Li'l Shaver

Apologies for missing the last few weeks.  My goal is still to post once per week.  The reason I've missed making entries is that I am still waiting to receive one of my tools, forgotten at my last location, which I thought was essential to this project.  Instead, being eager to continue and not fall behind my schedule, I've been "making do" without said tool and finding creative ways to still accomplish my goals.

I have continued cutting out pieces.  One thing which has me puzzled is grain orientation; but, I'm figuring that out with trial and error.  I've cut pieces for the sides, neck, toe, back and top. 

Yesterday, I whittled a bridge out of maple and will try to make another with the grain going the other way--the way the grain worked on this first attempt tells me that the bridge wouldn't be very strong, so try-try-again.

Because this first nyckelharpa is experimental, I haven't gone to much effort to select "premium" woods (as in, air dried material--though being Montana, I'm sure the air has played a role in drying the wood further if possible).  The redwood I picked up at Johnson-Madison Lumber and the gentleman who helped me was something of a musician himself--he went to a special effort to research lumber options for me.  He also went through their ENTIRE pile of redwood planks to find the best one for my needs.

Here, I'm ripping a piece in two so that I can glue it up "book-matched".  I'm not sure if the joint will be a mistake and weaken the top and bottom.  I thought I read somewhere that the glued joint is stronger than the wood around the joint . . .
And yes, I'm sitting on the wood so I have enough leverage to saw.  The next day, I felt like I had been through a spinning class at the gym!  Youch!







The local hardware store was having a sale, so I made an investment and purchased a few good clamps.  I'm making some clamps for gluing the top and bottom on and they're not nearly so pretty--I've always leaned more toward functionality anyhow. 

I found, as I continued to work without my joiner plane, that I could actually do a better job of evening edges with my little block (Stanley 220) plane.  I asked my woodworking mentor about it, and he said it fit my hands better and that I could "feel" where I was more accurately.  Someday . . . Lie Nielson . . .
That was actually quite a joke yesterday with my roomie.  I woke early to get to the sale at the hardware store, and told her I could hardly wait . . . most girls get excited about clothing or bath products, yet here I was, anxious to beat the rush so I'd be sure to get my clamps . . .  funny!

Yes, that's a cutting mat for sewing projects.  I think mom keeps hoping I'll become passionate about quilting someday.  There is something purely delightful about strolling between long rows of quilts at a show with my mom, and together admiring the hand-stitching and patterns and stories the fabric tells.