Bottle Openers with Cork Screws

These are some new kits that I found.  They were very cool in the catalog. So cool that they were out of stock and it took almost a month to get them.  But they were worth the wait.  It is a unique piece of barware to have both a corkscrew and bottle opener in one tool.  And then add on to the coolness factor the unique grains of the wood and you just say wow.  The unit on the top is made from Lignum Vitae while the one on the bottom is made from a Spalted Tiger Maple.  Without a doubt my favorite is the Spalted Tiger Maple.  Between the iridescent look of the tiger stripes and the spalting, the piece just looks phenomenal.  

I also tried a new finishing technique - new to me at least. Both are finished with CA glue for the ultimate in shine and longevity. I have been using a three stage buffing wheel on my products for the last few years and have been very happy with the finish that the Carnuba wax provided. But these pieces really shine. It took longer to finish these, but I think that it well worth the extra time investment.

The Lignum Vitae piece is $35 while the Spalted Tiger Maple is $40.

Lignum Vitae (top) and Spalted Tiger Maple (bottom). Pieces are disassembled to show corkscrew.

Lignum Vitae (top) and Spalted Tiger Maple (bottom). Pieces are assembled to show corkscrew inside bottle opener

Back side of Spalted Tiger Maple piece

Spalted Tiger Maple with corkscrew disassembled from bottle opener.

Top side of Spalted Tiger Maple

Lignum Vitae with Corkscrew separated from bottle opener

Lignum Vitae

Continental Rollerball Pens

I have found a new pen style to work with. These are Continental styled capped pens with rollerball refills. These are a much heavier pen than I normally make. The feel solid in the hand and with the metal tips, they are comfortable to hold. The rollerball refills that come with these pens are German made Schmidt branded ceramic rollers. The refills are available at most office supply stores and of course the world wide interwebs...

This one is the angle Cut Cocobolo. The blanks were cut at an angle to pronounce the grain of  the wood and allow the grain to cut cross over the pen.

Angle cut Cocobolo pen with cap off

Front side of angle cut Cocobolo pen

Back side of angle cut Cocobolo pen

This pen is made from Zebrawood. I was able to save many of the contrasting striations in this pen.

Zebrawood with cap off

Frontside Zebrawood

Backside Zebrawood

This pen is made from Honduran Rosewood. As expected from Rosewood, the grain is a beautiful piece of art by itself.

Rosewood pen with cap off

Front of Rosewood pen

Backside of Rosewood pen

Cocobolo is a tropical hardwood from Central America which is typically orange or reddish-brown in color, often with a figuring of darker irregular traces weaving through the wood.  Standing up well to repeated handling and exposure to water, a common use is in gun grips and knife handles. It is very hard, fine textured and dense. This chrome bottle stopper has silicon o-rings. It will fit on wine bottles and most standard liquor bottles.

Zebrawood’s heartwood is a light brown or cream color with dark blackish brown streaks vaguely resembling a zebra’s stripes. Depending on whether the wood is flatsawn or quartersawn, the stripes can be either chaotic and wavy or somewhat uniform. It comes from West Africa.

Honduras rosewood (dalbergia stevensonii) is from Central America with a deep brownish-purple color with moderately straight grain .

Each of these pens are $60. If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Kingwood Bottle Openers

The blank for this piece had a section of white sapwood running on the outside. I did my best to try and keep as much of that contrasting section in the piece while still making a bottle opener that would be comfortable in your hand.  It has a similar shape to the Guayacan bottle opener I made a couple of weeks ago. I have become quite fond of this shape as a way of highlighting the grain of the wood.  Also, with a flat bottom, this opener is able to stand up straight. The overall length is about 6-1/2 inches with 4-1/2 inches coming from the Kingwood.

This piece is $30.  If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Kingwood is a Brazillian member of the Rosewood family where the Sapwood is off-white and heartwood is a rich violet brown background shading to almost black. Streaks of black, violet black, and brown appear throughout the material.

Olivewood Bottle Opener

This was a smaller piece of of Olivewood to start with. It's finished length is only 5-3/4 inches long with just under 3-3/4 inches of Olivewood. It fits quite comfortably in my hand while the grooves give you a feeling of grip.  It was inspired by my ice cream scoop.

This piece is $30.  If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Olivewood is an exotic wood that is native to Africa and has a sentimental and religious significance to several cultures and religions. The wood is hard and strong. What makes this hardwood so unique is the extraordinary grain pattern of each individual piece. It even becomes darker, richer, and more beautiful in color as it ages! It has long been a favorite for religious, historical, and artistic artifacts. It is very hard, fine textured and dense. 

Marblewood Chrome Bottle Openers

Another day of turning in the shop leads to another series of bottle openers.  This one is Marblewood with a chrome bottle opener. The indent is in the right spot for a comfortable ergonomic feel. The overall length is about 6-1/2 inches with about 4-1/4 inches coming from the Marblewood.

