit it tight flush.

 

It looks good. A counter, 6 jars of pickles, 3 cornichons, 3 dills processed. a good day.