Getting readjusted with a new endeavor (adult coloring postcards) and an additional website

Sorry for the delay in posting 

but

I have been working on my newest endeavor of amalgamating meaningful correspondence and design work.

I am currently working on a Squarespace site. I have been desperately needing to have a place to better showcase a few of my ETSY ventures and add a couple more of my favorite subjects for some flair. There is no denying the refinement that comes with this upgrade. Currently, I am planning to focus on Advanced Card Making (my newest venture), Tool Restoration and then eventually more of my Extreme Croquet Mallets.

For some flair I am adding my Chronodex endeavors, themes around my personal desk and my appreciations for the sky.

I invite all to join me in this site: nobleignitus.squarespace.com

As of now, I do plan to keep this blog running on my original purpose for my sons to see what nonsense I am up to.

My adult coloring 4"x6" postcards with a built in message/photo pocket will be another post but since I have just posted them to my ETSY shop I would like to give a quick visual share:

water plains: coppers vs steel fleet

We have established the beginnings of two forces:

the steel fleet 

and

the coppers.

the youngest help set rivets and prepare the boats.

water plain attack: steel fleet coming in from open waters

 the copper already had a great patina on them. being exposed to the element should make for some excellent texturing!

water plain defend: the coppers are ready to repel

the steel fleet comes in from open waters to attach in the coppers waters.

Rock displaying on the "water plain"

When we go out hiking or camping we are VERY likely to come back with a rock or two.

these rocks act as sort of a souvenir of the trip, so it seems fitting that we should have a way to present them (at least until they get lost in our landscape). This would also give me a location to organize our collection of "keepers". my other initial goal with this project is to teach the boys about the elements of composition in 3D.

in summary our project is a sort of simplified residential back yard version of a Japanese contemplation rock garden.

the idea is simple: create a large plain of smaller rock that will act as a body of water and then position smaller rocks that will function as small islands.

our scale is very small so i opted for sand as the water. the sand is also easier for picking out debris because it just sits on top versus getting in between the larger pebbles.

to add to the fun, we are making little boats to really help them along in the transition of imaging a large sandbox as a body of water.

back yard rock display with boats

 copper boats vs steel boats, working on our scale

my next step in this project is to see how we can also turn it into a sort of Battle Ship game.

i think a small armada on each side with catapults, like our indoor Crush the Castle game.

back yard rock display with boats

backyard rock display with boats

 the steel from this boat is the binding for railroad tie bails

other materials are bamboo skewers and some scrap cedar.

making boats for backyard rock display

a quick plug for these Milwaukee Markers. these are really holding up well. very good for marking on abused surfaces, metal and wood.

A few words on the nick that kept bleeding

How many times has this happened! something VERY minor happens and then all of a sudden everything grinds to a halt.

I had just finished putting a sharp edge a small cleaver for a fellow when i simply reached over it to grab a pencil (goldfaber 12212B). in that motion i so ever lightly bumped the knife with my thumb.

When something so minor grinds everything to a halt.
1.1 stub nib for scale.

straight into some sort of blood vessel because damn if that nick didn't just keep volunteering blood. tried to work but had to keep stopping because it would keep opening up. at one point i had a tissue wadded up on the end with about a foot of electricians tape tightly binding it.

finally concerned that my finger was going to turn blue and fall off, i had to stop working

what a waste of time, there was no real pain, no chance of infection and no loss of limb, 

but 

that was that.

for the record i am a very careful worker but even the most careful amongst us will have an accident every now and then.

Full Extreme Croquet set with Posts

A full set of 6 extreme croquet mallets heading off to Canada.

To hell with cookie cutter sets and tools:

There is always some variety when making each mallet. i absolutely prefer to treat each one as its own unit and although they all have the same 2x2 stripe theme, each one is slightly different in height, girth and weight. on top of that there are three hardwoods represented here in the head: bubinga, paduak and one fish scale oak head.

each striker is as unique as the player controlling them.

 with a set of mallets it is only natural to fullfill the buyers request for a set of posts that reflect their colors.

