For my wife on Valentines Day

For my wife, who prefers chocolate-covered bacon to chocolate-covered strawberries, thank you for spending the time with me so that we could make both, together. You feed my soul.

For my wife, who knows the starting lineup for both the Bucs *AND* the Rays, and who watches SportsCenter even when I am not home, thank you for justifying our tailgating equipment by calling them "hurricane supplies." I am your biggest fan.

For my wife, who used her work merit rewards to buy a charcoal smoker instead of a gold necklace, thank you for the sharing my passions. You keep the embers inside me burning.

For my wife, who shares my dreams for the future, thank you for being a part of it.

I love you as much today as the day I married you.

-Steven

Fort Wayne officials refuse to slap Harry Baals on public building

Killjoys scratch handle off erection

By Team Register • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 9th February 2011 13:07 GMT

Officials in Fort Wayne Indianna have balked at naming the city's latest civic building after its most successful mayor – Harry Baals.

The city had thrown open the choice of moniker for its latest erection to the people. A campaign to name the building after Harry Baals soon gathered steam, with citizens eager to commemorate his four terms in office between the 1930s and 1950s.

However, the current administration has drawn the line at having Harry Baals splattered all over the new edifice, the AP reports.

While Harry's descendants pronounce the family name "bales", apparently the original pronunciation was more like "balls" – and killjoy city fathers are worried this might expose the City to puerile jokery.

"We realise that while Harry Baals was a respected mayor, not everyone outside of Fort Wayne will know that," deputy mayor Beth Malloy told the AP. "We wanted to pick something that would reflect our pride in our community beyond the boundaries of Fort Wayne."

One of Harry's descendents, Jim Baals, said: "I understand people are going to poke fun at it. That's OK. I've lived with that name for 51 years now, and I've gotten through it. I think everybody else can, too."

Fort Wayne is located in Allen County Indiana, but is not too far from Cass County, Clark County, Clay County, or Clinton County ... and even Hancock County. Sadly it is nowhere near Kerr County, Texas or Coffee County, Alabama

Fort Wayne officials refuse to slap Harry Baals on public building • The Register

Giant Lathe Turns 120′ Tree Into Mast for tall sailing ship

Lathe Turns 120′ Tree Into ZODIAC Mast

JK, on January 15th, 2011

Gray's Harbor lathe can turn up to 122' long

Another interesting post by Marty McOmber on Three Sheets Northwest. Interesting how this tool was built.

Down at the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, home of the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain tall ships, they know a thing or two about wooden masts, booms and yards.

But what a lot of people probably don’t know is that the organization’s spar shop happens to have what is believed to be the country’s largest lathe — a tool many of us last played with in high school shop class to make a table leg or candlestick.

Let me tell you, this ain’t your high school’s lathe.

Technically a “tracer lather,” it can spin and shape a log 40 inches in diameter and 122 feet long. It’s so big, the seaport had to construct a custom building to house it.

So when the historic Bellingham-based schooner Zodiac lost her main mast and boom last September, it only made sense that her crew look to the Seaport’s spar shop to fashion new ones for them. After all, it’s not something you could pick up at Fisheries Supply.

continue reading >> Lathe Turns 120′ Tree Into ZODIAC Mast

Lathe Turns 120′ Tree Into ZODIAC Mast | Port Townsend Sailing Association

Turning Around America

One of the most interesting and ambitious projects mentioned at the Florida Woodturning Symposium was that of Beth Ireland, called Turning around america.

Beth is a production turner - a professional who produces hand-made turned pieces for architectural restorations, new (high-end) installations, and custom furniture makers.

Beth is spending eight months travelling across the country in a custom van, loaded with woodworking equipment and some basic necessities, and is stopping in towns all over the US to promote the act of "making objects with your own hands," by teaching woodworking and woodturning to as many people as she can.  She has been stopping at middle and high schools, vocational schools, art centers, and the like.  

Beth - and many of the woodworkers and woodturners like her - are concerned that since very few schools offer "shop class" any more, the number of people able to carry on the craft of fine woodworking and woodturning is dwindling rapidly.

Beth is a great presenter and has some outstanding woodworking skills. She is also a great teacher, motivator, and has a great sense of humor. I will be following her journeys at www.turningaroundamerica.com.

A Weekend of Woodturning - Part II

What could be better on a drizzly weekend than to work behind a brand-new high-end lathe, and teach scores of other woodturners new techniques and methods they may have never seen before?  


How about also watching other demonstrations and learning from some of the best names in woodturning in the same weekend!


It was my honor and pleasure to be one of the demonstrators at the 2011 Florida Woodturning Symposium this past weekend.  With attendance well over 300, the show was a resounding success, and the amount of information and ideas shared would take a lifetime to master.


New friendships were made, and old friendships rekindled.  Familiar faces brought recognition and  smiles and new faces were put with names only known previously as email addresses.  


