Caleb's Wavy Flag

Caleb sells unfinished ones for $175 each. Contact the email in the header of this page for his information.

Caleb's Pens

These are examples of pens Caleb has turned on his lathe.

If you are interested in prices and availability, email me at the link in the header. I will put you in touch with him.

From Desk to a Pen

My son, Caleb, made this hand turned cherry twist pen from part of the wood from the desk I gave him. He has not put the finish on the wood yet. He brought it to me to see, and I snapped a picture for his woodworking fans.


twist pen parts

Hour Glass Pen

Here is another type of pen Caleb is turning out with his lathe.

He has some other styles he's working on also.

The beautifully grained wood on this hourglass pen is hackberry.

Caleb's Console Table

Caleb is making console tables to sell.
Contact the email address in the header for more info.

Caleb's Sword

He is selling these now. It's an energy sword from the game Halo. 

It's primered and you can paint it any color you want. $75 Email in header.

Subject line: CALEB SWORD

Fix for the ET Center

The saga of our really nice but also really water damaged Entertainment Center continues.

Caleb put on a new piece of oak and some trim that matches our "Middle Earth" counter. Then he tested some of the stain he picked up for me. I think I am going to have to eventually polystain the entire piece again, but we'll see. It's sitting like this in the den until I get a day I can open the windows and turn on the whole house fan to finish it. It takes three people to take it apart and move it outside.

Beginnings of a Coffee Mug

Caleb's co-worker asked him to make a coffee mug.
This is the beginnings of it.
I've seen the finished product but did not have my camera with me.

If it is still here, I will try to get a picture before he sells it.

It came out looking very nice!

100% Contentment Acres Cedar Bowl

Caleb was born at home on our farm 18 years ago.
He received a planer for his birthday.

He took a tree from our farm and planed a board.

Then he turned it into a bowl on his lathe.

It turned out quite pretty!
He has had several offers to buy it, but he gave it to me.

The bowl was made by a person born on the farm, from a tree on the farm, while they were on the farm, and it will stay on the farm. 

Caleb's Walnut Bowl

This has already been purchased, but it was really pretty after he
polished it with a food grade oil and beeswax.

Caleb Wood Blocks

Caleb has a supplier who ships him wood blocks for him to use on his lathe.

They are coated in beeswax to prevent splitting. One of the maple blocks was turned into a coffee mug requested by one of Caleb's customers. 

red: cedar

brown: black walnut

light yellow: maple

Clint and I helped Caleb buy a planer for his 18th birthday. This will help him expand on what he can make and sell. His side business is doing so well that he has not had time to sell anything online. He is using the money from that to buy more tools.

Caleb has been offered two jobs doing the same thing. His current boss wants to hire him to do the labor on flipping houses. He was offered the same from another person. Both are impressed with his skills and work ethic. Both said he can be paid hourly or split the profits 50/50 once the house sells. Caleb is in prayer about it. He wants to get his degree finished and maybe train under a contractor for a few years first.

Shaking His Money Maker

This is how Clint checked my sanding job on the entertainment center.
I am thankful for a fun loving husband who does not mind dancing with me!

Helper Hannah and the $20 Oak Table

In February, I found a nice oak table that had a dark spot in the finish. After a quick test, I determined I could remove the finish and dark spot, so I purchased it for $20. In early April, I had a chance to get outside and work on it and a few other pieces.

 

Hannah (10) gaining experience with an orbital sander on an oak table.

It slows a parent down to allow children to work with them, but the many benefits to the child's character, skill set, and the relationship it grows are well worth it. It also teaches parents the wonderful Biblical characteristic called patience. Young parents, working beside your children is not only good for them, it is good for you too!

 

The not quite, but almost finished result.

I wanted a one step rub on gel poly-stain, but I could not find one in the color I liked locally. Ever the experimenter, I mixed 1/3 stain to 2/3 poly. Again, ever the experimenter, I tried brushing it on, but it left bubbles. So, I rubbed it on like stain until it was evenly spread with no streaks , but, unlike stain, I did not rub it off. I really like the results. This table will serve my family well, and I won't cry too hard when it gets scratched or dented. 

