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25mm Satin Ribbon Ireland for Wedding Favours, Craft, Gift Wrapping & more High Quality Italian Options 25mm Satin ribbon in 42 Colours for craft, gift wrapping, Wedding Favours and may other occasions. I now have the full range of 25mm Satin Ribbon in multiples. Everything listed here is actually in stock in my store. I don't dropship like some other retailers. Backorders in 4 Business Days if out of stock! 3mm Satin Ribbon , 6 mm Satin Ribbon , 10mm Satin Ribbon , 16mm Satin Ribbon , 38mm Satin Ribbon and 50mm Satin Ribbon versions are all in stock here too, use the site menu to navigate. Don't settle for cheaper alternative ribbon s, buy quality always! Quick View 25mm Amethyst Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Antique Gold Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Antique Pink Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Aubergine Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Black Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Bottle Green Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Brown Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Burgundy Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Cerise Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Clover Pink Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Coral Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Quick View 25mm Cream Satin Ribbon Reels x 25m Price €9.97 Add to Cart Load More

Make use of a fallen hardwood tree on your property in and around Tralee When your beloved hardwood tree falls due to old age, disease or storm it can be a very sad occasion. That once proud, beautiful hardwood tree is now a crumpled mess in your garden. Most peoples first reaction is to have the tree cut up for firewood, which is an absolute and utter shame. Why not make use of that precious fallen tree? ​ At a time when we are all waking up to the destructive things human beings are doing all around the world I am offering you a different option. Don't destroy that tree, give me a call and I will come and look at it. If it is any good, I will cut sections of it for my use and in return I will make you some piece(s) to keep to remind you of that once proud tree. You can then cut up the rest for firewood. Part of that tree will live on instead of being incinerated. ​ A few people have skeptically taken me up on my offer only to be delighted 12 months later with a beautiful bowl made from their tree. If you are anywhere near Tralee and you have a decent sized tree down, give me a shout. When the day comes, remember me! This beautiful Spalted Beech Bowl was once destined to be used as firewood. What a waste it would have been. The bowl now resides in Spain. What I need to know about your tree, please send me; What species it is Some pictures of the tree, close up full length etc. If is lying on grass, mud, hard surface or water A rough diameter and length Age of the tree if you know How far it is from a drivable road surface What Size is Useful to Make Something? Most People are not familiar with measuring trees or using tape measures so I thought I might come up with an easier method for managing this. I often get messages for fallen trees that are not much wider than a person's thigh which is not much good for anything really. Method; give the trunk of the tree a hug, if your hands meet the tree is borderline useful. If your hands don't meet and there is a gap of about 12 inches the tree is very useful and if the gap is wider again then don't delay contacting me. Bigger trees mean more of a yield ​ Not Every Piece will Make it! Woodturning from wood cut directly from the tree is not an exact science with determined outcomes. Trees can have rot, cracks, shakes, splits, knots and growth defects and you never fully know if a piece will make it to the dry stage or not. Drying cracks happen all the time no matter how careful you are during the drying process. The more wood I can take from your tree, the higher the chances of making you something decent from the wood. ​ ​ Contact Me Please use the site Contact page to supply me with details and you can also upload photos of the tree and any other relevant photos. Please supply the information in the bullet points above as good as you can. You can also supply your phone number, address and Eircode if you wish. ​ Please do not ring or text me without first sending the information listed above. I am normally very busy and have no information I can refer back to if the a voice call or text is made.

