Are you in need of a great new book?

A dear friend who is an aspiring author has "SELF PUBLISHED" her first novel.

It is a romantic novel that I have been reading as she has been creating.

If you want an enjoyable book to snuggle up with, you can read a few excerpts from her first published work, by clicking on her banner below.
I guarantee you will truly enjoy her talent!




Thanks for stopping by to take a look.

This great book would make a wonderful gift too!

A new way to get tons of traffic to your website.

Give these folks a try for increased web traffic. It's a simple to use free banner exchange for online sales. No gimmicks just a banner exchange site.

Just a quick update

My wife and I are in the process of building a new home. I am also getting my dream wood working shop.


That being said, this project is taking up alot of our time, and I will not be selling online for a while, probably a couple of months.

So please be patient and I'll see you next spring for more creative ideas and custom wood working projects.

In the mean time I'll try and keep you updated every once in awhile.

Sorry I have been remiss in my postings!

The wife and I had a great vacation in Maine.
The actual travel to and from there stunk, but the people in Maine are some of the most hospitable I have encountered and made up for the long travel days.
I will post more when I have a chance and include some photos of what we saw on our excursion.

Fantastic site for scrollers, New and advanced alike!

Looking for a great site to help you make a sign template? And it's free!

Look no further. Click on the link above.
This site is full of Hint & Tips for scrollers:
Free patterns: Not alot but all the same they are free.
A message board to share Ideas or ask questons.
Yes he does sell some items but it is a free site.

Take a look you may find it very helpful especially if you are new to scrolling.

New Blog Exchange Group.

BLOG ADVANCE



Get the traffic your blog deserves with BLOG ADVANCE! I have used this exchange for several weeks now and it is top-notch! BLOG ADVANCE! says they are "a community built by bloggers for bloggers" and it's true. From the site design to the e-mail updates, you can see there is definately a genuine love of blogs here. For the novice to the experienced blogger, BLOG ADVANCE! encourages contribution and, for those less knowledgeable, you are encouraged to ask through the forum, chatroom and other features emerging soon. There is a true sense of community with BLOG ADVANCE! "a community of bloggers - sharing, creating and mastering"! The surf is smooth and enjoyable, even with a 30 second timer! Remember to join and surf at BLOG ADVANCE!

Ever get snail mail spam? Tired of it? Well. . .

Not sure what to do to get off their dang mailing lists?
I've tried writing deceased across the front, this works sometimes. However one miscreant sold my address to a funeral home..LOL

So here is a link to some great advice...

This will get you removed from their mailing lists!

Pay backs are great! Don't ya think?

Ever need to calculate Board feet?

Calculate board feet the easy way. Just enter the dimensions of your lumber and the board foot calculator will do the rest.
No board foot conversion tables.

Tips on Calculating Board Feet:

- Board feet is a unit of wood volume measuring 144 cubic inches.
- The formula to calculate board feet is:
Board Feet = (length * width * thickness) / 144
- Hardwood lumber thickness is measured rough sawn. If you purchase 4/4 boards surfaced on both sides expect to see actual measurements closer to 13/16 rather than a full inch.
-If your lumber is already surfaced, calculate board feet on the rough thickness.

This great resource site also has links to:

Free plans.
Hand Tool Reviews.
Power Tool Reviews.
Wood working Q & A's.

and more.

Hope you find this site helpful..I did!

Had to share this......

Please read the entire post prior to passing judgement....


Sign in the Window

"WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 AL QAEDA TERRORISTS THAN WITH ONE SINGLE AMERICAN"

This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in Philadelphia. You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement. One would think that anti-hate groups from all across the country would be marching on this business... and that the National Guard might have to be called to keep the angry crowds back.

But, perhaps in these stressful times one might be tempted to let the proprietors simply make their statement... We are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps our greatest liberty, and after all, it is just a sign.

You may ask what kind of business would dare post such a sign?




Answer: A Funeral Home
(Who said morticians had no sense of humor?)

