Today was a really good day in Northern California.

After finishing two days of GOOD business meetings, I drove up through the
Sonoma County countryside, through the redwood rainforest along the Navarro
River. I got to the Pacific Coast, just south of the town of Mendocino
after dark, but the night was clear, and the moon was reflecting off of the
river and the surf was breaking softly at the mouth of the river. A Kodak
moment. Made my way north to Fort Bragg, and checked in to my motel.
Slept for 11 hours. (Almost a gloat in itself!)

It was one of those magical days without fog, which the locals say happen
all too seldom. I'm 3 of 5 in my last trips there. At 8 am, I met my
friend Dan at his shop. Dan is a chairmaker of some repute, who trained at
College of the Redwoods, and stayed on. He showed me his shop, gave me a
quick tutorial on greenwood chairmaking, and introduced me to some
houseguests. He rents a room to a young Swedish woodworking student at the
college, and the fellow's parents were there, so we visited for a bit, and
got the tour of the various 'on display' pieces they'd made.

The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market. Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a class on
kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about 90 minutes,
unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards. Another set of
lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for figure, grain,
stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation theory and practice.
Better understanding of smaller than typical commercial scale wood
harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some very nice lumber, at a very
reasonable price.

While I was in town, I dropped in to visit with Star Supply, the current
domain holder of Shellac.net (I don't know the history, and it's not my
business.) I met Ann, who has run the place for decades, and she was very
sorry to have to disappoint me, and have me wait for three to four weeks
for more of the dewaxed platinum, made famous here by the previous owner of
said shellac domain (and the fellow responsible for my buying that 24"
Stanley monster in my shop ;-)) Nice people, making a living in an out of
the way corner of the world that thrives on wood working.

The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits, and
down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up. Norah
Jones, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett make pretty good
company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were in glorious color
under the autumn sky. The truck ran fine, and wasn't at all overloaded,
like some of our Canadian friends have been occasionally known to do. Back
by 4 pm, my wife even cooked dinner.

As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

Patriarch

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 05:57:01 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

Today was a really good day in Northern California.

After finishing two days of GOOD business meetings, I drove up through the
Sonoma County countryside, through the redwood rainforest along the Navarro
River. I got to the Pacific Coast, just south of the town of Mendocino
after dark, but the night was clear, and the moon was reflecting off of the
river and the surf was breaking softly at the mouth of the river. A Kodak
moment. Made my way north to Fort Bragg, and checked in to my motel.
Slept for 11 hours. (Almost a gloat in itself!)

It was one of those magical days without fog, which the locals say happen
all too seldom. I'm 3 of 5 in my last trips there. At 8 am, I met my
friend Dan at his shop. Dan is a chairmaker of some repute, who trained at
College of the Redwoods, and stayed on. He showed me his shop, gave me a
quick tutorial on greenwood chairmaking, and introduced me to some
houseguests. He rents a room to a young Swedish woodworking student at the
college, and the fellow's parents were there, so we visited for a bit, and
got the tour of the various 'on display' pieces they'd made.

The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market. Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a class on
kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about 90 minutes,
unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards. Another set of
lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for figure, grain,
stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation theory and practice.
Better understanding of smaller than typical commercial scale wood
harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some very nice lumber, at a very
reasonable price.

While I was in town, I dropped in to visit with Star Supply, the current
domain holder of Shellac.net (I don't know the history, and it's not my
business.) I met Ann, who has run the place for decades, and she was very
sorry to have to disappoint me, and have me wait for three to four weeks
for more of the dewaxed platinum, made famous here by the previous owner of
said shellac domain (and the fellow responsible for my buying that 24"
Stanley monster in my shop ;-)) Nice people, making a living in an out of
the way corner of the world that thrives on wood working.

The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits, and
down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up. Norah
Jones, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett make pretty good
company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were in glorious color
under the autumn sky. The truck ran fine, and wasn't at all overloaded,
like some of our Canadian friends have been occasionally known to do. Back
by 4 pm, my wife even cooked dinner.

As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

Patriarch

sounds more like an ideal weekend!

P
What city do you live in?
I love the Mendocino coast. My sister used to have a house up there and I
used to get slabs of old growth redwood.
max

Today was a really good day in Northern California.

After finishing two days of GOOD business meetings, I drove up through the
Sonoma County countryside, through the redwood rainforest along the Navarro
River. I got to the Pacific Coast, just south of the town of Mendocino
after dark, but the night was clear, and the moon was reflecting off of the
river and the surf was breaking softly at the mouth of the river. A Kodak
moment. Made my way north to Fort Bragg, and checked in to my motel.
Slept for 11 hours. (Almost a gloat in itself!)