Dog Shields with Reflective Stripe. Gifts for Dog Lovers everywhere! How often do you think about buying a gift for this member of your family? How about something useful that will keep your dog looking fashionable and temperature controlled in all weather types? Be visible to traffic when walking your Dog thanks to the included reflective strip. Makes a great and useful gift for Dog Lovers everywhere! ​ You can also use these inside your dog's leash to prevent neck chafing while out walking. Another great benefit! I think you owe it to you both to be seen in poor light! ​ Quick View Aqua Dog Shield with Reflective Strip Price €7.97 Add to Cart Quick View Electric 2 Dog Shield with Reflective Strip Price €7.97 Add to Cart Quick View Green Paisley Dog Shield with Reflective Strip Price €7.97 Add to Cart Quick View Pink Digi Camo Dog Shield with Reflective Strip Price €7.97 Add to Cart Quick View Rave Dog Shield with Reflective Strip Price €7.97 Add to Cart Quick View Purple Paisley Dog Shield with Reflective Strip Price €7.97 Add to Cart

Funding Project on Fundit.ie This Project was successfully funded in 2020 and I was able to expand my business accordingly thanks to Fundit.ie About Me My name is David, I'm a Woodturner from Tralee Co. Kerry, Ireland and I have been in business professionally since July 2015. I have been selling through high commission retail outlets thus far and I really want to move away from that and develop my new teaching facilities. ​ Background Before becoming a Woodturner I was a qualified Carpenter. I could go back to that life again and make loads of money but I have felt a calling to Woodturning since I first started in 1996. I have built a good foundation for my little business and I believe I can make a good go of it if I get a chance. ​ The Project Aim For the final phase of my tuition studio expansion, I require funds to buy the remaining items (tools, safety equipment & wood stock for classes) to help grow my small business. I have slowly built my Studio over the last few years but I can't do it alone anymore. Students are currently having to share some handtools during classes which is a big negative. The bigger my classroom gets the more tools need to be added. I want to develop the new tuition side of the business so that I can once again see the craft the way I used to and not have to worry about how much stock I'm moving per week through the shops. There are no risks in reaching my target, only benefits. ​ Why Fund it As a small business/Artist I have struggled to buy the equipment I need over the last few years. Every penny I've made has gone right back into the business to get me through each stage of development. I have also leaned on family loans, overdraft facilities and credit cards too often to count. I know that there are probably more worthy causes out there for people to pledge to but reaching my target would be huge for me. The rewards should take the sting out of it for you a little and hopefully you may feel better making a difference in someone's life. ​ Your Pledge Each pledge brings me closer to my goal and reaching or exceeding my target means a huge weight will be lifted off my shoulders. If my target is reached I can concentrate on building my tuition to the point where I can hopefully draw a living wage from my craft. Going beyond my target would be fantastic as I could invest that on future business needs. Each reward is a guaranteed Irish product, you can't pass it up! Thank you for your support ​ I started this business because I love being creative and working with my hands has always been more satisfying than any other job I've had. I would love to continue in this role and develop more creative products while passing on some of the knowledge I have accumulated along the way. Thank you for reading and hopefully pledging. David

Stuck for a Unique Christmas Gift? How about buying Irish Wood craft? Christmas can be a difficult time to buy unique and out of the ordinary gifts for people. Handcrafted products have a deeper meaning and a strong connection with Ireland. Buying Irish Handcraft is also better for the local economy. These Christmas Gift Sets are all created from locally sourced Irish Hardwood and processed from log to the finished pieces so you are getting a wonderful ​uniquely crafted Gift for someone special! All the products here can be bought separately like the Custom made Hanging Ornaments , gorgeous coloured and natural Ring Holders & fabulous Bottlestoppers Quick View Christmas 2 piece Kerry Wood Gift Box Price €34.00 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Kerry Hardwood Gift Box Set Price €50.00 Out of Stock Quick View Christmas 2 piece Tralee Hardwood Gift Box Set Price €38.00 Out of Stock Quick View Christmas 2 piece Kerry Hardwood Gift