Looking for a great resource.

Look no further, this site has great hints, tips, patterns.

The Online Resource for Scroll Saw Enthusiasts
Welcome to Scroll Saw Workshop! Whether you are a beginner or expert scroller, this site is your leading online resource for inspiration and instruction, including:

* Tips and Techniques
* Free Scroll Saw Patterns
* Scroll Saw Books
* Product Reviews
* Scroll Saw Message Boards
* Photo Galleries
* Contests

Ever needed an outline for your home state?

Well this is a very useful site.

Click the link above...

I find myself coming to this site all the time to get US state outlines for silhouettes.
State flags, state songs, state birds, nicknames, there is a wealth of information on this site.
Each state is listed along with a complete outline for the entire US. Printable versions available too for re-sizing...
Great resource. Check it out!

I hope you find it helpful.

Do you have a favorite site for patterns, hints, tips?
C'mon share the wealth.

I don't usually read forwarded e-mails . . .However

Rarely do I get forwards in my inbox that are worth reading much less posting, but I thought this one was great.

Disclaimer....some profanity

Remember the book - "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"? Well,
here is a true life example from the University of Phoenix. An English
Professor assigned his students to a joint writing exercise that quickly
degraded - check it out...


"Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story. The
process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to
his or her immediate right.


As homework tonight, one of you will write the first paragraph of a
short story. You will e-mail your partner that paragraph and send
another copy to me. The partner will read the first paragraph and then
add another paragraph to the story and send it back also sending another
copy to me. The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on,
back and forth.


Remember to reread what has been written each time in order to keep the
story coherent. There is to be absolutely NO talking outside of the
e-mails and anything you wish to say must be written in the e-mail. The
story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached."


The following was actually turned in by two of my English students:


Rebecca (last name deleted), and Gary (last name deleted).


THE STORY:
(First paragraph by Rebecca)
-----------------------------------------------
At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The
chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now
reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he
liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind
off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about
him too much her asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the question.


(Second paragraph by Gary)
--------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron
now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about
than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with
whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to
Geostation 17", he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar
orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could
sign off, a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a
hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him
flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.


(Rebecca)
---------------------------------------------------------
He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt
one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who
had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its
pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4.
"Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel,"
Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously
excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her
youth, when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no
newspapers to read, no television to distract her from her sense of
innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one
lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.


(Gary)
---------------------------------------------------------
Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands
of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mother ship launched the first
of its lithium fusion missiles. The dimwitted wimpy peaceniks that
pushed the unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through the congress
had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who
were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the
passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth,
carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to
stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium
fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his
top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the
coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion, which vaporized
poor, stupid, Laurie and 85 million other Americans. The President
slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm
going to veto that treaty! Let's blow 'em out of the sky!"


(Rebecca)
---------------------------------------------------------
This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My
writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic semiliterate adolescent.


(Gary)
---------------------------------------------------------
Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at
writing are the literary equivalent of Valium. "Oh shall I have
chamomile tea? Or shall I have some other sort of F***ING TEA??? Oh no,
I'm such an air headed bimbo who reads too many Danielle Steele novels."


Rebecca)
---------------------------------------------------------
A**hole.


(Gary)
---------------------------------------------------------
B****.


(Rebecca)
---------------------------------------------------------
Get screwed.


(Gary)
---------------------------------------------------------
Eat sh**.


(Rebecca)
---------------------------------------------------------
SCREW YOU - YOU NEANDERTHAL!!!


(Gary) ----------------------------------------------------------
GO DRINK SOME TEA - *****.

***********************************************

(TEACHER) A+ - I really liked this one. Only group to get an A.

Perhaps you are into carving

Here is an excellent site for carvers, experienced to novice...Great Ideas and some free patterns to get you started..

Here is an example for beginners on the style of writing and excellent information available..
Introductory Primer to Carving
By L. S. Irish

Of all the art forms available to craftsmen, wood carving may well be one of the oldest developed skill in man's history. Carved designs and accents have appeared in furniture design, the building components of our homes and places of worship, the household items that we use everyday, and of course as simply beautiful decorative sculptures.