This piece is $35.  If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Marblewood (Angelim Rajado, Marmaroxylon racemosum)comes from Suriname, South America which borders French Guiana, Guyana and Brazil.  It has heartwood in an orange-yellow color with black wavy streaking that gives it a marble appearance. The high contrast between the golden body and the much darker streaks give it an appearance somewhat similar to natural marble, hence the common name of “Marblewood” for this species. Marblewood’s overall appearance is very similar to Zebrawood, though Marblewood tends to have a slightly finer texture.

A Good Day of Turning

I had a good day in the shop turning.  I stopped by my local Woodcraft store yesterday and found some really nice exotics on the shelf.  To a wood turner, that store is like crack to crackhead.  I can never leave there without busting out the credit card.

From the left we have Jobillo, Cocobolo, Bocote, Black and White Ebony, Osage, Guayacan, and Macassar Ebony

This Osage Orange bottle opener has a pewter head.  As I was turning it, I found this beautiful swirl pattern in the grain that I wanted to keep and highlight. That I why it is shaped like a cone. It also reminds me of the orange cones from my days racing SCCA Solo events and the many cones that I hit on the track.

This piece is about 6-3/8 inches long and the wood is just short of 4 inches.

This piece is $30.  If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Argentinian Osage Orange (maclura tinctoria), heartwood is golden to bright yellow, which almost certainly ages to a darker medium brown with time: primarily due to exposure to UV light. It is found in tropical America - West Indies, Central America and norther portion of South America

This bottle opener is made from Macassar Ebony. It has a chrome head.  As I was doing the rough shaping, my tools just started to make this shape, similar to a conga drum. So I went with it in an attempt to save as much of the black of the wood as I could

This piece is $30.  If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Macassar ebony (Diospyros celebica) can have a dramatic striped appearance, somewhat similar to zebrawood. Dark brown to black heartwood with contrasting bands of yellow to golden brown. Very hard, dense, and heavy, it can be very brittle at its heart. The grain is usually straight but tear-out may occur on pieces that have interlocked or irregular grain. It is also used for high-end cabinetry, inlay work, musical instruments, or decorative applications. It is sourced from Southeast Asia

This Jobillo bottle opener has a chrome head. This is my first time working with Jobillo and didn't know what to expect.  Once I put the polish on the wood, it did present with a nice irredescent look. The grain is spotty and not very uniform. The back side (not pictured) is almost a solid yellow/orange with just the hints of dark brown showing in the pores of the wood.  The overall length of this piece is about 6-1/4 inches with about 4-1/4 coming from the wood.

This piece is $30.  If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Jobillo (Ho be yo) is found between southern Mexico and South America. It typically has a light reddish brown heartwood streaked with sharply contrasting dark reddish to black band that resemble burn marks. This member of the cashew family. 

Guayacan bottle opener

This Guayacan bottle opener has a pewter head. As I was turning this piece it was reminding me of both 1950s modern design - and a mushroom. As I am no design student and have no real idea if this truly is 1950's modern, I will stick with it being a tall mushroom.  I did this in an attempt to capture and keep the darker grain.  It also has a couple of small knots that I was able to preserve.  The overall length of this opener is 6-1/2 inches with about 4 inches of it being the wood.  It has a flat bottom so I will stand up straight on your counter or bar.

This piece is $30.  If interested, please use the contact information found in the about me or contact section of the blog.

Guayacan is also known as Genuine Lignum Vitae. Heartwood color can range from a pale yellowish olive, to a deeper forest green or dark brown to almost black. Grain has a unique feathered pattern when viewed up close. The color tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light. Color of genuine Lignum Vitae tends to be darker than that of Argentine Lignum Vitae.  It is found in Central America and the northern countries of South America.

 When turned, it makes my shop smell like citronella oil.

Black & White Ebony is on the most exotic and striking woods I have ever turned. The contrasting grain always provides a striking natural beauty. This piece is more "Black & Tan" but it still gets its point across. With the large hilt at the top of the wood, you can see how the colors intertwined. This piece is about 6 1/2 inches in total length without about 4 1/2 inches in ebony. It has a chrome head.

With the extremely rare and premium nature of Black & White Ebony, this piece is priced at $40.  If interested, please use the contact info in the 'about me' section.


Black and white ebony (Diospyros embryopteris) is an exotic wood with color that will vary, usually uniformly black with light-colored bands, pale to medium brown zones, or with marked contrast between almost white and black wood. The wood has a fine texture with mostly straight grain. A rare find. The wood is exceptionally dense and strong. It comes from Southeast Asia and Laos. 

Cocobolo Bottle Opener

This Cocobolo bottle opener has a pewter face.  Cocobolo is another species of wood that always yields great grain contrast.  Even in this relatively straight grained piece of wood the contrasting black, yellow and purple make a visually appealing piece. It is approximately 8 1/2 inches in total length with about 6 inches in the handle.

