Summer has finally arrived in Northwest Ohio. We have seen humidity and temps on the rise for the past couple of weeks, and this weekend was no exception. I can do a little woodworking in short bursts, before it gets a bit too miserable to stand in the garage in 90+ degree heat. I started a small turning a week ago from a chunk of maple a co-worker gave me last year. Never having turned common maple, I did not know what to expect. This particular species is a bit more loose grained with a tendency to splinter quite easily. I spent 20 minutes sharpening and honing my skews, any sharper and they probably would have cut a hole into a separate reality (see Philip Pullman's The Subtle Knife), but it still fought being turned every step. Thank goodness for sandpaper. Even after buffing, it still has some flaws from tear-out. But then (as the website says) flaws add character, and this one has a whole lot of character. The cannister pictured is about 4 inches in diameter, and about 5 inches high.

Among other accomplishments from this weekend include installing a Comet GP-6 dual-band VHF/UHF external antenna. I am using this with my Yaesu VX-7R, which is only a 5 watt radio, but still can drive a signal west to Bryan, OH, and East to Oregon, OH. Finally having an external antenna is a good thing!