2023...

[The Bazza]

Yes that was my thoughts. I'll have to cut the log off and bring it home with the loader or hiab then atack it here.

maybe cut it through just above the dirt, pick it up with the loader to full height, then tip the bucket, when it hits the ground it should shake the dirt loose, might need a few goes at it, Moneybox

 

[Moneybox]

Now I'm in trouble....

View attachment Bowl.mp4

I finished to bowl ok but new she wants to keep it

 

[Nightjar]

Just have to find another stump Phil?

 

[Moneybox]

Just have to find another stump Phil?

I haven't got to the stump yet but I still have a bit of the old log left.



I guess I needed something to occupy me tomorrow morning

 

[Moneybox]

Today I got roped into transplanting a couple of gum trees.



Mrs M had a play with Zimba but like all pets she was being stubbon. There were just too many levers and they moved too many ways but I did my best to shout instructions. The top soil is almost nonexistant so I was on the jackhammer and she was removing the caprock a little bit at a time



These gum trees sprout up in the garden apparently from seeds. We've succesfully transplanted two before and they are natives here so grow quickly with a bit of water.

 

[Davent]

Well thay say "Behind every busy man there's woman with a whip" or something like that

No seriously, I do try to avoid work where I can. Last week while in Perth I picked up a gift for the good wife.

View attachment 10661

Out the front we have a very lush boganvillia that continually scrapes on the roof in weather like we have today. I thought if she got a new toy then the problem would be solved.

View attachment 10662

Somehow it didn't work out like that. First the chain and bar had to be fitted and she claimed ignorance. Then it was a bit heavy so for safety sake I hacked into the shrub and soon had it down to size.

Unfortunately it didn't finish there. The offcuts were full of thorns and a couple of metres long so we loaded up the old Mercedes van and I headed for the tip.

View attachment 10663

It worked out in my faviour in the end. I spotted this Nissan Pathfinder bucket seat in nearly the same colour as the Hyundai. I'll remove the 1½ LH bucket seat and install this one on a turntable. I'll take this as my reward for cutting the boganvillia down

Mate.....a reward for cutting a big bougie down is more like two weeks in bali! I have a massive bougie in my front yard, if you want to come here and cut it down, and get rid of it, my reward will be, I will give you a blood transfusion, buy you and front seat you want, extended trip to good gold country, and steak dinners for a week.

 

[Davent]

 

[Moneybox]

Mate.....a reward for cutting a big bougie down is more like two weeks in bali! I have a massive bougie in my front yard, if you want to come here and cut it down, and get rid of it, my reward will be, I will give you a blood transfusion, buy you and front seat you want, extended trip to good gold country, and steak dinners for a week.

I'm just checking with the boss to see if I can get a bit of time off

 

[Moneybox]

Today I made a big side pocket beside my bed.



It's deep reaching down to the top of the wheel arch. The aluminium will have to be painted or covered in some sort of cloth because everything that rubs on it will come out black.

 

[Mr Tee]

I got a late start today because it dropped to 5°C overnight and stayed cold all morning. I got out of bed late and stayed inside until Mrs M left for work at 11am. It was still uncomfortably cold at that time so I took a trip down to the post office and got started after I had a bite of lunch.

View attachment 10685

The first thing I did was knock up the drawer and a housing for it. The locking roller slides seem to work well but they are extremely heavy.

With that job out of the way I remembered the wooden bowl that I have to make. I decided to take on that stump with the pick to clear some dirt and the old McCulloch chainsaw with its worn out bar and chain.

View attachment 10686

Of course I had to start by mixing fuel and getting it running. I hate little single cylinder engines without electric start but I just had to do a little well-overdue maintenance and she fired up. I didn't get far before derailing the chainsaw chain so I gave up and fitted the new bar and chain.

View attachment 10687

I couldn't sink a new chain into that dirt so I cut a chunk from the other log that I used for the original bowls.

View attachment 10688

It's starting to take shape but I ran out of daylight and the temperature started to drop again.

View attachment 10689

I'll have to finish it off in the morning because we only sold them for $80 each and they cost more that that in time but I enjoy making them.

Like I said, you’re creative! Creative genius. Look what you got done in half a day. Kinda wondering what you’d do in a full day.
Question; did you throw the detector around under that stump after you finished knocking all the dirt off? You did say it was a mine site - right?
Your bowl is beautiful. Love the knots and grain. Lots of character.
Another question, is that a metal lathe you’re using? Looks very very similar to mine. My wood lathe has a totally different setup.
Well, I am really looking forward to your next posting, especially your bowl. And all the gold from under that tree.
Cheers MB
Regards - Mr Tee

 

[Moneybox]

Like I said, you’re creative! Creative genius. Look what you got done in half a day. Kinda wondering what you’d do in a full day.
Question; did you throw the detector around under that stump after you finished knocking all the dirt off? You did say it was a mine site - right?
Your bowl is beautiful. Love the knots and grain. Lots of character.
Another question, is that a metal lathe you’re using? Looks very very similar to mine. My wood lathe has a totally different setup.
Well, I am really looking forward to your next posting, especially your bowl. And all the gold from under that tree.
Cheers MB
Regards - Mr Tee

Yes I'm using a little Herless metal lathe because that's all I have.



All these bowls came from the same chunk of wood. I think it's the other half of the log on the stump because it appeared at the same time in the same location after a storm. The first bowl has a coat of polyurethane and the rest have lanolin. I prefer the lanolin. The colour difference is just the light.

 

[Mr Tee]

View attachment 10759

Yes I'm using a little Herless metal lathe because that's all I have.