Box Set Price €50.00 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Tralee Wood Gift Box Price €38.00 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Tralee Wood Gift Box Price €38.00 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Listowel Wood Gift Box Price €34.00 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Tralee Wood Gift Box Price €38.00 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Tralee Wood Openers Gift Box Set Price €50.00 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Killorglin Wood Gift Box Price €38.00 Add to Cart Quick View Woodcraft & Retail Gift Voucher Price €50.00 Gift Voucher Amount Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Listowel Wood Gift Box Price €50.00 Out of Stock Load More

Wood Bowl After Care simplified; these rules generally apply to all wood products. Do Not microwave and Do Not ever put in a dishwasher Keep away from water as much as is possible, don't dip in t he sink Avoid dropping the bowl or dropping objects into the bowl Keep away from Sunlight or sources of heat DO NOT allow fruit to go bad in the bowl, permanent stains occur To wash; use a wet cloth with warm soapy water to clean soiled areas. Pat dry after washing and re-oil to protect the wood again. Wood needs care, read below for detailed instructions. Aftercare for your new wood product I am trying to simplify instructions for each product. The rules above apply to all food related products where they are washed after use. My current Wood finish for Food-Safe products is designed to get them to you in their best condition, like I made them. Once water or any liquids are introduced, the shine may become dull or disappear, this is normal and the wood still has some protection. You can then use non-permanent after-care products like Liquid Paraffin to make your Bowl or Serving Board shine again. Make sure you follow re-oiling or waxing instructions for whatever product you choose. ​ Hard Wax Oil Finish Bowls If you bought one of my Hard Wax Oil Bowls as a finish you can use that bowl as a display only bowl without having to do much except use a dry tissue/soft cloth to wipe clean or if you want; with a furniture polish cloth every now and again to shine it up & remove household dust. Make sure the polish has evaporated from the cloth and it is dry to the touch. I would recommend washing off the polish before returning it to food use. Care of your Wood Bowl: To get the most out of your bowl, please follow these guidelines. Wood is a natural product and must always be treated with respect and care. ​ Do not microwave. Do Not immerse in water or put in a dishwasher or leave in permanently damp conditions. Keep away from direct sunlight and away from heat sources like radiators and fires. Avoid dropping the bowl or dropping heavy items into it which could cause dents or cracks. Do Not allow fruit/food to go bad inside the bowl as it will permanently stain the wood. For best results, try and keep the bowl in the same condition that it was bought and keep liquids to a minimum. ​ To clean: If the bowl is soiled from food, use a soft kitchen cloth and a little warm mild soapy water and gently clean the soiled areas as soon as possible. Pat dry with a soft towel to remove excess water. Please be aware that washing may alter or remove the initial shine. At some point you may have to renew the finish to make the bowl shine again. I'm currently working on a Liquid Paraffin and Beeswax non permanent wipe on which will be easier for customers to apply themselves. It may be available in early 2022. No matter what finish you choose to add yourself, please follow the application instructions of the product you buy carefully. Acceptable Non-Permanent Finish - Liquid Paraffin (IRL/EU) or Mineral Oil (USA) ​ ​ Bottle Stoppers/ Bottle Openers/ Ring Tab Pullers The top is made from fallen Irish Hardwood, turned on a lathe & hand polished using sealers and wax Finishes. ​ Clean: If soiled, Clean the metal and/or rubber part with mild washing liquid on a cloth but take care not to wet or soak the wood part. The wood part should be dry wiped with soft tissue paper like Kleenex. Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water! ​ Serving Boards/ Chopping Boards/ Egg Cups/ with any of my Finishes To clean: Wipe off any soiled areas with warm water & mild detergent and wipe it dry as soon as possible. Liquid Paraffin (Mineral Oil), available at any Chemist can be used to re-seal the wood once dry. Apply generously and wipe off excess with tissue paper once most of the Paraffin has soaked in. Your board should have a low luster shine when you are finished Keep away from heat sources and direct sunlight. Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water! ​ Hanging Ornaments/ Ring Holders These pieces are wax finished and should only be cleaned with dry soft tissues. A polish cloth may also be used provided the polish has completely evaporated and the cloth is dry to the touch. Never expose these piece to water or any liquids or the finished coat will be damaged. Never store these pieces in an attic as the temperature will melt the finished coats. Keep the pieces away from Fireplaces or radiators for the same reason. Remember, Wood is a natural product and must always be treated with care If you don't want to look after Wood, I would suggest you buy ceramic or pottery instead :) ​ ​ ​

