Wally’s Workshop

Whoa. Way too busy to post yesterday. Spent half the day trying to figure out what a bunch of emails and messages at work meant. Then Josh had yet another poster he had to create for his homework - this time spelling. In other words, I got sidetracked.

Did get a workout in yesterday, but it had to be a “quick HIT” session. Basically just a warm-up on the Lifecycle, and then a few serious sets for chest followed by a little calf work. I still like the one body part a day split routine the best. But I don’t always get into the gym. I had to skip it today.

Last night I was able to get a log slab peeled for the family room door surround. If I can get it sanded and installed today, then I’ll only have one “post” left. It was nice, though. I was able to use the dust collector’s floor sweeps. Makes it so much easier.

(Later)

Well, I got the slab sanded and attached to the door frame.

I think I need to explain this a little bit further. By “slab” I mean a “side” that was sawed off a log. It looks like the outside of a log, but it’s just a few inches thick. I get them for free from a mill located on the Yankee Fork of the Salmon river for free. Most of the time I have to remove bark from them using a drawknife and/or a spokeshave. Once the bark is removed I use my sander with some course sandpaper to get a nice clean surface.

I started using the slabs a couple years ago after my brother-in-law Fred found the mill. Fred owns a cabin near the Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho, and is building a “garden railroad” model on his property. He had some special posts for the railroad cut at the mill, and later the mill owner told him he could grab as much of his “scrap” as he wanted. After numerous trips, I now have quite a selection of rustic log slabs.

Thus far I have used the slabs to build some beautiful rustic bedroom furniture, and have trimmed doorways and windows in my house.