Author Topic: Today I Made (Read 25913 times)

Lesgold · « **Reply #40 on:** August 23, 2023, 02:25:27 pm »

Thanks guys. I?m pretty happy with how they look. I was selling them for $22 each. The jars contain 1kg of honey. I sell 1kg of honey in a pail for $13. I know the price was low but initially I just wanted them to dress up the display and see if here was any interest in the idea. I will now be asking $25 as it does take time to make them. All Timbers are Australian natives which adds a nice touch. I will be making a few lids over the next couple of days to build up a bit of stock heading towards Christmas so when I do, I?ll photograph the steps involved. Some of the lids were turned from off cuts that we use to start the fire of an evening. We get small pieces from a furniture manufacturers scrap bin. Others are turned from old fence posts, tree branches etc. The timber just needs to be dry and stable after it has been machined.

Lesgold · « **Reply #41 on:** August 23, 2023, 11:14:21 pm »

This is how the lids are made. A circle slightly larger than required is marked on a piece of timber. The material is usually 20-25mm thick. I use a bandsaw to quickly trim the blank down to size. As I have a wide bandsaw blade on the machine at the moment, it is quicker to just make straight cuts and get the wood approximately to size. The blank is then secured to a four jaw chuck so that the inside recess can be machined out. There are other methods that could be utilised but this is the quickest for me with the equipment that I have.

Lesgold · « **Reply #42 on:** August 23, 2023, 11:20:26 pm »

Some of the outside of the blank is turned down to the required diameter of the lid. A set of callipers is used to gauge this size. The edge of the lid is then faced. I use a 10mm bowl gouge for most of the shaping of the lid. A pencil line is marked onto the face and indicates the diameter of the recess for the metal lid.

Lesgold · « **Reply #43 on:** August 23, 2023, 11:24:47 pm »

The gouge is then used to quickly rough out most of the waste for the recess. A parting tool cleans up the shoulders of the recess and small cuts are then taken to ensure that the lid fits well into the space. A tight fit is not required as epoxy will be used to secure the two components together.

Lesgold · « **Reply #44 on:** August 23, 2023, 11:31:08 pm »

A quick sand using abrasives takes place and the underside of the lid is now complete. The recess is not sanded at all. The lid is removed from the chuck, rotated and then held by the internal recess just made. The outside edge of the lid is then machined to size using a gouge. The top of the lid is then turned until the correct lid thickness is achieved. I do this by eye and don?t measure anything at this point. It is not a critical dimension.

Lesgold · « **Reply #45 on:** August 23, 2023, 11:40:24 pm »

A curve is then placed on the lid and the whole thing is then sanded down to 400 grit. The lid is now ready for finishing. 2 Coates of Danish oil are rubbed into the lid using a cloth. The first coat is rubbed back with some 600 wet and dry a day or two after the first coat was applied. When the finish is dry, the metal lid is glued in place with some epoxy resin. It is a time consuming task but I feel it is worth having something a bit different on display at the markets. From start to finish took 30 minutes exactly. That included stopping to take photographs and taking the lid back to the house. In reality, I would be making about 3 lids per hour. I think that this would be a good task to undertake on those cold winter days when nothing much else is happening.

cao · « **Reply #46 on:** August 23, 2023, 11:57:54 pm »

I like it. It really dresses up those jars. Keep posting your projects lesgold. You are giving me some good ideas to steal.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #47 on:** August 24, 2023, 01:28:11 am »

You are very talented.... Thanks for your post Les..

Ben Framed · « **Reply #48 on:** August 24, 2023, 07:51:37 am »

I went back and looked at your pictures again. I am amazed how you take a piece of raw wood and transform it into a beautiful Jar Top..

Phillip

Kathyp · « **Reply #49 on:** August 24, 2023, 11:30:06 am »

I am always in awe of people who figure stuff out and make it. I can do big picture stuff, but when it comes to the actual building I usually fail. My grandfather, who died before I came along, was an inventor with a number of patents to his name. One of the saddest things for me is that his sketchbook was stolen by a "friend" of my grandmother. Lesgold, I am impressed and kind of exhausted seeing all your projects! Please keep them coming

Clarification: I don't mean that I am exhausted by your posts. Just exhausted vicariously by your energy. You not only start projects, but you finish them in good time which is something I never seem to do!

Acebird · « **Reply #50 on:** August 24, 2023, 12:18:21 pm »

Nice work. Are you using a metal lathe to turn wood?

Lesgold · « **Reply #51 on:** August 25, 2023, 12:43:41 am »

Thanks again guys. If we share our ideas, we can then develop and improve them to suit our own situation. Cao, I hope that you can use these ideas if they are of any use to you. That?s why I post when ever I can. Hopefully we can inspire each other and keep the passion going. There has been many tips, tricks and ideas that Ive seen on this site that has helped me so it?s only fair to share a few of my own. Kathy, your grandfather sounds like he was an ideas person (just like you) It would have been fantastic to meet and talk with someone who obviously had at rare gift. Acebird, the lids were turned on a wood lathe. The chuck in the photo was designed for holding blocks of wood in both the expanding and compressing modes. I purchased it over 30 years ago. It?s really good for saving time, especially in this type of situation. Phillip, thank you gain for your encouragement. It keeps me on my toes and helps the old grey matter to tick over. I already have a few more projects planned that I will be sharing with you when I get the time to get started. Two of them are beekeeping related and would require some input from you guys as they are both techniques that I have seen and not tried myself. The other project will be a camping based construction which will hopefully start sometime next week.

