G'day from Canberra, Australia

[NathanaelBC]

Hi,

I'm 30-years-old, did own a wood lathe and did some turning a few years ago but then lost interest for a while … now I'm a home-owner, back from a few years living overseas, settling down and getting back into woodwork.

Planning a few indoor and outdoor projects, the latter with spotted gum, blackbutt, merbau etc — I'd prefer not to use the latter due to unsustainable forestry practices but it is bloody nice wood.

Mostly Ozito kit except for my jigsaw and planer; also trying to convince my wife to let me get a Hitachi router and dream of owning a thicknesser one day (or will just get the el cheapo 909, Ozito or Ryobi).

I'd post a pic of my latest project - a planter box - but my account hasn't been properly approved yet so it'll probably fail; maybe later.

Here's my latest project and my first decent woodworking project in years (building all the raised garden beds and other bits and pieces don't count as they're either rough as guts or not finished nicely). Bevelled corners, hand-chiselled blind mortise and tenon joints on cross beams between uprights along short sides, countersunk screws, wire brushed, oiled and sanded.

Spotted gum decking boards and Merbau 40x40 beams (to which I lost two screws and a drill bit, still in the wood) sourced from Monaro Timber in Queanbeyan, NSW.

302904

[Evanism]

Another Canberran! There seems to be a mighty number of us!

Welcome and we look forward to pictures (it seems to be one of the rules and common catch cries!)

[Christos]

Welcome to the forum.

[NathanaelBC]

Another Canberran! There seems to be a mighty number of us!

Well, Canberra is the best city in Australia to live in :U

[Evanism]

Many pros and cons!

Pros
- parking at the front door when shopping
- peak minute is finished by 8.52am
- schools are wonderful

Cons
- No carbatech or woodwork shop presence :(
- my mates live in north belconnen. It feels like a mighty long drive!
- no one moves to the left! Arrrggghhhh!
- the 39 degree days are getting a bit much!

Look forward to hearing your travails. Don't forget to look at the FOR SALE section. Some good bargains there.

[old1955]

Welcome to the forum.

[delbs]

Welcome to the forum!

As Ev said there seems to be an ever growing number of these people in Canberra that play with wood! .we may have enough numbers to start our own guild :p

Welcome again, enjoy!

[crowie]

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum "Nathanael".
There are quite a few members in and around Canberra.....
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP [Work In Progress] photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork...
Cheers crowie

PS - On the better tools, keep an eye out for garage sales, deceased estates, clearance sales and the like as good older tools are just as good if not better than what a lot of the hardware stores sells these days.....Also make sure you make your wifes requested projects first and you might find the flow of tools come....lol.

[tdrumnut]

Welcome aboard Nathan

[Perfect Pens]

Welcome to the forums, enjoy :-)
Cheers
Tony

[JJF]

welcome aboard

[delbs]

You did own a lathe. Did you sell it? Do you have one now?

[NathanaelBC]

You did own a lathe. Did you sell it? Do you have one now?

Yeah sold it about 10 years ago I think. Was fun, but there's only so many bowls you can make and at the time that was the only type of woodworking I was interested in. I think I did a few classes with a woodturner who lived on Majura Avenue near North Ainslie Primary. May have even been Graeme Bensley (http://www.woodworkforums.com/members/43-graeme/)?

[Ilya]

Hey Nathan, good to see you on the forum. Evan is right, everyone here likes photos of whatever project you do!

[Evanism]

..... Was fun, but there's only so many bowls you can make ....

ah! I see the problem here everyone! Our newbie must have suffered a head injury or became "newly married". He didn't loose interest, he was just DISTRACTED.

At first I thought I wasn't reading this right. I'm studying Japanese and Italian at the moment so sometimes the words all get mixed up in my poor mushy brain!....so when I read "there's only so many bowls you can make" Im pretty sure it's something colloquial like "there are ONLY 24 hours in a day to make them", or "I need food occasionally"....or "loosing that finger last week has slowed me down A BIT".

I almost misunderstood what was written.....

:U

[NathanaelBC]

Ha, well to be fair the lathe was the ONLY tool I had, so I couldn't do anything beyond the lathework; and at the time I couldn't justify the additional expense of a decent chuck and instead had to work with this giant clawed thing that limited the finishing of things because you couldn't really invert them.

[Christos]

You probably gathered by now that Evanism is a Woodturner. :U

Are you thinking of getting back into wood turning?

[NathanaelBC]

Are you thinking of getting back into wood turning?

Nah, not for the sort of projects I have in mind; no need. Right now my focus is on DIY/renovation style work … garden beds, vertical garden beds, containers, stairs, trellis for climbers, deck extensions, chook run, desks and benches etc.

[Jim59]

Welcome to the forum. Re equipment, ask your wife if she'd like new solid wood kitchen cupboards. Will cost about $10k+ to get them done by a cabinetmaker or $2k for spotted gum from AJAA in Queanbeyan and then you can spend a few thousand on Festool equipment and fancy router bits and everyone's happy. That's what I did! (Plus I'm rapt every time I walk in the kitchen).

Have bought every brand of equipment over the years and still buy ozito or other cheapies if using only occasionally (eg reciprocating saw). Most of my stuff is Makita but started buying Festool a couple of years ago and it's nice to know these tools will outlast me.

[crowie]

Welcome to the forum. Re equipment, ask your wife if she'd like new solid wood kitchen cupboards. Will cost about $10k+ to get them done by a cabinetmaker or $2k for spotted gum from AJAA in Queanbeyan and then you can spend a few thousand on Festool equipment and fancy router bits and everyone's happy. That's what I did! (Plus I'm rapt every time I walk in the kitchen).

Have bought every brand of equipment over the years and still buy ozito or other cheapies if using only occasionally (eg reciprocating saw). Most of my stuff is Makita but started buying Festool a couple of years ago and it's nice to know these tools will outlast me.

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum "Jim".
There are quite a few members in and around Canberra.....
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP [Work In Progress] photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork...
Cheers crowie

Love to see that kitchen......