All write

Thanks for all your input, folks; both on and off the blog. You know how to make a gal embarrassed, so you do. Please stop now, or I'm going to be unable to write a word about anything owing to shocking self-consciousness.

Ooo, that last sentence is rather inelegant; has to be a better way of saying that. Where's the thesaurus and my copy of Fowler's?

Just kidding - not that self-conscious. Chucking the first thought I have down on paper will remain the order of the day. Dunno about you, but I've never seen an infinitive I didn't want to totally split.

Musing On The Musings

Gypsy Alf here, come to attempt to draw aside the misty veil that conceals the future - at least as it pertains to this blog. Cross my palm with silver and I will tell all.

No? Oh well, in that case I will just put forward some things and see what the reader thinks.

First up, thank you for the various comments along the lines of "Don't go" which I wasn't fishing for, honest - I'm touched. Arguably you're touched too - in the head. Heaven's, kids, you had a chance to get me to shut up. You may yet regret that... ;)

Secondly, I really don't see myself giving up the blogging habit entirely, whatever else I decide. The need to spew forth quantities of nonsense periodically seems to be a chronic condition that I'm unable to cure.

Now to the nub of the thing. The crux, if you will. It's in two parts.

Nub Number Numb One.

I'm not doing any wooodworking. I don't know that you realise this, but this is supposed to be a woodworking blog, and it's really tricky to keep that general trend when you're not doing any. My problem is I can only see this getting worse - my w'shop time has perforce always been sporadic anyway, but added to that my folks really aren't getting any younger. Not unreasonably they're needing more of my time and energy, which naturally I'm happy to give; but sitting in various waiting rooms while they see assorted medicos for this and that does not good blogging material make.

Unless this was a blog about aquaria; then I'd be laughing. Every waiting room in Cornwall appears to have a fish tank. Is it some kind of regulation? Is the soporific effect of watching little Nemo going round in circles really supposed to make me fail to notice that I'm growing into the painfully ill-padded chair seat?

But I digress. (Surprise. But seriously - more padding, fewer fish!)

Crux The Second.

I'm not reading about any woodworking either. The blog came about as a result of wanting a more instant place to put stuff than the website; and the website came about from things that cropped up during forum discussions. Currently I have no woodworking forum I call home; ergo not a lot of external inspiration to prompt blog posts. I find it's difficult to talk woodworking in a vacuum.

So, now I need a wee bit of feedback from the reader:

As you may have noticed, I've made an attempt to keep things ticking over by trying to semi-regularly post woodworking-related stuff I may inadvertently trip over. But honestly, is anyone interested? I'm not much - it's just work really, and if no-one else cares either, I'd be more than happy to knock it on the head. Discuss.

I'm currently sliding head first down a new-to-me Slippery Slope concerning the use, care, and feeding of the fountain pen. It's reminding me a lot of getting into old hand tools and I could probably feel moved to talk about it a bit. But really, that's getting waaaay off what you presumably came here for - woodworking.

So bottom line: are you here for the woodworking; or are you here - inexplicably - for the writing? 

Be brutal; I can take it. I have a crate of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate and a cuddly teddy bear on stand-by...

And the wotsit is...

As I write this, the quantity of wotsits guesses is a trifle low. I think I can feel a decision about this blog's future coming on, because I'm not convinced any of us are having any fun.

Anyway, the answer is... (insert drumroll here) A nib holder.

In what I believe is greenheart. Remind me not to use greenheart again - I sharpened the roughing gouge four times to complete this, which is ridiculous even allowing for my lack of turning competence.

You might recall I posted about making an effort to improve my handwriting back in June, and one of the ways to do that is to slow down. Trust me, nothing slows you down like using a dip pen. But I increasingly found the number of nibs I wanted ready to use far outweighed the number of holders I already had to hand - not helped by lucking upon a small selection of them at the car boot. And call me a tight-fisted woodworker, if you will (and heaven knows, it is a bit of a trait amongst the wood torturing fraternity), but I resented the thought of sending someone money for a stick that I had the means to make myself. So I have. A few times.

Front to back is the greenheart, pink ivory, muhuhu, and muhuhu/rosewood with a annoying decorative ring from the equally annoying pen turning kit I liberated the brass tube from to make the actual nib holder.

It's an on-going experimental thing of trying new shapes and sizes, and at least it's making use of some of those tiny pieces I hoard in my scrap box. Rather disappointingly it's seeming increasing like I should simply copy one of the plastic holders I already have, as it just seems to suit me. Figures.

For nib holders that are infinitely better turned and a lot more eye-catching, go Googling for "oblique pen holders". There are some real stunners out there.

Of course, after all that, it's too bad the handwriting hasn't improved more; my slopes are more varied than the answers to a "Which angle should I use for dovetails?" Hey ho.

Made a Wotsit

Got some w'shop time whilst my brother and sister-in-law were visiting, and made a... thing.

No, I'm not telling (or showing) you until you've had a guess. Reckon it's pretty easy, but then it would be for me - I know the answer.