Beautifully Handcrafted Household Openers with Irish Hardwood & Stainless Steel An assortment of Handy Household Openers made using locally sourced Hardwood combined with US Stainless Steel. Beautiful to look at, Functional in use. Bottle Openers, Ring Tab Pullers and more coming soon! Great for people with Hand Arthritis issues. Everyone that sees them in your home will want one for themselves. Forget mass produced products and choose individually Handmade goods. Proudly Made in Ireland! Quick View Bottle Opener with Irish Ash Top Price €29.97 Out of Stock Quick View Bottle Opener with Irish Beech Top Price €29.97 Add to Cart Quick View Bottle Opener with Irish Beech Top Price €29.97 Add to Cart Quick View Bottle Opener with Irish Ash Top Price €29.97 Out of Stock Quick View Bottle Opener with Irish Ash Top Price €29.97 Add to Cart Quick View Tab Ring Pull with Irish Ash Top Price €24.97 Add to Cart Quick View Tab Ring Pull with Irish Ash Top Price €24.97 Add to Cart Quick View Tab Ring Pull with Irish Ash Top Price €24.97 Add to Cart Quick View Tab Ring Pull with Irish Ash Top Price €24.97 Add to Cart Quick View Tab Ring Pull with Irish Ash Top Price €24.97 Add to Cart Quick View Tab Ring Pull with Irish Ash Top Price €24.97 Add to Cart Quick View Christmas 2 piece Tralee Wood Openers Gift Box Set Price €50.00 Add to Cart

Retail Outlets If you would like to know where to find my products? Supporting local Craft makers is very important, please spend locally rather than importing! --------------------------------------------- Direct from Me Buy and checkout my Woodcraft pieces on this website or Check stock on the website, contact me and arrange a viewing. I now stock a load of Craft Supplies and Woodturning Tools and Finishes. Call and Collect Option available. If you would like to look at products before buying; send me your list and I can set them up for you. If I have a lot of stock to set up, I would prefer you'd spend at least €50 to cover my time. ----------------------------------------------- Original Kerry Craft Shop Lower Green Street Dingle Co. Kerry New Shop Location This Shop has 38 Crafters from all around Kerry including me :) Open March to December and a small bit of January. --------------------------------------------- Killarney I am currently looking for a retailing partner in Killarney. Any retailers looking to stock my products please Contact me here ​ -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Pop Up Shop Only Original Kerry Pop Up Shop July & August only Strand Street Castlegregory Co. Kerry This is a Pop Up Shop version of the one in Dingle but only open for 2 months. ----------------------------------------------- ​ ------------------------------------------------- Online Etsy Store.com No longer selling on Etsy do to high fees and poor sales David Condon Woodcraft On Etsy.com -------------------------------------------------- Online Shop in Irela nd .ie David Condon Woodcraft on Shop in Irelan.ie Online Irish Website selling products from Irish Retailers. --------------------------------------------------- Online Special Gi fts.ie David Condon Woodcraft on Special Gifts.ie Online Irish Website selling products from Irish Crafters --------------------------------------------------- Online Market Street.ie David Condon Woodcraft on Market Street.ie Online Irish Website selling products from Irish Crafters -------------------------------------------------- Online So Special.com Coming Soon 2024 Exclusively showcasing Irish made goods to the UK Market ​ ​

