Holiday work

Yes, it's been a while since I updated. Stuff happened. There was a soccer season where the varsity team won the small school state championship.  I also decided this was my last year to coach soccer. I want to put more of my effort into the school's new workshop space.  In addition to the assortment of hand and small power tools we have a 14" band saw, a scroll saw and a couple of drill presses.  We also have a laser cutter and a 3D Maker bot printer.  I will definitely find some use for them.  I've been teaching a new class out of the space that's called Engineering Design.  Thus far we've learned some 3D modeling, how to make and read technical drawings, basics of AutoCAD, gears and linkages, including drawing an involute spur gear.  These are being incorporated into a kinetic art piece.  We're in the midst of some circuit stuff, with the students starting audio effects device builds when we return.  We've also done some take-apart projects, where they take a device apart and diagram how all the parts function together.  It's been a lot of fun.  I'm doing a similar type of thing with much simpler projects with some grade school kids as a summer program.

The boat is put away for the winter, and I have a few projects associated with it.  I'm in the midst of making some oarlock risers to make rowing in waves easier.  I also used some scrap today to make a wood mallet, as I don't like having to hit things like chisels with a metal hammer.  It was a simple project but took the entire day because it involved 3 glue-ups and I had  to wait for the glue to set enough to work with.

I finished with a wipe down with boiled linseed oil.  It's made of sassafras which isn't the toughest wood, but it's what I had.  The handle is ash.  If it doesn't last, it's a short project to make another one once I get some scrap maple or something.

Collyn put her sewing skills to work and made me a nice bag to help me carry the rudder and tiller.  The tan pant leg is the pocket into which to slide the tiller.