Tired Jim Is Hideously Tired

It probably has something to do with the headache I’ve had all damned day.

Even an hour on the lathe after work didn’t help. Much.

 

So here, have a picture of some turned birdhouses instead of an actual post.

The one on the left is zebrawood, with the perch and roof made from Brazilian rosewood.  The one on the right is holly with a spalted birch sombrero roof. 

A lot of turners make these in miniature, usually as Christmas tree decorations. These are full sized, with holes cut for finch sized birds and as they are intended for actual use, they’re finished in simple bee’s wax.

Turned birdhouse are fun and good practice on the lathe.

Speaking of lathes, I’ve been working on the new lathe and sooner or later I’ll get around to doing a pictorial on it.  It’s a massive cast iron machine made by Delta.  It’s 30 years old, but I got it “new” still bolted to its shipping skid and packed in cosmoline (a thick grease used to preserve machinery and weapons).  I’ve spent the last two weeks installing, adjusting, and tuning it.  One of the things I find simply amazing about it is how smooth and precise it is – and quiet. When it’s running I can barely hear it.  And massive as the machine is it allows for some very large turnings, but it also allows me to do some very, very small and precise work – like that rosewood perch on the zebrawood birdhouse. That perch is only about size of a large cribbage peg (speaking of which, I turned some cribbage pegs tonight as well, just because I could).

Anyway, that’s all you’re going to get tonight.

I’m beat, my head hurts, and I’m going to bed.

Good night.