For a beginning carftperson, wood carving offers several advantages as a new hobby. First, the initial investment to learn craving is very minimal. With just a few Tools that create unique strokes and a small Selection of Woods, the new woodworker can well be on their way to completing their first project.

Second, this is a hobby that does not require a special place or area in which to work. Many of the carving designs that are presented within these pages have been created during the evening hours in the family room.

A third advantage to wood carving is that it is a quiet and comforting craft. If you are starting your new hobby using basic hand tools, there is no overpowering noise from power tools and saws. The wood that you work with has a warm and gentle feel to your hands as you create your design. Many woods even have a light pleasant aroma as you work with the carving blank.

Yet, the most important feature of this art form is that you will never run out of ideas as to what to carve next. Wood carving is done in every style of design, from the simple repeative patterns of chip carving to the extremely intrigue dimensional detail of a duck decoy sculpture. There is no limit as to what to do with you carving once it is complete. From furniture accents to picture frames, jewelry boxes to blanket chests, even key chain ornaments to large room dividers, there is always a place and a use for your new work. And you will never run out of people who want one of your pieces of art. Friends and family will be delighted to be the recipient of your next carving piece.

This is a small primer that might help you get start exploring the delights of wood carving. There are two main divisions in carving projects, first is three dimension work or carving in the round. Second is the flat work that is done as accent panels, box sides, or even pictures to be hung on your wall. Work that is done in the flat is called Relief Carving. Here the design is carved down into the wood blank giving an impression of three dimensional work. These primer pages are devoted to relief style carving.

With relief carving the pattern or design that you wish to carve is traced onto the wood blank. Transferring the Pattern is done with either carbon paper or by blackening the back of the pattern page with pencil lead. The pattern is taped into position of the board and a pencil or ink pen is used to trace over the lines. For multiple pattern use you can create a Pounce Pattern which allows easy repetition of the design.

Once the design is in place, you, of course, begin to remove the excess wood to create the layers of work. The Stop Cut is a basic stroke in relief carving. This cut outlines the edges of one area where it intersects another and prevents splintering of the wood.

Relief carving can be either Low Relief where the carved intersection is visible to the eye and the dimension has a shallow look or it can be High Relief where the design is cut in the round in place on the background of the board. The Background of either of these techniques is removed to create a raised design look.

Where Low and High Relief style carvings used the original surface of the wood to become the design level, there are several techniques that use the carved line to establish the pattern. Incised Carving is the simplest form of wood carving. Here the pattern is traced upon the wood blank and with even careful strokes just the outline of the pattern is carved into the wood. The incised style of carving shows it's greatest possibilities in the Wood Cut Block. This wonderful carving work allowed for the first time, during the Renaissance, artwork to be printed onto paper. The artist could now create one very detailed work yet be able to make multiple copies.


Intaglio Carving takes this idea one step further by carving the design work down into the wood blank making a negative of the pattern. The design is carved in full dimensional detail but it is carved deep into the wood, as compared to low relief where the pattern looks as if it is above the wood surface. Intaglio has been a favorite of furniture makers over the years as it allow the furniture element to be completely prepared for insertion into the carcass and then can accept Carving Accents without disturbing any joinery work.

Of the three main negative techniques, Chip Carving is the most popular and has become an artform in itself. Through the use of a basic triangular unit, intrigue designs can be created the delight the eye. Our page border for this primer displays the most basic of chip carving pattern work.

In all art forms Mistakes Sometimes Happen. No matter how careful you are, no matter how much time you take on each carving stroke, sometime, somewhere, you will make a mistake. The knife will slip or the grain will pull your stroke off the pattern line or a high area will get broken. Just because a mistake has been made does not mean that the project needs to be scraped, there are several options for correcting miscuts in your carving.

