The abyss busted my budget........or how I

[Ken Fitzgerald]

spent Saturday........

Beautiful sunny but cold Saturday here......What you say.....A new Woodcraft store opened in Spokane?..............That's only 110 miles away......Road trip..........Road trip..........

My neighbor and I left town about 1030 and arrived at the new Woodcraft store in Spokane about 1:00 pm after a pit stop enroute.

So many toys..........so little money.........Hey....that's what they make those little plastic cards for so.......................

I added to my collection........an extention bed for my Jet Mini VS.....now it'
ll turn salmon bonkers out to 40 inches long!

A diamond grinder truing tool for my Wolverine grinder jig...........

A metal stand for the grinder.................

an angle gauge for gauging the grind on gouges, etc.

A set of calipers to be used just for turning............

A plastic centerfinder.......................

I ran over my turning budget and got into my shop budget...................

A photo is included to satisfy the Photo Cops!........

Round trip travel .........about 240 miles......saw over 40 whitetail deer, over 200 elk, over 40 wild turkeys, over 30 hawks.........sun shining snow on the ground.........beautiful blue sky..........northern Idaho mountains and farm land..........

I got to hold real bowl gouges in my hands and compare them to spindle gouges.........got to see some real turning tools! I lust ........I lust! Forgive me please!

[George Conklin]

Sounds like you had a real good time, Ken. Isn't Woodcraft the happiest place on earth?

George

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is super Ken. Great gloat. The center finder will serve you well. Now make some chips.

[Corey Hallagan]

Woah...he's out of control..LOL! Congrats, all great and useful tools! have fun!

Corey

[John Hart]

...I lust ........I lust! Forgive me please!

I'm just so proud of you Ken!!! Quite a haul. Don't worry about the Shop budget....you don't need it....Might well transfer the balance now over to the lathe.;)

Wow...Sounds like a beautiful day in my favorite place!!!:)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bernie...........My grinder shipped Wednesday for a Tuesday delivery. Those tools were getting so dull.......that intermittantly they pull or gouge out large areas of wood. I tried using a stone on them. I could true up the edges a little but they weren't as sharp as they need to be. I'll try again in the morning on some wet maple I have stashed. I can't wait for that grinder to get here. Like Stu........I'm getting antsy!

I really enjoyed looking at the various tools at Woodcraft! It's one thing to look at pictures but they don't compare to placing a bowl gouge beside a spindle gouge and saying.....Yup ....I understand the difference! It was also a chance to see part of a pen turning demonstration. I may rethink my attitude towards turning pens.....We'll see?

[Mike Ramsey]

Nice haul Ken, If the plastic doesen't hold out just post some flat
tools over in classifieds!! You don't need most of that stuff anymore
:D anyway!!!

[Jim Dunn]

Completely KER-SUCKED into the vortex.

[Cecil Arnold]

Ken, it didn't take long did it. So, as one of the newest to the dark side, what was it, the exotic curls, or just being sucked into the vortex? Congrats on your new stuff, I'm sure as soon as th eplastic gets recharged you'll be headed back to Spokane.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cecil.........I don't know what caused it....don't care.....I think it was something to do with the generosity of some special friends?

I called yesterday and checked to make sure that they had the bed extention in stock. I talked with one of the two owners. He told me if I made it up there today (I wasn't sure what the weather would be like today) to ask for him. I got there and told him the story of the BOMBING run! He was thrilled. He introduced me to his son who's also working there. I made future arrangements whereby I could call them, place an order and they'd ship it to me! I can't wait for the grinder. It's the one thing that's keeping me from being out there turning some maple right now......sharp tools....in my humble opinion and based on little experience........it is one of the most important requirements.....

[Karl Laustrup]

I added to my collection........an extention bed for my Jet Mini VS.....now it'
ll turn salmon bonkers out to 40 inches long!


ALLLLLL RIGHT KEN!

Perhaps you could start selling them to tourists. I'll bet you could dazzle certain people from Maine and they'd buy several of them not even knowing what they're for or how to use them. ;) :D

Congrats on the gloat.

Karl

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Karl.....if you haven't updated your thread..........I'm not talking to you!:rolleyes: :D

[Curt Fuller]

That 'a boy Ken. That's what its all about. Burn a little gas, drop a little cash. That's what keeps this old world spinning!

[Travis Stinson]

Outstanding Ken! You should be getting the feeling that the turning budget trumps all by now.;)

[Chip Sutherland]

Do you guys really have allocated budgets? I'm missing out. I need to work that out with the LOML somehow...she gets the hairdo w/highlights, manicure, pedicure, tanning bed and a maid....that's a good $280/month. But she does do the laundry, shopping, pay the bills, etc.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) I have a Woodcraft 20 miles, a Rockler 30 miles and Curly Woods 7 miles from my house. Even half of her spending is $140/month....:rolleyes:

[Corey Hallagan]

You need to do some bargaining there Chip. I don't have a budget really. I do most of the cleaning while she is out running etc. I clean the bathroom, vaccum, dust etc. Whatever it takes. It helps when it comes time for... Honey care if I order this.... :)

corey

[Andy Hoyt]

.... I'll bet you could dazzle certain people from Maine and they'd buy several of them not even knowing what they're for or how to use them....l

Darn right I would. Ken, make mine 67" long. Extra length is for use at low tide.

[Karl Laustrup]

Darn right I would. Ken, make mine 67" long. Extra length is for use at low tide.

Oh, you sneaky devil Andy. :D

Me thinks that might require a Oneway or Poolewood or........................

Karl

[Paul Douglass]

Wow! A woodcraft store in Spokane! That's only a 2 hour drive for me! Got a brother-in-law that live in Rathrum (sp) right next to Spokane. Maybe my wife would like me to take her to visit her brother! Only problem, I don't have a budget for anything right now.

[Tyler Howell]

So sad.:eek:
Another precious soul is lost to spin crack.
Travels hundreds of miles and spends the rent money on an evil drug that will never satisfy. So So Sad.:(:(

[Andy Hoyt]

.... an evil drug that will never satisfy.....
But Ty, haven't you noticed how happy we are all the time. We like being hooked.:D

[Keith Burns]

Oh, poor Ken, this is just the beginning. You might as well get another credit card or two as you're going to need them:D :D

[Jim Dunn]

I wonder if you can score a bowl gouge in an alley, at midnite, in downtown??

[Tom Crockett]

Well Ken, I'm really glad there is a Woodcraft in Spokane now too, but oh no, they carry all kinds of jaw chucks. That is going to be hard to stay away from as that is next on my list, and dang, they are 4 miles away!!!! It would be fun to set a day to meet a bunch of us "locals" there to do some shoppin and BS'n some day. When I was wandering around there Saturday, I wondered how many folks I knew, but had never met in person.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Tom............I was there Saturday between 1 and 2:30 pm..........I'm a large guy .......white hair..........blue mountain parka.........We should meet there sometime......maybe grab lunch.........