Garden Tools

A Dibbler

Illustration taken from Thomas Hill’s Gardener’s Labyrinth (1577) The gardener on the left is using  a dibbler to make a hole in the garden for a plant.

 

A Viking Bull Terrier, I mean Horse

White poplar toy horse

After having a look at the originals it's not as bad as I thought!

A page with instructions and images

Bobbin along

"Mary Rose" Bobbins 

So yesterday afternoon and this afternoon I did some turning. 
Yesterday I split out a couple of blanks which I turned today. I had intended to finish them in one go, but after feeling the moisture they contained (I was sprayed with warm wet shavings!) I decided that Windsor chair makers might be onto something and have left them to dry after turning the basic shape.


  It's possible that they may crack or warp, but the relatively small size of the pieces should reduce the chance of that.

  


 

Bobbins

     Turning Bobbins in the style of those found on the Mary Rose

The Bobbins and related artifacts.

       The Mary Rose presents an amazing snapshot of life at the time it sank. The quantity of well preserved artifacts provides us with examples  of  items which we can recreate.
Having recently acquired a lathe I decided that I would like to make a series of small objects, mostly because I get immense enjoyment  from wood, but also with an eye to sell some if they are  up to scratch.
   The collection of thread Bobbins from the Mary rose are ideal subjects for this, being relatively small and quite simple.

The Bobbins:

Four bobbins: Material         Length (mm)  Diameter (mm)
                     Ash                   128                    28
                    Willow                115               25 (stem)   40 (Collar)
                     Alder                 37                       12  (this is an incomplete fragment)
                     Scots pine         95                       17    This one is the conical one in the picture.

                      Measurements taken from

They have three collars, one at either end, plus one in the center, allowing for two colours or type of thread to be shown/ stored.
In addition the core has been hollowed and stoppered creating a space to store needles. at least one of the bobbins was still stoppered and contained needles.


My first attempt

More care is needed in drilling the needle compartment

This was just a freehand attempt to make something in the approximate style from spare bits of Poplar.

Overall I'm quite happy with this Bobbin as a quick experiment.

 

The hole made by drilling at an angle rather than vertically.

Something has returned.  Colour, my awareness and love for it.                                                                                       I am seeing patterns and colours.                   I was never blind to it physically, simply to busy at the broad end of Maslows pyramid.So noticing the textures, patterns and colours of apples at the farmers market was wonderful.

Everything is laid out before me, I have choices appearing, and yet all I want to do is write a short note, not many words..just, I miss you, the rest says it self.   But to do this, I know would be uncomfortable, unforgivable, inappropriate. Instead I write this here where no one will see it and if you do, well it may not be about you.
The rest of life, well if I had that under control, who knows where I would be?

What to do in the holidays?

One good turn.
 Should I head to Tasmania?