Howdy from Texas

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forty_caliber

Admiral of the Texas Navy
Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Messages
3,455
Location
Republic of Texas
It's been a long while....a decade...a decade and a lustrum...not really sure.

Just wanted to drop in and say hello and see how things are going. I've retired from 40 year Computer Science career. At the last job for 24 years. DW and I are living in a sleepy little town in the Texas hill country, courthouse square and all. Feels like Gandalf visiting the Shire.

We are enjoying trips in our RV and I finally got a round to getting my ham radio license. Hoping this activity will help keep my mind and curiosity alive and well.

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With the change in lifestyle, I'm starting to spend more time in the kitchen. Lately, I've been making our bread 2x a week. Hoping DW will let me do a bit more.

.40
 
Oh Wow, funny I was just checking out your name to see if you'd snuck in while I wasn't looking. You know, just sort of polishing my sights.

So, ahem, forgot.... WELCOME BACK!
 
Welcome back .40. I saw this thread in the list of new posts and wondered who had reactivated a post from when you first joined. But, then I got very curious. I saw that this thread was started this afternoon. Glad that you are here. I remember enjoying your posts.
 
Welcome back! Hope you aren't under too much snow where you are!

I don't think he's gonna' get snow in the Hill Country. It's going to be cold, though. The snow is going to be closer to Houston, and not till late tomorrow.

The Hill Country is a nice place to live.

CD
 
As I've aged, I've had to give up furniture building. My eyesight just isn't good enough to handfit the joints. I can't seem to stay out of my workshop just the same.

When we moved, I had to seriously downsize my workshop. I scaled down to a 12x16 turning studio. Round is fun.

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I primarily make bowls. The majority of the wood is taken from fallen trees destined for the landfill. The example above was taken from a pecan tree that grew at the Hays county courthouse lawn. The tree planted in the mid 1800's was removed due to insect damage.

The process generally starts with a chainsaw and each bowl takes 4-6 months to complete depending on moisture content. Much of that time is spent drying the wood in a kiln.

These are not for sale. Please don't ask.

.40
 
Gorgeous! Lovely! and so useful!

Does the exhaust fan make much noise?
It's very loud. I wear earmuff style hearing protectors when I use it. Good news is that I only turn it on when I need it. Vacuum the floor, sanding, etc. Turning generates a lot of chips but little to no dust.

.40
 
When I carve the eggs, that creates a lot of dust. At the farm I created a room that had pretty good ventilation and so just wore a mask. But here there are small kids, central heat ducts, and I'm not near a window.
Was looking for a small table top exhaust filter. There are some out there but not what I want to pay. I guess the noise doesn't matter too much, I already wear ear muffs for noise from the compressor which powers my drill.
 
When I carve the eggs, that creates a lot of dust. At the farm I created a room that had pretty good ventilation and so just wore a mask. But here there are small kids, central heat ducts, and I'm not near a window.
Was looking for a small table top exhaust filter. There are some out there but not what I want to pay. I guess the noise doesn't matter too much, I already wear ear muffs for noise from the compressor which powers my drill.

I'm going to be making some wood chips and sawdust this afternoon, once the outside temperature is reasonable. I have some wood to cut up for the fire pit. I trimmed my crepe myrtle trees yesterday, and need to cut that stuff up to take to the recycling facility while my neighbor is in town with his pickup truck.

I won't need a mask, just some safety glasses.

I need to have my big live oak tree pruned, but I'll need to hire a professional certified arborist for that. I am way too old to be climbing trees with a chain saw.

CD
 
The bowl is gorgeous. I love that you are using reclaimed wood for your work! Wood just has a beauty that cannot be beaten.

I have a beautiful bread bowl that my great-great grandmother used to knead bread. It's lasted all these years and I cherish it. For Christmas, I signed Frank up for a course where he can make his own knife. I have no idea how he will take to it, but these kinds of hobbies/skills seem to be gaining ground. :heart:
 
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