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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Latest From the Shop, More Turned Birdhouses

For various reasons I haven’t had much time in the woodshop this last month.

But I did find time to turn a few bowls and a number of birdhouses.

Not as many as I would have liked, but a few.

These are a little different from the last batch.  I got in a shipment of exotic woods that I felt would make unique and interesting accents. Also, I managed to procure the only three remaining bottles of friction polish in Alaska last month (a shellac/hard wax finish, that is extremely flammable in liquid form and therefore rarely shipped to Alaska because it has to come via ocean in a HAZMAT container, making it very expensive) and that was the perfect finish for some of the accent pieces. So I did some experimenting…and I’m quite happy with the results.  The birdhouses with the glossy finish are done in the friction polish, the rest are finished in orange or walnut oil and beeswax.

Note: Astute readers will notice that most of these houses do not, in fact, have perches.  That’s because a bunch of bird people yelled at me about the perches on my previous birdhouses (I was going to say they got their feathers ruffled, but that just seemed liked a cheap pun so I didn’t say it.  You’re welcome) – apparently the prevailing opinion is that wild birds in general don’t need perches, and that predator birds use the perches as a forward attack base to loot the nest (eating the eggs and/or young chicks).  So I left the perches off most of this batch. 

A number of these are for sale.  They’re marked along with price (Note: these are a bit more expensive than the last batch because of the time and effort involved in their creation and because of the cost of materials).  As always, if you’d like one, so note in the comments. Indicate which one you want by NUMBER. First to comment gets the piece.  I will make updates to the post indicating who gets what.  PayPal is the preferred method of payment. (Please do NOT attempt to transfer funds until you receive a confirmation email from me. Really).

Shipping and Handling is $10 for all pieces.

 

You can click on each picture to embiggen it.

 

#24  American Walnut and Rosewood. (Sold)

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#25  American Walnut, Orange Agate, and Tigerwood (Sold)

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#26 American Walnut, Rosewood and Orange Agate (Sold)

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# 27  American Walnut, Orange Agate and Birch (Available $70)

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#28 American Walnut, Alaskan Birch Heartwood, Orange Agate (Sold $70)

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#29 American Walnut, Tulipwood, and Brazilwood (Sold $60)

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#30 Alaskan Birch, Tigerwood, Cocobolo (Sold $60)

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#31 Birdseye Maple, Brazilwood, Cocobolo (Available $70)

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#32 Black Walnut (half sapwood, half heartwood), Brazilwood, Orange Agate (Available $60)

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#33 American Red Oak, Alaskan Birch, Black Walnut (Available $60)

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These last three, #34-#36 are larger and heavier than the previous pieces.  They are made from Black Locust and I am particularly happy with how these came out.  You can click on each picture for a high resolution enlargement, depending on your bandwidth they made take a minute to load.

 

#34 Black Locust, Tigerwood, Cocobolo (Sold $80)

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#35 Black Locust, Tigerwood, Cocobolo (Available $80)

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#36 Black Locust, Brazilian Rosewood (Available $80)

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I am, of course, making more.

20 comments:

  1. 28 please. another beautiful bunch.

    ReplyDelete
  2. #29 please!

    Those are All Beautiful!

    choosing is the hardest part!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't need any more birdhouses, but I wanted to let you know that everyone who received one from me for Christmas refuses to put them outside so the birds can use them. Because if they do, the birds will poop on them, you see. And we can't have that. So they're hanging inside, as hand-crafted decorations.

    That's three for three, for those who are counting.

    P.S. Doesn't Beastly make birdhouse ornaments? You guys should co-market, or something.


    legrate = A birdhouse perch used as a forward attack base.

    ReplyDelete
  4. #28 to Cass_M
    #29 to Stuart

    Post is updated.


    Janiece, so what I'm hearing here is that you need three more outdoor birdhouses....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Are you telling me you've stuck Anon GF with a defective birdfeeder? That it is, IN FACT, merely a sniper's nest for predatory birds?

    Well, thanks. Thanks a lot. And all the (formerly) cute little balls of feathers thank you too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jim, you do an amazing job and these are beautiful. At the moment well out of my price range as I'm still only working part-time.

    When I do get one, it will be for indoor use in my sunroom.

    sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Are you going to be making any that are not made from foofy more expensive woods, and are, in fact, suitable for bird poop?

    We've got a lot of birds, and they were hanging out in our Christmas tree when it was outside. So I figure we should try birdhouses.

    Free kitty entertainment, you know.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jim,

    Ooooh, purty! If I could, I'd like #30, first choice, #34, 2nd choice.

    My mother-in-law was already plotting where she was going to put hers before she left the house during the Christmas week.

    Comple - When a bunch of people pile up on each other saying nice things about someone or something.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lauren, did you want both?

    Or did you mean you wanted #30? Or if that wasn't avail, then #34?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oops, sorry, Michelle, missed your question first time around.

    Yes, I'll make some that are a bit more utilitarian. I can probably find an old fence post or something to turn them out of ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. This one is staying at our house for the little winter birds I hear desperately chittering. Oh and for dog entertainment.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hmm. Looking at the roof on #28... can you make one that looks like a pagoda? (Out of cheapo outdoors wood so I can afford it. :) ) I bet my mother would love that.

    feradin = lots of howling of wild things

    ReplyDelete
  13. You friggen Liberal. Making homes for birds. Birds that don't have jobs. And expecting us hard working 'mericans to pay for their housing.

    grasese - colon cleansing herbal supplement for dogs.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ooh, pretty and shiny! However, this is Dances with Brokeness time for me, so I will have to sublimate my desires. However, since my front yard is currently filled with crows, I think I can manage.

    chevere- almost a real word- perhaps this is an extra-special type of goat cheese!

    Which was apparently not the word. Anyone for 'tabin'- one of those computer keys no one ever uses?

    ReplyDelete
  15. They're lovely! I do, however, hesitate to purchase one as I noted a brief mention of bowls. Any chance you'll have some of those on the market soon?

    Logisios -- Breakfast cereal for mathematicians.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jim,

    #30 is my first choice. If I can't have it, then #34. If at the end of the cycle, no one has purchased #34 as his or her first choice, then I would like to add it on as a 2nd birdhouse in addition to #30.

    Thank you!

    septi - 7 exhaust devices on a honkin' big engine.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Shawn, I think you have colon cleansing on the brain.

    nzforme, soon, soon. Patience, my young padawan, patience.

    Lauren #30 is yours, #34 too for that matter - since there appears to be no rush on this batch ;) BTW just so you know, #34 is my favorite of this batch. I love the way it came out.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Jim,

    I must be the lucky one for this round of bird houses. I love fine woodwork, even if I am incapable of producing same.

    Zorki - how you feel after a long, hard day at the video game controller.

    ReplyDelete
  19. what are the sizes of these birdhouses?
    ty

    ReplyDelete
  20. what are the sizes of these birdhouses?
    ty

    ReplyDelete

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