What do you do in Eastern Washinton

[Ray Bell]

When it is too cold and snowy to go Steelhead fishing. Well you try to stay out of your wife's way, and not drag too many chips in the house. The first lidded bowl was very punky spalted white pine, with a walnut top. Both finished with BLO, and WOP. For bling, a piece of gold dicroic glass was added to the top as an insert. This bowl is 6" tall by 6" wide.

The second lidded bowl was all walnut. The bowl had a couple of cracks which were filled with powdered copper. The insert in the knob is 1/16" copper which I dimpled with a hammer and nail. I don't really like this, and intend to replace it with a peened hammer insert. This bowl is 5-1/2" tall by 5" wide.

The third bowl is a baby. The bowl was from waste walnut, and the top from waste ash. The knob is walnut. My five year old Granddaughter asked me how I glued a Hershey's Kiss to the top LOL. This bowl is 3-1/2" by 5-1/4.

[David E Keller]

Looks like a lot more fun than fishing in the snow! I like the copper insert idea... I may need to borrow that at some point.;)

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Staying from underfoot and then making some lidded bowls, looks like a good thing to do Ray ;-))

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice work! I like your ideas for adding different materials to the top as accents! Pretty cool!

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Very cool Ray, I really like that white pine the most. Good Job.:)

[John Keeton]

You are a smart man, Ray Bell!! Staying out of the way is one of my best skills - well honed over the years!:D

Nice work on all of these, and some neat ideas on the insets.

[bob svoboda]

Hey Ray, I knew we had something in common when we met last summer - survival skills! :D Very nice job on those turnings-really like the creative insets. Stay Warm!
Bob

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice looking Ray. I do like the accents. Great job on staying out of the way and out of the cold. Like John that is what I do best now days.

[Rick Robbins]

i'm a custom callmaker on the wetside. will be attempting to call a cougar in in the blue mountain's by you in Jan. or calling coyotes on the sage Flat's. using my call's. those are nice looking. yesterday i went to seattle and the wife went shopping. my wife Had a nice shop built for me maybe that how she keep's me out her way. when i'm turning i'm smiling. yes i'm a wood and turng aholic. agian nice Bowl's and Lid's.:) Rick

[Ray Bell]

Thanks all, sounds like we all have the survival mode down pat.
Christopher, that white pine bowl was a real challenge. I just about tossed it a couple of times. It was very punky. It has several coats of wood hardener, and a lot of CA, and coffee grounds. I am just stubborn enough to keep on keeping on though.

[Rich Aldrich]

Ray,

Nice work. Do you normally start with green wood or do you start with dry wood to make lidded bowls?

[Ray Bell]

The walnut was a little damp but was no problem with cracking. Of course if there is any eventual warpage that could get pretty ugly. The lid isn't going to fit so good:)

[Ray Bell]

i'm a custom callmaker on the wetside. will be attempting to call a cougar in in the blue mountain's by you in Jan. or calling coyotes on the sage Flat's. using my call's. those are nice looking. yesterday i went to seattle and the wife went shopping. my wife Had a nice shop built for me maybe that how she keep's me out her way. when i'm turning i'm smiling. yes i'm a wood and turng aholic. agian nice Bowl's and Lid's.:) Rick

Rick, where do you hunt in the Blue's. I have spent quite a bit of time up there. Used to have a cabin on the S Fork of the Touchet. I have seen two cougars while deer hunting. Good luck with the calling.

[Mike Cruz]

From the title, I thought you meant "What to do while visiting Eastern Washington DC", and my response was going to be keep you head low and your eyes open. But, I see you are talking about Washington State in the winter...

Anyway, beautiful stuff. Thanks for sharing them.

[Duff Bement]

They all look great Ray, glad to see you are getting shop time. I have only turned one box after my return from Spokane. Did any of the stuff you saw at the Jimmy Clews demo help? Hope you had a good holiday.

[Paul Douglass]

Nice work Ray. Think it is ever going to thaw around here?

[Ray Bell]

They all look great Ray, glad to see you are getting shop time. I have only turned one box after my return from Spokane. Did any of the stuff you saw at the Jimmy Clews demo help? Hope you had a good holiday.

Thanks Duff, I didn't get to stay for the whole day in Spokane for the Clewes demo, but the one thing I picked up from him in the short time I was there was Turn Faster!! Being fairly new at this, I am always afraid to turn things up, but since the demo I have changed my habits. I have been turning it up into the 1000's after every thing is fairly round, and what a difference. Much smoother cuts.

[Ray Bell]

Nice work Ray. Think it is ever going to thaw around here?

I don't know Paul. The weather person keeps predicting high 30's, but he seems to lie a lot.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving in Portland. Did Amy, and Patrick cook for you?

[Paul Douglass]

I just wanted to add, I saw Ray's bowls in person yesterday and the only thing I see wrong is Ray's picture taking. Don't take offense Ray, but the pictures just don't do them justice. They are much nicer in person. Time to build yourself a little photo box. The one with the glass insert is really much prettier than what the pictures shows. Some great work on Ray's part.

Darn it's snowing AGAIN!!!

[Ray Bell]

Thanks Paul, I do need to learn how to take better pictures.
Well that snow has now changed to freezing rain, not good. It is supposed to snow again tonight, so we will have a layer of snow, a layer of freezing rain, with a new layer of snow on top. I will be spending all day tomorrow in the shop;)

[Mark Hubl]

Those look good Ray. I love your integration of glass and metal in the pieces. Very nice.

[John Altberg]

Thanks Duff, I didn't get to stay for the whole day in Spokane for the Clewes demo, but the one thing I picked up from him in the short time I was there was Turn Faster!! Being fairly new at this, I am always afraid to turn things up, but since the demo I have changed my habits. I have been turning it up into the 1000's after every thing is fairly round, and what a difference. Much smoother cuts.

Glad you guys made it to our demo with Jimmy Clewes. I, too, am getting the nerve to speed it up! What a difference! I am also using two 1/4" bowl gouges, now. I am getting the hang of the micro grind and the quick sweep through the middle to finish the cut. My sanding time is being reduced exponentially.

John

[Ray Bell]

John, thank you and your club for hosting Clewes. It is probably as close to seeing him that I will ever get, and Duff came all the way from Wisconsin!

[Duff Bement]

Glad you guys made it to our demo with Jimmy Clewes. I, too, am getting the nerve to speed it up! What a difference! I am also using two 1/4" bowl gouges, now. I am getting the hang of the micro grind and the quick sweep through the middle to finish the cut. My sanding time is being reduced exponentially.

John
And a thank you from me as well . I truly enjoyed Jimmy,s demo. The hospitality of the local club and the Woodcraft staff was second to non. It apperes to me that wood-turners are just about the same the world over. Friendly, willing to share, help in any way, and full of BS.:D It truly was a pleasure to get to meet you and a bunch of you gang, maybe the next time I make it out that way I will try to grace you with my presence:rolleyes:. It just goes to show the :
"Creek" draw the best kind of people. Thanks to all of you who make this a GREAT place all year long.
Duff

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Well Congrats to all 3 of you! How did I miss the Jimmy Clewes demo? I must have slept through that Woodcraft announcement.

Nick, Rosemary and Dennis and the rest of the gang at the Spokane Woodcraft Store are, indeed, fine folks!

[Ray Bell]

Oops, sorry Duff you are in Minnesota, not Wisconsin:o