3cm Satin Bows Ireland for Craft, Gift Wrapping & more High Quality Italian Options Satin Ribbon Bows for craft, gift wrapping and more. Great for Wedding Favour, Small Gift Embellishing, Card Making, Christmas time and many other occasions. 100 Packs for the heavy user and 10 Packs for the light user. Backorders available. I am phasing out the 10 packs this year as they are only complicating things. 100 packs will continue going forward. 10cm Large Ribbon Bows Small Drawstring Gift Bags 3cm Satin Bows 5cm Satin Bows Christmas 5cm Bows Satin Ribbon Quick View Satin Ribbon Bows 3cm 10 Packs Colours A to E Price €0.79 Add to Cart Quick View Satin Ribbon Bows 3cm 10 Packs Colours G to Pe Price €0.79 Out of Stock Quick View Satin Ribbon Bows 3cm 10 Packs Colours Pi to Y Price €0.79 Add to Cart Quick View Craft Foam Pads – 5x5x1mm – 440 on Sheet Price €2.50 Add to Cart Quick View Amethyst 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Quick View Antique Gold 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Quick View Antique Pink 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Quick View Aubergine 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Quick View Black 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Quick View Bottle Green 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Quick View Brown 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Quick View Burgundy 3cm Satin Ribbon Bow 100 Pack Price €6.50 Add to Cart Load More

​ Working with Irish Hardwood. Ideal, Unique, Lifetime Gifts for any Occasion I work mainly with fallen native Irish hardwoods like Ash and Beech. The wood is cut green, processed and then either air or kiln dried down to stable moisture content (8-10%). Most of the products you see on this site have been dried over a period of 6 to 12 months and in cases like Oak, have been drying for 2 years or so. I always strive to give you the best possible product I can. When you buy from me you are buying a genuine handcrafted Irish product that you can cherish for many years. All items for sale will list species, location where tree grew and if possible the story of how it came to me. ​ I have recently written a Blog Post on Making Your Own DIY Wood Drying Kiln maybe you will find some more relevant information after reading this page. I also have a Blog Post How to Process Logs for Woodturning with additional information. Working with Irish Hardwood is a challenging but extremely enjoyable process. You will always be looking for wood to work with for Woodturning so my tips might help you here. Please Read on! ​ Making Bowls The Process ​ The Trunk Most of the wood I Rescue is in trunk form and has to be cut into logs just bigger than the size of the bowls or blanks I need. The logs are then cut along the grain cutting away the Pith until I have 2 bowl slabs or large spindle slabs. These are my methods below and may differ from other Woodturners. I have found these to be sound and therefore continue to do things this way. Cutting Blanks on the Bandsaw A circle is drawn on the wood and the bandsaw cuts it into a circular bowl blank or rectangular cuts for spindle blanks if defects are found. Circular blanks are then dunked in a container of water to wash away the dust and wet all surfaces of the blank to minimize the risk of cracking. They are then carried to my workshop and kept inside plastic bags until ready for turning on the lathe. I will brush rectangular spindle blanks instead of dunking them and then seal the endgrain. ​ Rough Turning on the Lathe The bowl blank is mounted on the lathe using a faceplate at the centre point and secured using the lathe tailstock. The outside and foot of the bowl is rough turned initially and a tenon is formed at the base so it can be held in a 4 jaw chuck. I normally use a jaw size up from the jaw size that will be used on the finished bowl, new Woodturners sometimes make the mistake of using the same size for both. When a suitable shape is formed, the bowl is reversed and mounted using a 4 jaw chuck. The inside of the bowl is then rough turned. Because the bowl will distort during the drying process the wall thickness is left at around 10% of the bowl diameter to allow the bowl to be trued up again. The exterior endgrain of the bowl is then sealed with PVA Glue to slow down the moisture loss in these areas. For large bowl blanks, I will core a small and medium bowl using the Oneway Coring System. This dramatically increases the yield from a tree and speeds up Turning the bowl interiors. ​ The Drying Process I currently use 2 methods of drying my bowls. (1) The Sauno Kiln. This is a Swedish designed drying unit which really dries the wood well but can cause failures in Hardwood. (2) The Paper Bag Method. This involves putting a rough turned endgrain sealed bowl into a brown paper bag with it's own wet shavings for 3 to 9 months depending on the species. This is a much slower method than kiln drying but the warping and cracking is reduced. Please Note: At the time I wrote most of this page I mostly used the Sauno system but the harsh drying caused a lot of damage to bowl stock over several batches. I now believe the Sauno is too extreme for bowls unless micro managed. I have returned to the paper bag method for bowls and air dry wood before using the attic to dry spindle stock. Ash is perfect for this method and dries very well but Beech suffers from Mildew in the bags which leaves nasty grey patches in the wood. It