It was one of those magical days without fog, which the locals say happen
all too seldom. I'm 3 of 5 in my last trips there. At 8 am, I met my
friend Dan at his shop. Dan is a chairmaker of some repute, who trained at
College of the Redwoods, and stayed on. He showed me his shop, gave me a
quick tutorial on greenwood chairmaking, and introduced me to some
houseguests. He rents a room to a young Swedish woodworking student at the
college, and the fellow's parents were there, so we visited for a bit, and
got the tour of the various 'on display' pieces they'd made.

The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market. Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a class on
kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about 90 minutes,
unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards. Another set of
lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for figure, grain,
stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation theory and practice.
Better understanding of smaller than typical commercial scale wood
harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some very nice lumber, at a very
reasonable price.

While I was in town, I dropped in to visit with Star Supply, the current
domain holder of Shellac.net (I don't know the history, and it's not my
business.) I met Ann, who has run the place for decades, and she was very
sorry to have to disappoint me, and have me wait for three to four weeks
for more of the dewaxed platinum, made famous here by the previous owner of
said shellac domain (and the fellow responsible for my buying that 24"
Stanley monster in my shop ;-)) Nice people, making a living in an out of
the way corner of the world that thrives on wood working.

The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits, and
down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up. Norah
Jones, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett make pretty good
company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were in glorious color
under the autumn sky. The truck ran fine, and wasn't at all overloaded,
like some of our Canadian friends have been occasionally known to do. Back
by 4 pm, my wife even cooked dinner.

As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

Patriarch

max wrote in
:

P
What city do you live in?
I love the Mendocino coast. My sister used to have a house up there
and I used to get slabs of old growth redwood.
max


I live in Martinez, on the edge of Pleasant Hill, the town where I grew up.

My mother's family came to the Mendocino Coast in the 1840's. Manchester,
Point Arena and Gualala. It is one of those magical areas.

My grandfather always warned us to be careful of some of the folks living
on the 'cash economy' up there, however. They could/can be pretty
protective of their crops.

We have a picture somewhere of my great grandfather, or maybe his father,
with a mule, and a redwood log at least as thick as he was tall. Tough old
fella, he was.

I've project or two I'd like to take on, when I can find some of that
reclaimed redwood. There are a couple of sources to track down, but not
tonight.

Patriarch

mac davis wrote in
:

snip

As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

sounds more like an ideal weekend!


And has been, in times past. My dear wife, however, has a strep infection
which the drugs haven't completely remedied yet. She wasn't going along
this time.

But she has gotten to know all of the quilt shops on the route, from
previous trips. ;-)

And when she goes, we tend to drive her car, which has room for quilt
stuff, but no room for lumber!

Patriarch

Patriarch notes:

I've project or two I'd like to take on, when I can find some of that
reclaimed redwood. There are a couple of sources to track down, but not
tonight

Another possible source: www.terramai.com

Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx

patriarch wrote:

Today was a really good day in Northern California.

[cruel snip of what sounds like a fun excursion in paradise]

OK, that's all well-and-good, but don't tell me you were in Fort
Bragg and you didn't look up Ron Hock? Of all the nerve!!


Chuck Vance
Just say (tmPL) And what about Krenov?

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 05:57:01 +0000, wrote:

Today was a really good day in Northern California.

After finishing two days of GOOD business meetings,

You tipped your hand too soon. Now I *know* this is fantasy :^).

snip
The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market.

I'd never heard of tan oak before. A bit of spelunking:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/t/t0039150.html :
An evergreen tree (Lithocarpus densiflorus) native to California and
Oregon, having leathery leaves, erect male catkins, and
tannin-yielding bark. Also called tanbark.

They're being attacked by fungal disease:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...treedeath.html

*And* beetle infestations:
http://www.santa-cruz.com/archive/19...ories/2top.htm

From http://www.mecgrassroots.org/NEWSL/I...05Tanoak.html:
"Recently, Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC) announced plans to reopen its
Willits sawmill and hire 25 workers to process tan oak into hardwood
flooring. At first glance, this seems like a good idea, creating new jobs
and increasing company revenues while eliminating "weed" trees that are
supposedly crowding out redwoods and Douglas firs.

"Tan oak is a native tree that is part of the natural mix of species in
redwood/Douglas fir forests. One of the plants that revegetates bare
ground following natural events like fires, tan oak also serves to hold
steep slopes together after they have been clearcut, and to provide
wildlife habitat and other benefits."

It looks like this species is under assault from all directions. What I
didn't find is what it looks like. Can you describe it?

Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a class on
kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about 90 minutes,
unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards. Another set of
lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for figure, grain,
stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation theory and
practice. Better understanding of smaller than typical commercial scale
wood harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some very nice lumber, at a
very reasonable price.

You should go there more often. Looks like you're treated like a part-time
student!

snip
The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits,
and down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up.
Norah Jones, Diana Krall,

Ah, so you like beautiful music also.

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett

Well, maybe not... ;^)

make pretty
good company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were in
glorious color under the autumn sky. The truck ran fine, and wasn't at
all overloaded, like some of our Canadian friends have been occasionally
known to do. Back by 4 pm, my wife even cooked dinner.

