Header image: ﻼF
Jan 31, 2025
Today was such a great day of learning that it gets to be its own page. We heard tell of thickness planers, “salad days“, gibs, malapropisms, dial indicators, and Spanish speaking coonhounds.
∞
Phong told me about Chris Fisher, AKA “The Blind Woodturner.” When Phong speaks, we listen and learn.
(Jan 12, 2023) Chris Fisher – the Blind Woodturner – turning in the face of adversity
https://www.thewoodworkermag.com/chris-fisher-–-blind-woodturner-–-turning-face-adversity
- Having been diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis – a parasitic infection – at the age of 38, within four weeks, Chris had lost his sight completely.
- Chris is completely self-taught and prior to trying his hand at turning once he’d lost his sight, had no experience whatsoever.
Check out his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BlindWoodTurner/videos
∞
Brother Roderick‘s oration of the day was on the subject of thickness planers.
We learned of the three kinds of blades – straight [carbide cintered {cf. welding} to HSS], Tersa™, and carbide – and how these blades scoop up thickness from a board.
I noticed only two others were taking notes and wondered if the others do and, if not, how they remember all this stuff.
- The carbide blades are the same as the ones I saw being sharpened in the jointer; arranged in a helical pattern, when the blades are exposed it’s like looking into the mouth of a great white shark. This machine is, by far, the fastest way to trim your toenails.
Blades tightened with a torque limiting screwdriver
Rory’s mention that, when using an infeed table,
“We always use the middle of a machine”
makes me think of “desire paths“
What do these tell you about designers/planners and people/users?
(Oct 5, 2018) Desire paths: the illicit trails that defy the urban planners
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/oct/05/desire-paths-the-illicit-trails-that-defy-the-urban-planners
- Eric and Kester helped me understand how an oval bowl is made. This is probably “obvious / common sense” for most other folk, but I can’t quite wrap my head around it. I kind of get it but I will need to make one myself before it clicks [watch].
- Kevin dashed my hopes of Dremmeling a Möbius strip out of a piece of soft wood I had and then rekindled the dream by returning with a suggestion that sounded quite complicated but doable.
I have added this to my to try/do list. Good save, Kevin. - Lily helped me get this chonker of a nail out of a bowl I was turning and suggested a way to save the piece: it involves a sawing a chiselling, things I have little experience of but look forward to learning.
To do:
- Pester Kester for further guidance/assistance on making his senior project
- Never again confuse a malapropism with a spoonerism; I should stick to decapitated coffee in the mornings.
- Check out BCIT OER: Woodworking Machinery
Feb 7, 2025
- Rory: “what we do here has so much to do with discretion& intuition”
- ﻼF: Discernment
- Teacher tip: “don’t compete with yourself”
- letting machine cycle down; handouts
- Avoiding (lash): lower, then raise table
- Carmon suggested Titebond III to fix bowl 6
Feb 14
- Cove cutting
Feb 21: “Potlatch Arts”
- “How I did this, 12 years ago”
- OER Indigenous colouring book
– teaching technology, not culture –
– not learning about; doing to learn about –
- increasing elective options requires collegial conversation
- education as redistribution
- Anneal: heat (metal or glass) and allow it to cool slowly, in order to remove internal stresses and make it easier to work.
- Alex: Assessment? [entirely made up; everyone got 95]
- Adequate
- “You should leave your children enough so they can do anything, but not enough so they can do nothing.” Warren Buffett’
- Drum: “this is what got us all the press”
- Maria: writeup?
- MOA in 452
- Caverly pro-D, deer thing
- Hatch: learning “inspire by”
- Aboriginal Support Worker
- Display case; shavings [wood & metal]