Heading to Vacationland!!!
This will probably be my last post for a week or so. My wife and I are taking a much needed vacation to Maine. So here I am on my lunch hour the day before we leave psyching myself up for 10 days of rest and relaxation. Those of you who follow me on Twitter can rest assured that I will be posting some things there as we have some adventures planned during our trip. We have been going to vacation in the Boothbay Harbor area of Maine for many years now and I am sad to say that I haven’t taken advantage of the abundance of cool woodworking related sites. That all changes this year! On the docket are:
Lie Nielsen Toolworks
Maine Maritime Museum
Liberty Tool
Davistown Museum
The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
I have heard rave reviews of Liberty Tool and I am sure I will not escape without picking up some antique tools. The Maine Maritime museum looks to be a great look into traditional ship building and should be fascinating. Of course what do I need to say about Lie-Nielsen other than I should probably leave my wallet in the car or I will get in deep trouble.
In addition, there are several craftsmen on the island of Southport where we are staying. I have seen them in years past while out walking and I might stop by and strike up a conversation this year and see what I can learn.
The local shops are always filled with some great workmanship and I always get inspiration from the myriad of turnings, boxes, furniture, and the like. Vacation is always bittersweet because as much as I need a change of scenery, I have a shop addiction and I will miss my shop. To soothe the beast this year, I am going to make my first foray into carving. I picked up a small collection of carving tools and will give chip carving and some letter carving a try. I will probably even do some whittlin’. I have been thinking for a while that a little carving would add uniqueness to a lot of my projects and this is the first step.
As an interesting coincidence, check out The Woodworkers Guide. Take a read at the last 5 or 6 posts and you will see another kindred spirit who just took a tour around Maine and chronicled some of the same sites I am about to see.
Wish me luck, follow me on Twitter, and see you in 10 days!