View attachment 10760

All these bowls came from the same chunk of wood. I think it's the other half of the log on the stump because it appeared at the same time in the same location after a storm. The first bowl has a coat of polyurethane and the rest have lanolin. I prefer the lanolin. The colour difference is just the light.

Like I said MB, you’re a genius, a very creative one. Love the grain in your 2 bowls, outstanding! I agree, the lanolin’s softer, more natural looking.
My metal lathe is a real oldie. Bought it off a Pastor for a couple hundred bucks around 15 - 20 years ago. Has leather belts driving it which can be annoying when they break. I haven’t used it for a couple of years and need to give it a going over. Actually, I’d forgotten about it until I saw your picture. That’s pretty bad isn’t it. Just been so focused on…………….. gold/prospecting/fossicking and becoming self sufficient in the bush.
Gotta run, daughter needs my many decades of experience - to vacuum her car

 

[Manpa]

Hey Phil, if you would like to get a little sheen on your lanolin finish, take a handful of shavings from your turning and hold it against the spinning bowl (low to med speed) to burnish it.

 

[Moneybox]

Hey Phil, if you would like to get a little sheen on your lanolin finish, take a handful of shavings from your turning and hold it against the spinning bowl (low to med speed) to burnish it.

Thank you, I'll give it a go but right now I'm right back into the camper.

 

[Moneybox]

Today I got stuck into the wiring.



It's not finished but I ran wires to the interior lights, fridge, power/USB sockets, water pump, cooktop and air compressor. That little box at the bottom is a remote controlled set of relays all fused and drawing power from the solar controller output. I still have a battery isolator switch to fit and and another similar switch to manually connect the start and auxiliary batteries if one runs flat.

I spent too much time trying to find brass fittings for the air compressor. In the end I decided to set it up without the pressure gague but I fit that later if I buy some more fittings.



Then I started on the insulation. My main aim is to keep warm at night but hopefully it will reduce some road noise as well.

 

[Hippyty79]

You know Phil, you’ve got all the ingredients to add and build to your YouTube channel and leave lasting memory’s for family and friends, but more importantly what an Aussie bloke can knock up in the middle of the bush.
I seen couple at Bunnings the other day wanting to hang something on the the wall, they were told by some one to use a blue plug and had ask what it was.
I was waiting for the red shirt to send them to the plumbing aisle for a laugh.

 

[Mr Tee]

This is my old metal lathe. Actually, I don’t think I’ve used it in the past 5 or 6 years needs a good brush down. We live just over a block from the sea and every time you blink, something rusts.
The second picture is the 2 grinding stones. The belt needs replacing, it’s broken. Even though it all looks pretty ******, it still runs well and was great for when I was prototyping. Made life so much easier.

 

[Moneybox]

This is my old metal lathe. Actually, I don’t think I’ve used it in the past 5 or 6 years needs a good brush down. We live just over a block from the sea and every time you blink, something rusts.
The second picture is the 2 grinding stones. The belt needs replacing, it’s broken. Even though it all looks pretty ******, it still runs well and was great for when I was prototyping. Made life so much easier.View attachment 10761View attachment 10767

Mr Tee, I can see the worksafe inspector having a ball in your workshop

As long as it spins it'll do the job. I think I'd be trying to find a couple of multi-ribbed belts to take over from the leather belts. Just slip them onto the existing pulleys, perhaps inside out. You can run a little external tensioner pulley to give you adjustment.

I tried to make a couple of those long chisles that you see the wood turning guys using but all I did was destroy the piece I was working on. At lease the metal lathe has a firm grip on the tool.

 

[Mr Tee]

Mr Tee, I can see the worksafe inspector having a ball in your workshop

As long as it spins it'll do the job. I think I'd be trying to find a couple of multi-ribbed belts to take over from the leather belts. Just slip them onto the existing pulleys, perhaps inside out. You can run a little external tensioner pulley to give you adjustment.

I tried to make a couple of those long chisles that you see the wood turning guys using but all I did was destroy the piece I was working on. At lease the metal lathe has a firm grip on the tool.

Ha ha, worksafe inspector wouldn’t make it into the place. I put my whole workshop, (basically a big 3 car garage of gear), under the house. It was already full then lol. Good luck to anyone finding anything down there. I also have a 40’ high-top mostly full too, tho I have made some effort to sell some of the stuff in it……….nagnagnag
Yes, I’ll have to do something about the belts. Was going to keep them traditional for the pieces sake. I actually like them being all leather. They worked very well. There is a tensioner arm with wheel but I ripped it off when I pulled the tarp off the lathe yesterday. I’ll have to reattach that.
As for the long chisels, I bought mine for just about nothing 18 years ago at auction.
By the by; I never thought to stick a hunk of wood in the metal lathe. Never occurred to me. That’s what makes you the genius and me the head scratcher. I uncovered my wood lathe Sunday but couldn’t secure the piece in it so gave up. The metal lathe would’ve been perfect. It was a pvc pipe cap I wanted to put a hole in. I ended up screwing it up using a wood auger in the electric drill. Had to buy a couple more caps. That really was a no-brainer.

 

[Moneybox]

I got thrown from my mount this morning so I have a few sore spots.



I slowed to about perhaps 15 or 20kph to look at the map. I failed to see this little stump and struck it with the RH front wheel. I bounced up, came down akwardly on the left front side of the quad, struck something with my chest and landed on my left sholder and hip. It feels like I have a bit of skin missing in a few places and breathing is a bit tight on the left side but I'm basically still in one piece. The quad seems undamaged and carried me the last six or eight kilometers home so at least I don't have to fix that