All of these shots are from the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, 2008.
Halema’uma’u Crater. Shot taken from the Volcano House.
Archive for October 2013
Earth Should Not Steam … Right? 6 comments
I’m Disappointed 2 comments
I’m disappointed that our tax dollars had to pay for this sign.
Last Saturday, all admissions to the National Parks and other national properties were FREE to celebrate National Public Lands Day.
Today, all admissions are impossible, as all national properties are closed due to the budget impasse.
OF COURSE it’s a game.
I’m disappointed in the Republicans, who refuse to allow Obamacare to move forward … after it passed.
I’m disappointed that this entire battle is apparently being fought over Obamacare … but that implementation of that program began today, unimpeded by the government shutdown.
I’m disappointed in the Democrats, who refuse to accept any responsibility for the impasse. Don’t two people or, in this case, two parties, have to disagree to have an argument?
I’m disappointed in the President, who doesn’t feel this is his problem.
I’m disappointed in the President, who isn’t fulfilling his promise to work closely with both sides.
I’m disappointed that negotiation by terrorism is now the normal state of business in Washington. When you don’t agree with what the other side gets passed … you blow it up.
I’m disappointed in all of the state legislatures that approved their own state’s voting districts after the 2000 and then the 2010 census, making an ever-increasing number of US House seats unwinnable for the opposing party … meaning that the legislators have nothing to fear with ever more strident posturing.
I’m disappointed that all of the “furloughed” government workers won’t be paid for today … until they’re allowed to make it up later. The US public loses, either way.
I’m disappointed that people are on vacation, and suddenly not allowed to visit national properties. Trips planned for months … lost.
I’m disappointed that blaming the other side is more important than good governance.
I’m disappointed that historians are pointing to the legislative deadlock preceding the Civil War as the closest thing to the “dancing on the precipice” politicking that we are seeing today. And 152 years ago, that disagreement hurt everyone. Everyone.
I’m disappointed that I have no idea how to make it better.
I’m disappointed that I’ve lost my sense of humor about national politics.
I’m disappointed.
I’m disappointed that the US Department of the Interior tweeted this photo today, showing that Yellowstone National Park is closed.
Making A Snowman 9 comments
I’m not a turner … but I do know something about a router.
Routed bowls. Challenge accepted.
You start with a sandwich of wood: the template screwed into the blank on top, and the wood glued up underneath. The total blank is 19″ x 12″ for this piece. The blank is about 2-1/2″ thick, with a top layer of walnut and a bottom layer of 8/4 red oak.
Use a drill press and a forstner bit to “hog out” the waste inside the shape of the bowl.
Here’s the beginning. The yellow funnel is for the dust collection system, which sucks away the debris during the drilling.
Lots of holes. Go slow; I used a 1-1/2″ bit, so I was removing a lot of waste with each hole.
Here’s the snowman, drilled out to reveal the walnut top and the red oak bowl underneath.
Clamp the bowl down so you can route the bowl shape using a router.
The router has an oversized lexan baseplate installed for this operation.
The cutting edge of the router bit removes the waste while a bearing above the cutters rides on the template to guide the operation.
Carefully follow the template to remove the waste and leave a smooth edge.
Keep the feed rate steady … slow enough to get good results and fast enough to not burn the wood.
Route down to the finished depth of the bowl. Be careful to now route too deeply … ruining the bowl and biting into into the workbench.
Take off the template and trace the outer edge of the bowl.
Use a bandsaw to slice away the wood that isn’t the bowl.
Here’s the head of the snowman after sanding and finishing with walnut oil.
You can never just make just one. Most of these pieces are walnut and red oak. The 4 section bowl is walnut and hard mable. The all brown small, oblong bowls are koa.
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