I gave three classes during "Rotations" on Friday and Saturday, and the rest of the weekend was mine to enjoy, and learn.
My first and third demonstrations were on the same subject, with a completely different topic covered in the second rotation.


Being scheduled in the very first set rotations of the day has it's advantages and disadvantages.  You get an alert, attentive, awake(!) group of students, but you also get an alert, attentive, awake(!) group of students.  That means you have to be at your very best right form the very start.  I was much more "comfortable" in my later sessions, once the ice and tensions were broken.  


Note to self:  Start off your demonstrations with some sort of ice-breaker to relax the students and yourself!


First and Third Demo was on my Stacked Ring (Bowl from Board) technique.  Had over 60 people attend for demo #1 and demo #3, and about 50 for demo #2 with the middle session on "jigs, fixtures, and handy tips."


Here as just a few pictures, taken by my lovely wife, Brenda.

Got some pretty positive feedback, including a number of invites to clubs around Florida for demos and workshops, so all in all it was a pretty successful weekend.


More soon.....

Brenda sent me this recipe today. Sounds pretty interesting. I will definitely try it next time brisket goes on sale, which should be a few weeks with St. Patty's day coming up soon.

Double-​duty root beer brisket

Your slow cooker makes this root beer-spiced meal deliciously tender and easy to prepare. Bonus! You’ll have enough leftover meat for delicious sandwiches.

Why make one dinner at a time when you can make two just as easily? A large cut of lean brisket makes enough meat for a hearty hot meal one night, plus a quick supper of sandwiches later in the week. And this brisket has a special rich flavor thanks to a surprising ingredient: root beer.

• Total Time : 5 hours 25 minutes to 8 hours 25 minutes
• Prep Time : 10 minutes
• Cook Time : 5 hours 15 minutes to 8 hours 15 minutes
• Servings : 1 brisket can serve 6 to 8 when divided between an entrée dinner and sandwiches.

ingredients

For Brisket and Vegetable Dinner
• 2 Idaho potatoes, scrubbed well, halved and then cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 4 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 peeled carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• One 5– to 6–pound brisket, first cut or flat cut
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• One 12-ounce can regular or diet root beer
• One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid discarded
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 scallions, chopped
  
  For Brisket Sandwiches:
• 4 brioche rolls or sandwich buns
• 1/3 of the cooked brisket, sliced
• Reserved brisket sauce
• 1 1/2 cups store-prepared cole slaw

directions

step 1Layer the potatoes, celery and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. In a large nonstick sauté pan heat the oil. Sprinkle the brisket with 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Place the brisket in the sauté pan and brown it well on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

step 2While the brisket is browning, whisk together the root beer, diced tomatoes, mustard, tomato paste, flour, remaining 1 teaspoon each of allspice and garlic powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

step 3Using kitchen tongs, remove the brisket from the skillet and place it on the potato mixture in the slow cooker. Add the root beer mixture to the sauté pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; use wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Pour the liquid over the brisket and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low, or 5 to 8 hours on high.

step 4Remove the meat to a cutting board and slice it thinly against the grain. Reserve one-third of the sliced brisket and one-third of the cooking liquid for the brisket sandwiches. Transfer the reserved meat and liquid to a Ziploc® Brand Container with the Smart Snap™ Seal and refrigerate or freeze for sandwiches.

step 5Transfer the remaining sliced meat to a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the serving platter and arrange them around the meat. Spoon the sauce over the brisket and vegetables and sprinkle with chopped scallions.

To Make Sandwiches:

Defrost reserved brisket if you’ve frozen it. Slice open the rolls. Divide the cole slaw among the 4 rolls. Divide the sliced brisket among the rolls, placing it on top of the cole slaw. Drizzle with the reserved brisket sauce. Place the top on each roll and serve.

Double-Duty Root Beer Brisket - Right@Home™ > Food & Cooking > Recipes

A Weekend of Woodturning

I'll be teaching Woodturning this weekend
 at the

Florida Annual Woodturning Symposium

February 4-6, 2011

I am teaching three classes during rotations, where I'll be showing woodturners from all over the country (about 350 of them!) how to make things like this:  

The Florida Woodturning Symposium (FWS) is an annual event which is held each year at the Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center. It began in December 2001 through the efforts of five Florida Chapters of the American Association of Woodturners. The second symposium was held in January 2003. The symposium is normally held each January but this year it had to be changed due to a scheduling conflict at the Baptist Conference Center. The FWS's mission is to promote the art of woodturning through the annual symposium and other events.  Last year, more than 300 woodturners from all over the country attended this annual event.

This Year's Featured Demonstrators

There will be eight rotations with four presentations each featuring the following individuals:
(Click on name for short Bio)

Malcolm Tibbets	Franck Johannesen
Curt Theobald	Steven Marlow
Beth Ireland	James McClure
John Jordan	Jack Shelton

More Info HERE