Large families are rough on possessions which helps us parents keep our priorities straight. I have a very, very nice oak entertainment center that has a dark stain from a wet cloth being left on it while I was away. That was frustrating to me because I have reminded the family frequently not to leave wet cloths on wood. At least now they have an "object lesson" with the results staring them in the face daily. I've sanded it far more than it should have been trying to remove the ugly stain, but it is too deep. So, I am going to buy a piece of oak and put it on top with a pretty piece of trim and stain it to match. Having a large family frequently reminds one that souls and relationships are far, far more important than money or possessions. 

Earlier Pine Bowl by Caleb

  

This is an earlier bowl from when Caleb first started learning with his lathe.

 

The purple heart wood with the grain shown more clearly after Caleb exposed it to air for a while.

Caleb's Latest Woodworking Creations

This cedar bowl is smoother than any of the wooden bowls I have ever purchased. It has not been coated with oil and beeswax in this picture. Caleb got the wood for free, so he is able to sell them for $20 each. This bowl is smaller than his $60 bowl which was posted previously. 

A bowl, similar to his $60 bowl, is selling for $120 on etsy. Caleb is offering a very good deal on his.

He has quite a few orders at the moment. If interested, you can contact him through the email in the header with the subject CALEB. It will go directly to him. 

Can you pin down what will be the next project to turn on his lathe?

Choose Your Battles Wisely, Young Mothers

I do not say a word about how Caleb comes in the house because it is too important to me that he KEEPS COMING to show me his creations. It is his eagerness to include me in his life that I want to reinforce. Caleb is very considerate and helps clean the house, repairs things without anyone asking, and also works on our farm. Sweeping up after him now and then is no big deal. I love that he gets so excited about showing me his creations he forgets about the shavings clinging to him!

As a young child, I picked wildflowers from my yard that I thought were pretty. I gave them as a gift. "GET THOSE WEEDS OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!" is what I received. My gift was rejected harshly, and my then tender child's heart was broken. I never took that person flowers I picked again. I took them to someone else who always welcomed them. I give thanks to God that lesson stayed in my heart, and it greatly shaped how I mother my children. I hope you can learn from it too, dear reader.

Be a wise woman, and BUILD your house. Think about what matters the most to you. It is easy enough to clean house, but it is not easy to mend a child's/person's heart. I'd rather keep a close relationship with my son than fuss over a few cedar shavings. 

Caleb's Cedar Bowl

Caleb took blocks of cedar from trees we cut down and glued them together to make this bowl.

He sold this bowl for $60.

A friend is going to make him a brand to burn his name into his woodworks.
He signs every piece.

He also made chopsticks from pine which is also grown on our farm.

I love how frequently he comes to show me his creations!

Caleb's Purple Lumber

Here is the picture of the Purple Heart Lumber per request. The photo does not capture the true beauty of the wood. He has to keep it sealed until he uses it because it will oxidize and turn gray. I will try to get him to take a picture of it when he opens it. Once he seals it, it will not oxidize and the color will be enhanced.

Caleb has made friends with a local man who sells used tools. He has been blessed with some fabulous deals and a lot of encouragement.

For the last year, he has been sharing his woodworking pictures with the dental hygienist at his orthodontist's office. The lady told him recently she really enjoys talking with him because he reminds her of her father who lives very far away. Every time Caleb goes for an appointment, she asks for new pictures of what he's been working on recently. During the last visit, she asked him if he would be willing to help her with some handyman projects around her home that she can't handle herself. 

Bad Bearing

Caleb has been using his Shopsmith since he brought it home in the fall. He recently noticed a little play in the blade and figured it was a bearing. He brought it in the house and took it apart beside me as we talked together. He was right! It was the bearing. Clint has taught him well! He purchased a steel one to replace it and purchased another to replace the other bearing at the same time.

Caleb's Cane

He turned the oak pole on his lathe. 

The block of cedar came from a tree Clint cut down for someone's home's safety and to use as firewood.  You can see Caleb's sketch for a handle on that.

He had just returned from meeting a contractor for his boss. He is really enjoying his second job which pays over $20 an hour. I think this job might open the door to his future. 

Watching my children's stories unfold is one of my greatest joys. All of those years of pressing through the weariness to keep sowing in their hearts and lives is reaping a joyful and bountiful harvest. And, it is just beginning!