New Chopping Block

Wow! what a fantastic weekend. I'd planned on making myself a new chopping block for a while now, partly because the legs on my old one have come loose, but also because it's a bit short and I'm fed up of bending over to use it. I'd had the legs for a while so it was really just a case of drilling holes and doing some fine fitting. I started to drill the holes with a spade bit in my electric drill, as this was the biggest one I had. It didn't cut very well, made a lot of mess and generally disturbed the tranquility of my surroundings. So I ditched it and opted instead for a Scotch-eyed auger that I picked up from a boot sale that morning (Sat). What a difference that made. Yes it did require a bit more effort, but it was more peaceful, more enjoyable and more fasterer.

I'm really pleased with my new stump. It's just below waist height and is just perfect for working on spoons. I know this already because I immediately decided to have a go at carving a new spoon. Not only did it give me a chance to try out the block but I could also have a play with my new Dave Budd spoon knife and my Svante Djarv little Viking axe. I didn't get to do much carving though as some good friends came around to share the sunny afternoon with us. I thought I might get to finish it off when I got back from church this afternoon, but playing with my oldest boy on a water slide seemed like a much better idea.