Wright Turned Wood Turning

I'm pleased to introduce a blog post from WrightTurned at Woollen Tree. Peter will be joining us here with wood turning projects. 

This first post is all about, well I'll let him tell you

 Improving Dust Collection System

With my recent upgrade to a Record Power Coronet Envoy Lathe I have been reorganising my “workshop” to try and make it more efficient. I say workshop, but it is really my garage, and things are arranged such that work surfaces collapse and the bandsaw and other equipment all slot away to allow the car to fit back in the garage when needed (although since retirement, the tendency is to leave the workshop set up for woodturning more often than not!).

One of pieces of equipment I have never been comfortable with is my dust collection system; its not the actual equipment (Record Power Cam Vac), but how to arrange/ secure the 100mm dia flexible hose. Because this new lathe has a swivel head I need to be able to adjust the position of the hose to best suit where the work is.

Here a few shots to show how I need to position the hose when turning or sanding with the lathe head either in line, at an angle or fully rotated through 90 degrees

I had previously made a Heath-Robinson stand to support the hose, but it was never very stable and was more trouble than it was worth.

So I started looking at proprietary equipment that wasn’t too expensive and offered the flexibility I was after.

There are lots of angle poise type stands and other flexible stands on the market designed to hold smart phones or tablets etc, and I was tempted by some of these; but I was worried these would not be robust enough to support hose (its reasonably heavy, and the construction makes it act like an extended spring).

So I opted for an articulated bracket designed for a portable TV, which I was sure I could adapt to suit the hose.

Here is the TV bracket kit and it partially assembled.

I now had to devise a way to mount the bracket while giving me as wide a range of coverage as I could get. The Record Power Coronet Envoy has a built-in shelf under the lathe bed that I had hoped to make use of, but unfortunately it wasn’t the right height. But a couple of bits of timber screwed to the wall and an adjacent shelf worked out fine.

Then to attach the hose to the bracketry I bolted the plate designed to mount the TV directly to the dust collection hood, this could then be slotted on to the articulated bracket:

Now the articulated arms of the bracket together with the ability to tilt the angle of the hood, and the up & down adjustments of the whole arm means I can now position the hose to suit the majority of my turning positions.

And it has provided a suitable place for me to mount my magnetic lamp.

Unfortunately, the arm is not long enough to position the hose when I have the lathe head fully rotated through 90 degrees; but it is simple enough to unclip the hose and hood from the bracketry, which then allows me to route the hose across the lathe bed and support it on the redundant banjo/ tool rest.

So all in all a satisfactory result

Now I just need to go and make something else on the lathe!

 

Outdoor Studio Space

This Summer I have been able to run some one to one tuition workshops in my Outdoor Studio Space!

With Covid-secure practices in place, it has been really lovely to offer spinning and weaving classes in my garden.  

I love working in the garden anyway, whether its taking my spinning wheel outside to spin to the sounds of the birds in the trees or setting up one of my small table looms to enjoy the afternoon weaving a bag, cushion cover or scarf and of course the knitting needles are so portable, I always have several projects on the go.

This week the outdoor studio became a weaver's wonderland!

A brand new Katie loom (8 shaft from Ashford) came to be warped and woven on for the first time.

And an "Inside set" was put on my Saori loom to dress with a readymade warp to be taken home and be woven.  

So it was a wonderfully busy day, making a warp, threading heddles, sleying reeds. 

All helped greatly with plenty of chat with tea and cake!

Now some of you who have a Saori loom may think the way I'm dressing the loom looks a little strange in the photo above.

Let me explain. Since having my David 2 loom (8 shaft floor loom) from Louet I have learnt a much easier and quicker way of warping up. I thought that I could transfer this method to my Saori.

I use two sticks from front to back to rest the reed and lease sticks on. 

I place the cross of the warp at the back of the loom and load it onto the extension rod, putting the lease sticks through the cross. I use a raddle clipped to the top of the loom shelf to spread out the warp. I wind the warp onto the back roller.

I thread the heddles from back to front.

With the reed laid flat it is so quick to sley.

Then its just a matter of  using the tying rod, hooking the treadles on and start weaving!

When loading a readymade warp as seen in the photo, I rest the warp on the lease sticks for easy access and have no need for a raddle as the warp threads are already on the roller in order ready to select.

It is such a simple way to dress a loom, in fact the Katie loom was done exactly the same way, no need  for double crosses as per instructions!

give it a go, have fun, happy weaving.

 

 

Spinning Wheel Repair

It is great that Skipper is a Wood Turner.