I am particularly drawn to those century past posts that are decoratively turned.

it this case i had 2 nice oak table legs that had some interesting detail. I simply rasped and sanded into final shape. painted and clear coated a finish. and finally drilled out a hole in the top to place a flag if the game director so desires.

individually wrapped and tied firmly together with some remnants from a quilt a family member made for me. after this photo i attached the walls and the top of the crate, packed in more bubble wrap and then fit into a large box.

there is a reward in finishing any project

but

i must admit a full set is something special!

Wine cork pen rest

This is as simple as it gets 

but 

DAMN if it isn't a well functioning solution.

i keep a LARGE bag of wine corks next to a 36" bench top grinder. every now and then i just pull one out and make a cork pen rest. the entire process takes a few minutes and the final result ends up being more refined then one might think. I appreciate many aesthetics but when it come to a pen rest i personally prefer a bit more of a clean look. after all in a way it is acting as a pedestal for a fine writing instrument.

the process is 4 simple steps:

1.   i flatten the bottom of the cork. i remove as much cork as i want the overall height of the final rest.

2.  i square up the sides. this removes the chewed up marks from the corkscrew and can remove wine stains if desired.

3.  with a dremel rotary tool and a small sanding drum i gouge out a notch for the rest. i do try to keep the marks i make crisp. because a cork is so curved i like the contrasting hard edges.

4.  i give it a quick spray of helmsmen spray. i like the clear coat slightly wet look. cork is so textured and this treatment makes variance more dramatic. 

different style of corks work equally well. for the more sparkling type corks i do not worry about squaring off the top and sometimes i don't square of either side.

Polyolefin heat shrink tubing to cover a cracked Pilot Prera demonstrator fountain pen.

A cracked Pilot Prera fountain pen cap on an older, WELL used, writer is not much of a surprise. 

as much as i really like this pen, the fact is that it is one of my knock around work pens. 

this utilitarian prera is only going to get a real utilitarian fix.

before i go into the fix i had better briefly describe the damage: 

after a short drop, the crack started at the base's metal ring and reached out about 1/2 an inch. for such a little cap that really is a damaging blow. fortunately, the metal ring was holding well so i really just needed to stop the crack from spreading at the end and reinforce middle. 

NOTE: this repair is not for quality pens. when ink gets into the cap it can stain the glue.

i applied super glue through the caps interior into the crack. i did not wipe away the excess and positioned the inner sleeve over it. i was counting on adhering the sleeve to really help reinforce the crack (being a work pen i was counting on it falling on cement again). in about 2 minutes the repair was done. if this was a nicer pen i would have taken the time to completely dismantle, apply a proper epoxy to the crack and then buff out before reassembly.

but

it is not, so to cover the still visual crack in this demonstrator i cut some 1/2" polyolefin heat shrink tubbing to length. 1/2" is almost a perfect fit so it slid over fairly snuggly. just needed a bit of heat to tightly form around the slight taper.

this tight skin lasted for about a month before the polyolefin loosened up just a bit from the constant clipping in and out of a pocket. to fix this i simply applied a drop of super glue under the tubing before heating. since then it has stayed firm for months now. this tubing is also very durable and aesthetically blends in very well to the smoke accents on the pen. 

a drop of super glue under the polyolefin heat shrink tubing will keep it from  moving on the pen.

