Lost trades fair, Kyneton get together

[shanesmith80]

Home after a great weekend visiting the Lost Trades Fair.
Thanks to Fletty and Fencefurniture for a great weekend.
Thought the show had really improved on organisation from last year and was once again great to see skilled craftsman willing to show and share how they apply their trade.
Was also good to meet some forumites again, Doug3030 and Christos. And some for the first time Redbog and RayG. Although I must say I'm am still quite envious of RayG's sheds. And still in awe of that Granite slab.

My only regret for the whole weekend was not getting to see more of Benalla. (Some will understand).

cheers
Shane

[FenceFurniture]

Well what a hoot of a weekend! Shane & fletty were great company as always. We managed to pack an extraordinary amount into a few days, whilst admirably restricting ourselves to one Pub per day....but for varying lengths of time. Very fortunately, and despite enormous pressure from the back seat, we managed to avoid Benalla....twice.

Great to catch up with Christos on Friday, the Rutherglen winemakers, and then to our AirBNB destination in Bendigo. That was about as close as we could get as we booked rather late (Shane & I could see possibles dropping off during our chat as they were booked).

On the way to our destination in Quarry Hill (Bendigo) we passed a spectacular example of Federation splendour which was just glowing in the late light. By this time I was driving, so ....heavy application of brakes and swerving to park......
1. Bendigo Guesthouse 1.JPG 2. Bendigo Guesthouse 2.JPG

That is a Guesthouse but I forgot to write down the name.

It was only 45 minutes south to Kyneton on Saddy morning, easy to park about 2 mins walk to the gate, a short wait and then in we were with our pre-printed tickets. Bit of a chat to Terry & Colen, quick look at the Gunsmith who apparently doesn't reveal his Browning Solution techniques especially to passing riff raff like me, and a short chat with the guy who was painting backdrops and wood patterns.

Out in the main area there were all sorts of things going on, including, bugger me,

Blacksmithing
(one of two)
3. Blacksmith.JPG

A Cooper, and a guy planing (dunno what they were making)

4. Cooper.JPG 5. Planing.JPG


The Pole Lathe Guy (TPLG)

6. Pole Lathe 1.JPG 7. Pole Lathe 2.JPG

and The Plastering Guy (TPG)

8. Plaster.JPG



What was excellent to see was the young age of a great many of the Trades People, and also the attendees.

[FenceFurniture]

The Wheelwrights had a very large crowd around them. They had an Ironbark Bark fire going to heat the rim (see Doug's pic earlier). That heats up the rim to cherry red and expands it about 5-6mm so it can slip over the wooden wheel. Then carry it back to the wheel,

9. Wheelwright 1.JPG drop it over, and quench to shrink it on. 10. Wheelwright 2.JPG




So all the trades were great to see, but the absolute highlight for me was the Kyneton Street Band. I heard some salsa in the background, and that's always going to grab me. As their tractor beam reeled me in I realised that they weren't on stage but actually out at large in the crowd. So I spent about 20 minutes hanging around them before the French Polishing demo.

11. KSB 1.JPG 12. KSB 2.JPG 13. KSB 3.JPG

And, yup, that's a pair of dunny bowl brushes being used as drumsticks.

Sunday we dropped in on RayG to see his unbelievable shed(s). I had been there before four years ago, and figured that fletty & Shane would get a real kick out of the whole RayG experience. What I hadn't thought about was the electrical connection between fletty and Ray, and they very quickly sparked off a discussion that at times seemed to be coming from another planet, but I got the gist of some of it....

In fact, so amped up was their discussion that they had to keep some distance apart to avoid shorting each other.
14. fletty & RayG.JPG

Now see that large black table between and behind them? That's Ray's third Granite Reference Block which is 1800 x 1200 x 250mm......and it's flat to within one thou over the whole surface.

Then off to the Shepparton Wood Show 5 minutes away (picture 40 people in green t-shirts and lots of timber items for sale) where there were some excellent working models of Paddle Steamers.

Ray then very kindly took us to lunch at his favourite cafe, so thanks very much all round Ray, it was a thoroughly enjoyable visit as always!

Before we left for the Show Ray asked who would like some Walnut logs. At first we all said we probably wouldn't use them and Ray seemed to be disappointed that he was unable to shift a few off the property. He did some electronics work for a mate who paid him in Walnut logs from his orchard, and Ray prolly won't use them either, you see. Then I realised that I could give a couple to Skew_ChiDAMN!! who has just turned up some feet for my son's table, so I can pay it forward to Skew.

Of course this means that Ray has not done too well out of this chain transaction. All he's done is store a trip hazard for a few months, which is now slightly reduced in size. The answer of course is that maybe Skew can turn a small bowl for Ray out of the Walnut. The logs are 700 x 180 and 1000 x 200 (tapering down slightly) including the bark.