I have been running some "Learn to Spin" workshops and this Ashford Spinning Wheel belongs to one of my clients, she bought it along to learn on but it required some repairs, so a little visit to  "WrightTurned" workshop was needed.

As you can see in the photo, where the treadle connects to the main leg of the wheel the wood had  become chewed up allowing the treadle pin to keep falling out, it was held in place with some cord.

First the hole was drilled out to make a clean purchase for a new piece of wood. The new wooden plug was hand turned on the lathe.

Shaped to give a perfect snug fit and hold firm. Then cut to size and rubbed down.

This is called a visible repair. It has strengthened the working part, is functional and looks in keeping with this lovely old wheel. 

The wheel was then given a service, buffed, oiled, fitted with a new double band and was all set to keep spinning for many years to come. As you can see it spins a treat!

Absorbing Nature and Her Colours

This September I spent a lovely day with WSD Guild Isle of Wight naturally dyeing our wools. Brewing up wonderful colours from Nature working outdoors on an open fire. It always feels magical when an old madder root or some dry old leaves and stalks give up some beautiful colours! 

absorbing Nature in the wool

Skipper and I also made our way to Devon for a most relaxing week in the hills.

I took my water colour paints and tried to capture the ever changing moods and colours of Nature,

quite impossible!! but I had a great time doing something different from my wool spinning, weaving and hand knitting.

However we were still in our element as we stayed on a working sheep farm in really lovely accommodation and we had the exclusive use of the summer house and fishing lake with a boat!

The sheep would come down to the lake to drink.

The water reflecting, the colours amazing. The Lake was buzzing with wildlife. water boat men, dragon flies of many colours, mayflies, kingfishers and swallows ever busy.

In the lake were so many different fish ranging from the tiniest minnow, small trout to big carp. 

We both managed to catch a few and admired their most detailed colourful scales and tails, simmering and full of life.

Absorbing Nature all around us

Putting them back in the lake gently saying "thank you" for the privilege. with a flick of their tails they dive back down to the depths of the water.

It is so good to "just be"

Taking some time to recharge, relax and be absorbed in Nature. no need to watch the clock, the Sun will tell you when to rise and sleep, your body will tell you when to eat.

I feel my colour senses have been  re-awakened. My energy levels topped up and I just can't wait to get the Saori Loom warped up to start a colourful weave using my newly dyed yarns.

Autumn Winter is the busiest time for my business, with craft events booked and supply of new stock for shops to organise. Projects to knit and weave and with my weaving workshops now up and running I shall enjoy being absorbed snug and warm in all the woolly colours of nature!

At the summer house

The link to where we stayed 

https://www.independentcottages.co.uk/devon/oakwood-farm-ref1371

A Day Out At The Rare Breeds Show

 Spent a lovely day at  The Rare Breeds Show at Singleton, lots to see and do. I enjoy seeing the multitude of sheep, so many different colours and types of fleece.
 As wool is the main material for my craft as a spinner, weaver and knitter, it is so good to witness the care, love and pride in their flock that the farmers, smallholders, families indeed shepherds young and old bestow upon their animals.
It is so important to keep these rare breeds going, they are our heritage and our the future.

The Champions of the Show 

The show was in a perfect setting at the Weald and Downland Living Museum 

https://www.wealddown.co.uk/

It is the location for the BBC Series The Repair Shop

https://www.wealddown.co.uk/bbc2s-repair-shop-filmed-museum/

As a living museum there is so much to do and see, demonstrations of old crafts from blacksmithing to milling, baking to weaving.

Beautiful old buildings with gardens planted out in the life long traditional way, so as to be used to supply the home for food, herbs and medicines and natural dyes.

These gardens were alive with colour, wildlife, birds, bees, butterflies. 

which can only be the best way to garden, happy, happy, happy.  

Brief Jottings on June

 JUNE  

A few notes and jottings for this month. Cropping the first lavender - hanging up in the studio to dry. I will use it in my hand woven lavender bags and sachets. I always put fresh sprigs layered in my fleece and wool storage too.
Harvesting my woad seed - I will dry them and pop them in a paper bag to store ready for next year's sowing.

 Had so much fun with sticks and wool by weaving some very organic artful  stick/ branch weaving
They will be little woolly accents placed around the garden allowing the flowers and plants to grow and intertwine.

AND

I held my first "Learn to weave on a Rigid Heddle loom" workshop.

Back in my March post I said this was something I had been planning to do for a while, so it was really good to introduce and share the joy of weaving with two students and thrilling to see their happy faces as they went home clutching their very first weavings.