Cocobolo is a tropical hardwood from Central America which is typically orange or reddish-brown in color, often with a figuring of darker irregular traces weaving through the wood.  Standing up well to repeated handling and exposure to water, a common use is in gun grips and knife handles. It is very hard, fine textured and dense.

This bottle opener is priced at $35.  If interested, please use the email address found in the about me section.

Bocote Bottle Opener

Bocote is one of my most favorite woods to turn.  The grain is always fun and interesting. If you look at the base of this bottle opener the grain pattern jumps quite a bit.  Combined with the contrasting grains, and any project turned with Bocote always comes out well. This piece is just over 7 inches long. The wood is just over 4 1/2 inches long.


This Bocote bottle opener is priced at $35.  Please use the contact address in the about section if interested.


Bocote (Cordia spp.) has a yellowish brown body with dramatic dark brown to almost black stripes. Color tends to darken with age.  Bocote is often sourced from Mexico, Central America and South America.  On occasion, it can be found in Africa.

Garden Bridge

This bridge was built for a neighbor. He has a small koi pond in his back yard and wanted a garden bridge for added decoration. He didn't want to spring for cedar since he plans on painting it next year to match his fence, so it is made of pressure treated pine.

The planks are made of 1x6 and the spindles are 1x1 with a standard railing from the home improvement store.

The Canoe Stand

A friend got a canoe from his father-in-law and needed a way to store it off of the ground and high enough so that it wouldn't become a home for rodents. This is what I came up with.




There are a few things that I did -not normal - on this project. The first was that the only tool that I used that required electricity was the cordless drill. Everything else was done by hand. Because this is only going to be used to hold a canoe - and will be outdoors - none of the wood was squared. Just standard pressure treated 2x4's with a 2x6 for the base.

All of the wood was cut by hand by my wonderful daughter. Since she always wants to help me, I figured this was a safe project for her to help with.


The through tenons were cut by hand - Adrienne cut them, and did the rough shaping with a chisel. I finished the shaping and cut the mortises with the drill and a Forstner bit. The tenons are screwed in from the underside with a 2" deck screw.


For the legs, I cut small mortises for them to sit in as well. They are bolted from underneath with a couple of 1/4 lag screws. On the stretchers, this was the one place that I lacked the creativity to hide the fastener.





My son, Matt went with me to set it up. We delivered it in 4 pieces and set it up on site. The two end frames and the two stretchers so it was just a matter of bolting the stretchers back onto the frames. This was the only way that it was fitting in the mini-van. The unit when put together was just short of 7 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The canoe sits 18 inches off the ground.

The #7 Bailey and a Picnic Table

I had to build a picnic table for a customer. A couple of things have happened.

#1 I blew up my miter saw last weekend, so the job became instantly more difficult.

#2 I still don't have a thickness planer.

I used the circular saw for the cross cuts and my #7 Bailey for leveling out the boards on the top of the table.


The #7 was properly tuned and very sharp. I needed every bit of sharpness.





Hand planing a 6 1/2 foot picnic table is/was quite a workout.

So a shower and 4 Advil later, I am done in the shop for the day.

Bedrock 605 Post Cleaning & Tuning

I just finished cleaning the Bedrock 605 that I bought last week.

Let me start with this. Evaporust Rocks



This is after soaking one half of the plane in the evapo-rust for about an hour. The plane had newspaper rusted to the sole. It was ugly.

What I can't convey in a blog entry is the feel. Touching the still rusty part and moving to the side cleaned with the evapo-rust only was amazing. It felt like it had already been flattened with 1000 grit paper.


Here is the entire sole cleaned up and flattened. Honestly and amazing as it is, after the rust was removed the sole was very flat. It didn't take much to flatten it.









Even the shoulders cleaned up nicely. There are still some pits on the plane - but I was not about to sand down the shoulders and sole to completely remove them.


These by far are some of the best shavings that I have ever gotten with a plane. The plane really cleaned up nice.

Craigslist Find for Sept Part 1 - Bedrock 605

This is one of 2 planes found off of Craigslist.


The first one is a Stanley Bedrock 605.

The sole measures 13 15/16 inches at the longest point and had a width of 2 7/16 inches. The blade is 2 inches wide. It has a stainless cap iron.

The feature that I found interesting is how the frog is attached to the sole. Most of the Stanley planes that I have seen have a pair of screws on top of the frog to attach it to the sole. This one has a pair of studs in place of those screws and screws on the back side of the frog that screw into the studs.





The second plane purchased is a complete unknown.

I measures 9 3/8 inches long by 2 9/16 wide. It has a 2 inch wide blade and the brass adjustment screw is 3/4 inches in diameter.


These are both before pictures. I will be cleaning and tuning them up.