What A Great Day

[James Combs]

This was an awesome day. :DLots of sunshine and I got to work most of the day in my shop. It actually got up to 60* inside the shop, a very workable temp.:cool: I finished hooking up my dust collector to my new Rikon 14" and then made a couple of pens. First time in weeks that I have been able to work in the shop and not freeze.

Yes I know the pens are pregnant looking but they were ordered that way by the customer. So whats a body to do but what the customer wants, right?:)

One uses a commercial dynawood blank and the other is cedar cut form a downed tree on a friends farm. The finish is 3 coats of crystal coat and one coat of the Hut gloss stick.

I am not sure why, perhaps it is the oil content of cedar but I can't get it to shine like ofter woods. I was going to CA it for the first coat but forgot it.:(

[Bernie Weishapl]

James those are some great looking pens. Glad you got to have some time in the shop. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't get in the shop for weeks.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice looking pens James! Your customer will be pleased!

Congrats on the warm temps! Got a little over 40* here today and the snow pack is dropping rapidly. According to the news tonight we are down to only 39" on the ground! Most years at this time we would have considerably more than that!

[Rich Stewart]

Try buffing that cedar. I have some bowls that were buffed only and they came out really shiney.

[John Keeton]

Nice work, JD, and yes the weather is great. Today thru Monday should be even better!

On the cedar, I have only done a couple of things with it, but I think it is so soft that it is hard to get a build of a finish on it. The oil may also be a hindrance.

[David E Keller]

Nice work on the pens. Sometime wiping oily woods down with acetone prior to finishing helps me get a better shine. Cedar has always be a tough finish for me.

[James Combs]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all comments especially the fact that they are positive .