Jim O'Neil's photos with the keyword: woodwork

I just finished making this Roman numeral abacus.

The small project is the tiny table, the figurine I got in Thailand many years ago. I've ended up felling a number of trees cutting at trail from my house to my river shop. Most of the wood I've cut ends up as firewood for winter heat, but I set aside pieces like this that I feel have interesting shape or grain for projects such as this.

I've been working on this project for the last two or three weeks. On my last trip to Japan I visited a pottery village (It used to, way back in the day, be a ninja village but when the bottom fell out of the ninja business they took up pottery making as a new line of work) and while there bought these small statues of the seven gods of fortune (七福神). I've been thinking, since I've returned home, about the right place for them to live. Well, while clearing trees from a trail this summer and digging up stumps I cut this section and let it dry out for a month or so. Then I sanded it down, enough that the grain shows in places but not so much that it looses the rough beauty that originally attracted me. Then I put on a for or five of coats on linseed oil letting it dry fully between each coat. After another light sanding I gave it about ten coats of varnish. I turned and painted the legs and attached them with wooden pins. So! Now this is the home for: Hotei, my favorite, the god of abundance and good health, Jurojin, god of longevity, Fukurokuju, god of wealth, verility happiness and longevity, Bishamonten, scourge of evildoers and defender of the nation, Benzaiten , goddess of eloquence, music, art and beauty, Daikokuten, god of earth, agriculture, farmers, wealth, commerce and trade and last but not least, Ebisu, god of fishermen, good fortune,honest labor, god of the ocean.

Just puttering around at the river shop. It's nice, as winter settles in, to have a bunch of small projects that allow one to putter around a bit inside, after plowing snow, splitting firewood, cross country skiiing or other outside enjoyments in the cool of the day.

Here's a small (very small) table that I made this summer.

A while back I posted some pictures of some chairs that I designed and was constructing. No metal (nails or screws), all joints are made with wooden pegs and glue. So! Here is the completed set.

Sorry, when the boat was on the water I was on the boat, so I've no pictures of her from the shore yet. Generally I'm quite pleased with the way she sails but on this first test on the water, I did find she needs more rudder. Sooo a little more work in the shop.