Rain Rain Go Away

June 15, 2018 - Friday

62 degrees/clouds/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Only one word is needed to describe today: rain.

Almost two-and-a-half inches have fallen since 8:30 this morning. Thankfully, Sargie left just before the first of many storms came roaring through and kept ahead of the front all the way to Iron Mountain. She walked into the Vision Center warm and dry.

I spent the entire day in the shop. The first couple of hours were spent charring the letters. Just one more line remains and they'll be done. The end is getting closer.

Mississippi Brother Garry attended a lathe turning workshop in Jackson, Mississippi, on Thursday. He wrote early this morning excited about what he'd learned. His enthusiasm was infectious.

Yooper Brother Mark had brought some 4x4 hickory boards back from Kentucky several months ago. The wood has been drying and having caught Garry's enthusiasm, I decided to turn a small bowl.

Things were going well until the lathe made a horrible noise then suddenly quit. Blue smoke filled the room and the smell wasn't pleasant. To make a long story short, the one-third horsepower motor burned... fried... flamed out. 

As the kids used to say, it's toast.

My poor mini lathe isn't made for many of the bowls and other goodies I've used it for. Generally speaking, it's made for turning spindles and smaller objects like pens. Bowls made from hard wood like maple and hickory aren't really in its job description.

I'll price a replacement motor over the next few days. Failing that, I'll simply wait until I can afford the new, larger, unit that I've been planning to purchase at some point in the future.

Yooper Brother Mark dropped by this afternoon. Back from his plant in Kentucky, he dropped off several great looking hickory boards. They'll be stacked and given several months to a year to dry before I begin working with them. They should make some beautiful bowls and platters.

Sargie was home early this afternoon. We ran a few errands in town, but since it was so rainy, we shortened our usual ride.

The storms are making quick work out of the peonies.

This evening has been a quiet one. Sargie closes tomorrow, her last day of work before she begins a weeklong vacation. 

With more rain in the forecast, I'll probably end up in the shop. If nothing else, I'll take the motor off the lathe and go online to see if a replacement is practical.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Sargie and I came across this guy crossing a gravel road during our drive this afternoon.