Cuttin' blanks....and out for a few days

[Ken Hill]

:(

This morning was just beautiful, crisp, no wind and sunshine. I woke the neighborhood up at 7 am with the sound of my Stihl as I started working on more bowl blanks. My intentions were to cut atleast 50 or so and I started with some Maple and then was planing on doing more crotches.

I dropped my magic marker and went to pick it up and bammmm....back went out:( I crawled from the woodlot the house and took a few hours of the heating pad and some muscle relaxers. Maybe if I take the rest of the day and relax I can get back after the wood tomorrow.

So now that I am laid up, you folks better get some good discussions going here to keep me occupied. I LOATHE sitting still but it looks like alot of reading is in my immediate future!

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Calls/CMR3078/1107346032_HGmAp-L.jpg

[Ted Calver]

Ken,
My sympathies. I did the same darned thing a few months back. Just bent over to pick up a blank and couldn't get back up. Rest and muscle relaxers work for me...but it takes a week.

[John Keeton]

Ken, I really feel for you!! Used to have back spasms - a lot!! Would put me down for days. Lost some weight, started exercising - and, became more careful. Don't have near as many occurrences now.

Hope you are back at it soon! Walking really helped me work mine out.

[Ken Hill]

I will be back at it tomorrow, I have to be! Still a week of deer hunting then Bear camp plus wood wood wood! I put off things last year and got hammered by 60 inches of snow so this year, hurt or not, im moving ahead...just at a slower pace:( I can stand not making it in my treestand, ive already got a nice buck and the kids will fill the freezer but sitting around is teh worst!

[Ken Hill]

Ken, I really feel for you!! Used to have back spasms - a lot!! Would put me down for days. Lost some weight, started exercising - and, became more careful. Don't have near as many occurrences now.

Hope you are back at it soon! Walking really helped me work mine out.


John, that is exactly what hits me. Ive been fortunate, last time it went out was 2007 I believe and I was down for almost a week. Usually i feel it coming on and rest myself, I think today the cold air and no warm up got me. Ive lost almost 50 pounds in the past 2 years for the sole purpose of helping my back and it has helped....not much on excersing on purpose, but those that have been here can tell you I dont work light LOL!

[Nathan Hawkes]

Ken, I'm right there with you today, and the past few days. Rest and muscle relaxers! I'm going stir crazy as well--not fun to have to sit around and do nothing, but better than it could be, I suppose. Good luck to you!

[Ken Hill]

Thanks Nathan. If fit was crappy out then I wouldnt feel so bad, but man what a day!

Sounds like you have about the same condition...get well soon as well!

[Richard Madden]

Back in my younger days I hung drywall for a living. You would pick up a 12 or 14 ft. sheet and run with it. Never had a back problem until one day, trying to do something by myself that I shouldn't have, and...bang, there went my back. Had to practically crawl to the truck, and driving was painful, in fact breathing was painful. Thought my drywall days were over, but after a couple of days rest I went right back to it. Later, because of recurring incidents, a chiropractor x-rayed and said I have a herniated disc and a degenerated disc. Since then, I've helped keep that chiropractor in business. I don't go to him continuously, only when needed, like right now...three times a week, soon to drop to two. Thank God for insurance. Hope yours heals quick. I used to put heat on my back, but I was told ice is better. Helps to reduce inflamation. Seems to help mine.

[Ken Hill]

I have three disc's in trouble as well Richard. They sent me to a backcracker back in the mid 90's...and after xrays will not touch me!

I have shoulder issues (severe) that I believe has saved my back the past few years as I have no strength left in them, so that keeps me from being a "Heman" like I used to be in my younger days:cool:

[Baxter Smith]

Sorry to hear about your back. I have had more than a few horizontal days. Staying completely horizontal for awhile (not in a computer chair;) or slouched on the couch watching TV) then walking helps me the most. (Along with plenty of Ibuprofen) Just finished roughing out another piece of your walnut. Did a bowl shape then parted off the top. A similar design to a cherry lidded vessel I posted this summer. I am going to try some cat litter or floor dry if I can find the partial bag of clean stuff I have. It already seems relatively dry. I have already wrapped the outside rims with plastic like Jeff posted about.

