# latest projects



## biggreen (Feb 23, 2005)

Well, I got a few days off over the holidays so I had some time to play in the garage. I learned knife handles aren't as easy as they look, glue and finish don't dry when it's in the 40's, and turning 4 legs on a lathe that look alike ain't so easy either. I'm not going to get into the tearout prob at the square to round transitions, went through a couple tools and some torn wood before I found one that works for me. First is a couple osage spoons. The wife spends a lot of money on these things at the art shows. Not any more. Second are the knives I've been playing with. Blue one is some expensive dyed burl of something that cost too much, the two steak knives are scraps from the barstool and the large filet knife is mesquite. This whole sanding metal and wood together takes a bit to get right. Third is a top view of the large mesquite handle and yes the left side is thinner than the right. Think about how you hold a filet knife when skinning against the table. Fourth is a coffee table for a friend. He bought the sign at a bar about 15 years ago and it's been sitting in his garage since then. I turned the legs out of walnut (see above about tearout). Fifth is the top of one of the hideously expensive bar stools I've mentioned before. From left to right I think it's bubinga, walnut, wenge, paduak, osage, zebra, teak, walnut, osage, mesquite, walnut, wenge, zebra, teak, walnut, osage, wenge, teak, paduak, and bubinga. The legs are solid mesquite that I carved a spiral down each leg (I'll get a better pic of that later, something about beers and a camera last night?). Last is another hobby, just one of the guides on my latest. It's for a 50W avet for highspeed trolling and tuna fishing. That's 80# mono going through the guide. That's all for now.
later, biggreen


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## trodery (Sep 13, 2006)

biggreen---- That barstool is BEAUTIFUL! I really like it! And those spoons are pretty cool as well.


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## Texas T (May 21, 2004)

When you glue up that many different woods together how well do they like each other in the long run? Do they have different chararistics like expansion/contraction or moisture levels that would cause any problems?


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## biggreen (Feb 23, 2005)

Haven't had any problems yet. I'm keeping that one so time will tell. I did some digging around mainly about the teak and osage glue ups but couldn't find any problems to speak of. If it cracks in half I'll have a lot of wood to make knife handles out of I guess.

later, biggreen


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## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

I like them all, expecially the bar stool. You did great job. Guess one of the hardest things to do on a lathe is to make copies. First one is one thing and making copies is very difficult to do. Good job.


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Great job on them all. "A few days in the garage" huh? Any one of those would take me more than a few days.....lol.
Spoons and knife handles are on my list of things to make. I tried replacing the handle on a spatula but ruined things when attaching the pieces with the rivets. What is your secret for doing that? Is there a tool you use or simply careful use of a hammer?


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Very nice work!


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

FANTASTIC work, Steve !!!

Man...you are 'MULTI TALENTED"..LOL

I'd give a 'purdy' to be able to craft any item you are showing....Some day, mebbe...NAW>

Jim


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## Surf Hunter (Sep 28, 2006)

OK, I'm impressed! Great work!

Tom


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Dang.......

I'm speachless !


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Incredible work!! Give us the run down on those spoons....they look like a fun 'challenge'! gb


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## biggreen (Feb 23, 2005)

The knife hadle rivets aren't rivets, they are simple pins cut from a 1/8" pin you buy that's about 12" to start with. I'm going to do the rivits soon. While the wood is still square you drill through the holes in the metal handle as a guide (its got a name but I forget?) on the drill press then remove the metal hold the two pieces together and use the one you just drilled as the template for the other side. Cut the pins just long enough to stick out of both sides and epoxy it all together. That's the easy part, all the sanding is the trick. The sanding where the wood graduates down the the blade has to be mostly or completely sanded before epoxy so you don't scratch the blade up and the rest of the sanding is done on my disk/belt sander and some on a drum on my drill press, then a bunch of hand sanding. They make a narrow belt sander for knife making but I don't want to make that investment just yet. I want to wait and see how serious I get with it. The spoons were easy. Took a scrap of wood, cut out a shape that kind of looked like a spoon, sanded a bunch then finished with 6 or 8 coats of salad bowl finish and gave em to the wife. She has to get something out of the garage once in a while. Already used both of them. I have to figure out how I'm going to make a spoon that holds something now? The ones she has are more like spatula's I guess. They have a small concave but not much.
later, biggreen


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Good info......thanks the description on the handles. I'll give it another try.
My wife has two spoons/spatulas she got from a shop up in Old Town Spring. Very nice and she uses those two more than any of the 'store bought' ones. I'll try to post up some pictures later.


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## Flat Fish (Jun 18, 2005)

Everything looks great.


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