Post by leatherneckpa on Jul 1, 2012 19:21:17 GMT -4
On most of the online forums that I hang out in I use a signature line like this:
“Iron Mike” – Semper Fidelis
Jack of all trades, Master of none.
Umm, NOPE! I found out this weekend that there are two things I suck at. One I can probably fix, once I get a little more room in the workshop. I found out yesterday that I can’t turn wood on a lathe worth a darn. Well, actually, I can turn it fine. I just can’t make it look like I want it to. I was trying to turn some simple tapered legs for the gardening stool I’m building for Cindy. It’s supposed to have three legs (like old fashioned milk stools used to have) so it’ll sit solid on uneven ground. Picture this, the legs were to be 1¼” square at the bottom. They were to taper to a round at the top, with a 1” tenon on the end to go into the seat. Well, I got the tenon alright, but then I screwed the pooch on the taper, wound up turning the taper too far down the leg and rounding the foot completely. Bummer. Wound up turning it full round with a taper to each end. And then I had a brainstorm. I have decided I will use those legs as practice for a variety of turning techniques. Each leg will be turned to a different profile. Cindy likes the idea, says it’ll be unique and add character.
Then I had my second disappointment today. Made me sort of wish I had paid more attention to old, one-eyed Harry Washburn in shop class. I SUCK at soldering!! I had a couple of extension cords that some damned rodent had nibbled on and needed mending. I made nice cuts and offset the splices nice and even. That’s when things went south. I couldn’t get the iron to heat the wire enough to melt the solder into it. And when I did get the wire hot enough to do that, then I wound up shrinking the heat-shrink way down on the wire and couldn’t get it up over the splice. The result was lumpy, ragged, or sharp splices; not at all the look a craftsman would like to exhibit in his work. Finally wound up giving up on the heat-shrink and just using neat, tight wraps of electrical tape. The soldering underneath them is still crap, but at least the tape made it easier to use or do. And a couple of layers of tape disguise the shoddy craftsmanship.
“Iron Mike” – Semper Fidelis
Jack of all trades, Master of none.
Umm, NOPE! I found out this weekend that there are two things I suck at. One I can probably fix, once I get a little more room in the workshop. I found out yesterday that I can’t turn wood on a lathe worth a darn. Well, actually, I can turn it fine. I just can’t make it look like I want it to. I was trying to turn some simple tapered legs for the gardening stool I’m building for Cindy. It’s supposed to have three legs (like old fashioned milk stools used to have) so it’ll sit solid on uneven ground. Picture this, the legs were to be 1¼” square at the bottom. They were to taper to a round at the top, with a 1” tenon on the end to go into the seat. Well, I got the tenon alright, but then I screwed the pooch on the taper, wound up turning the taper too far down the leg and rounding the foot completely. Bummer. Wound up turning it full round with a taper to each end. And then I had a brainstorm. I have decided I will use those legs as practice for a variety of turning techniques. Each leg will be turned to a different profile. Cindy likes the idea, says it’ll be unique and add character.
Then I had my second disappointment today. Made me sort of wish I had paid more attention to old, one-eyed Harry Washburn in shop class. I SUCK at soldering!! I had a couple of extension cords that some damned rodent had nibbled on and needed mending. I made nice cuts and offset the splices nice and even. That’s when things went south. I couldn’t get the iron to heat the wire enough to melt the solder into it. And when I did get the wire hot enough to do that, then I wound up shrinking the heat-shrink way down on the wire and couldn’t get it up over the splice. The result was lumpy, ragged, or sharp splices; not at all the look a craftsman would like to exhibit in his work. Finally wound up giving up on the heat-shrink and just using neat, tight wraps of electrical tape. The soldering underneath them is still crap, but at least the tape made it easier to use or do. And a couple of layers of tape disguise the shoddy craftsmanship.
