Learning to make sushi.

@Brisse That cow is nightmare fuel, BTW.

@Brisse Always figured my consulting gig would end one day so stocked up on crafting and woodworking tools while I could. Happily surprised that the consulting work has been steady for 10 years, so now my problem is finding time to use the toys. 🙄

A neighbor cut down a cedar tree and let me take some. I made this hollow form to give him as thanks for the wood.

Pretty easy to see why I LOVE turning cedar. The colors and figure in this piece are spectacular! It is about 4.5" wide and 3.5" tall. The hole at top is 2" wide. I sanded it to 1500 grit and applied Danish oil. Except for the bark inclusions, it feels like fine silk. You just want to run your hands over it and when you do it warms to the touch.

#woodturning #woodworking

@Brisse Yup, got a Glowforge. Maple leaves no problem. You could 3D-print a squirrel but I wouldn't use it on the oven rack!

@Brisse I tried to get the sapwood line right about neck high on those. Not much of it to work with but I thought it worked in the end. The maple ones are almost too bland though. Might be good for laser engraving though. Or carving. Pyrography maybe. I should stop now. ;-)

Learn from my mistakes: Don't feed the oven squirrel! If you do, he invites all his friends.

The two on the right are maple and the two on the left are spalted hackberry, all of which are new. The two bottom center are cherry and the oddball top center is zebrawood.

#woodworking #humor

@LadyZurk oh wait... I have some cedar planks in stock! Thanks for the inspiration!

My kids are usually encouraging when I send them photos of stuff I make but rarely do they respond "I want that!" Surprisingly, last weekend's oven squirrel was one such item and I'm now on the hook for 4 more - one for each kid and one each for a couple of their friends.

These two are made of cherry. Grain is more subtle than the leopardwood but still evokes fur.

#woodworking

@Eponine Thanks! I bought three kits so I can ruin one trying to learn how to write without destroying the nib or ripping the paper.

This is the "upgrade" kit. The listing doesn't say what was upgraded but I suspect it's the nib. Maybe that'll help.

I texted this to my wife, then ran into the bedroom and said "Quick, check your phone! I think I just posted a Dick pic to the family chat!"

Which would have been funnier if after opening it she hadn't clutched her chest, faked a heart attack, and croaked "don't joke like that" in a hoarse whisper before collapsing into apparent unconsciousness.

#humor

@Ironworker229 Yeah, I think that bought me a week or two. 😁

My first-ever fountain pen build came out pretty good. The MAS Pro Table Top Epoxy turned very well with either very sharp gouges or negative-rake carbide, which is good because there's a good bit left to make more blanks.

#woodturning #penturning #CoSoPens

Finally completed my wife's standing writing desk. 4-ft wide with hidden wireless phone charging, fast USB charging, tablet stand, and dimmable, color-adjust lighting. Flush-mount cable runs keep the underside free of wires.

She liked the bunny inlays so much she appointed them as her Quality Control Inspection Team.

#woodworking #shapermade

Wife saw an oven squirrel online and asked me to make her one. Husband points achievement unlocked!

Rocky is made of zebrawood and finished with food-safe mineral oil followed by cutting board dressing.

(Why 'oven' squirrel? Use his ears to pull the hot rack out or his paws to push it in.)

#woodworking #shapermade

@Luber905 Thanks! The Diamondcast ring I just posted wins the prize for the day, though.

My grandson picked a Diamondcast "Oil Slick" ring blank and I had only the one on hand. After turning the previous two (mostly) successfully, I had the confidence to cut into this one. Black ceramic core feels great and is easy to turn. I think he will be pleased.

#woodturning #ringturning

FINALLY got some turning therapy. #HotOffTheLathe today - Grandson asked for a ring and he NEVER asks me to make him anything, so I put on hold the commissions in the queue and the fountain pens to make this for him.

The pine cone ring was for me and for practice. Grandson gets the ceramic core opal inlay ring... which was also for practice. I wanted to make a couple of rings before cutting into the blank he actually picked.

#woodturning #ringturning

@mightymite Make that two of us. If I didn't just look it up I would have guessed it was some online challenge.

@ZGF If it can be interpreted either as a joke or a rebuke, I assume rebuke because if I'm wrong, no harm, no foul. If I assume the other way and am wrong, it tends to escalate quickly. Had there been an emoji or something to add context I'd have riffed along with you. Maybe next time. 😉