We hope that as you explore the information throughout this primer that you to will become "hooked" on the wonderful hobby of wood carving. There are so many possibilities when you work with wood carving that this art will give you many years of pleasure and rewards.

After browsing through the Carving Primer stop by "Classic Carving Patterns" by L. S. Irish, our book featuring traditional carving designs for your next project. Then slip over to Online Design Packets for carving ideas that you can download today and be carving tonight.

Bandsaw re-sawing

I found this article very helpful and wanted to share with you.
If you want the entire article, just follow the link. Has great how to pictures and a wealth of information on re-sawing..


Bandsaw Resawing
By George Vondriska

Cut logs into lumber, make thin boards from thick and cut your own veneer.

Perhaps you want to cut 3/4-in.-thick material down to 3/8 in., or make veneer from that one precious figured board. Or maybe you want to get useful lumber from a gorgeous piece of wood in your firewood pile. The technique that makes this possible is resawing.

Although it just plain baffles some woodworkers, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be surprised at what you can do, even on a small bandsaw. Here’s what you need to make it all happen: blade selection, shop-made jigs, setup and cutting tips.

Why Resaw?
One big reason: money. If you want thin stock for small boxes or drawers, it’s a lot cheaper to make your own than to buy it. Some wood dealers actually make thin stock by planing down 4/4 material, so it ends up being more expensive to buy less wood!

With wood prices going through the roof, making veneer can stretch your woodworking dollars. Slicing veneer on your bandsaw can change one bd. ft. of precious, expensive wood into six sq. ft. of veneer.

You can also transform those dusty chunks of apple or crotch wood out in your garage into free lumber by resawing. You could make a project entirely from a tree felled in your own yard. Resawing gives you access to the marvelous possibilities of free or cheap local logs.

Joke for the day!

Father O'Malley rose from his bed. It was a fine spring day in his new Texas mission parish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside. He then noticed there was a jackass lying dead in the middle of his front lawn.
He promptly called the local police station.

"Good morning. This is Sergeant Flaherty. How might I help you?"

"And the best of the day to yerself. This is Father O'Malley at St.Brigid's. There's a jackass lying dead in me front lawn. Would ye be so kind as to send a couple o' yer lads to take care of the matter?"

Sergeant Flaherty, considering himself to be quite a wit, replied with a smirk, "Well now father, it was always my impression that you people took care of last rites!"

There was dead silence on the line for a long moment.

Father O'Malley then replied: "Aye, that's certainly true, but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin .

I'm Sad . . . I'm Happy . . . I'm Confused

Well long story short.

I was whining about my shop being too small...Not really but it helps justify why "We" did what "we" did....yesterday.

Sue and I purchased a piece of property 1.75 acres in the country.Going to start building our new dream home...Hey!! I know!! What yer thinking…. we just built one 5 1/2 years ago...

But ya see. . . The story goes like this.

I had 3 different contractors come by our current home to give a bid on enlarging my shop...it is currently 11 X 24 feet.. Actually it is the third bay of our garage...I got a bid for $6,000…and one for almost $8,000…and one for $4,500…well he was the one I was going to choose…

I’m sad cuz he says he can’t do that until next spring….so
Sue says. You know Sue, she’s my adorable wife…..
Sue says “Honey why don’t we look for a lot and find one this time large enough to put a shop on it.
With all the air purification and air conditioning and etc you really would like to have.”
I say “Well I don’t want to spend that kind of money and start all over.”
Sue says, now mind you she’s the boss except on the third Thursday of each month when I get to be boss for the day.
I usually forget and I don’t re-call the last time Sue reminded me I was boss cuz it was the third Thursday….yada yada yada.

I’m sorry. . . I digress.

Anyway Sue said “We have always wanted to live in the country and lots/property around town are too expensive.
Let’s go look at those lots up the river we saw in June”
So we drive the 25 minutes up the river and sure enough 1 lot of the 12 is still available….We meet 2 of the nicest neighbors, had ice tea with them, and decided we would make an offer on the lot….

