Saturday, February 9, 2013

Our trip to Vietnam

Photos from our trip to Vietnam early this year.


Our first day in Saigon after some really long plane rides.  First day we were just in complete shock at how crowded it was.

2nd day heading to the beach - traffic at some random corner 5:30 or so in the morning. 

Some really good seafood at the beach

3rd day flew to Hanoi, then a really long car ride from the airport, then onto a night train with 2 other people.  We were a little surpised at how close were were together. 

4th day in Vietnam, 1st in Sapa - usually people come here to hike in the mountains and see the tiered rice fields.  We had foggy weather and were constantly badgered by people selling us souveneirs.

Still - parts of Sapa were very beautiful - muddy while were were there, but beautiful

2nd Day in Sapa - hike to the top of a large hill where there's a national park.  We were surrounded by limestone boulders (and a orchid park)

Last day in Sapa - we had enough of the fog and the constant badgering to buy stuff.  Mom joins us for the rest of the tour. 

First day in Halong Bay on the 2 night cruise "junk".  This is surprise cave in a large Karst.

A better view of the 2000 or so Karsts in Halong Bay

2nd Day in Halong bay and we're climbing on limestone - got *great* weather.

3rd day we head out on of Halong Bay taking the scenic route. 

Hanoi at night - a beautiful lake and beatiful trees.  Much more green than Saigon

2nd day in Hanoi - touring a lot of museams

Day in Hue visiting lots of temples 

More orchids in random trees

1st day in Hoi An - one of the temples where insense spirals burn for a month. 

Hoi An - view from Hotel

Hoi An - beach across the street from the hotel

Back in Saigon the final day - lights for Tet getting put up
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A couple of orchids in bloom

Dendrobium tetragonum and some Coelogyne


 
 
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More frugal woodworking

 The problem is the lathe and stand are too light and need some weight


New Delta 46-460 lathe with free stand


Scraps of walnut

glue up of shorts - some stain and you have a workable panel

Lathe with stand and weight
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Sunday, February 3, 2013

2012 Dec - Going insane before heading to Vietnam

Pretty nervous about heading to Vietnam for the first time.  Used the nervous energy to use and built a bunch of stuff for the woodshop.



A homemade Sysport underneath the hand tool cabinet.  Also note the cyclone that the Festool CT-22 parks/connects to which is fed through a homemade boom arm.  I can pay in arm and a leg for Lie-Nielsen - but I just can't seem to pull the trigger for comparable Festool stuff.

A English Try square plan and saw till I got from Pop woodworking and from reading Chris Schwarz's material for so long (note the bench, the tool cabinet, saw bench, saw till, and tool rack)

A sharpening pond - my smaller version of one that I saw at the William Ng's website.  Note the maple is from resawn end grain glue ups. 4 different kinds of wood used and a scrap piece of plywood from the old garage that I couldn't throw away!  Now that is frugal!

Also built a cutoff rack underneath the outfeed table and a spindle sander/compressor rolling cabinet (not shown).

Shaker step stool mostly done by hand - a plan from Fine woodworking

Serving trays from cutoffs that I couldn't throw away.  Note the end grain glue up.  A bit clunky for a serving tray - but I couldn't just plane the thickness away!

Finished live edge coffee table.

Sarah's sewing station I did in the spring.  Used the Fuji Semi-Pro 2 HVLP right after I did the Vespa.  I hate painting furniture.
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2012 Nov - A slot canyon and bouldering?

Not an ideal time to do The Narrows - but it was definately worth it

 
 
 
 
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2012 Nov: Zion

A beautiful hike in Zion 
 
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2012 Nov - Good climbing at Kraft boulders

More like great climbing at the Kraft boulders... 
 
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2012 Aug - Live edge coffee table

All done by hand since the slab was over 20 inches wide.  Mostly jack plane, but finished flattening with a Lie-Nielsen No. 7.  The mass on this plane was a nice to have.

 
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2012 Aug - A new door

A small jig with some hand planes to trim square ebony plugs to size 
 

Nearly finished Mahogany door.  Came from a single slab of Mahogany (except for Sapele panels).  Stained glass panels we got for $5 each from a closeout at a door store.
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