As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

Boy, I'd say.

--
Joe Wells

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:05:54 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

max wrote in
:

P
What city do you live in?
I love the Mendocino coast. My sister used to have a house up there
and I used to get slabs of old growth redwood.
max


I live in Martinez, on the edge of Pleasant Hill, the town where I grew up.

My mother's family came to the Mendocino Coast in the 1840's. Manchester,
Point Arena and Gualala. It is one of those magical areas.

My grandfather always warned us to be careful of some of the folks living
on the 'cash economy' up there, however. They could/can be pretty
protective of their crops.

We have a picture somewhere of my great grandfather, or maybe his father,
with a mule, and a redwood log at least as thick as he was tall. Tough old
fella, he was.

I've project or two I'd like to take on, when I can find some of that
reclaimed redwood. There are a couple of sources to track down, but not
tonight.

Patriarch

Martinez?? I may have to stop and steal some of that Fort Bragg lumber
when I visit my kid in Benicia.. lol

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:12:01 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

mac davis wrote in
:

snip

As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

sounds more like an ideal weekend!


And has been, in times past. My dear wife, however, has a strep infection
which the drugs haven't completely remedied yet. She wasn't going along
this time.

But she has gotten to know all of the quilt shops on the route, from
previous trips. ;-)

And when she goes, we tend to drive her car, which has room for quilt
stuff, but no room for lumber!

Patriarch

I rode motorcycles in another life (past marriage, etc.) and used to
love riding in that area...
Nice trip to take the wife on, and maybe if you stay at a B&B, she'll
let you take the truck!

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:58:09 -0600, Joe Wells
wrote:

snip
I'd never heard of tan oak before. A bit of spelunking:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/t/t0039150.html :
An evergreen tree (Lithocarpus densiflorus) native to California and
Oregon, having leathery leaves, erect male catkins, and
tannin-yielding bark. Also called tanbark.

snip

I wonder if that might be where they get that playground chip stuff
that they used to call "tan bark" or maybe "tanbark"?

otforme (Charlie Self) wrote in
:

Patriarch notes:

I've project or two I'd like to take on, when I can find some of that
reclaimed redwood. There are a couple of sources to track down, but
not tonight

Another possible source: www.terramai.com

Thank you, Charlie. I didn't know about these folks.

Patriarch

Conan the Librarian wrote in
:

patriarch wrote:

Today was a really good day in Northern California.

[cruel snip of what sounds like a fun excursion in paradise]

OK, that's all well-and-good, but don't tell me you were in Fort
Bragg and you didn't look up Ron Hock? Of all the nerve!!


I actually thought about going to see Ron, but didn't. I decided that the
small list of inconsequential things I 'needed' was served pretty well by
mail order.

As for bothering St. James, let's just say that his reputation precedes
him. I'd love to listen to him in some more formal setting, however.

There will be other days. I'm trying to arrange to take a chair making
class from Dan, when my commitments allow. And we usually go up for the CR
student show in early February.

Patriarch

Joe Wells wrote in
news
From http://www.mecgrassroots.org/NEWSL/I...05Tanoak.html:
"Recently, Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC) announced plans to reopen
its Willits sawmill and hire 25 workers to process tan oak into
hardwood flooring. At first glance, this seems like a good idea,
creating new jobs and increasing company revenues while eliminating
"weed" trees that are supposedly crowding out redwoods and Douglas
firs.

The commercialization efforts, for a number of reasons, didn't go too well.
There are no current efforts to exploit this resource on a commercial
scale. Hundreds of thousands of board feet already harvested were sold at
significant loss, and diverted into lower value use. It's a shame, as it
makes great flooring, and I could use 1500 sq ft or so...

The lumber country is one of the most highly politicized areas, per capita,
in the state. It seems extremely difficult to have a rational, moderate
discourse between parties. The fact that there are large numbers of
counter-culture cannabis growers out in the backwoods seems to be a factor
as well...

Patriarch

mac davis wrote in
:

I wonder if that might be where they get that playground chip stuff
that they used to call "tan bark" or maybe "tanbark"?


That stuff is mostly bark, but not from this tree. Primarily conifer.

Tan oak was a major source of vegetable based tannin, until around the turn
of the twentieth century. Then other processes and sources made the
economics less attractive.

Patriarch

Redwood is primarily used for the chunks/chips that are used because the
redwood has a chemical in it to try and suppress other species seeds from
germinating.
max

mac davis wrote in
:

I wonder if that might be where they get that playground chip stuff
that they used to call "tan bark" or maybe "tanbark"?


That stuff is mostly bark, but not from this tree. Primarily conifer.

Tan oak was a major source of vegetable based tannin, until around the turn
of the twentieth century. Then other processes and sources made the
economics less attractive.