Wellll long story short…
I know I said that before, but hey I gotta finish why I’m sad, happy and confused….don’t I?
The seller accepted our offer….We are now the proud owners of a 1.75 acre parcel at the base of a hill, 25 minutes from town, with 11 other neighbors all on large parcels. . . so pretty quiet…has a year round stream running right through our property..

Okay so now I’m happy…
Oh yeah and Sue is ecstatic….Gotta remember who we are trying to please here…”The Boss!”

This is gonna be great…New adventure living in the country…landscaping all over…etc.

Now I’m sad…again...just learned… No DSL, No Broadband, No cable…gonna go back to dial up….
Sue says, “Oh my Gosh…Dial up…You poor baby…..”
“You are getting a 24x24 foot shop with radiant heated floors, air conditioning and a furnace, and air purification and dust collection…Yep I feel for ya! NOT! LOL”

Why am I confused?

I don’t know just usually am!

Joke for the day for my friend Paul in Kansas

A guy from Kansas dies and is sent to Hell. He had been a horrible man his entire life. The devil puts him to work breaking up rocks with a sledgehammer. To make it worse he cranks up the temperature and the humidity. After a couple of days, the devil checks in on his victim to see if he is suffering adequately.

The devil is aghast as the Kansan is happily swinging his hammer and whistling a happy tune.

The devil walks up to him and says, "Idon't understand this. I've turned the heat way up, it's humid, you're crushing rocks; why are you so happy?"

The Kansan, with a big smile, looks at the devil and replies, "This is great! It reminds me of August in Kansas. Hot, humid, a good place to work. It reminds me of home. This is fantastic!"

The devil, extremely perplexed, walks away to ponder the Kansan's remarks. Then he decides to drop the temperature, send down a driving rain and torrential wind. Soon, Hell is a wet, muddy mess. Walking in mud up to his knees with dust blowing into his eyes, the Kansan is happily slogging through the mud pushing a wheelbarrow full of crushed rocks. Again, the devil asks how he can be happy in such conditions.

The Kansan replies, "This is great, just like April in Kansas. It reminds me of working out in the yard with spring planting!"

The devil is now completely baffled but more determined to make the Kansan suffer. He makes the temperature plummet. Suddenly Hell is blanketed in snow and ice. Confident that this will surely make the Kansan unhappy, the devil checks in on him. He is again aghast at what he sees. The Kansan is dancing, singing, and twirling his sledgehammer as he cavorts in glee.

"How can you be so happy? Don't you know its 40 below zero?", screams the devil.


Jumping up and down the Kansan throws a snowball at the devil and yells, "Hell's frozen over!! That means the taxes finally dropped in Kansas!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Some People!!!!

Now I know most of you won’t take the time to read the entire response I sent to this person and will probably mis-judge me as a hot head for the little you do read, however in my defense. This was a one time thing and I had just had my fill with this, this …Well I don’t need to call names.

The story begins when I was asked how much a personalized sign would cost. I responded with a price quote. I was then asked “Why” it would cost so much.

SO I wrote back within a few hours and explained how I price my custom signs, and once again explained what his quote was...He wrote back and asked “Why is it” so expensive?

Now I have always prided myself with customer service and remaining professional but this particular person had already sent me approximately 10 e-mails asking questions which any other person would already know the answer too by looking at my policy page and reading the item description on my website…and up until this point I had remained very polite and attempted to answer each of his questions in a professional manner…for some reason today wasn’t my day, and he pushed the wrong button.

Here was my final response... by the way I still got the order…

Dear JIM (name changed to protect the innocent...)

I'm going to give you a break because you are so special.

The below advice is absolutely free for the taking...