is advisable to use a dehumidification kiln with an oscillating fan blowing to dry Beech so that Mildew staining does not occur. ​ The Bowl is Now Dry Once dry, a bowl must be left inside in the house in an environment close to where it will end up until it reaches moisture equilibrium. This normally takes about 2 weeks. This is when the bowl has reached the optimum moisture content for it to be finished turned. A common misconception it that all wood in your house is bone dry but in actuality wood probably never gets to 0% moisture content as the basic structure of wood always tries to hold on to moisture. Note; It is common for me to leave dried bowls on the shelves for months until I'm ready to finish them. ​ The Bowl is finished The bowl is remounted on the lathe using a special re-mounting plate with tailstock support. The warped and uneven edges require this plate to hold it securely at four points. The exterior and the foot of the bowl are trued up and the final shape is cut. The tenon is again resized for the 4 jaw chuck and the bowl is reversed and held securely in the jaws. The top edge and inside of the bowl are now carefully turned to give the perfect finish. Once the final shape and wall thickness are achieved it is now time to sand. ​ Sanding the Bowl I sand the bowls using 4 grits on discs cut to suit specific Sanding Mandrels . I use grits 120, 180, 240 & 320 on the outside and the same again on the inside. Each disc is used once and discarded. The lathe is stopped after each grit to check the progress and look for any missed defects which are then eliminated. For the sanding process I use an expensive 3M Versaflo respirator and have air scrubbers in the background removing the fine particles from the air. Moving on too soon or Improper sanding can leave visible marks on the bowls so great care and good lighting are absolutely essential. ​ Oiling the Bowl The dust from sanding is blown away using a compressor and the bowl then gets a generous coating of Liquid Paraffin (mineral oil in the US). This is the cheapest coating available but requires frequent re-oiling during the year. Once the full coat has applied I check for any thirsty areas and apply some more. The freshly oiled bowl is then carried into the house overnight to absorb the oil and stay in a controlled environment. Note; I have moved on from this early method of finishing to some more durable finishes that look better in shops and last longer than the non permanent Liquid Paraffin. Check out my explanations on this Blog Post on Salad Bowl Finishing . ​ Turning the Foot The following morning the bowl is finally ready to be finished. It is remounted in the same 4 jaw chuck and sanded in reverse using 500 grit wet/dry sandpaper. This removes any surface fibers that may cause a rough feeling under fingers. The bowl is then spun in the other direction and a very fine artificial wool burnishes the surface until a lovely shine appears. The bowl is then moved to a large Cole Jaw which grips the top edge allowing the tenon to be turned away. The foot is then carefully shaped to the final design and sanded. The bowl is branded with my name and given a light coat of oil and removed from the Cole Jaws. One final wipe using a very fine soft cloth removes any dust or debris. The bowl goes back into the house ready to be added to my inventory and ready for sale. For the permanent Oil versions, I do the reverse sanding and compressed air blow off before applying the oil. Once coated appropriately, the bowl is left to cure and once cured I turn away, sand and then oil the foot. ​ The whole process Many people believe that Salad Bowls are very simple things to make but the reality is very different, time consuming and expensive. 3 months is the fastest I can turn a bowl from greenwood to a finished product but I now prefer at least 6 months as I get a better product. Every bowl I make is a genuine handcrafted piece of Ireland and I strive to make each bowl to the best of my ability. Visit my Homepage and check out some of the new categories I have created to make shopping easier and get your own piece of Ireland today :) ​ Christmas Tree Decorations/ Hanging Ornaments/Bottle Stopper/Spinning Top ​ My Philosophy My philosophy and approach has changed since I first started this business. I used to worry about templates and making everything the same until one day it dawned on me that nature makes similar but not identical copies. Everything in life is slightly different. I have brought this approach into my woodturning. I take a similar view to my bowl making and don't make copies anymore. ​ Choosing the Wood These spindle blanks I use for my small pieces are normally the ones I reject for bowls. Not that there is anything wrong with the wood but just not suitable due to