Patriarch

max wrote in
:

Redwood is primarily used for the chunks/chips that are used because
the redwood has a chemical in it to try and suppress other species
seeds from germinating.
max

mac davis wrote in
:

I wonder if that might be where they get that playground chip stuff
that they used to call "tan bark" or maybe "tanbark"?



I think, but am not sure, that the bark from Sierra pines (jefferson, or
'vanilla' pine is typical) is also used. Tends to chunkiness, rather than
the stringyness, that redwood bark often shows.

And sometimes, you want the plant suppression, and other times, you don't.

Around here, the tree services will bury you with 'the mix of the day', for
free, so they don't have to cart it off somewhere. 8" of that stuff does
wonders for weed suppression. ;-)

Patriarch

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 05:57:01 GMT, patriarch
calmly ranted:

Today was a really good day in Northern California.

After finishing two days of GOOD business meetings, I drove up through the
Sonoma County countryside, through the redwood rainforest along the Navarro
River. I got to the Pacific Coast, just south of the town of Mendocino
after dark, but the night was clear, and the moon was reflecting off of the
river and the surf was breaking softly at the mouth of the river. A Kodak
moment. Made my way north to Fort Bragg, and checked in to my motel.
Slept for 11 hours. (Almost a gloat in itself!)

Man, you drove all the way up 101 to Bragg? That's a long, long trip.
I did it a couple years ago from the northern end, then hit I-5 back.


It was one of those magical days without fog, which the locals say happen

I hit fog on the coast and we waited in it for half an hour while
the road crew (constantly making the Coast Highway safe all year)
played their paving games. It's a beautiful area in the clear.


all too seldom. I'm 3 of 5 in my last trips there. At 8 am, I met my
friend Dan at his shop. Dan is a chairmaker of some repute, who trained at
College of the Redwoods, and stayed on. He showed me his shop, gave me a
quick tutorial on greenwood chairmaking, and introduced me to some
houseguests. He rents a room to a young Swedish woodworking student at the
college, and the fellow's parents were there, so we visited for a bit, and
got the tour of the various 'on display' pieces they'd made.

So was this a trip to a friend's shop or an actual class you took
there, Glenn? (Cool either way.)


The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market. Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a class on
kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about 90 minutes,
unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards. Another set of
lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for figure, grain,
stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation theory and practice.
Better understanding of smaller than typical commercial scale wood
harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some very nice lumber, at a very
reasonable price.

That's the way to buy lumber. You suck. (Whatever the price.)


While I was in town, I dropped in to visit with Star Supply, the current
domain holder of Shellac.net (I don't know the history, and it's not my
business.) I met Ann, who has run the place for decades, and she was very
sorry to have to disappoint me, and have me wait for three to four weeks
for more of the dewaxed platinum, made famous here by the previous owner of
said shellac domain (and the fellow responsible for my buying that 24"
Stanley monster in my shop ;-)) Nice people, making a living in an out of
the way corner of the world that thrives on wood working.

Is O'Deen still miffed at them?


The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits, and
down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up. Norah
Jones, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett make pretty good
company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were in glorious color
under the autumn sky.

I stopped at the drive-through redwood tree in Willits but my truck
was too wide to go through without taking the mirrors off. A Toyota
pickemup made it and a Queen Vic made it with 1 less usable mirror.
Those are good tunes for the most part. (I don't know about Lovett
'cuz I haven't heard much of his music at all. 1 movie tune?)
I took that road from Willits to the coast at full speed. THAT was
fun. A few cars that were on it let two of us pass and we played
the corners all the way. I probably lost about 1,000 miles worth of
tread on that run, but it was a real blast.


The truck ran fine, and wasn't at all overloaded,
like some of our Canadian friends have been occasionally known to do.

Heh heh heh.

Back by 4 pm, my wife even cooked dinner.



As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

That's a Roger, Over.


--
Strong like ox, smart like tractor.
----------------------------------
www.diversify.com Oxen-free Website Design

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:12:01 GMT, patriarch
calmly ranted:

But she has gotten to know all of the quilt shops on the route, from
previous trips. ;-)

And when she goes, we tend to drive her car, which has room for quilt
stuff, but no room for lumber!

Next time, take the truck and include a large suitcase for the quilt
stuff. win/win, wot?


--
Strong like ox, smart like tractor.
----------------------------------
www.diversify.com Oxen-free Website Design

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 10:53:10 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:12:01 GMT, patriarch
calmly ranted:

But she has gotten to know all of the quilt shops on the route, from
previous trips. ;-)

And when she goes, we tend to drive her car, which has room for quilt
stuff, but no room for lumber!

Next time, take the truck and include a large suitcase for the quilt
stuff. win/win, wot?

SWMBO's comment on this was: "_A_ suitcase? Nononononono."
In my experience you're gonna need a steamer trunk.

(She's sitting at her computer behind me logged into the quilting
newsgroup.)

--RC

Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine?

