Will he succeed or could his plans be thwarted by his nemesis Dr. Steffy?
A short and family friendly Parody inspired by the BBC series Dr Who. A programme that Stephen enjoyed from its begiining in the early 1960's until the early 2010's when the stories became too outlandish and overpowered by CGI and producers ego's.
Click/Tap on the player below to watch the adventure.
The winner of the draw was Robert Lynch from the Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Society and it's his call-sign M0NVQ I am to inlay using a black epoxy putty.
Robert became interested in radio in the early 1970s but it wasn't until his retirement in 2012 that he sat all the required exams to gain his full amateur licence..
My home made pantograph router reduced these by a ratio of 3 to 1 creating 20mm lettering on the workpiece. This amount of reduction helps smooth out any inaccuracies to the point where they are lost in the grain and not noticeable.
I want the rim to sit a little low of the lip of the bowl so I take it down a few millimetres. When I have the shape I'm happy with I remove some of the bulk from the back. And take the rim down to around 5mm thick with the parting tool all the while eyeballing the bed rails to help me stay straight. I sand down to 320 grit and to a fine finish with Yorkshire Grit.
A good couple of coats with spray lacquer makes the wood and colour sing together. Some Yorkshire grit puts a super shine on the finish and the job's a good'un.
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Click/Tap to watch the project video
Fascinated by the Japanese Kumiko woodworking style I decided to produce a bowl inspired by this discipline when entering Keith Brown's 'Bowl Without a Lathe' challenge. Making this bowl from wood was not an option I was kitted up for in the workshop so I utilised an origami principle developed by Heinz Strobl many years ago.
Paper would not have the properties needed to induce the pressure and stability needed to form and maintain the bowl shape so I opted to use Draughtman's Vellum, a type of PET plastic which is coated to accept graphite or ink on the surface. This material is tough, stable, is not effected by moisture and resists mold for decades when stored in damp, dark and dusty vaults.
The hexagonal structure mimics to a great extend a single layer of carbon atoms which, due to the nature of their atomic bonding, forms an extremely strong material. Graphene for example.
While I did not win the challenge, my video (see below) was noted for its originality.
The sinister Glue Bots are set on ending the freedom of the wooden wedges. Can Stanley the Clamp save them from a sticky outcome?
Stanley stars in his first feature that will have you on the edge of your seat. Certified safe for spouse this woodworking scenario can be enjoyed by all the family. What will become of the wooden wedges? Will Stanley succeed?
I do love to weave a story into my video's and was so excited when I had the opportunity and the permission to tell this one.
Eighty eight year old Joan showed me her husbands now empty workshop, unused since his death over 35 years ago. I noticed a small piece of dark dirty hardwood which had been used as a makeshift shelf and asked if I could have it. The product was Terry's bowl, made from the very last piece of timber from her husbands workshop. A Valentine gift from him to his soulmate Joan.
In a couple of weeks it would be the 14th of February so I decided it was time for her long lost love to give her a valentine present, with just a little input from me. The product was Terry's bowl. Made from the very last piece of timber from her husbands workshop for his soulmate Joan.
I had planned a small curvy segmented bowl but there would only be enough timber so I had to plan, measure, cut and turn carefully. I thoroughly enjoyed making this bowl and Joan, now in her nineties, treasures it still.
Many thanks to Joan for allowing me to tell Terry's story and providing the photographs and historical information to make it all happen. Many thanks also to Terry, a skilled carpenter and joiner who I would have loved to have met in person.
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Stanley takes the opportunity to post his trilogy of films. Each episode was included in project videos throughout 2017.
Stanley was only going to appear in one of the build video's but when he started getting fan mail there was no option but to produce more episodes. Since the making of this trilogy Stanley has gone on to star in three more longer features of his own.
The video also includes some behind the scenes footage of how Stanley was animated. greatful thanks to my good friend Peter Stevens who helped with some of the live action scenes.
A Guiro hybrid is the subject for this 2017 special edition Christmas video. I wanted a percussive instrument to accompany other loud instruments so this version has a pickup so the sound can be amplified and also processed to produce some amazing effects.