1.Go to Amazon.com and purchase a Dewalt 788 scroll saw.
2. Go to Mike workshop and order a gross yep 144 blades prolly should start with a FDSR 2/0. Cuz you are new at this.
3. Buy a comfortable chair. I hope you have a shop or your wife is going to be really upset with all the sawdust in the spare bedroom!
4. A good work light.
5. A good shop vac.
6. Create a pattern as requested should only take about 30 minutes or so...
7. Go to your favorite lumber carrier and purchase a sheet of Baltic birch.
8. Go to Home Depot get appropriate stain. Because they don't carry Baltic birch...
9. Go to Wal-Mart and get some spray adhesive and clear packing tape. Because Home Depot costs more...
10. Now set aside about 3 hours to cut this project.
11. Dang now ya need a sander....go back to Home Depot.
12. If you’re really lucky and very careful you won't break the creation using the sander. If you do....... go back to step...10


Now create a website or go to your favorite auction venue and create a listing.

Dang forgot ya have to take a picture...
Now format the picture…

Upload to your picture host.

What do you mean you don’t know how to do that?

Okay, spend almost an entire year learning how to format pictures, how to get a photo host, how to build a website, how to create an auction template etc. . . .

Now that you have done all that

go back to auction site.....
Start over because you timed out taking the picture...

answer 10 e-mails...

Allow about 10 days to pass!!!!!

lah de dah....

Yippee ya just checked your e-mail and it sold.

1. Send invoice.
2. Wait patiently for payment.
3. Now you can go and get proper shipping supplies.
4. Create shipping label
5. Create thank you note this is important cuz ya really want this dumb shi@ to come back.
6. Wrap your latest creation carefully with clean new wrapping materials.
7. Place inside shipping box.
7. Take box to post office and ship it.....learn you under charged for shipping ...but oh well you'll learn and make money off your next sale.
8. Drive home. Gas is only 2.83 a gallon you can afford to go to PO twice a week or more often if it is requested of you.


And if you are willing to do all that for $29.00 including priority shipping to Georgia with dc and insured... I'll give you the pattern and save you a step and you can make your own flippin unique custom scroll sawn personalized sign!


Thanks for asking.

If I can be of further service please do not hesitate to ask.
Customer service is after all my #1 priority!

Mike@ Mike's wood-n-things

He still made the order....When his personalized sign arrived I got a very nice thank you, because he LOVED it!

I was so upset that he asked why it was so much. I couldn't restrain myself.... Now everyone knows....

A crafter never ever gets paid enough for what they create....

My latest creations!!

This cutting is just a fun whimsical cutting I made out of baltic birch..No frame...Could be my Motto I guess?






The portrait took me about 8 hours of cutting and I think 6 blades. Yep it's scroll sawn.
I made the frame from Oregon cedar kept it rough sawn (to fit the theme of the portrait) with a routed edge to remain rustic.

This is a portrait of a friends nephew who is currently serving us in Iraq!

May he and all our troops be kept out of harms way!

This is the original photo! Thanks for letting me share it Proud uncle!

You can click on the photo to see greater detail!

Hu"Man" Powered Scroll saw plans for free!

Have you ever wondered how to continue scrolling when you are out in the wilderness in your summer cabin? If you are like me I can't stand to be away from my sawdust making for more than a few days...It is after all my therapy. smile

Well Mike M. (nope not me) has come up with one great set of plans for a "you supply the power" scroll saw!
Nope can't plug it into a generator, ya have to use the tredle.

If you want to take a peek at the first version of the Hu "man" powered scroll saw plans check it out right here!
http://1nailbender.tripod.com/full.htm

It is well detailed and well thought out. You will need acrobat reader, but heck who hasn't already got that?

Thanks Mike for a great idea and a wonderful set of free plans....

Yep I asked him prior to posting this to make sure he was okay with it. Mike said "of course.....

Now don't send me nasty grams I know some great female scrollers too!
However I like to add a little levity just to see if you are actually reading my postings....

Hey, and no hitting either!

Some more pics of our Grand daughter!

Sue and I went to Salem last weekend, the weekend of the 20th of August and were finally able to hold Aubrey. Or should I say she held us! We couldn't get enough of her! Wanted to bring her home with us, for a little while anyway.