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:57:17 GMT, mac davis
wrote:

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:58:09 -0600, Joe Wells
wrote:

snip
I'd never heard of tan oak before. A bit of spelunking:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/t/t0039150.html :
An evergreen tree (Lithocarpus densiflorus) native to California and
Oregon, having leathery leaves, erect male catkins, and
tannin-yielding bark. Also called tanbark.

snip

I wonder if that might be where they get that playground chip stuff
that they used to call "tan bark" or maybe "tanbark"?

Tanbark was originally any kind of bark (usually an oak species) which
had been soaked to produce a tanning solution. It was waste so it was
fairly cheap. Later it became a generic name for shredded bark.

IIRC tan oak took its name from the fact that the Californians used it
extensively to tan hides because it was so common. Under Mexico hides,
tanned or untanned were a major item of commerce in old California.

I don't believe tan oak is even a true oak. But it's bark is very high
in tannin.

--RC
Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine?

rcook notes:

I don't believe tan oak is even a true oak. But it's bark is very high
in tannin.

Lithocarpus densiflorus. Oaks are Quercus spp. Actually, from Fagaceae, or
beech family.

You're right about the tannin, too.

Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx

Larry Jaques wrote in
:

snip
Man, you drove all the way up 101 to Bragg? That's a long, long trip.
I did it a couple years ago from the northern end, then hit I-5 back.

Up: 101 to Cloverdale, 128 to the coast along the Navarro River, then up 1
to Ft. Bragg. Back: 20 to Willits, 101 south to Petaluma, then over to
Martinez via 37. I-5 seems out of the way, unless one is headed to Rogue
River area. ;-) And I-5 is just a super-slab, anyway.

It was one of those magical days without fog, which the locals say
happen

I hit fog on the coast and we waited in it for half an hour while
the road crew (constantly making the Coast Highway safe all year)
played their paving games. It's a beautiful area in the clear.

So was this a trip to a friend's shop or an actual class you took
there, Glenn? (Cool either way.)

Classes run six days. I haven't put together the time or cash
simultaneously to take the class yet. Green wood chairmaking.
http://www.mendocinofurniture.com/stalzer.html Great guy. Quite a
character, and quite a craftsperson.


The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market. Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a
class on kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about
90 minutes, unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards.
Another set of lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for
figure, grain, stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation
theory and practice. Better understanding of smaller than typical
commercial scale wood harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some
very nice lumber, at a very reasonable price.

That's the way to buy lumber. You suck. (Whatever the price.)


While I was in town, I dropped in to visit with Star Supply, the
current domain holder of Shellac.net (I don't know the history, and
it's not my business.) I met Ann, who has run the place for decades,
and she was very sorry to have to disappoint me, and have me wait for
three to four weeks for more of the dewaxed platinum, made famous here
by the previous owner of said shellac domain (and the fellow
responsible for my buying that 24" Stanley monster in my shop ;-))
Nice people, making a living in an out of the way corner of the world
that thrives on wood working.

Is O'Deen still miffed at them?

I have no idea. It's not my business. I only know O'Deen in cyberspace,
and pretty much just by reputation there. Although it is a substantial
reputation...


The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits,
and down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up.
Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett make
pretty good company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were
in glorious color under the autumn sky.

(I don't know about Lovett
'cuz I haven't heard much of his music at all. 1 movie tune?)

Lyle Lovett's lyrics would fit your sense of humour and irony.
Particularly some of the older stuff. A unique mix of Texas swing, blues,
some gospel, and big band. It sounds better than it describes. And Lyle
is living proof that not all music stars are pretty boys. He's rather
Dylanesque.

I took that road from Willits to the coast at full speed. THAT was
fun. A few cars that were on it let two of us pass and we played
the corners all the way. I probably lost about 1,000 miles worth of
tread on that run, but it was a real blast.

You're one of the folks whose way I get out of.

Patriarch

wrote in
:

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 10:53:10 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 07:12:01 GMT, patriarch
calmly ranted:

But she has gotten to know all of the quilt shops on the route, from
previous trips. ;-)

And when she goes, we tend to drive her car, which has room for quilt
stuff, but no room for lumber!

Next time, take the truck and include a large suitcase for the quilt
stuff. win/win, wot?

SWMBO's comment on this was: "_A_ suitcase? Nononononono."
In my experience you're gonna need a steamer trunk.

(She's sitting at her computer behind me logged into the quilting
newsgroup.)


Mine has discovered the joys of buying fabric online. She spends less
online than she does in the stores, per trip. Now she wants more fabric
storage capacity, and another sewing machine of approximately the same cost
as a new Laguna bandsaw...

But we DON'T compare tool purchases, for very good reasons. She'll get her
machine soon.

Patriarch

otforme (Charlie Self) wrote in
:

rcook notes:

I don't believe tan oak is even a true oak. But it's bark is very high
in tannin.

Lithocarpus densiflorus. Oaks are Quercus spp. Actually, from
Fagaceae, or beech family.