Mahogany and Oak is used throughout and as the resulting instrument is heavier than the usual guiro's, a comfortable grip handle is fitted to one end. This special edition is a thank you to all the viewers, subscribers and commenters to the 8x6 Workshop Channel. You guys make it all worthwhile.
If the opening sequence seems confusing it's based upon the introductory trailer for the 13th (female) Doctor in the UK science fiction TV series Doctor Who.
The pipe tune at the end of the video is called The Highland Cradle Song, a traditional Celtic Lullaby. The pipes are a set of Scottish bellows blown smallpipes in the key of A and the set(s) in this video were made by Richard and Anita Evans, makers of Northumbrian and Scottish Smallpipes.
Harry Potter ain't got anything to touch this baby!
Grateful thanks to Pam Harris at Highland Boxes for agreeing to be part of my stupid humour in the video, I hope it does not damage her reputation too much.
This video demonstrates how to calculate and fold the size of box you desire in two or four colours and is from my companion YouTube channel 'Stephen's Origami Workshop'.
I use this type of box to organise my electronic components for easy access. It can be made from 160gsm card and sized to combine with the square presentation boxes above so they all fit neatly into drawers wasting very little space.
This box can save you a fortune in shop bought storage solutions. Once you have made a few and got the hang of it you can turn these boxes out in minutes with your eyes closed!
My roof camera rig is great but if I'm filming over my shoulder the microphone is not always in the best place so I have built a separate rig for these situations which is quick, efficient and easy to use. The magnetic mount and scissor action allows me to place it exactly where I need it. There's also a bonus to this mounting method too!
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Even though their heyday was a little before my time, as a young child, I was always fascinated by the art deco rising sun styles of the 1940's radio grilles. I can account for meeting many variations, either when visiting friends or on display in antique shop windows.
There was just something about the design my young brain liked. Fast forward well over half a century and it felt I just had to emulate the style in a segmented bowl design.
Four species of wood were used. Beech for the sky, Limewood for the sun and sunbeams, Iroko for the ground and segments of Walnut for the rim. The finished 175mm diameter bowl stands 50mm high and is finished with an waxed acrylic lacquer buffed to a high sheen.
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A unique method for creating a flower from wood. I made this video at the invitation of a fellow YouTube creator who was organising a Valentine collaboration.
Shooting the video was the most emotionally difficult film I have made but I am so glad I did. It's been a long time since I sent a Valentine gift and this project brought back hard memories.
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Fed up with doing the tango with my tripod every time I move in my tiny workshop I built a ceiling mounted camera rig which will allow me to shoot from any angle without taking up floor space.
The articulating arm was designed on the same principle as the arm of a mechanical digger which can move to any position within the diameter of its reach. So to can the arm of the rig. Not only does it make filming easier but the equipment is much safer as I no longer have to clamp the camera to the side of the bandsaw or pillar drill in order to get some difficult shots.
This episode sees Stephen create a handy solution to the problem of him continually breaking his glasses. When he eventually manages to get to his workshop Stephen resolves the problem on the wood lathe. The style of the penguin was based on Feathers McGraw, the villain from Wallace and Gromit 'A Close Shave' as his features were well suited for the purpose of the project.
This is my way of saying thank you to all the viewers, subscribers and members of the You Tube community that have supported and inspired me. There are so many of you and some have agreed to play an indirect 'cameo' role (thank you so much). More are mentioned in the closing credits but I would still like to say thank you to the greater number out there who regularly publish and post instructive and informative video's to tease and delight all of us woodworking and woodturning nerds. You know who you are!
Sit back and enjoy the video. Do please feel free to comment, like, dislike, subscribe and please do share with your friends.
This twelve minute video took eight days to shoot and edit but I have enjoyed every minute. I hope you do too!
Upcycling a Beech wood rolling pin into a turned lidded box for a nut stacking game. The handle of the rolling pin becomes the handle of the box.
Black waxed hemp is used to make a tight fitting lid and the pyrography machine is used to texture and label the container.This is a game for two players racing each other or the clock. The winner is the first person to successfully stack ten hexagonal nuts on top of each other using a stylus.
Knutz game players - Anita and Ryan