Just finishing up a Power Tool Woodworking class, and I couldn't be more proud of what this group has accomplished. 

When they first joined me in the woodshop, all but one had never touched a tablesaw. Here it is, four weeks later and they've lost that "tool fear" that is so common to new students. Every single one of them performed some pretty complex techniques on the tablesaw, and all of them installed a set of brass hinges with finess and without needing band-aids!

To me, that's a win-win!

Need a Recommendation for a Day Trip?

It's getting harder and harder to get weekly blog posts here, because there are SO many things to do here. Not just in town, but little day trips - those are the hidden gems that distract me from doing any woodworking. 

Oh, don't get me wrong - there's always a project that needs completing, or emails and phone calls to return. But the weather has cooled, football season is starting up, and everyone seems to be in better moods, now that the 115 degree days are over. 

My buddy Rick and I decided to head to Rachel, Nevada, about 2 hours north of Vegas, for a little day trip. 

Anyone in the area knows that to get there - you'll head up the Extraterrestrial Highway, toward Area 51, the super secret military installation where just trespassing a bit too far will land you in jail. Once you're out of the city, the road is mostly empty except for scattered farms and occasional livestock. You literally can see the road stretch out before you for miles, and behind you for miles. 

This cow was visible miles away, mostly because of the contrast between the scenery and its jet black body. We thought it was a black rock on the side of the road. Poor thing, it was just across the highway from the rest of its herd. 

Seriously - this place is desolate. 

Our destination was the Little Ale'Inn - a bar and grill/gift shop/motel. You'll see this truck off in the distance, 

and when you get closer, you'll realize there's a flying saucer hanging from the tow boom. 

Parking is easy, 

and don't be surprised if you see several tour busses in the parking lot. It's a hot spot for anyone who loves shows like The X-Files, or Twilight Zone. It attracts a diverse and fun crowd.

You'll be greeted by some interesting visitors, 

 and just inside the door - the bar ceiling is littered with money. I don't know the significance of this - if anyone knows - fill me in! 

Don't come for the food - the single page menu is fine, but your choices are pretty limited. 

No one is driving 150 miles for a hamburger. It's the ambiance that makes this place really fun and special. Sure, it's dated, and there aren't that many tables. 

 But once you've ordered, it's time to check out the artwork and all the tchotchkes that feature all things ALIEN!

From posters 

to blow up dolls, pillows, furries, and WAY more.

 I like the wall of celebrity photos, each signed and dated from people who have visited.

 Did you know that MANY movies have been filmed here at the Inn and in the vicinity? Check this out!

 You can spend hours checking out the wall that features actual (?) photos and articles about aliens and spaceships 

 I'm a sucker for kitsch alien art, and there's no shortage of it here. Their "merch" is varied and super fun - 

everything from alien hot sauces and beef jerky to shot glasses, clothing, beers 

liquor, 

dolls, 

and more than I can even remember!

I don't know why I didn't pick up one of these certificates - you never know when you might need one!

All in all - this is a sweet day trip for any true believers, of which I am one. 

If you've never ventured out to Rachel, I highly recommend it. 

Interested in a woodworking class?

I know it's been a minute, but I've been finishing up a few old things, and starting some new ones. 

There's one spot left in the upcoming Powertool woodworking class that I'm teaching - it starts on Sept 6. It's a Friday afternoon class, which a lot of people request! 

Meanwhile - these cooler temps have started me thinking about a fall/winter garden. I'm hosting a plant trade on September 7 -  if you want to put in a winter garden, come to this event and grab some free plants!

Passing the Torch

 Picture this.... it's the fall of 1978, and I'm finally starting the meat of my woodworking studies in college.  

Ohio University (in Athens, Ohio) in the late 70's was idyllic. Seriously, you couldn't ask for a better collegiate experience. Surrounded by rolling hills of trees, the liberal arts college was situated on a river, with much greenery... pure heaven. It was about a three hour drive from my folk's house, and a very easy drive, at that!

