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.

LEARNING ABOUT TIMBER AND TREES

RED OAK

Everywhere I look these days I see "Red oak" mentioned. The large number of U.S.Asian blogs and pages I look at and of course "The Woodrights Shop" may go some way to explain this, but I have recently found this timber at the masters warehouse store near Canberra airport.
 Being  me I wondered what it was, where it came from, how useful it is to me and of course is it being produced sustainably?

Here is what I have found out:

Red Oak
 Quercus Rubra  Family FAGACEAE

Red Oak

    Scientific name: Quercus rubra L.
    Common name(s): red oak, northern red oak
    Synonym(s): Quercus borealis F.Michx.
    Conservation status: Least Concern (LC) according to IUCN Red List criteria.
    Habitat: Valley floors to mid-slopes of hills and mountains Quercus rubra is native to south-eastern Canada and north-central and eastern USA.
  
Red oak is hard timber from a rapidly growing tree, which naturally make it a good plantation tree.   It is straight grained with with large open pores. Apparently the grain is so open   that smoke can be blown all the way through a flat-sawn board.
 

Red Oak

How does it compare to Quercus robur?  (European/English oak)

  Density:

• Q. rubra :770 kg/m³
• Q. robur: 670-720 kg/m³ 

 Shrinkage:  

•  Q. rubra:  Radial: 4.0%, Tangential: 8.6%, Volumetric: 13.7%, T/R Ratio: 2.2
• Q. robur: Shrinkage:Radial: 4.7%, Tangential: 8.4%, Volumetric: 13.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.8

Average dry weight:

•  Q. rubra:  44 lbs/ft³ (700 kg/m³)
• Q. robur: 42 lbs/ft3 (675 kg/m3)  

  It would appear from these statistics that the two timbers are very similar in all but colour.

References:

•  The Wood Database.
•  Kew Gardens
• Trend Timber 
• Wood Solutions 
• Britton Timbers 
• Hardwood Silviculture Cooperative College of Forestry, Oregon State University 
•  

Stools and Bowls

 I will have all of the tools I need for upcoming projects within the next week, so It's time to get busy! 

I wish it wasn't raining, I would be able to split some timber for bowls and maybe stools. Half of the Billets I brought back for legs developed splits.

My 1st attempt at a an English horse

In other news, I think it is time to revisit the English Horse.

Shaving horse Canberra wood show

Together with my Dumb-head Horse, I think this will give me a versatile workspace and allow me to have helpers, coworkers and students.

And Just because I can here is the sequence of work in making the stools!

Raising Capital

 Kick-starting

 Bowls and stools. I want to do a couple of things to earn a bit of extra cash. More importantly I want to improve my skills and practice techniques. To do this I need Some new tools. I have been largely unsuccessful in making these myself.  I have managed to create tools which work to some degree, but have been unable to fine tune them enough that they work consistantly. Essentially I now  understand the theory and application of these tools and would eventually like to make my own. Right now though I'm not achieving this and without the tools I require I am not happy with the safety and quality of the items I am creating.

So I need to purchase three items.  I could potentially buy only

this $47 Scorp and this Reamer for $50 . But it would make sense to buy this set of Tenon Taperers for $35 .
 Currently I do not have the money to spare. I was wondering about a Kick starter style capital raising experiment to see if people were interested in helping me out! This is an odd feeling, it's not really like begging or is it? However it may just make this possible.

Options could range from a short term no interest loan, or an advance payment for a bowl.
  These are just ideas of course!

Scorp or curved Adze for bowl making.

 

Which to buy when I can only afford one?  Kind of afford!

Curved Adze
So my it appears the question I need to ask myself is which one? Both are suitable, the thing is, I can't afford all of them, which would be ideal, the adze for roughing out, the scorps for finishing and giving a surface which can be used. I am going to say Scorp here, because I can probably rough out with a hatchet and then use the scorp, But which scorp? the small onehander, the 65mm one hander or the two hander.

My current thinking is a one hander scorp, and price is seriously making me consider the smaller 33mm blade. I would certainly be able to make improved versions of what I have made so far and it is wider tha any gouges I own. The stool tops also need a "seat" shape which this could be used to achieve.

Canberra Timber and Working with Wood show

 One good turner deserves another.

No not that Turner, although his works have been on display in the National Gallery I believe. Today I made the journey to EPIC, the Acronym for what is basically Canberra showgrounds. Up the hill to the  bus and then down to Northbourne  avenue where the bare branches of the Hawthorns even now have the occasional red berry. And then North to Epic.  

I have always dabbled in woodwork and over the past year I've found enjoyment in green woodwork. My skills are quite basic but I'm slowly getting there. There a few tools I need But they are fairly basic so I will get them or find a substitute.

 I'm sorry to say but my first thought when I entered was "it's all about cabinet maing and joinery" Yes I am an inverted snob
Rare Chairs had an interesting exhibit, Harold Archbold  from Moonan Brook in the Upper Hunter makes wooden chairs, specifically Windsor chairs using traditional methods. I didn't dare ask for the cost of a commissioned chair, but I will have to look into one of the 8 day chair making courses he offers.

Below are some details of the pole lathe which they use

 This the shaving horse, a dumhead type, One of the chairs is in the background on the left.

I'm considering buying a bowl adze from Henry Eckert. It's $160 and certainly looked like it quality wise. It would make bowl making very easy indeed and I could probably make that money back in a short period of time. I would need to make 16 bowls or so, or charge over $15 a bowl, whih may not be too bad a price. If I can make them work the way I want to, and finish them well. I intend to have a crack at making a big bread raising bowl.

 So overall it was a fun day and has broadened my awareness of all things wood.