It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. The day job has been in high-pressure mode — two days this I spent almost 12 hours at work. At the end of those days it’s just not a good idea to head out to a room full of spinny things and attack them with sharp objects.

Yesterday I finally had the opportunity to head out to the shop for an hour or so. I started a salt and pepper shaker set from Flame Boxelder. I need to work up a jam chuck for those so I can finish them off. Then I thought I was going to turn some candle bases for Mother’s Day. In theory they were to be a little over 3 inches in diameter for pillar candles to set on.

They aren’t. I guess I was trying to maximize the wood usage just a bit too much and by the time I got them rounded they’re a bit too small to use for that. So, instead, I’ll drill a recess in one end and use them for tea light holders. Glad that the wood isn’t going to waste. This is a wormy butternut and since I made the side a bit concave you can see the worm hole in the top, then two places on the side, and then out the bottom again.

unfinished butternut tea light

Unfinished butternut tea light with worm tracks

I wish I could say I did that on purpose :)