Bill's Happy Place

Our last couple of great weather days here in Vegas. Today and tomorrow in the 70's then it starts creeping up - will be 90 by the end of the week. It has been nice while it lasted.
Used my slow cooker again last night. Chicken breasts, can of black beans [rinsed], can of corn, can of stewed tomatoes and slices of jar of roasted peppers. Tasted really good. But I made way too much. Also had home bread with it. Today leftovers!
A while back I did part of a blog on Bill's old/new hobby. He is getting back into woodworking. That blog is here.
One of the reasons we stayed in Golden Valley, AZ was - on line Bill found a place that sold different - hard to find at good price - woods that he wants for his hobby. And here it is. It is only open Friday through Sunday. So we had to wait a while before he could go there. Looking through the fence we were wondering if it was the right place.

Sure didn't see any wood there.

Any way on Friday morning we had to go by here on our way to Chloride. The first person Bill saw as we walked in was the seller of the wood. He had two sheds full. One with red cedar and cherry, the other shed black walnut. Bill was grinning from ear to ear as he inspected both sheds. 

I think this is the cedar and cherry.

Checking the grain and patterns on the wood. 

The black walnut.

He didn't buy any when we first went here. So we went on to Chloride and stopped back on the way to the RV. Like a kid in a candy shop. The seller is cutting the board in half so they will fit in the Jeep. This guy was selling the wood for a quarter of what it would cost to buy it on line - sight unseen. [I see some more trips to Golden Valley in our future. Glad it is only 80 miles from home.]

First thing he did was redo the table I've been using for my glass projects. Put a more solid and smooth top on it. 

Here is most of the wood that he bought. It smells so good in the garage now. 

Showing me what the wood looks like when rubbed with mineral oil. Really brings out the grain and color. 

This is a piece of the black walnut - half of it with the mineral oil on it. Got to admit it is pretty. 

This picture is not really good as it is a picture of two pictures of some wood working Bill did when we were in Indiana. They actual items were about 2 1/2 by 4 1/2. All made out of pieces of different wood. They were beautiful - sold them when we left Indiana. 

Anyway - here he is starting small. Just to get back in the grove of using the machinery. A squirrel...

And a cat.

Trimming up the cat.

Just took a couple pics of the garage now.  He is working with a sander, down hat table are mostly every day tools. Until you get to corner - that is my area for my glass work.

My glass work on far left - continuing on to other side where his wood working machines are.

Both squirrel and cart have been trimmed.

And there they are painted and out on one of the pine trees out back. 

He found a pattern on line for a sunflower - my favorite flower. Here is a picture from the pattern book. It is completely made of wood. 

The pattern for it. It is a lot like working with the patterns for stained glass.

Getting ready to cut out the flower petals. 

 Cutting one of the petals. 

 He has rough cut the petals and the base of the flower pot. 

 Lots of work still left to do on them. He should be busy for quite a while. This morning it was only 50 degrees out so it was too cold for him to work out there. But I'm sure he'll be busy all afternoon. 

Right now I don't have any projects going. But hope to get some glass this week so I can make my lamp shades. 
Started this yesterday so will finish it now. Bill is progressing on the sunflower. It is I guess 2 dimensional - the back is flat and it will hang on the wall.

A few minutes ago a big truck pulled up front and stopped. Bill went flying out to the garage...
Another new machine - a planer - has arrived. 

 He'd already built the stand for it. I can hear it running now. 
Boys and their toys!