October 2011

Elegy to Michael Champlin

  • Posted on: 21 October 2011
  • By: Jay Oyster

In an earlier life, I flew hanggliders. There was a guy who was well known and well liked in the U.S. hang gliding community by the name of Michael Champlin. I never really knew him, aside from exchanging a couple of emails. But I was very involved in the mailing lists when I wasn't flying on weekends. He was more of a west coast pilot and I flew out of Wallaby Ranch in Florida. Still, when he died in a hanggliding accident, it hit everyone very hard. I wrote this right after it happened.

 

 

Four Picture Frames for Mom's Needlepoint

I created an inner frame out of very clear poplar, just large enough to hold the picture in a recess at the back, and just thick enough to hold the needlepoint about 1/4" away from the glass. This inner frame was then wrapped in an outer frame of red oak. The outer frame was two layers, since I didn't have anything thicker than 5/4 in the shop. The front layer is a mortise and tenon frame that is pinned through the tenons. The outer frame is just a flat miter frame that is screwed to the back of the front frame. The poplar inner frame is then inserted into a very deep recess in the back. The whole thing is then backed with a thin piece of plywood behind the picture, held in place by brads.

StartDate: 
Monday, October 5, 2009 to Monday, November 30, 2009
Finished project?: 
Yes

Guggenheim Trivet Tray Frame

Frame/holder for a pair of Guggenheim trivet tiles in spalted something

This project was basically a design study for the table top build on my green topped entry table. It's three pieces in the middle, all tongue and grooved together. Then this 'ground' is grooved around the edges so I could insert the tonges of the mitered frame. Getting this all to fit together without gaps was a challenge, I can assure you. Once it was all together, I created recesses in the face for the two trivet tiles. The recess was about a millimeter and was done with a full size router. I realized at that point that I need more hand tools and to practice with them. Doing such fiddly work with a router is a bit like trying to go grocery shopping while riding a bulldozer. The trays are epoxied into the recesses.

StartDate: 
Sunday, February 1, 2009 to Saturday, February 7, 2009
Finished project?: 
Yes