 Almost all of my studio classes were held in Seigfred Hall - a four story tomb that was built into a hillside. 

Enter from the back and you were on the ground floor. (Park there and you were sure to get a ticket!) That's where the wood shop and ceramic studios were located, as well as the sculpture and life modeling classrooms. Here are some of the ceramic kilns and the entrance to the sculpture lab.

Enter from the front of the building and you were a few floors up, an elevator ride away from the woodshop and ceramic hub. 

Nearly every single week,  a random artist would paint or decorate the inside of the elevator, so you never knew what it was going to look like from week to week. It was fascinating, and I suspect the inside of that elevator is inches smaller now than it was when I was there. Think of hundreds upon hundreds of layers of paint, paper mache, posters,  decoupage, plaster, and more. It was a site to behold!

Seriously, this was a PERFECT art building to develop your style. You can read about it here. 

Everyone has a favorite teacher, or at least a mentor who helps us along the way. I had two - both were sculptors. David Hostetler was a folk artist of international acclaim, but we knew him as an amazing spirit. 

 David's work is on display all over the world, and his class - Functional Sculpture as Furniture - gave me my start on making the artistic pieces that I still design and build today.  Seriously - it was mind blowing.

Mike Cunningham was a metal sculptor.  It's funny, his family owned a very popular music store in town, where you could buy everything from a piano or guitar, to sheet music and violin strings. It was THE music hub in town, and all the years that I studied with Mike, I never knew his family owned it. He didn't want to wind up as the owner of a music store, and he told me that that was a big disappointment for his parents when he didn't take it over.  I could relate on some level - my folks owned a restaurant and I knew that I never wanted to permanently end up in the restaurant business. Kindred souls, Mike and I were.

Mike took me under his wing around that time - and of the best things he taught me was about Fine Woodworking Magazine. This magazine was first published in Winter of 1975, 

so I was a few years late to the party. But - despite being a poor college student, I managed to buy all of the back issues, and subscribe to it. And ... considering I'm still a subscriber - that's almost 50 years of devotion. 

This isn't an understatement - this magazine did as much to influence my work and teach me things that I didn't have access to back at Ohio University, as any college professor did.  

Years later - I would meet some of my idols that I'd read about in the magazine - like Tage Frid, 

or Roseann Somerson, or Wendy Maruyama, and many more. Unfortunately - I missed my opportunity to meet James Krenov, Wendall Castle and Gary Knox Bennett... but I felt like I "knew" them from reading their numerous articles in the magazine. 

Fine Woodworking taught me about using Watco Danish Oil - a finish I still use to this day. And taught me tablesaw techniques like cutting box joints, or how to make a 5 panel door. I swore - if I ever was on Naked and Afraid - all I would need is a tablesaw and I could survive anything. 

All of this is to say - I hit a crossroad in my life last week. 

Someone approached me about acquiring my nearly 50 year collection of Fine Woodworking magazine, and after much soul searching - I agreed. Honestly - the magazines took up almost nine-feet of space in one of my bookcases. And since I'm not teaching as much as I used to - I just don't need access to all of those articles. Plus - everything is available in different forms nowadays - both on disc and online. No need to keep nearly 200 pounds of magazines anymore!

So I packed them up in my truck, and handed them to an upcoming woodworker. She's already texted me that she's losing herself in each issue. I can still feel the thrill of reading about angled tenons or tapered dovetails, or bending wood, or... the list goes on and on. 

So thanks Taunton Press - for all the years of education and entertainment. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just passing the torch to some new blood. 

Spinning away the summer

This has been a virtually intolerable July here in the desert. We've broken so many heat records here that it's downright scary. I even bought umbrellas for the plants in my garden, although it has barely made a difference. Everything is fried, and everyone I know is looking forward to autumn. 

So I escaped to the cool confines of the library last week, to check out the Las Vegas WoodTurners show. This group really has their act together for exhibiting their work. I have no idea who is in charge of organizing this, but they have all my respect. Getting a show in the library is a daunting task, with a ridiculous amount paperwork and minutia required.

