Best selling wood projects - Woodies With Goodies continued

Best selling wood projects

The Hastings Woodworkers Guild (HWWG)  Exhibition Weekend has come and gone.  It was great - plenty to see, do and listen to.
It is seldom appreciated by the viewing public just how much work goes into setting up and dismantling a show like this one.  It is, however, worth it.
We meet old friends and make many new ones.

We learn new techniques and exchange trade secrets (after the secret handshake of course).

Here, the great teacher woodturner - Peter Calabria - demonstrates turning a juniper bowl.

An absolute gentleman, Peter shares his time and expertise freely with anyone who is interested in wood turning.

Tony turned up a lidded box from one of his favourite Australian timbers - hairy oak.

Johnno shares his model making passion ..............
There were toys for grown ups and children to share ......

............. and toys just for kids.

Puzzles and games for big kids and little kids .....................

Roberts shop-made CNC machine attracted plenty of attention.

This year we had the Sing Australia group brighten our lives while the show went on around them. 

And so many other artists chose to join in our exhibition with samples of their beautiful creations, along with demonstrations for all to see ..................................

Last but not least, the old tools and collectables shared a long table with the buy swap and sell items from the Club woodies ....................  tool heaven for old tools ......................

While the show and exhibition is all over for another year, the memories, contacts and new friendships will linger, helping us into new directions over the next twelve months.
Enjoy your time in the shed and workshop .................
.........................and happy woodworking to all ............................
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Best selling wood projects - The Rites of Spring with apologies to Stravinsky

Best selling wood projects

The Village in Springtime is a hive of activity and a cradle for new life.
Foggy mornings are the harbingers of beautiful balmy days, and although we need rain, the weather is just too pleasant to begrudge the sunshine.

From the bedroom window .....

Last years wallaby joey has struck out on its own, and the jill has given birth to another one - just like it was twelve months ago.  She is back to the patch of level ground outside our lounge room window, where she spends the night.

The joey only leaves the pouch for short intervals, and is soon back inside.

Springtime also means that the Hastings Woodworkers Guild Annual Show and Exhibition is just around the corner.  It is all systems go, to get things ready and items finished.
The ukulele is almost done.

 Adding the fret-wires

Fretwire comes in rolls or lengths. This pack came by the pound, in 12 inch lengths.  It is the narrower type - suitable for ukuleles and mandolins.

 After cutting to length and seating gently, the frets are hammered home with a block of flat wood to keep them all level.  I swiped the bottom of each fret wire with a small smear of epoxy - to hold them fast. Epoxy is better than super glue, I think, because it gives more working time, and getting the fret wires level isnt such a rush.

Once seated and dry, the edges have to be filed level, and then bevelled.  This angled file does a great job.  Once finished, I glued the fretboard to the neck and body, before applying the finishing coats of shellac and lacquer.


I have had no end of trouble with the shellac finish.  Six coats were applied without incident, but from the seventh coat onwards, I have had an opaque milky finish appear after drying - and it looks horrible.
After washing with alcohol and sanding, additional coats dried no better, and I was becoming very discouraged.
One of the old hands at the Woodies Shed suggested drying it quickly after an application, by using a hair drier.
Success! Of course the girls arent happy that the hair drier is down at the shed, but hey - get your priorities right!

The surface dries clean, and is gaining the gloss of finished shellac.
It is at the point (15 or 16 coats - not sure) where I cant see any improvement from successive coats, so I will leave it there and lacquer the neck, before stringing it.

Next post, Ill show off the finished ukulele, as well as some of the items Ill be putting in the HWWG Exhibition.

In the meantime here is an excerpt from Stravinskys Rite of Spring:
This ballet caused a riot when it was first performed in 1913. It begins with bassoon - I wonder if he considered beginning with ukulele .........

The full score is HERE

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