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Post by macmex on Dec 14, 2023 6:30:23 GMT -6
That's wonderful, Ron! This is the kind of thing which can make Tahlequah stand out. Idea: Maybe you could design a wooden tree with a wooden raccoon being chased up it by a wooden coon hound. That could become a trademark around here.
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Post by hmoosek on Dec 15, 2023 21:11:45 GMT -6
Those are so awesome!
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Post by chrysanthemum on Dec 16, 2023 10:48:48 GMT -6
They are. It’s almost enough to make me wish all my kids were still little so that I’d have an excuse to get them a nice wooden toy.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Dec 17, 2023 14:57:51 GMT -6
Thanks for the compliments you all. With Hmoosek, Woodeye, and a few others out there I have some pretty stiff competition. You guys set the bar pretty high.
George, that's a really good idea about the tree, the coon, and the coon hound. Tahlequah takes their Red Fern roots pretty seriously.
I don't think I'd have ever dreamed that one up on my own. I'm not even sure I could draw that one up, but it's certainly worth consideration if I can pull it off. I'll have to get out my pencil and my extra big eraser and start working on some plans. Usually, getting the initial thought is the hardest part. At this point I've about used up all of my best ideas. Thanks, for the fodder.
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Post by macmex on Dec 18, 2023 6:33:01 GMT -6
That's how many heads can work together and accomplish more. I "blew my wad" just thinking of that idea
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Post by hmoosek on Dec 19, 2023 12:33:56 GMT -6
I vote for a black and tan coon hound. That’s my favorite.
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Post by hmoosek on Dec 19, 2023 12:35:41 GMT -6
By the way, I’m just an ol’ whittler. I’m not very creative. Now Teddy is, that dude is magic when it comes to wood.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Dec 19, 2023 22:16:15 GMT -6
Hmoosek,
Don't sell yourself short. Whittling is a thing I've always admired but have never been able to do. Whittling is an art form within itself. I respect the heck out of whittlers. I'm sure Teddy would agree.
I treasure that owl you made me years ago. It goes right up there with my little fishin'dog, which is a whittler's rendition of a dog about 3" inches tall with a cane pole that sits on the edge of my whatnot shelf with its legs dangling over the edge and a little wooden perch swinging from a piece of thread. I love my fishin' dog and my owl.
By the way, I swung by the toy store this evening on the way home to discover that I have an order for 3 more biplanes. I told 'em I'd get right on on it. I don't know if I can swing 3 planes in one day, but I'm giving it my best shot. So far, I've got 4 air frames cut out, but no sanding done yet. Those things require a ton of sanding and a trip all the way around all 4 sides with a 1/4" roundover bit.
The last time I tried making one, I used Douglas Fir. Then, the roundover bit chipped a hunk off the thinner wood at the end of the tail section, causing me to have to chunk it into the scrap pile. I hope to avoid repeating that mistake, by using spruce next time. Spruce takes even more sanding because it's softer, lighter wood, but being softer, it doesn't chip quite so easily. It also doesn't hold a finish quite as well, but six of one or half a dozen of the other ... A guy can't have everything.
I'm calling it quits for tonight, but hopefully I can pick up where I left off in the morning and have them delivered sometime tomorrow afternoon.
The biplanes are a lot harder to build than the sewing machines, the trucks, or the tractors, but they are the most satisfying once they're completed.
I was planning to start on a smaller version of a biplane today with two finger holes drilled through the running gear, so kids can use the finger holes to fly them around on the back of their hands, but I doubt I'll have time to work up a drawing for a proto-type until after the others are delivered.
Better too busy than bored because I ran out of projects though. I just wish it was a little warmer in the shop. My poor fingers don't work very well when they get cold.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Dec 21, 2023 23:12:56 GMT -6
I got the other three biplanes built and delivered. That was a lot of hard work, but I was glad to get it. It sure feels good to have those done finally.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jan 1, 2024 22:21:21 GMT -6
My middle son, John came over today and we made his grandson, (My great-grandson) a few toys. His name is Oscar; he's 3 years old and is right at that stage where he loves playing with toy cars. I told John, "We need to get busy building him some toys while he's still at that stage, because he'll be grown up before we know it."
We spent a few hours in the shop and built him a toy car and a toy tractor before dark. (Time well spent). I really enjoyed doing that. Maybe, someday, Oscar will be out there building toys with us! That would be so cool!This is a photo of the car and the tractor that we built today. Oscsar's car is the one with the Tung Oil finish. The other 5 cars are just some extra blanks that I cut out while we had the saws going. Those will go to the toy store later this week.
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Post by macmex on Jan 2, 2024 6:51:22 GMT -6
Ron, that's so beautiful and meaningful! Our grand kids each have at least something which their great grand father, on their mother's father's side made for their parents when they were little. Here's the story:
When Albert Swalley was a boy, he planted an oak. When his son, Albert Leon was a young man, starting his own family, he cut it, cured the wood, milled it and stored it in his work shop. When our children (his grand children came along) Grandpa Swalley started making things out of that wood. He made me a rocking chair, which I still treasure. He made many clocks and he made some rocking horses and toys for our kids, all using that same oak wood. Our family treasures each of those items. I believe he made a few cars like yours too!
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Post by rdback on Feb 19, 2024 9:19:46 GMT -6
heavyhitterokra Hey Ron, I saw this the other day and thought of you. I really like the concept. Thought you might as well.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Feb 21, 2024 17:45:24 GMT -6
Nice!
Thanks rdback. I appreciated that. There were some good ideas there.
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