Slingshots and Romaine

These 2 slingshots were part of the trimming up we did a few weeks back.

And food production is still going strong here in PA well into December. We had a wonderful dinner of sautéed swiss chard last night and Daniel promises me that we'll have baby carrots for Christmas dinner, yum!

Simon supervises work in the green house.

Four New Slingshots

Can you tell we did some pruning? The top left is my husbands work.

Holly Lends Itself to Burnishing

My new favorite wood to work with.

I tend to dislike anything that stabs me in the garden...

 but now I have a new appreciation.

While working with the holly Y's I noticed the wood was very different, it tended to fray especially when I filed it.

But I also noticed, when it was rubbed hard, it shined as though it had a gloss coat on it. 

Wow, so I kept rubbing! I used cut-offs of the holly at first... 

 but then got the job done with a big screw driver!

On the left, white and frayed and on the right shiny and smooth.

I wish all wood was like this!

What Do You Do With Skateboard Cutoffs?

You make slingshots of course.

Togetherness

Daniel and I miss our son very much but we're keeping his fire burning here until he returns.

The greenhouse was his homeschool project but it's so important now as our fall/winter garden!

In the basement we're continuing his work, Daniel with skateboards and me with slingshots. We work side by side on the bench Daniel just resurfaced for me.

Daniel and Gilbert had some trouble with the skateboard deck glue up but Daniel has that nailed now. Links to their previous deck making below:

http://www.karenmakesstuff.com/2011/09/making-skateboard-mold.html

http://www.karenmakesstuff.com/2011/12/skateboard-mold-progress.html

They needed padding on either side of the veneers when it was in the mold. $5 yoga mats from the Five and Below did a great job. Above is a template Daniel made from an old treadmill belt. I found him the template dimensions online at: BoardPusher

Here's my jack pot, our neighbor across the street had some bushes and trees cut down. I visited over there with my garden loppers!

Daniel's ready to cut boards out, he has three waiting. I'll show you his progress later.

Did Done Finished

When did I post about these last? Finishes take a while, I did 4 in tung oil and 2 got a light cherry stain and a clear poly top coat. There's a lot of cutting and punching of holes that needs to be done. Last step is tying on bands, it will take me a while to get used to this part!

This is all of them, the white one will go to my friend... I won't say why she needs it.

After doing this myself I understand what Gil put into his, it's a lot of work!

But most rewarding!

I Picked Up

Where He Left Off.

I just discovered that I like making slingshots.

Gil needed more slingshot supplies which was going to cost some money.

He left many undone Y's laying around when he left for the farm. So I started working on them.

I rather like it but my fingers hurt after two days of it.

Here's some of Gil's slingshots that I banded, you see I have banding skills also. These went out to an Etsy buyer.

The ones I'm making will pay for Gil's supplies.

Mommy Slingshots

On Saturday I showed you the project Gilbert left me before he went back to the farm. I wonder what he'll think of these babies!!! I'm shipping a package up to him today and I'm including the big one.

I used Patina paints, base coat and 2 sponge on colors. It's really the bands I pleased about though!

Up til now Gil has always put the bands on... not this time. He had showed me the technique for wrapping bands around the slingshot using a crochet hook but I was more concerned about the knots on either side of the leather pouch. He had showed me a knot but I couldn't remember what it was. I must have spent a good hour looking up best, strong, tight, non loosening any term I could think of for knots with no luck. Finally I found one I thought I could use, it's called the Double Fisherman's Knot. On top of that I used a Surgeons Knot. I don't think those knots are going anywhere!!!

He Left Me A Project

Gilbert left last weekend to work on the farm for a month. He also left me with instructions to sand and paint his slingshots.

All I can say is, he will either love them or hate them when I'm done! Stay tuned.

Slingshot Rack

As promised!

Paws With Claws

I'm starting to feel like I'm getting somewhere now. It's hard getting two paws to look alike and to be the same density.

But it's time to attach them!

I also finished up another bag for the well dressed hunter/target shooter!