Mary Ostler

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The days are racing past and I am in need of progress on the triangular stool front.

The legs need holes drilled. I used a bit and brace for the first few holes, but pear wood is hard, and I am weak! Drill press it is.

Fitting the first leg with the cross dowels. I made a [...]

A.T. War is near at hand, and I have procrastinated on the A&S competition. So with the pool of days diminishing quickly, I decided I better get on with it. My entry is going to be a pole lathe turned triangular stool. I had previously turned a triangular back stool, so it should be a [...]

Last minute commission came up the other day. I was requested to make a Niddy Noddy. Its a tool used to wind skeins of  yarn. I have made one before, but entirely turned.  The period images that are kicking around show a turned handle (usually with cross bracing) and curved boards that the yarn winds around. Since the person [...]

JUst a quick post as I am headed out to an event.
I was requested (told really) that I make a plywood bowl for my aunt’s birthday.

This is the first plywood bowl I have made with an inner lip. I left the wall a little thick as I was worried about the laminations separating if I cut it [...]

I have a commission to make 60 spools up for a local merchant that deals with dyed textile goods. She bought a few when I was merchanting last fall, but wanted a slew more. Since then my original source of head scratching cheap dogwood billets has disappeared. I am now using scrap Cherry and Walnut [...]

By Request: How I convert my electric lathe to a functioning pole lathe.
I am lucky enough to have a decent size shop, and even luckier (mis-fortunate) to have inherited a lot of old tools. The decent size shop seems pretty small when all the tools are taking up every corner. Hence I have no room to have [...]

Well thank goodness that is done. The seat is finished and ready to go. I still have to make a table top, but their is no rush on that as the chair is the present.

Weaving the seat with paper rush was harder than I thought ti would be. The top side looks really nice, but [...]

The finish line is in sight.  All I have left is a little bit of light sanding (where the clamps where used) a once over with more wipe-on poly urethane, and weave the seat. My mom asked if I was making any thing for her this year. I couldn’t help myself but burst into laughter.

This [...]

The Long an plodding road continues with Emily’s Highchair. I am getting tired. I will be glad when I finally get to finishing this chair. I am actually rather excited about doing the reed seat on the chair.

The arms are shape kind of like an exclamation point. I walked around the house menacing people with the club.

The [...]

A little more done on the Highchair. It would have been more, but I was so cold I realized I was starting to shake while using the lathe. Not good.

I cut a board down to squared spindles. The four spindles that will have the reed seating strung over are boring 3/4″ dowels.

The lower spindles that circle the [...]