an imperfection that would appear in a bowl wall and possibly spoil it. The wood is cut using a chainsaw and then roughly marked for cutting on the bandsaw. I have been known for finishing bowls with defects though as wood is just too hard to come by to discard because of small blemishes. Someone is always going to be found eventually who overlooks imperfections and sees the character instead. ​ Cutting Spindle Blanks on the Bandsaw Unlike Bowl blanks, Spindle blanks are cut with straight parallel walls and are over sized a little based on the size need after the piece has dried. I like to add minimum 10% or thereabouts to the dimensions to be safe. This is way more than I need but it gives me room for errors along the way. Christmas decorations are freehand designs and I like to make each one differently so I don't worry too much about the width. I like to make pieces that will be around 34mm at widest point to so I cut approximately 40mm square blanks. This gives me loads of scope to improvise and change designs once the wood is dry. I generally cut lengths that will give me 2 or 4 pieces from each side. ​ Rough Turning & Drying There was a time when I used to round blanks to speed up the drying process and avoid cracking from the corners but I don't do this anymore. I will leave the method here for reference. The blanks are marked on their endgrain showing centre points and are then mounted between centres on the lathe. They are turned round and above the size I want them to finish. This means less drying time and with the corners gone the possibility of cracking is reduced. The endgrain of the wood is then sealed with PVA glue to slow down the moisture loss. Dipping in melted Paraffin Wax is not recommended for sealing endgrain for any wood as it completely stops moisture loss when you just need to slow it down. The wood is then either Kiln or air dried depending on how fast I need the wood. At present I like to air dry as much as possible before kiln drying as the pieces don't fail as much as kiln drying from absolute greenwood. This slows down the quantity of wood I can produce but if it gives me a better yield, it's worth it. ​ Dry and ready to finish After many months the pieces are now dry and distorted. Each one is remounted on my small Lathe when needed, trued up and tenons cut into either end. A centre line is measured and marked on the piece which is then cut on the bandsaw giving me 2 different pieces. I could cut in place on the Lathe but I prefer the narrow kerf of the bandsaw. These pieces can now be mounted in 4 jaw chucks when I need to turn something. ​ Finish Turning I like to finish turn Christmas decorations at about 2,000 rpm. This makes cutting quick and interesting for me. I normally start a cut with one or two shapes in mind and after a bit of shaping I stop the lathe to examine the shape and look of the grain. This is normally the point where I see a nice pattern emerging and I go with the flow until a nice shape if formed. The lathe is stopped once again to examine the piece and once happy I make a few more finishing cuts to leave the bare minimum attached at the top of the piece. ​ Sanding I'd love to be able to say that I start sanding at 220 grit each time but that isn't always the case. Sometimes I have to hit certain problem areas with 120 grit first and then move up to 180, 220 and 320. I aim mostly to start at 180 grit and move towards 320 grit. ​ Coating & Parting off I normally give 1 or 2 coats of Sanding Sealer as it allows me to achieve a lovely smooth base for each piece before applying a finish coat. The pieces are then finished off with a Gold Embellishing Wax and a final coat of High Gloss Wax . Once the coat is fully dried I can then part off the piece. This piece goes into a safe box with padding until I have enough ready to finish the tops in one go. ​ Finishing the Tops Like the decoration body, the top must be sanded properly using the light grits onlyand then a hole is drill in the top centre for the brass screw eye. Sanding sealer and finish coat are then applied like the body and the hook eye is screwed in. ​ Almost there The final step is the ribbon and labeling of the Christmas decorations . There's no great science involved, I usually pick the colour that looks the best. The labels are filled in with the species and location where the tree grew and the piece is hung on a stand until a home can be found. 2022 batch decorations pictured below. I have since refined the shapes again and added a new Beech Artistic Snowman design which I experimented with in the early days of my business ​ If you thought all that was complicated, you should see it being done in person :) ​ A brief video of how a Spinning Top is made. Great skill is required to turn a top that spins 100% true 4x Speed!