You're right about the tannin, too.


All true. Here's mo

http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp/oak110.htm

The wood finishes similarly to Oregon white oak, when cared for properly in
the drying process.

It's challenging to work, but it's native to an area my faily has called
home for a number of generations.

Patriarch

Did you stop at the Highlight Gallery in Mendocino?
max

Larry Jaques wrote in
:

snip
Man, you drove all the way up 101 to Bragg? That's a long, long trip.
I did it a couple years ago from the northern end, then hit I-5 back.

Up: 101 to Cloverdale, 128 to the coast along the Navarro River, then up 1
to Ft. Bragg. Back: 20 to Willits, 101 south to Petaluma, then over to
Martinez via 37. I-5 seems out of the way, unless one is headed to Rogue
River area. ;-) And I-5 is just a super-slab, anyway.

It was one of those magical days without fog, which the locals say
happen

I hit fog on the coast and we waited in it for half an hour while
the road crew (constantly making the Coast Highway safe all year)
played their paving games. It's a beautiful area in the clear.

So was this a trip to a friend's shop or an actual class you took
there, Glenn? (Cool either way.)

Classes run six days. I haven't put together the time or cash
simultaneously to take the class yet. Green wood chairmaking.
http://www.mendocinofurniture.com/stalzer.html Great guy. Quite a
character, and quite a craftsperson.


The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market. Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a
class on kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about
90 minutes, unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards.
Another set of lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for
figure, grain, stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation
theory and practice. Better understanding of smaller than typical
commercial scale wood harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some
very nice lumber, at a very reasonable price.

That's the way to buy lumber. You suck. (Whatever the price.)


While I was in town, I dropped in to visit with Star Supply, the
current domain holder of Shellac.net (I don't know the history, and
it's not my business.) I met Ann, who has run the place for decades,
and she was very sorry to have to disappoint me, and have me wait for
three to four weeks for more of the dewaxed platinum, made famous here
by the previous owner of said shellac domain (and the fellow
responsible for my buying that 24" Stanley monster in my shop ;-))
Nice people, making a living in an out of the way corner of the world
that thrives on wood working.

Is O'Deen still miffed at them?

I have no idea. It's not my business. I only know O'Deen in cyberspace,
and pretty much just by reputation there. Although it is a substantial
reputation...


The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits,
and down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up.
Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett make
pretty good company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were
in glorious color under the autumn sky.

(I don't know about Lovett
'cuz I haven't heard much of his music at all. 1 movie tune?)

Lyle Lovett's lyrics would fit your sense of humour and irony.
Particularly some of the older stuff. A unique mix of Texas swing, blues,
some gospel, and big band. It sounds better than it describes. And Lyle
is living proof that not all music stars are pretty boys. He's rather
Dylanesque.

I took that road from Willits to the coast at full speed. THAT was
fun. A few cars that were on it let two of us pass and we played
the corners all the way. I probably lost about 1,000 miles worth of
tread on that run, but it was a real blast.

You're one of the folks whose way I get out of.

Patriarch

max wrote in
:

Did you stop at the Highlight Gallery in Mendocino?
max

Not this trip. We went in May, though. Great way to spend a couple of
hours.

Patriarch

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 19:44:51 GMT, calmly
ranted:

SWMBO's comment on this was: "_A_ suitcase? Nononononono."
In my experience you're gonna need a steamer trunk.

(She's sitting at her computer behind me logged into the quilting
newsgroup.)

OK, 4 large suitcases which can be tied down over the lumber.
Just take the truck...unless she wants an equalizing hitch on
the back of her car and you can get a trailer to tow...
(Did I just hear an agreement for suitcases? Thot so.)


--
Strong like ox, smart like tractor.
----------------------------------
www.diversify.com Oxen-free Website Design

Thu, Nov 18, 2004, 5:57am (EST+5) patriarch
) says:
snip As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

Indeed.



JOAT
Measure twice, cut once, swear repeatedly.

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 17:37:15 GMT, max wrote:

that's what I thought... just rang a bell when the word "tanbark" came
up..

Redwood is primarily used for the chunks/chips that are used because the
redwood has a chemical in it to try and suppress other species seeds from
germinating.
max

mac davis wrote in
:

I wonder if that might be where they get that playground chip stuff
that they used to call "tan bark" or maybe "tanbark"?


That stuff is mostly bark, but not from this tree. Primarily conifer.

Tan oak was a major source of vegetable based tannin, until around the turn
of the twentieth century. Then other processes and sources made the
economics less attractive.

Patriarch

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 01:55:28 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

Lyle Lovett's lyrics would fit your sense of humour and irony.
Particularly some of the older stuff. A unique mix of Texas swing, blues,
some gospel, and big band. It sounds better than it describes. And Lyle
is living proof that not all music stars are pretty boys. He's rather
Dylanesque.

