Here’s one of three Cherry vessels that I turned recently. It is 7 inches tall and approximately 5 1/2 inches in diameter at its widest point.

It has been textured with a ‘swirl’ burn and also colored a bit with stain. Then it was finished with tung oil and buffed to a warm glow.

Here are a couple of more photos:

Continue reading 'A Textured Cherry Vessel I'

I recently attended a course at Lee Valley where we turned and built a djembe drum. Seriously, a djembe drum!

A djembe drum, pronounced ‘gem – bay’, is a large, goblet shaped African hand drum. The name, djembe, comes directly from the African saying “Anke dje, anke be” which literally translates to “everyone gather together” and defines the drum’s purpose. This was demonstrated at the end of the class when we all participated in a drum circle led by instructor Craig Reiner.

Craig Reiner is a musician, educator, drum maker, and part-time Lee Valley Tools employee. As a timpanist/percussionist, Craig has performed with The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Nova Sinfonia, and Chebucto Orchestra. Craig has taught percussion in Halifax City and county schools, as well as the Maritime Consevatory. Craig began making drums in 1979 and has exhibited his work through the Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council.

The drum stands almost 15 inches tall and the drum heads is 10 inches in diameter. Traditionally, djembe drums use a skin covering, usually goat, as the drum head. However, in our case, for simplicity, we used a mylar head.

Here’s some more photos:

Continue reading 'The Beat Of A Djembe Drum'

In the late Spring I had the opportunity to use some recently learned skills. I got to make another bunk bed. I also got to build a double bed using the same technique. Using what I learned at the Bayside bunk building marathon I was able to give my sister-in-law and her husband a hand building a well needed sleeping solution.

My brother-in-law and I spent the day building these for their lake front cottage and it couldn’t have been a better day. Though it rained a bit on and off throughout the day the bunk bed construction went slick as a whistle.

Before starting I did up a cutlist and a step-by-step plan which, amazingly, could not have worked out better. Here it is:

Continue reading 'Best Bunk Beds For The Bunky'

Here’s a trio of small Southwest style pots that I also did over the summer. They are made of Ash and they have been burned with a basket weave. They are 3 1/4″ high and 3 3/4″ in diameter.

Each of them are shaped and decorated a bit differently, though all are keeping in the Southwest style. They have also been stained and finished with wipe-on poly. They were then brushed with steel wool to give a more satin, pottery-like finish.

Here are some more photos of the individual pots:

Continue reading 'Small Southwest Pot Trio'