[Ken Hill]

Cant wait to see it Baxter! There is more wood here if ya need it! I was planning on really stocking up on blanks today before I left for Bear camp and bad weather sets in. I dont mind hauling and processing firewood in nasty weather but dont think i could be Mr. Gentle with the saw in such conditions!

I would be tackling the Apple free form this evening but its the couch, heating pad and the lap top for me:( It is so nice out...I literally tried to get the wife to drag the couch outside haha! Being cooped up blows!

[Ken Hill]

Forgot...the cat litter/shop absorbant sounds legit to me. It would retain moisture and draw it from the blank creating conditions I think would be very ideal for slowly drying a blank. It is on my list of things to try for sure!

The plastic, is that to be used without newspaper or over the newspaper? I have several rough outs wrapped in paper and plastic with teh center removed.....seems to be doing very well

[Baxter Smith]

Forgot...the cat litter/shop absorbant sounds legit to me. It would retain moisture and draw it from the blank creating conditions I think would be very ideal for slowly drying a blank. It is on my list of things to try for sure!

The plastic, is that to be used without newspaper or over the newspaper? I have several rough outs wrapped in paper and plastic with teh center removed.....seems to be doing very well
I wasn't going to bother to take a picture of the roughout but if it will help keep you entertained...:D
Went back out to the shop and took off the plastic wrap.
168627
Reed Gray advises using the plastic wrapped around the edges of his turned thin bowls. I have started doing it but still put things in bags in cool places. I put some wrap around this one just because the edges were thinner than the rest of it and maybe that will help the thinner edge from drying faster. Weighed the blanks
168628
then added cat litter. My unused bag of floor dry is somewhere in the barn along with........Figured I hadn't better use the recycled stuff I use to soak up oil and gas spills.
I turned these to a little under 10% except for the edges. Will see what happens. Would probably work better with something thinner and it may not be appropriate for a fitted piece in a few weeks. Finishing it in time for Christmas may just be a whim anyway. Wouldn't even have considered it if the tree hadn't been down for a couple of years.

[Ken Hill]

They look sharp Baxter! Infact the wife is drooling over the cherry!

The 42 question, does teh kitty litter or shop absorbant offer any advantages over plain old wood chips? I would think maybe less chance of mold, maybe a better wicking and retruning of the outbound moisture?

I did peek at that piece of apple I turned, and had to CA glue two very small cracks but I believe it is just days away from being ready to finish out.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Ken,
Sorry you are laid up, especially during hunting season. Find a good doc and get some muscle relaxers. They help stop the spasms You'll be back on your feet in no time. Breaks my heart to think of all those blanks waiting for you to harvest but they will keep while you recover.
faust

[Bernie Weishapl]

Sorry to hear your back is out Ken. I did the same thing last year in the fall hossing logs around. I started a exercise program by going to the Activities center for aerobics and weight lifting. Lost about 35 lbs and sure do feel better. Haven't had anymore problems with the back so far.

[Ken Hill]

Thanks Bernie, I have been lifting less etc and doing my best to stay in shape.

I had a friend call a bit ago, said he had something for me. This is what he just dropped off!

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Calls/CMR3085/1107785084_Bfpxo-L.jpg

[Michael James]

Sorry to hear about the back. I've been blessed in that I've never hurt mine... I hope you're back up and at em, ASAP!
mj

[brian watts]

know how you feel for sure. had my back cut open 5 years ago on my L4 and L5 and it hurts all most ever day..but i figure how to get by now..

[Ken Hill]

They keep telling me im getting "close" to needing surgery but everyone is also telling me to put it off as long as possible. Everyone I know that has gone under the knife said they wish they had waited or not gone through with it.

[brian watts]

They keep telling me im getting "close" to needing surgery but everyone is also telling me to put it off as long as possible. Everyone I know that has gone under the knife said they wish they had waited or not gone through with it.


i understand that for sure but for me i waited to late and my nerves in my left leg got very bad and there no fixing that