I love the one about his girl leaving on the bus, and all the ****
that happens to him when he's trying to stop her..
reminds me a little of Arlo Guthry..

(J T) wrote in news:4517-419D7787-459@storefull-
3153.bay.webtv.net:

Thu, Nov 18, 2004, 5:57am (EST+5) patriarch
) says:
snip As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

Indeed.



JOAT
Measure twice, cut once, swear repeatedly.



Glad to hear that the doctor had pretty good news for you, JOAT. Some
balancing out seemed overdue.

Did your T-shirts arrive yet? ;-)

Patriarch

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 01:59:45 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

another sewing machine of approximately the same cost
as a new Laguna bandsaw...

Same rules apply. S/H industrial cost less, work better, and hold
resale value. My big sewing machine weighs about the same as my
bandsaw, but has a bigger motor and a real oil-pan on it that takes a
couple of pints in an oil change. For quilting work it would also
have a _lot_ more room under the arm than any domestic.
--
Smert' spamionam

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 01:55:28 GMT, patriarch
calmly ranted:

Larry Jaques wrote in
:

snip
Man, you drove all the way up 101 to Bragg? That's a long, long trip.
I did it a couple years ago from the northern end, then hit I-5 back.

Up: 101 to Cloverdale, 128 to the coast along the Navarro River, then up 1
to Ft. Bragg. Back: 20 to Willits, 101 south to Petaluma, then over to
Martinez via 37.

I headed up I-5 to O-38 to the coast at Reedsport (I hadn't seen that
section of Oregon yet), then down 101 to C-20 to Bragg, back to 101
from Mendocino, down to Santa Rosa where I got a grand tour of Ed's
cool steam/machine/woodworking/robotics shop (Hi, Ed!), and on down
to Mom's in Valley Jo (aka Vallejo).

I left at 5am for the return trip and went straight up I-5 to avoid
the ghastly summer heat. It had been 100+ on 101. My next truck will
have A/C, P/W, and PDL.


I-5 seems out of the way, unless one is headed to Rogue
River area. ;-) And I-5 is just a super-slab, anyway.

In So Cal, it was 6 lanes of concrete in each direction.
Up here, it's two lanes of blacktop in each direction.
WHAT a difference!


So was this a trip to a friend's shop or an actual class you took
there, Glenn? (Cool either way.)

Classes run six days. I haven't put together the time or cash
simultaneously to take the class yet. Green wood chairmaking.
http://www.mendocinofurniture.com/stalzer.html Great guy. Quite a
character, and quite a craftsperson.

Nice shavehorses. Yummy display wall cabinet. He does nice work.


(I don't know about Lovett
'cuz I haven't heard much of his music at all. 1 movie tune?)

Lyle Lovett's lyrics would fit your sense of humour and irony.
Particularly some of the older stuff. A unique mix of Texas swing, blues,
some gospel, and big band. It sounds better than it describes. And Lyle
is living proof that not all music stars are pretty boys. He's rather
Dylanesque.

Keep your gospel, thanks. The rest sound good.


I took that road from Willits to the coast at full speed. THAT was
fun. A few cars that were on it let two of us pass and we played
the corners all the way. I probably lost about 1,000 miles worth of
tread on that run, but it was a real blast.

You're one of the folks whose way I get out of.

Patriarch


--
Strong like ox, smart like tractor.
----------------------------------
www.diversify.com Oxen-free Website Design

Andy Dingley wrote in
news
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 01:59:45 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

another sewing machine of approximately the same cost
as a new Laguna bandsaw...

Same rules apply. S/H industrial cost less, work better, and hold
resale value. My big sewing machine weighs about the same as my
bandsaw, but has a bigger motor and a real oil-pan on it that takes a
couple of pints in an oil change. For quilting work it would also
have a _lot_ more room under the arm than any domestic.

Room under the arm is the only reason for the purchase. Second hand
industrial would be great.

I've learned a little bit about rust hunting WRT woodoworking tools. Any
pointers on how to go about this specialty? And what
brands/models/features one might seek?

My checking account would appreciate this greatly. ;-)

Patriarch

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 15:08:16 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

Any pointers on how to go about this specialty?

Same as woodworking. Buy them from someone who is in the industry,
not so naive as to expect to get back what they paid, and needs the
money or the space in a hurry. Sewing machine repairmen are usually a
good source, for only a bit more money and they usually service before
selling. Dealers with shopfronts will cost a lot more.

eBay isn't a bad place to look - if location is right.

--
Smert' spamionam

I too am a Wood Dorker.

patriarch wrote in message 7.77...
Today was a really good day in Northern California.

After finishing two days of GOOD business meetings, I drove up through the
Sonoma County countryside, through the redwood rainforest along the Navarro
River. I got to the Pacific Coast, just south of the town of Mendocino
after dark, but the night was clear, and the moon was reflecting off of the
river and the surf was breaking softly at the mouth of the river. A Kodak
moment. Made my way north to Fort Bragg, and checked in to my motel.
Slept for 11 hours. (Almost a gloat in itself!)

