Good morning! Started out my day, yesterday, by going the opposite direction of Canoe Camp. Lucky for me, there's a Woodcraft store in the Denver Tech Center. I bought my first adze there, and it's not a very common tool!
The journey took far longer than I had hoped. I almost turned around, and headed for home, willing to write the day off... but I couldn't. I had to, at least, go SEE Tess. Walking down the street from the last bus, I saw lights on, in the museum. It's a nice little "historic park," with an old sod house. I pass by it, twice, every day. I ventured in, and introduced myself to three nice ladies.
They were excited about Tesla, and offered to display the canoe, while I paddle the Missouri! There's a Cider Festival here, in early October. It looks like I'll be back to finish Tess, at that point. We practically have a PLAN, here! There's a neighbor, across the street, who has a flatbed. The ladies will see if we can use it. If not, Jake has a big truck, right down the street. All we need, now, is some man-power... AFTER I move some wood!
I tried-out the new adze... NICE! I barely got any choppin' in, before it rained HARD. That's okay... we had a good day. Today, I'm gonna help her shed some pounds!
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! After sleeping on it, I decided to go ahead, and get a cordless grinder. I needed it to finish the canoe, anyway, and it's pretty close to that point.
I went to Sears for the "Craftsman" model. I was always impressed, in the past, with the performance of their tools. and their warranty. When I got to camp, I took a long look at Tesla, before I got grinding. She looked like she was ready for it, so I opened the box, and charged the two lithium ion batteries... the best they had.
I waited, impatiently, for the first battery to charge. It was the bigger, of the two. When it was done, I put the smaller battery in the charger, and got to it. Not for long...
To my GREAT disappointment, this tool FAILED, miserably! The grinder came with a disc... a metal-cutter. I wasn't aware of this, and had bought a masonry disc. They didn't have much of a selection, at the store. I tried the one that came with it, on the bow... no good. It was hardly grinding the cottonwood, and the disc wore-down, IMMEDIATELY, like I was grinding BRICKS or something. Frustrated, I through the other masonry disc on. It was working a little better, and I started into the area in front of the stern seat. Hardly digging, I STARTED to smooth her out. Then, suddenly... nothing. It just stopped. I had used it for 10 or 15 minutes, and it was DONE! This was SUPPOSED to be the "good" battery!
With virtually NO confidence, at this point, I grabbed the other battery, when charged. I tried again. I don't think it lasted FIVE MINUTES! I tried smoothing the bow, and the starboard gunwales (inside). Then, suddenly... NOTHING... again. I didn't even get a half-hour's work done, for the day. Man, was I PISSED!
In the end, I realized what I already knew... Tesla doesn't LIKE electricity (must be the whole "struck-by-lightning thing)! This is the second electric tool that she rejected. I should have known better. I took the tool back, with no problems. Sears is good about that, as I mentioned. I just wish it had worked.
I'm up early, to go get my new ADZE! One thing's for sure... TODAY, I'll be CHOPPIN'!
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! A good day of choppin', yesterday... for a while! I dug DOWN & DIRTY, opening her up a little more. As I was digging in front of the bow seat, the impossible happened. Tesla ate my adze!
The adze actually broke in half! Not the handle, but the steel blade! I didn't think this was possible! That adze was just over three years-old. I bought it for Knotty, and continued to use it on Mauka, Charlie, Ol' Red, The Big Pine, and The Barter Faire Canoe. I believe I used a different adze on the Voyages of Rediscovery dugout canoes.
All said, I've been very happy with this adze. The price is going up about ten bucks-per-year! Gotta grab a new one, this morning. Luckily, there's one store in town to go to. Woodcraft.
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! Another good day of choppin', yesterday! I started on the starboard... and stayed there, all day. We're starting to see her curves, now!
I brought the bow and stern in, and defined the gunwales a little better. This is a slow process, at this point, as I get near her finished lines. I'm just talking about the outside of the canoe, of course. There's plenty of good choppin' to do, INSIDE! Again... I'll SLOWLY carve outward, until we have her actual dimensions.
Her stern is very interesting. I still have to lay some "hero chops" on her, to whack the end off. I started to do that, cleaning up the starboard stern area. So far... so good!
I'm really trying for some symmetry, here. I wasn't able to use this trees curves, as I did with Knotty The Dugout Canoe. Though I like to do that, symmetry can be good, when carving watercraft. I'm half-blind, and "eyeballin" it," but she'll look pretty good, I'm guessing.
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! Had a wonderful day with my family, yesterday! Memorial Day BBQ, followed by disc golf, with my brother, Sean. It's really nice to be "playing outside" with my brother, again. I think I could get into this game...
WHEN I have more free time! I gotta CHOP! I don't know where, exactly, I'll be choppin', but Tesla will tell me. She always does. I expect I'll open her up a little more, and maybe work on that baggage on her arse! We'll see.
I'm contacting museums today, to see if they might want to display Tesla, while I'm gone. Looking on Craigslist for a ride North. I need to figure out my move to Montana. I'm anxious to get on the Mo'!
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! It was another weird day, weather-wise, in Canoe Camp, yesterday! A strange combination of cloud formations buzzed around, overhead, as I got choppin'. More rain and hail, throughout the day.
I dug down, into the bow, looking for some leg-room. I cleaned-up the stern seat, as well. After a hail storm convinced me to pack-up, Tesla talked to me. She wanted me to work on her port... so I did. I continued to get rid of her patches of sapwood, and worked my way, toward the stern. She still looks good, under there... if a little dry. I finished with linseed oil, applying it to the bow, stern, and tops of the gunwales. I'll be needing more oil, soon... almost used five GALLONS, already! It's working well, though.
Another holiday, today... Memorial Day. I'll be taking the day off, again, to be with family. Tomorrow... I'll be choppin'!
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! Another UNproductive day, yesterday. I went to The March Against Monsanto, in Denver. Great fun, great people, but no choppin'. I got detoured. Not today.
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! The weather continues to be rather unusual, in Canoe Camp. Rain, wind, hail, and lightning continue their dance, hitting different areas of town, all day long! Sometimes I just keep choppin', but there are times when it's too much.
Yesterday, I spent the first part of the day working on the inside of the canoe, diggin' DOWN & DIRTY! The depth is noticeable, now. A late rain got me packin', but I waited it out, looking at the canoe. This gave me a "second wind," and a new focus... the bow. It was time to clean-up her port-side, up there.
I had to improvise. My back was already killing me, and the area I wanted to work on was rather low. I pulled-up a chair, sat down, and started choppin'! It worked well, and I got rid of her jowls. I may have to lose that baggage off her stern, today... we'll see.
Canoe! Canoe!