Lesgold · « **Reply #52 on:** September 05, 2023, 05:36:29 am »

Hi Folks,

After a successful market on Sunday, stock needed to be replaced. One item that I want to add to the market display is a small sample package of 3 different styles of honey. Michael Bush suggested 3 as a good option so I thought I?d give it a go. I purchased a small quantity of small hex jars and made a simple label for a range of honeys. Constructing the boxes from old pallet material was easy but the package just needs something to give it a lift. Any ideas guys? I was hoping something with a rustic look just to finish things off. Perhaps some twine, bush leaves etc. I?m not sure at this stage. Building stuff is my strength but artistic presentation is very much out of my comfort zone. I?ll have a play tomorrow but I know it will look awful. Your input would be great.

Cheers

Les

Michael Bush · « **Reply #53 on:** September 05, 2023, 06:14:14 am »

The one I had and saw was just like that except deep enough that a thin bar across the front was added to keep them from falling out. Then, of course, one without the bar so they could take them out and look at the light through them...

animal · « **Reply #54 on:** September 05, 2023, 01:47:39 pm »

Looks really good as is.

maybe drill 2 holes in each end 1/2" from the top and lace a piece of jute twine to secure them and still leave the labels readable (located about where the lines on the label are) ?

Why go to the trouble to mitre the corners instead of a butt joint ? Granted, they do look better; but a butt joint is faster, easier, and more forgiving with the different wood thicknesses of salvaged wood... and looks more "rustic".

maybe a little straw or something tucked around bottles?

The15thMember · « **Reply #55 on:** September 05, 2023, 02:12:57 pm »

Quote from: Lesgold on September 05, 2023, 05:36:29 am

Hi Folks,

After a successful market on Sunday, stock needed to be replaced. One item that I want to add to the market display is a small sample package of 3 different styles of honey. Michael Bush suggested 3 as a good option so I thought I?d give it a go. I purchased a small quantity of small hex jars and made a simple label for a range of honeys. Constructing the boxes from old pallet material was easy but the package just needs something to give it a lift. Any ideas guys? I was hoping something with a rustic look just to finish things off. Perhaps some twine, bush leaves etc. I?m not sure at this stage. Building stuff is my strength but artistic presentation is very much out of my comfort zone. I?ll have a play tomorrow but I know it will look awful. Your input would be great.

Cheers

Les

Both my mom (who is a very presentation oriented consumer) and my sister (who is an artist) think that the presentation of the box would look better and less plain if there was more of the paper straw in the box (animal didn't even see it at all

), even making the box a little larger to facilitate that. That would kind of give it more of that old-timey, "unpacking a crate full of stuff" feel. My sister also said that perhaps using a more natural-looking product like packing straw would make it look a little more rustic. Something like this stuff.

Lesgold · « **Reply #56 on:** September 05, 2023, 06:01:24 pm »

Thanks guys. That?s exactly the feedback I?m after. Michael, your idea will get me thinking. What you said reminded me of a spice rack type of setup. I?ll see what I can do. Animal, the twine was something that I had in the back of my mind and I did experiment with it last night but couldn?t get it looking right. I?ll pop a photo of it below. It covered up too much of the label and didn?t look right. I do make mini crates with two honey jars in them and they do look quite rustic. I tried making a box with butt joints but I wasn?t happy with the appearance. It just looked too chunky. The mitres are quick and easy to make and assemble as long as the timber is of uniform thickness. You are right on the money there. Reagan, I think you are right. The box could be a little larger so that the straw is visible. The packing straw that you posted looks great. The shredded paper that I?m using doesn?t look as good. I like the colour of the straw. I?m not sure where I could purchase that here in Aus. If I get some time in the next few days, I?ll see what I can do.

Lesgold · « **Reply #57 on:** September 05, 2023, 06:29:02 pm »

Had a look online and found this. It?s called wood wool. I think it will look better than the coloured shredded paper that I have been using. Thanks again Reagan.

animal · « **Reply #58 on:** September 05, 2023, 07:01:21 pm »

how about regular old planer shavings for "straw" ?

I guess there's a fine aesthetic line between rustic and chunky

I'm not much of a decorator.

Actually, the pic of the tied box with leaves looks good to me. Obscuring the label on the center jar might be a good trick if it causes them to push it aside to read ...

3 steps ... get them to look, get them to touch, get them to pay. ... (adapted from another saying that's a little more randy)

Michael Bush · « **Reply #59 on:** September 06, 2023, 06:28:19 am »

>3 steps ... get them to look, get them to touch, get them to pay. ...

That's kind of the point of the three colors of honey. It gets them to look. Then they ask some questions, pick it up to look at it, and they learn something and buy something. Most people think honey is a consistent product (something Sioux Bee tried to teach them for years) and they are surprised to find out it is not.