She is sleeping about 2-3 hours at a time and then she becomes very vocal wanting to be fed!

What a precious miracle of life!

I'll share more later!

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm a Grampa.....

I know this is off topic but hey it's my blog. LOL

Baby Aubrey was born on Aug 4 this year and was 19 1/2" long and weighed in at 7 LBS and 2 oz's.

Lots of dark hair.

Just got this picture sent to me and I apologize for the clarity but heck it's a pic.

I'm bustin my buttons!

Thanks for letting me share.....

Looking for copyright free photos and graphics?

Here is a great resource for you wood workers out there..
http://gimp-savvy.com/PHOTO-ARCHIVE/

The photo archive at Gimp-Savvy.com has more than 27,000 free photos and images, consisting of over 2.5 Gbytes of data.

Access to the free images and photos in the archive is through linked pages presenting 100 photo thumbnails per page.

You may also browse the archive's master list of keywords, view its most popular images, or help to complete the keyword index by following these links:

Finally, enter single or multiple keywords into any Key Search box followed by a carriage return to find the most relevant associated photos or images.

This is a great resource...I visit there all the time!

Tightening pipe clamps..can be a pain..

Found this great tip online..tried it and it works really great!
Tightening a pipe clamp can be a real knuckle buster when the pipe clamp sits on the workbench. So I made a couple ¾″-thick wood spacer blocks to raise the pipe clamps up and make it easy to turn the handle.

These clamp blocks have the added advantage of acting as clamps pads to protect the workpiece from the clamps.

Walter Neu
Naples, Idaho

I made mine about 3" wide by 4" tall out of some scraps I had left over...raises the work off the bench top. Sorry don't know how to include a pic here....

But here is a link to the website I found this on.

http://www.woodnet.net/tips/clamping/pipe-clamp-blocks/

I hope this gives you pause to reflect..It did me!

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:

Let me see if I've got this right.

You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits.

You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job.

I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the mandatory state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments.

Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card. All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps!

You want me to do all of this and yet you expect me......NOT TO PRAY???

So ya need to make a small or large circle..

Many projects require cutting a perfect circle or an oval, and you can accomplish the task with a router and a special jig to guide it.
The two jigs described below can be used with a router when you want to cut circles or angles.

Circle-Cutting Jig:

The first jig acts as an arm that guides the router in cutting circles or arches.

Materials:

1. 36" x 14" x 1/4" plywood
   
2. Drill and drill bits
   
3. Router
   
4. Screws
   
5. Ruler or measuring tape
   
6. Hammer
   
7. Nail
   

1. Take off the sub-base of the router to determine how big the circular end of the jig should be. Cut the end of the piece of plywood into a circle the same size as the router's sub-base.
   
2. Drill holes into the circular end of the jig to correspond with the holes in the sub-base. Use the sub-base to guide your drilling.
   
3. Screw the circular end of the jig into the router's base, aligning the circles on the sub-base with the holes drilled in the jig.
   
4. Drill small pivot holes into the arm of the jig, spaced 1" apart.
   
5. To use the jig to cut a circle, draw a line on the work piece from its center to the end of the desired radius of the circle. Center the router atop the end point of the radius. Drive a nail through the appropriate hole in the jig that corresponds with the center of the work piece. Set the router to the proper depth, and make a slow pass through the work piece, using the nail as a pivot point. Make deep cuts in several passes, lowering the router bit slightly after each pass.
   

Curve- and Circle-Cutting Jig

The second jig for cutting curves and circles with a router can be made from scraps you probably have around the workshop. Like the jig described above, it's attached to the router's sub-base.
Materials:

1. Two dowels, each about 2' long, with the same diameter as the holes in the sides of the router's base
   
2. Drill
   
3. Drill bits of same diameter as the dowels
   
4. 12" x 4" x 1" wood block (dimensions need not be exact)
   
5. Sandpaper
   
6. Wood glue
   
7. Router
   
8. Hammer
   
9. Nail

1. Drill holes the same size as the dowels into one long edge of the wood block. The holes should be as far apart as the diameter of the router's base.
   