Leather knife sheath for lauri shop knife

Having a little fun with the design while making functional gear is a good way to keep the process more exciting. all for the sake of entertainment, i never expect my final object to be unique but damn if i don't have a fun time making it. 

for this shop knife, i had the challenge with the meatier shape of the handle pushing too close to the sheath. these bigger handles with more extreme gestures are easier on the hand and allow for more hand positions to be used, but are not very sheath friendly.

not wanting the sheath to be 8 layers thick i decided to try something different 

and

from the front the sheathed knife looks pretty straight forward

lauri shop knife sheath

but 

from the side it can be seen that i had decided to use an oak wedge to distant the knife handle away from the back of the sheath a bit.

was also able to keep the belt look in line with the curvature of the handle.

i did treat the wedge with tung oil to make it more prepared for outside use.

having a little fun with a design for a lauri shop knife leather sheath

the sheath pivots at the bottom (riveted and sewn) and can come apart if i want to change out the wooden wedge.

i also made the wedge a bit narrow, so from 3/4 view it is still very hidden and will also show off the sewing of the sheath's base layer.

lauri shop knife leather sheath

now ready for use this sheath may not be anything amazing but i must say that i had a very entertaining time working through the challenge and coming up with this more unorthodox solution.

Making bullet pencil erasers

Bullet pencils are one of the best easy to carry writing tools out there: compact, pocket friendly, easy to adapt to your favorite pencil and a very smart design.

after time though a bit of maintenance will be needed and fortunately this is very easy to do.

in this particular post i am just going to describe one way to replace the eraser.

before i start though, i would like to say that bullet pencils are made to make notes on the spot and not the best design for prolonged writing sessions. with that said, i rarely use the eraser. for such "quick" note taking i usually just cross out the mistake and keep going 

but

every now and then the erasers will need to be replaced.

i use a simple extrusion method that involves a brass tube and an eraser block of your choosing.

1.  the brass tube can be purchased at any hardware store for just a few dollars. with a hand file just taper one end to a sharp edged circle.

2. just push the brass tube through the eraser block.

making a bullet pencil eraser: using the extrusion method

3. when the eraser plug is extruded it will come out as a slight hourglass shape. this shape will need to be controlled before inserting into the bullet pencils ferrule. first i cut a little bit off the end to decrease the severity of the hourglass shape, then use a rubbery tape to compress the end. electricians tape is great for this purpose because it can be pulled very tightly around the eraser plug. 

4.  at this time the eraser plug with the electrical tape compressed end will still be wider than the inner diameter of the bullet pencil's ferrule. this will allow for a very snug fit. this is important so it doesn't move around when actually using the eraser. the tape not only compresses the end but will also strengthen the eraser so it doesn't break when cramming it into the pencil. also, if you do decide to add a pin through the ferrule into the eraser the tape will help keep the integrity of the eraser. 

making a bullet pencil eraser: controlling the hourglass shape of the extruded eraser

erasers aren't just erasers anymore, there are options (and smart ones at that).

my 3 main erasers that i use it the Black Factis, the hi-polymer pentels, and the Pink Pearl. i will say though that the Black Factis is my favorite. the black color doesn't look as crappy after being used and fits better aesthetically to a bullet pencil. darker colors fit better with dirty jobs. bullet pencils are designed to be out in the field getting dirty, writing on dirty paper. 

making a bullet pencil eraser: black factis is my favorite, but the hi-polymer and pink pearls are excellent options too

5. my final step in the eraser is to slightly taper in the eraser into a truncated cone. this shape holds up to erasing the a straight cylinder. also goes in and out of the pocket easier. 

making a bullet pencil: a quick sanding so the eraser tapers into a truncated cone

while ignoring everything i have just said,

i do have a couple bullet pencils that i use pencil end erasers with. these are my shop or truck pencils. ones that i may need to use an eraser a bit more and i don't want to carry around a click eraser 

(actually a big fan of click erasers).

pencil end erasers also come in options, the two i have here are the easiest to get. the one on the left is the small variety that can be found at any general store. these tend to do an ok job erasing (just ok), but they do have a sleek profile. the one on the right can be purchased at an art store (we have a dick blick in town so that is where i got these). these are the pink pearls of pencil end erasers. they do a superior job of erasing and have thick walls (heavy duty, takes a beating).

