A few weeks ago we had a little thread going where a few of us started going on about some of our various non-tri hobbies. I am a little bit of a woodworker as I know some others are. I also do some home improvement stuff. I am interested in what others do so I thought maybe we could start a thread where we could talk about this stuff and maybe post some pictures of our various projects. I seem to remember that Xenu does some woodworking. Kittycat does knitting (and baking and at least another dozen things). Trailbait makes hats and stuff. I seem to recall that someone made one hell of a wine cellar in their basment. I’m sure there are others out there. Anyhow you get the idea.
I’ll start. I just finished a wedding present for my sister and her husband (it’s a little late, but that’s is another story). It is made mostly out of cherry. The top has a granite slab surrounded by a cherry frame that has walnut splines in the mitered corners.
This is actually a very good idea. your pictures are coming up as little xs in my screen though. I refinished an icebox from the late 1800s recently and think it turned out pretty good. i will post a like tomorrow. i was lucky in that it was in great shape but the wood needed a bit of touch up work.
I also play guitar, poker (20/40 mostly), and really wish I knew how to draw anything. I love art.
I know it is possible to get an audio file on here. It’s been done before (think the whistling thread!!!). That is cool though to learn the guitar. I play the piano and studied music in college where I played the saxophone. I never learned the guitar though I tried a couple of times.
My biggest non-tri hobby is collecting match worn and match prepared soccer jerseys from around the world. My collection includes a Raul 2002 World Cup Spain jersey, a Euro 2000 Del Piero Italy jersey and a Roy Keane 2003 pre-season Manchester United jersey. Just a sampling! I am always on the look out for more, so any of you with connections in the US or abroad shoot me a pm.
Pictures are showing, and very nice work - I like the spline detail.
As for me - my off time is mostly spent as a morris dancer and fiddler. I play for More or Less Morris in Richmond and dance with Albemarle Morris in Charlottesville. Been doing this about 18 years now - started when I was living in Canada.
Every now and then I go back and work on hurdy gurdy as an instrument, but that takes more time than I really have to get good at.
A strange french instrument - body styles vary - though most are guitar or lute shaped. usually about 6 strings - two for melody, plyed by a keybox built into the top of an instrument, 4 drones. The strings are vibrated by turning a crank which turns a wheel. So you end up with something akin to a cross between bagpipes and fiddle. There is alos the ability to do some percussion since one of the bridges is free floating, but that takes a longer explanation.
I love Breton music, and this is one of the major instruments for that region of France.
I collect and restore antique electronics – mostly radios, but some televisions. I have a (too) large collection. It’s an old man’s hobby for the most part but I enjoy the challenge. My career is mostly in computers, and for some reason I like working on 1930s technology on my downtime. I like to buy really rough stuff and restore them back to former beauty. I restore about 20-30 a year. I did this 1934 Crosley last year:
I also enjoy gardening…I’ve posted some pictures of my gardens in the past. Not much to see out there now.
Google up Olympic Musical Instruments - friends of mine and a very good builder. They have a variety of styles and a good FAQ on the instrument. Also - try another friend who a bit on video where he is teaching how the instrument works - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c68B2Ww9YY&mode=related&search=
Yeah - a well made one is 2500-4000$. Considering there are aobut 160 parts that go into one - that is not unreasonable for hand crafted. On the other hand, it is not an instrument that takes well to having shortcuts in the building. I have had to re-do various bits of mine to deal with sticking keys, a bent axle, misalgined tuners etc. You have to be willing to put a bit of sweat into it.
Wow, you don’t get too many Hurdy Gurdy players to the dollar!
if you are ever in San Francisco you have to visit A Lark in the Morning. Amazing store that sells traditional instruments from all over the world with a strong celtic bent.
I like Breton music myself. I spent a couple of summers as a kid in Quiberon and loved it there. I play the bodhran, well I bang it and make some noise and call it playing.
Have you heard the Celtic Fiddle Festival, AMAZING STUFF. I saw them live in san Francisco about 8 years ago and its still the best live music I have ever seen. Christian LeMaitre was great but Johnny Cunningham god rest his soul, stole the show.
Good job on the table. It looks very nice. I really like the mix of the stone and wood.
The front right leg looks like it has some very nice chatoyance on the outboard side. It looks kinda curly in the photo. Rear right leg, too, now that I look again.
What did you finish it with? I’m guessing BLO from the nice matte sheen. I like the way it contrasts with the gloss of the granite.
The walnut splines are a nice touch, too. Asymmetric spacing on them…nice…draws the eye to the corner, and lightens it up a little, and softens it. The chamfer helps with that too.
Good job.
I’m not even gunna mention that the back top rail is riftsawn, and the rest of them are flatsawn…but nobody will notice that… ;->
I’m not even gunna mention that the back top rail is riftsawn, and the rest of them are flatsawn…but nobody will notice that… ;->
Yeah, I know. Remember how I said that this table has a sister table? Well, lets just say that some of the better wood grain choices are on the other piece. My sister would likely not appreciate the fact that there is even a difference between riftsawn and flatsawn wood to even notice. So I chose (since I was somewhat limited in long board lengths knot and blemish free) to sacrifice on her’s. I know that sounds kind of crummy, but really I think that discerning eyes will tell and others might just know that something is not quite right.
It is finished with 3 coats of the Minwax gel stain/finish. I think it is called Wood Sheen or something. I like it because it is really easy to use and you can put on three coats in one day. Sand the first time, synthetic wool the second. I likely will put a coat of paste wax before I give it to her. Matte is definitely what I’m looking for though so that it doesn’t take away from the granite.
I like the walnut splines too. Probably my favorite part. Anything assymetrical that looks cool is simply by chance because I just made two marks by eye and made sure they were the same on all four corners.
Thanks for the comments though. Let’s see some of your pieces!