2. Sand the tips of the dowels.
   
3. Apply a little wood glue to the holes in the wood block. Place the dowels inside the holes, and allow the glue to dry.
   
4. Place the dowels through the holes on the sides of the router's base.
   
5. To use the jig to cut an arch or a circle, nail the center of the block to the center of the desired circle. Slide the router to the appropriate spot on the dowels to correspond with the end point of the desired radius. Set the router bit to the appropriate depth. Slowly swing the router through the work piece, using the wood block as a pivot point. Repeat the process as necessary, slowly lowering the bit with each pass.
   

I hope you found this helpful!

Joke for the week....

Hope you find this amusing....
COWBOY POETRY - BUYING A BRA

I ain't much for shopping,
Or for goin' into town
Except at cattle-shipping time,
I ain't too easily found.

But the day came when I had to go -
I left the kids with Ma.
But 'fore I left, she asked me,
"Would you pick me up a bra?"

So without thinkin' I said, "Sure,"
How tough could that job be?
An' I bent down and kissed her
An' said, "I'll be back by three."

Well, I done the things I needed,
But I started to regret
Ever offering to buy that thing -
I worked me up a sweat

I walked into the ladies shop
My hat pulled over my eyes,
I didn't want to take a chance
On bein' recognized.

I walked up to the sales clerk -
I didn't hem or haw -
I told that lady right straight out,
"I'm here to buy a bra."

From behind I heard some snickers,
So I turned around to see
Every woman in that store
Was a'gawkin' right at me!

"What kind would you be looking for?"
Well, I just scratched my head.
I'd only seen one kind before,
"Thought bras was bras," I said.

She gave me a disgusted look,
"Well sir, that's where you're wrong.
Follow me," I heard her say,
Like a dog, I tagged along.

She took me down this alley
Where bras was on display.
I thought my jaw would hit the floor
When I saw that lingerie.

They had all these different styles
That I'd never seen before
I thought I'd go plumb crazy
'fore I left that women's store.

They had bras you wear for eighteen hours
And bras that cross your heart.
There was bras that lift and separate,
And that was just the start.

They had bras that made you feel
Like you ain't wearing one at all,
And bras that you can train in
When you start off when you're small.

Well, I finally made my mind up -
Picked a black and lacy one -
I told the lady, "Bag it up,"
And figured I was done.

But then she asked me for the size
I didn't hesitate
I knew that measurement by heart,
"A six-and-seven-eighths."

"Six and seven eighths you say?
That really isn't right."
"Oh, yes ma'am! I'm real positive -
I measured them last night!"

I thought that she'd go into shock,
Musta took her by surprise
When I told her that my wife's bust
Was the same as my hat size.

"That's what I used to measure with,
I figured it was fair,
But if I'm wrong, I'm sorry ma'am."
This drew another stare.

By now a crowd had gathered
And they all was crackin' up
When the lady asked to see my hat,
To measure for the cup.

When she finally had it figured,
I gave the gal her pay.
Then I turned to leave the store,
Tipped my hat and said, "Good day."

My wife had heard the story
'fore I ever made it home.
She'd talked to fifteen women
Who called her on the phone.

She was still a-laughin'
But by then I didn't care.
Now she don't ask and I don't shop
For women's underwear.
~ Author Unknown

Time to go shoppin......NOT!!!

Looking for great patterns for Scroll sawing?

Try this site for great scroll saw patterns...

http://www.advancedscrollsawpatterns.com/
Jeff even offers a free pattern from time to time so go back often!

For a great resource of free patterns!
Or help making a pattern!
Or sharing your patterns with others try joining this group.

http://groups.msn.com/FreeScrollsawPatterns

Mike's Wood-n-Things Hints & Tips

This is one of my latest scroll sawn items. Took several hours of cutting, and 5 blades..Cut it out of a bass wood round with bark attached, over layed a Baltic Birch Fish hook

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