making a bullet pencil eraser: using pencil end erasers

making the post for this only takes a few minutes. below is a well beat up one that i made some years ago. i start with a stock hardwood dowel and sand down until it very tightly fits the i.d. of the bullet pencil's ferrule. i make quick work of this by sanding with a 1" belt sander. the key to this is to frequently check the fit during sanding. when this fit is nice and tight no pins or epoxies will be needed.

one this fit is complete, cut off the dowel long enough to hold the pencil end eraser. from here it is back to the sander to decrease the diameter of the post so it can hold the eraser securely. the post can not be to thick here because it will stretch out the eraser and it will break more easily when being used.

making a bullet pencil eraser: showing off the wood plug that will accommodate the pencil end eraser 

at the end here, i would like to add that i am sure that there are many good ways to make a bullet pencil eraser.  i have found that these two ways work VERY WELL for me.

i hope they do for you too.

Restored ball peen hammer with rubberized handle coating

I am never short of hammers waiting to be restored in my house

so

when i decided to add a dedicated ball peen hammer to my leather making toolbox i merely had to extend my arm to grab one. 

i picked out a perfect size and went on to polishing the peen, cheeks and head. i did leave the necks unpolished. cleaned of debris and rust but natural. 

 i do really like a little bit of color on the strikers to help it stand out on a cluttered work bench. orange has always been my color of choice for this. 

grip is important so for my non-octagonal hammer handles, i do like to add some sort of a grip coating. 

in this case, i thought i would try something new. i used a easy to get undercoating rubberized spray. the same material used to deaden traveling vehicle sounds and to apply to wheel wells.

i was really quite surprised how well this felt in the hand. the surface is smooth yet there is a sort of tack to the feel. i do sand in a notch toward the bottom of the handle that my pinky finger fits into, but even with out that i think i would still have the same confident grip. 

another nice element to this coating is that it is flexible. this means when the material hits something else it doesn't just chip away. it moves with the dents. of coarse it does come off with wear and enough pressure will remove it but is more durable than straight paint.

sometimes my experiments don't pan out but i am pleased to say that this one did.

rivets beware. 

Bizen beer cup moment

A time to think,

a time to rest the body.

i have found that the more purposeful the break the more rejuvenated i am when i get back to work. 

i also am able to get to work faster. a sort of "power nap" when done right.

in this case, i brought out one of my favorite beer cups. 

an EXCELLENT Bizen beer cup (i purchased in Bizen in the fall of 1997). I have found a strong relevance with this Japanese regional pottery to my Great Plains aesthetic. Richly textured with warm colors and tactile variations, my mind gets lost in the cups qualities and my body just r-e-l-a-x-e-s. 

Bizen yaki valued in Nebraska

i was eagerly ready to get back to work before I was halfway finished with the beer .

for the record, stout and Bizen beer cups are a damn fine compliment.

Wards jointer plane restore - clean up

I was privileged enough to be given a Wards jointer plane by a good friend to restore.

His father had passed away and this was discovered in one of the tool sheds.

what is always amazing is that what seems in so bad of shape can actually be an excellent tool just needing some repairing.

before i had even started the cleaning process i gave the plane a once over by looking for:

cracks, especially in the sole

dramatic twisting or cupping of the sole

and the degree of rust

below is a compare of what the tool looked like before any cleaning and then after cleaned and a new black finish was added.

wards jointer plane restore comparison: before and after cleaning and new finish

the difference is night and day however the work to get to this point was actually very little.

the restoration to this point went as follows:

1. dismantle (take photos if you need to remember how parts go back together)

2. just use a dense medium stiff wire brush to remove dirt and debris.

3. vinegar bath

4. remove any weak finish from the top of the plane (i swear by using old files that i cold grind into a chisel then use it to scrap the entire old finish. there is always a bit of tooth left in these old files so they work perfect as a scrapper or a grater).