The galley is fairly small, but the work was spot on.  Lupe's goblet with captive rings is a simple but difficult to achieve triumph over Maple. 

And Kevin Manning's "Groot" bowl had a shape that really captured my attention. 

But the segmented pieces in the show were truly the stars. Bryan Thompson's segmented bowl and vase were simply mind-boggling, with hundreds of pieces in each piece. I could have stared at this piece for hours! 

This Southwest vase was simply masterful. 

Not quite as complicated, but every bit as much well crafted was Lupe's bowl.

But some of the truly elevated work on display was Christian Brisepierre's work. It never fails to rise to the descriptor of perfection. This Monkeypox platter, 

and the small oval box next to it was superb! (How do you turn an oval?!)

This "basket illusion" maple bowl were truly on a level that most turners will never achieve. His work is simply amazing, and he offers classes here in town. 

We have some true masters here in LV, offering classes in a variety of mediums - so even though people think we're in the middle of an artistic desert, it's not true. 

Interested in wood? Clay? Stone carving? It's all here. 

Meanwhile, back in my studio, I've been turning on a completely different level - utility work. It's not pretty, but it pays the bills. These juggling spools are headed to a customer who juggles them for a living.  

Only in Vegas!

A different kind of "making"

Anyone who's paying attention knows there's a heatwave out west. I'm smack in the middle of it, and a few friends (who don't live here) have asked how we survive. I mean - when you get into your car and you see this, you know it's going to be a tough ride. 

So we broke the record... not just broke it, but pretty much shattered it. By three degrees. It's a little sobering and scary. So how do we survive the summer temps? 

WE STAY INSIDE! 

This little peach tree is sagging with fruit, and the birds have let me know that it's time to either pick them, or the peaches are fair game for their dinner. 

 I picked a handful and pulled out my trusty cookbook for baking. 

Now hear me out... first, I come from a long line of bakers. My Aunt Teresa was known for her award winning peach pie, and my mom is no slouch in the kitchen, either. In fact, we call her Virgie Baker (long story!) and her chocolate chip cookies are legendary. So is her cheesecake - which I'm craving right now.

For some reason, The baking gene skipped me. As much as I try, my breads are dense, my sourdough starter turned moldy, my pie crusts are hard... you get the idea. But this cookbook has served me well. 

Do you remember as a kid - buying books from a book service who would drop off a list of what was available - we'd put a few checkmarks by the ones we wanted, and a few days later, the books would arrive. I chose this one when I was around 9 or 10 years old, and I can't tell you how many times I've used it. 

It may sound silly, but I can make this recipe for Apple Crisp in my sleep. It's ridiculously easy... even a kid can pull it off. 

But this was the recipe I was looking for - mostly for guidance, than actual ingredients. 

I remembered that it makes a pretty small batch, and my other recipes seemed like they were going to make too much pastry dough. 

(Maybe my binging of The Bear led me down this path, who knows?)  

So I chose some peaches and followed Aunt Teresa's recipe for the filling. And I decided to make two smaller pies, rather than one big one. 

Dammit, I needed more peaches! I chose a few more and added to what I'd diced. 

Here's where it gets tricky - I have no idea how to finish the edge of a pie, so I did my best.  I can crimp a pizza crust with the best of them, but pastry dough seems like a different beast.  

I had a small bit of dough left over, and made a few tarts with some blueberry jam. These were OK, a little tough, crust wise. I Googled it and realize I over worked that dough like crazy, which developed the gluten and made them tough. Like I said - I'm not a very good baker! 

But in the end - here's my humble pie - no pun intended. 

The egg wash on top gave it that lovely golden color, but I may have applied it at the wrong time - maybe ten minutes before it was supposed to come out of the over. I wondered if it was going to turn into scrambled eggs on top, but it worked. 

I probably have enough peaches for another pie - just not sure my hips can handle that!