Bored today

[country gent]

Well not firearm related but thought you gentleman might like this. A few of us can remember playing with these also. I was bored today and the little harbor freight lathe was sitting there bored also. Dug out a piece of 1 3/8" poplar dowel rod. Ground up a nice basic turning tool ao a piece of 3/8 square HSS and honed it down with a nice radius. Cut 3 pieces of the dowel 2" long and faced them square. Turned up 3 thumb tops you spin snapping your fingers About 1 7/16 body dia nice little 3/8 stub with the point and a 1/8" shank to spin them with. Sanded them down and broke all the edges. working an oil finish into them now. They spin real good and look good and are getting better looking. Light enough they shouldn't damage surfaces either.
The 3 grandsons will be happy tomorrow. ( 7 5 and 1 1/2)

Here shortly Ill find some bigger pieces and make yo-yos.

[jeepyj]

That sounds like a fun project but the real fun is spending time with the young ones and teaching them old school style fun. Congratulations

[country gent]

Even more fun is passing on the skills of working with their hands making things. Here awhile back the oldest wanted a base ball bat. I had a 2 1/2 X 2 1/2 square piece of cured ash that was just a little short to finish for an adult bat. We took a Sunday found the centers and mounted it up in the wood lather and started turning. Little Jack sat there and watched eyes wide as the bat took shape and form. He didn't get to run any chisels gouges or cutting tools. But He did get to do some finish sanding both on and off the wood lathe, and see "His" bat made start to finish.
The real shame is that most youngsters can not measure or see a thing just buy it. Whittling carving and making things is a dying thing.

[dverna]

Whittling is too dangerous for little Johnny! We are in the 21st snow flake century.

I used to carry my pocket knife to school....boy am I old!

Cut myself s few times....good way to learn IMHO.

[country gent]

dverna, Most days I had a small pocket knife in each front pocket. If we were in wood shop we were expected to have a pocket knife for odds and ends and scribing lines. Whats unique is back then no one thought anything about it or was worried by it. And Speaking of wood shop in high school we made cross bows first from buggy seat springs from the ground up then from kits purchased. A few restocked rifles and shotguns thru the years. The engine classes and metal shop would rebuild school equipment as needed. Wonder how that would go over today, Little Johny rebuilding the schools mower. Or fixing lockers in the metal shop.

[CLAYPOOL]

Our country need "SHOP CLASSES" again. House building and the assorted trades to go with them. Dumb and no buddy can fix or build any thing. No young people do home repair around here. Only thing they can do is a smart phone.

[Walks]

I grew up around my DAD'S shopsmith. If it could be made, he made it. A Camp Kitchen modeled after the Old style type found on 19th Chuck WAGON. But with a Formica cover door/work surface. Free standing too.
Fitted lined Wood Cases for His/Our TRAP & SKEET guns.
PACHMAYR style Handguns Range Cases.

He even built takedown Adirondack Style Chairs for He & My MOM.

I inherited ABSOLUTELY none of his skill.
But I can still fix things around the house.

[Walks]

And I carried a pocket knife from 2nd grade at school all the way through High School Graduation. In fact I had it at H. S. Graduation.

So every day from 1961 - Sept 2001, left it at home to get on a plane or go into a Courthouse. I feel uncomfortable when I fly or have Jury Duty. As if I was walking around with only one shoe.

[Wayne Smith]

Soo...I've been turning mushrooms for years - look at your top and use you imagination.

Neighbor had a large branch fall from his oak tree and I told him I'd take care of it. Sawed it into length and noticed it was lichen covered - green and brown. Sliced it in half on my band saw, planed the saw cut flat, drilled holes for candles and made some mushrooms from smaller parts of the limb. Made these with a tenon and drilled comparable holes and glued them on. Sprayed it well with Deft lacquer and he has a centerpiece for his table made from a limb from his tree. Made one for LOML. Another for another set of grandparents and will be boxing it and sending it off tomorrow.

[shdwlkr]

dverna
have carried a knife of some sort for almost 50 years. The Army gave us a knife and when some accidents started happening the wanted them back. Sent mine home and was told that was fine.

[Handloader109]

I've had pocket knife in pocket almost my entire life. Had my last manager fuss at me when I whipped it out to open box to put out supplies. Only supposed to use worthless "safety" box cutters. To bad

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[Speedo66]

This projects would be great to see, pictures?

[Grmps]

I also never leave home without either a pocket knife or a multitool.

Kids need to learn that they can get hours of enjoyment from toys that don't have batteries or wifi

[country gent]

Avery ( 5 years old) has had his tops with him every time they have been over. Little Elijah ( 1 1/2) isn't playing with his much yet. The oldest Jack (7) plays with his some but the tablet takes precident.

[fiberoptik]

I carry typically 3 pocket knives at any time. My Mexican brother likes to tease me for it, but I always have the right blade for the job. Also no-one with any brains at all would ever want to try to mug me ……. !


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[oley55]

I carry typically 3 pocket knives at any time. My Mexican brother likes to tease me for it, but I always have the right blade for the job. Also no-one with any brains at all would ever want to try to mug me ……. !

wew! for a while I have been questioning my own carrying of three knives. I feel more normal now.

[MUSTANG]

Carried a knife since I was six (many decades ago). Used to work in a Federal Facility where you literally had to turn all your pockets out and put items in a "Storage Locker" before you could enter. So the knife went into storage every day. Then I went to my office, where I would take my Government Owned pocket knife out of the drawer and put it in my pocket, for use as required throughout the day. At the end of the day I put the Government Owned pocket knife in the drawer and reversed the procedure. Ohhh We'll - one should never question government logic.

[rking22]

Nice thing about country K-12 schools, most still have shop classes and agriculture classes. I have a pocket knife if I have a pocket and a neck knife if I don't have a pocket. Carried one ,at least, for the past 50 years and not likely to change. At work we are also supposed to use the safety knife, after watching some use them I can see why. No one says anything to me about using my personal knife, wouldn't Chang anything if they did. Too many now have absolutely no idea how to use the most basic tool. Both my daughter and wife carry pocket knives, my son never seems to have pockets. His is in his truck with his wallet, go figure.
Last time I got bored, I made a small wood gas cookstove. Interesting things, and useful!

[CastingFool]

I have to provide a gift for a white elephant gift exchange. See the attachment for my contribution. Don't know why the pic came out sideways.

[MUSTANG]

Beautiful White Elephant.