5. stiff wire brush the rest, then wipe off

6. mask the sides then prime with an auto primer 

7. paint with your painting preference. there are many hard paints out there or just use spray on truck bed liner.

repurpose an old file to a scraping - grating restore tool

the next step in the restore was to fix and condition the wood parts, true the sole, and sharpen the blade.

Never enough boxes

For about three months my desk has been in a state of "visible overflowing"

so 

it was time to make another round of those boxes. the ones that sit on my wall mounted shelves

and

hide my excess desk fodder (new and spent pocket notebooks, vintage pens and pencils repaired & waiting to be, designs and all sorts of stuff.

in no time at all i made six more boxes from old wine crate wood.

six more boxes made from old wine crates

 after finishing the boxes it was time to put some design work on the front slide doors.

these designs help me keep track of what is inside and adds some flash to an otherwise lack luster box design. 

some more boxes made from wine crates ready for action on wall mounted shelves

actually i now need to make another round of wall mounted shelves now.

solve one problem, make another.

damn i LOVE these problems!

New palm handle for chisel

I hope i am not the only one out there that accepts the subpar for way too long.

i have had this socket shafted chisel that has been handleless for over a year. i use it for dirty woodworking and even though i have many chisels i have still found myself using this with out the handle from time to time. 

so

i finally had some time to get caught up on some tool repair and immediately put this on the to do list.

because i have been using it as a palm chisel i decided to keep it that way.

this allowed me to make it a bit more decorative.

i have a number of old table legs that i end up reshaping for croquet posts and designated this one to be the handle for the chisel.

a rounded top and the post goes all the way to the bottom of the socket makes this comfortable and strong.

really outside of making sure the post was form fitting this was a very fast project.

one i should of done a LLOONNGG time ago.

Hanging a horseshoe on a wall mounted housing plaque

When we elevate everyday objects to the wall, we (should) do it to make a statement or to maximize some sort of appreciation for it.

i was given a friend's mangled horseshoe to prepare for presentation above his business's front door.

i new we needed the branches up to keep the luck from pouring out

and then i thought we should give it a sort of roof to protect that luck that would continue to fill into it.

my personal thought is that by adding some visual depth and complexity to the presentation our appreciation for it is increased because it initiates more thought. the more thought means more investment into the object and message. of course there is always too much of a good thing,  so i try to watch out for that point when the object of focus is lost because there is too much fancy around it.  balancing the two is important. 

Chronodex week 20 and the shop dog

All of us have a social side and an individual side,

both sides must be developed together

 yet

 have some separate maintenance time. there is nothing wrong with needing to just do something for others (with no thought of oneself) nor in getting some alone time to unwind.

with that said there are some particular locations that seem to foster one better than the other.

for myself, working around the bench is a time for me to reflect and organize my mind quietly. by quietly i mean without any significant social interference. 

for some reason the quality of alone time at the bench is enhanced when the aussie decides to wait or nap when i am working. seeing the dog in such a relaxed state greatly influences my focusing abilities. 

the aussie rests as i work on N

this week's chronodex had no themes. 

what ever struck me at the moment to best organize myself took form.

knot 1 chronodex 5.22.2014

missle command chronodex 5.23.2014

N has hands

My shop assistant now has hands!!

keeping true to my original materials list, i created the hands from larger metal axe helve wedges.

this shot is to give a general view of the hands in action.

i feel good about the general proportions of the fellow and his parts.

the wedge only needed 4 holes to accept the 6 strand cable being used for the joints. 

the idea is that the cable can easily be changed when needed.

i am also quite partial to the look of the cable just weaving through the hand.  

 there are just enough fingers to be a practical gripper and give a sense of gesture. 

next step is to sort out a gallows for the actual stop motion animation.

European mount removing deer head from the ground

Catastrophe hits my 2013 deer head for mounting.

