Hair of a bee

Almost gone:

It is that time of the year where the bees are frantic with their last attempts for gathering.

took advantage of getting nice and close to this fellow as he tries to finish off this sunflower.

starting to see more and more bees against the side of the house over the night time.

by morning they are increasingly falling.

really gets one thinking.

Hatchet handle treatment before hanging

Before I start the hanging process i make sure that any handle shaping and sanding is finished.

without the head on I am able to maneuver the handle better while shaping and sanding. not having to worry about the blade also makes the process go a bit faster.

sanding and shaping perform three important functions:

first, removes the factory applied finish. (the handles i use are only covered with a wax).

second, a well shaped and sanded handle is easier on the hands when using the tool. better to grip and wont grate the hands as easily.

third, the sanding will make the naturally coarse texture/open grain smoother and therefore will leave crisper lines if any paint is to be applied.

shaping and sanding the handle before hanging the hatchet hands

now i can start the hanging process.

Bee and the sunflower photo and the izzi orbit

About a month ago I won an ebay bid for an Izzi Orbit case for a sixth of its retail price

and 

i have got to admit that i really really like this tool.

the lens quality is really quite good.

there are 4 options but really i am enjoying the macro lens the most.

photo taken from their website

I have found myself taking UP-close shots from the dog's nostrils to sawdust piles in the shop

to this bee in one of our sunflowers. 

using the izzi orbit to take take quality macro photos
have to get close to the subject matter so i was glad he was too busy with this sunflower to notice me.

I will say though that i almost always filter my images to better reflect my current disposition and with this particular bee photo i did add a bit more clarity with the camera +'s clarity function.

Chronodex week 33 and 34 knots

More knot themed chronodex.

always amazed how a bit of sickness can interrupt productivity.

i am quite certain that it is the idleness that is more painful than the sickness itself.

knot 3 chronodex
Archadia mechanical pencil
kaweco sport with 1.1 stub
doane paper pocket notebook
esterbrook cord clip

knot 4 Chronodex
doane paper pocket notebook
kaweco sprot with 1.1 stub
goldfaber 1221 2B
xacto knife
esterbrook cord clip

knot 5 chronodex
esterbrook #2556 ground to a stub
doane paper pocket notebook
esterbrick clip
goldfaber 1221 2B
pink pearl eraser

knot 6 chronodex
doane paper pocket notebook
fieldnotes pencil
esterbrook #2556 ground to a stub
ratchetta pencil sharpener

knot 7 chronodex
doane paper pocket notebook
esterbrook #2556 ground to a stub
eagle turquoise drafting pencil
staedtler sharpener
esterbrook cord clips

knot 8chronodex
doane paper pocket notebook
pilot prera with calligraphy nib
esterbrook cord clip

knot 9 chronodex
doane paper pocket notebook
esterbrook desk pen #2968
tombow mono graph shaker .5
esterbrook cord clip

Axe restoration pulling the double bit out of the vinegar bath

This vinegar bath started out with clear and clean fresh distilled vinegar.

3 days of soaking: 5 hatchets, 1 single bit and 2 double bits 

i ended up with this.

pulling out a double bit from the "rust lava"

amongst the lot was this plumb carpenter hatchet.

this is exactly what i want to see after the tool is removed and rinsed off.

exactly what a hatchet should look like after removing from a vinegar bath.

i want to see the strong dark tempering in the front and hammer poll and all the rust to be removed.

this striker will make an excellent tool for someone!

Fountain pen nib cleaning

When the ink flows out after first dipping in water:

hypnotic.

Noodlers Creaper in now unclogged.