Maybe fletty might be able get a pic of them to post (seeings how I forgot to this morning)?

[Chesand]

I think the "guy planing" was building a double hung window frame using hand tools only.

[FenceFurniture]

..seven of us went to one of the pubs in Kyneton for some afternoon refreshments.

We spent a couple of hours telling tales and having fun. and spilling beer and queuing up again to get another serve of attitude

I would like to thank Fletty, Fencefurniture and Shanesmith80 for driving down from Sydney for the event and being great company on the day along with it.

Aww shucks Doug. It was great to catch up with you and Jools, Simplicity (briefly), Redbog and Sandra. We missed hurcorh, Dale, Dom, Tom, kuffy (but he was off looking for blacksmiths I think), and a few others that I haven't had a lot of interaction with.

[doug3030]

Before we left for the Show Ray asked who would like some Walnut logs. At first we all said we probably wouldn't use them and Ray seemed to be disappointed that he was unable to shift a few off the property. He did some electronics work for a mate who paid him in Walnut logs from his orchard, and Ray prolly won't use them either, you see.

This is why if ever I am "shed-touring" I always have a few boards/small logs in the back of the ute somewhere to use for a trade or a gift to a deserving host or whatever. It comes in handy more often than most people would think.

[Simplicity]

Aww shucks Doug. It was great to catch up with you and Jools, Simplicity (briefly), Redbog and Sandra. We missed hurcorh, Dale, Dom, Tom, kuffy (but he was off looking for blacksmiths I think), and a few others that I haven't had a lot of interaction with.

Brett.
As always a great write up review .
Apologies for the brief catch up I think what 1 1/2 min max.
We had intended to hit the pub and I wasn't even driving ,well I wanted too hit the pub that's is lol but well things just didn't pan out that way.
I'm hoping we get to see you next year same bad Chanel if not sooner.

Cheers Matt.

[FenceFurniture]

No prob Matt - ill people have to be looked after.

[fletty]

I think the "guy planing" was building a double hung window frame using hand tools only.

AA083FA2-6604-4A81-8F41-7B5B7C9A87D3.jpg F42992E4-B6EE-44DD-8188-589A0C1055D1.jpeg

...... yes and it was a joy to watch

[Pac man]

The Pole Lathe Guy (TPLG)

6. Pole Lathe 1.JPG 7. Pole Lathe 2.JPG

TPLG aka Jeff Donne aka the Spoonsmith

[FenceFurniture]

I think the "guy planing" was double hung

Has Jacquie Lambie got his email address?

[FenceFurniture]

The answer of course is that maybe Skew can turn a small bowl for Ray out of the Walnut.

Ray, Skew has accepted the challenge.

The logs are currently at fletty's (coz I wasn't going to carry them on 2½ hours worth of 4 trains ). They'll wind their way up here when either fletty comes up to see his sister, or maybe Tony finds himself around Camden town, or summink else. I will be at fletty's place with a vehicle fairly soon I expect, but there's a slight problem. Lola has purchased a new (to her) car, and ahhh, timber is only allowed in it by stealth, which can be read as "Walnut in car means Mynutz in vise".

I suppose I could wrap at least one log in two towels and deliver them straight to Skew and nobody would know the difference? As long as my mates all swore to silence, of course.....

[Chesand]

Sorry I did not get to catch up with you guys. We probably passed one another at some stage during the morning without knowing it.
Up until Friday night, I was intending to go to Bendigo on the Saturday and Kyneton on Sunday but a broken tooth changed that as I was able to get an appointment on the Sat afternoon to have it fixed
Glad you had a great weekend down here

[RayG]

Hi Brett, It was a pleasure having yourself, Alan and Shane for a visit yesterday, having cleaned up the workshop for the visit, now I can't find anything but it's nice having a bit of clean benchtop space for a change.

Thanks for the pictures of the Kyneton show, it looks like it would be well worth a trip. In any event I think everyone needs to try a tumeric almond milk latte at least once.

Good news about the walnut, tell Skew I've got some more if he wants.

Thanks for taking the time to drop in, we should do it again.

Ray

EDIT: I forgot to mention. I looked it up. Yes, it's a real thing. Turmeric Almond Milk Latte — balance with b

[FenceFurniture]

I'm hoping we get to see you next year same bad Chanel if not sooner.

Well I think we three will certainly be there next year, and there were a few that would liked to have gone but we started planning it a little bit late to account for previous engagements.

What with Ironfest, Wooddust, Woolongong Show, Sturt weekend......I think I'm going to have to write a program to keep track of it all and who wants to go to what.....

There are even dedicated Spoon Carving weekends, but if Pac Man thinks I'm going to go over to the darkest of dark and have Pen Turners look down on me..... well.....think again buddy.....

So I suppose I should ask what Walnut is like for Spoon Carving (I know of a secret stash)?