2004 Galoot BBQ
Darrell in Oakville
>Another sunny August afternoon, and another Galoot BBQ has come and gone.
This year we set up Dan's frying pan forge, my portable workbench, and the kid's terbuchet in the front yard. Dunno what the neighbours think. We got some strange looks from a few passes by...
Steve Kubien brought his newly minted scrub plane with him, so I hauled out a chunk of wood to play with at the bench, as well as my old Stanley #40 scrub for comparison. Hmmm. Usually when a bunch of handtool afflictionados get together we all bring our finest smoothers and try planing the gnarliest exotic hardwoods we can find. Not this time! We used a big chink of the blandest most innoffensive basswood I could find. Nice thick shavings (chunkier than the salsa!).
Once we were done butchering the wood, I gathered up a couple handfulls of shavings to light the forge. Good thing I called Dan and reminded him to bring some more coal. I stuck a chunk of bar round stock in the fire and we proceeded to make a holdfast. Steve got most of the exercise, so we sent him home with the holdfast.
We stood around and talked about tools and wood and the weather and whatnot whilst the kids fired water balloons down the street with the trebuchet. Nothing like some good clean fun eh?
Then it was time to light the BBQ. The food theme this year was Meat On A Stick. I tossed a bunch of kebabs on the grill and we had an excellent meal right down to the desert which, in keeping with the food theme, was popsicles.
When it started to cool off we went down to The Museum Of The Transmundane (aka my shop). We messed about with some scrapers and planes and such for a while. Then JP showed us a few tricks on the lathe, turning some multiple-centre stuff. I think I might have to try some myself, soon I hope.
Then we discovered it was both late and dark, and it was time for the party to end. It was fun, and we'll be doing it again in December for the Xmas BBQ.
Pictured are Ed, Craig, Steve, Dan and JP.
Darrell
Wood Hoarder, Blade Sharpener, and Occasional Tool User