This is the largest deer i had ever took and this beauty deserved a proper mounting.

unfortunately

the freezer storing it failed and i am now on to plan b, a european mount (like my other heads).

i am not going to dwell on the loss but will look forward to the alternative.

to clean the skulls, i bury them to just below the antlers. after burying i cover with a large tote and let the bugs do the rest. when i excavate the skull a quick rinse with hose is about all i need. 

in february the ground is still frozen so i had to hang it up a bit. life got busy and kept putting off burying it. needless to say that by the beginning of april the weather turned nice and I was at the point where i could not put off getting it in the ground. 

i have a dedicated spot to bury the heads and it was currently occupied with another one.

the below image is what a person will see when the tote is pulled off.

just the antlers periscoping above grade.

removing deer head from ground

i was very surprised to see how much skin was still on the top. i blame this on last years heat and drought effects on the insect population. the only other area that needed some attention was some mass in the eye sockets and that just poked out. all in all it just needed a brief scalping. 

what i really like about letting the insects take care of business is that the membranes are picked clean and no damage is done. plus there is no stink from boiling. this is as simple as it gets.

removing deer head from ground, never have i seen so much skin still attached after pulling from the ground

a bit of a shake and the lower jaws and some dust fall off. 

after hosing i will need to do some skinning.

the leather has hardened a bit but in about 20 minutes all traces of skin are gone. 

20 minute scalping and this deer is ready for the next step

the next step is to cover the antlers with an opaque wrap and then hang the head to sun bleach.

after awhile the head will whiten. when all is said and done i will have a white skull and natural colored antlers. what i really like about this process is that it is about the closest "controlled" method to what would happen out in nature. 

there are many ways to do a european mount and this happens to be mine. i have no issues with any other techniques. some people like to peroxide the skull for an ultra white hollywood smile, but that is not my aesthetic. some people take their skull to a professional to have the meat removed with dermestid beetles or buy then and do it themselves. i would actually be willing to do that. what i like the idea of the entire process happening in a drier environment.  

when i buried the 2013 head i actually had to use 2 totes, one for each antler!

Carpenter's hatchet and the rustic crate assembly

Along with the my need to restore tools is the need to present them in some kind of formal way to the new owner.

this form of presentation usually takes the form of some variation of a box.

the final presentation of the box will be rustic and simple. 

this is to reflect my preference to long ago shipping crates, those wooden vessels that were made to safely transport goods to the Great Plains. 

the wood on this crate has come from a salvaged cedar deck. with just a bit of resawing & rough sanding the pieces are ready for cutting.

the individual cut slats are assembled by both gluing and nailing. this crate will be perfect for shipping and surviving the courier. 

restored hatchet crate assembly

i make an effort to use reclaimed wood for these crates.

the use of reclaimed wood will: 

1-find another purpose for the scraps (being responsible to our resources)

2- support the rustic look

3- keep costs down

Chronodex week 10-11 and a leather knife sheath for two knives

Damn! what a busy week(s) for both my social and individual self:

there have been many great moments in the past weeks and i can not believe how fast time has gone. when i say "great" i really don't mean anything monumental but have had my fill of finishing some projects and having GREAT family time.

an example an individual "great", would be when i finished this two in one cook's knife sheath that is for a local fellow. a retired fellow who enjoys RV'ing in the spring had requested a sheath for two of his camper knives. one of those puzzles that i was pleased how the final product ended.  i decided to make them as both a single unit yet could be easily separated. made of 8 ounce leather, each sheath is 5 layers thick. there is no doubt that this will give him plenty of protection and a bit of style while preparing his food.

as the "luck runs out" chronodex

"luck running out" chronodex

feeling a star week coming up

horseshoe chronodex 1

horseshoe chronodex 2

the day after my oldest son's birthday i woke up about 30 minutes early (4:30ish) to put together my thoughts and organize my day. found his birthday candles sitting out on the counter and thought to myself how long they must sit before the next birthday use. i took some and though i would base a chronodex off of them. 

birthday candle chronodex