It was one of those magical days without fog, which the locals say happen
all too seldom. I'm 3 of 5 in my last trips there. At 8 am, I met my
friend Dan at his shop. Dan is a chairmaker of some repute, who trained at
College of the Redwoods, and stayed on. He showed me his shop, gave me a
quick tutorial on greenwood chairmaking, and introduced me to some
houseguests. He rents a room to a young Swedish woodworking student at the
college, and the fellow's parents were there, so we visited for a bit, and
got the tour of the various 'on display' pieces they'd made.

The point of the visit was for me to purchase some tan oak, which is a
native-to-this-portion of the world species with little to no current
commercial market. Dan had done, with College of the Redwoods, a class on
kiln-drying, and now the output was for sale. We spent about 90 minutes,
unloading a portion of the kiln, and selecting boards. Another set of
lessons and guidelines on selecting rough lumber for figure, grain,
stability, etc. More teaching on small kiln operation theory and practice.
Better understanding of smaller than typical commercial scale wood
harvesting, etc. And about 150 bd ft of some very nice lumber, at a very
reasonable price.

While I was in town, I dropped in to visit with Star Supply, the current
domain holder of Shellac.net (I don't know the history, and it's not my
business.) I met Ann, who has run the place for decades, and she was very
sorry to have to disappoint me, and have me wait for three to four weeks
for more of the dewaxed platinum, made famous here by the previous owner of
said shellac domain (and the fellow responsible for my buying that 24"
Stanley monster in my shop ;-)) Nice people, making a living in an out of
the way corner of the world that thrives on wood working.

The weather was great, and I drove home over the mountain to Willits, and
down 101 (175 miles) with the windows down, and the CD player up. Norah
Jones, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lyle Lovett make pretty good
company. The trees, the orchards and the vineyards were in glorious color
under the autumn sky. The truck ran fine, and wasn't at all overloaded,
like some of our Canadian friends have been occasionally known to do. Back
by 4 pm, my wife even cooked dinner.

As has been said here recently: "Life is good!"

Patriarch

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 12:49:16 +0000, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 01:59:45 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

another sewing machine of approximately the same cost
as a new Laguna bandsaw...

Same rules apply. S/H industrial cost less, work better, and hold
resale value. My big sewing machine weighs about the same as my
bandsaw, but has a bigger motor and a real oil-pan on it that takes a
couple of pints in an oil change. For quilting work it would also
have a _lot_ more room under the arm than any domestic.

For quilting work you get a long-arm quilting machine. Think a sewing
machine mounted on a big frame with an XY drive. Think ten grand or
so.

We ain't the only ones with expensive toys.

--RC
Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine?

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 15:08:16 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

Andy Dingley wrote in
news
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 01:59:45 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

another sewing machine of approximately the same cost
as a new Laguna bandsaw...

Same rules apply. S/H industrial cost less, work better, and hold
resale value. My big sewing machine weighs about the same as my
bandsaw, but has a bigger motor and a real oil-pan on it that takes a
couple of pints in an oil change. For quilting work it would also
have a _lot_ more room under the arm than any domestic.

Room under the arm is the only reason for the purchase. Second hand
industrial would be great.

I've learned a little bit about rust hunting WRT woodoworking tools. Any
pointers on how to go about this specialty? And what
brands/models/features one might seek?

My checking account would appreciate this greatly. ;-)

Patriarch

Well, SWMBO started out with the same question we hear so often in
this NG.

Where are you and what are you trying to do?

Are you looking for a conventional sewing machine, a sewing-embroidery
machine, an upholstery machine, a quilting machine, etc.?

How heavy is the material you're going to be sewing? How big are the
pieces. What do you need in the way of special stiches, etc., etc.,
etc.

For conventional machines my wife swears by Viking/Huskvarna. She's
bought three of them and we will have all of them. (She also has an
overlock machine and two bedrooms in our three-bedroom house are
cutting and sewing rooms, and there's fabric everywhere, but those are
different issues.)

Conversely, stay away from any Singer made in the last 20 years.
Another once proud name reduced to junk by the bean counters.

Once we've got all that settled, she can probably give you some pretty
good advice on used machines.

--RC

Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine?

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 15:08:16 GMT, patriarch
calmly ranted:

Room under the arm is the only reason for the purchase. Second hand
industrial would be great.

I've learned a little bit about rust hunting WRT woodoworking tools. Any
pointers on how to go about this specialty? And what
brands/models/features one might seek?

My checking account would appreciate this greatly. ;-)

Look for local industrial sewing machine repairmen. They should
have inexpensive used machines. HF has a new Chinese machine, motor,
clutch, and table for under $400.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3914
and 3929.

Does anybody here (or their wife) have one of these? I'm wondering
about the quality and parts availability.


-- Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Turkey and Drive --