I had these spools, I've had them for a long time. And for an equal amount of time I've been thinking what to do with those.
I think the old wooden spools are beautiful. I'd like to have them somewhere where I can see them. I went through my craft stash again, like I often do, and I remembered having also wire hangers. And then it hit me to make an abacus. I measured the longest straight edge from the wire hangers, it was just enough to fit ten spools with some leeway. I had seven of those wire hangers so I desided to go with those and not acquire more. I counted the spools, I had 63 spools. So not 70, but that's ok, lets assume some spools have broken off from the abacus over time.
I also needed to make a frame for the abacus. For those I needed to go to the local lumber yard and buy small amount of lath (please let me know if the wood is called something else). I like the local lumber yard, the boys there are really helpful in their odd rude dude like way. I always need such a tiny amount of anything but still they cut the wood and help me like any other customer who buy truck loads of wood.
I had been meaning to loan a mitre box from A's dad, but when we last visited A's parents I forgot to ask about it. Which was dull because I needed it for my abacus project. Then A bought me a present, a mitre box! One day he came from work and had one with him. The best gift ever!
After I had cut the pieces, I drilled small holes on the sides for the wires. Then I assembled the frame with glue and staples. I didn't have anything to press the edges together so that is why I stapled them from the back side. I used a straight angle to measure that the frame is not crooked before I stapled.
I made the abacus for my craft area which is not yet done. That is why cannot yet place the abacus to the place where it belongs, so I took pictures just in front of the unfinished wall in the office.
I think it turned out great, it's my new favourite thing in the office. I'm not planning to treat the wood in anyway, I want it to be as unfinished as most of the spools.
I'm trying a new thing here and I'm linking this to
Ps. You might have saw this post on Wednesday, since I accidentally posted a unfinished version then
I wonder if you send A to the lumber yard, would they treat him the same when he ask for some tiny amount of lumber....
ReplyDeleteHmmm.. I don't know, clearly we should make an experiment.
Deleteyes, the experiment should consist of several parts. 1. as himself. 2. him dressed like you. and these have to be documented. and published.
DeleteThe part one sounds doable, I'm not sure I'll be able to talk him into the second part :D
DeleteVery cool you. Spools are beautiful bits of treen in their own right and i love what you made to display them (i first used a mitre box for my doll housing projects theyre ingenious things aren't they!) x
ReplyDeleteThanks and thanks for teaching me a new word "treen"
DeleteThis turned out very cool. Gotta get me one of those mitre boxes.
ReplyDeleteDefinately! Miter box is every girls dream :)
DeleteGood job! It looks great, love your creativity!
ReplyDeleteThank you Nina.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's wonderful! I love old spools, too (sigh) but I have only one or two. Is your craft room the office/guest room? I've been wondering how it is coming along.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alana. I got the spools from my dad who had got them from somewhere.
DeleteYes the craft room is also the office and the guest room, it has many functions :) Now the room is a huge mess. I actually took a leap forward just today and have now disassembled one shelf so I can paint it and so I can paint the wall behind it. I think I will continue with the wall painting since the weather outside is very wet (I'd like to do sand the shelf outdoors).
Oh--and if that wood was preshaped at manufacture, we would call it molding. Lathe is rather rough thin rectangular pieces of wood. Before the invention of gypsum (dry wall) or plaster board it was used as the substrate for plaster to create interior walls--as in "plaster and lathe" walls. One more thing, you wanted to borrow the mitre box--and if you had, they would have loaned to you.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised you didn't already have a miter box. For you, that ould be a great present. Good for A!
Okey, molding. I have used that word before but did not really know the difference between that and the lathe. Yes I could have gotten a mitre box for a loan, but you're right, I do have use for it even in the future, so it is good to own.
DeleteThis is all so great! The wooden spools, that nifty miter box...what a satisfying project and a gorgeous result!
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy. It was really satisfying especially because I found use for the things I allready had.
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