Woodturning Experiences in Tralee Co Kerry Ireland. Great Tourist Activities! If you are visiting Ireland and are looking for a unique activity to do in Kerry during your vacation or stay at home holiday then have a look at one of my Woodturning Experiences below. Even better on those rainy days where you can't do any outside activities. It rains in Ireland from time to time or so we are all told :) ​ You can choose from a Full Woodturning Experience, a basic Experience or my very popular Ornament Making Experience. Each option has it's own merits so please read carefully. These are the same Experiences that I run on Airbnb but at a cheaper rate since I don't have Airbnb service fees to deal with. If you are fed up with the usual tourist traps and feel like doing something different then these might be just what you are looking f or. An authentic Experience in a real Woodturner's Workshop! Onsite Shop for Buying Direct Many people like to buy direct from a Crafter/Artist/Artisan so I keep a small display of pieces from which you can purchase on the day of your Experience if you'd like. There is no pressure for you to buy on the day if you don't want so please don't feel you have to. You can also make an appointment if you would like to come and buy any of my products without attending an Exp erience or Tuition Session. Please use Chat or website Contact page to book. ​ Want a Quick Tour? From time to time I get requests for Tours of my Workshop and wood drying facilities by Tourists visiting Ireland. I have no problem showing small groups around for maybe 30 mins or so. I don't charge directly for this but I would expect visitors to purchase from my product display. €50 or more in sales would be appreciated and would cover my time. I'm sure you can understand that I am busy but still need to earn a living and can't give my time away for free. ​ Visiting Woodcrafters From time to time I get visited by Woodturners, Woodcrafters, Pen Makers and more who want to purchase some Irish Wood Blanks to take home. Sometimes, I get callers who want to get some blanks to bring home as Gifts for a Woodworker in their family. I have no problem with this at all, just make sure to use the Contact page or Chat Function to make an appointment and give me advance notice of what you want to pick up. Please Read the Descriptions Carefully Read the description in each listing carefully to see which Experience suits you and your group. Regular Woodturning Tuiti on options available on this website too. Pay in Cash on the day for even better rates! Although you will only be here with me for approximately 2 hours or so; t hese Experiences actually take up more than half of my day. There is quite a bit of cleaning up to do from my own work and machine prepping before you arrive. I do get lots of short notice bookings but try and give me more than 24 hours notice if possible please. ​ Prices Review Please note that prices for Experiences went up slightly in January 2024. These Experiences usually take up about 5 hrs of my day between cleaning, preparation and running the actual Experiences and resetting my Lathes. Rising business costs have also meant less money for me which I have carried so far to date but can't do any longer. The prices are now almost in line with my h ourly rate. I hop e you can understand. ​ Booking Steps 1) Please use the Contact Form to request a booking or to ask any additional questions. 2) Please link to the Experience on the form or add the proper name so I know which Experience you want to do. 3) Add your Group Size and any other info which might be relevant to your Booking. 4) Keep an eye out for my reply, it won't be too long. Please check your Spam Folder too, just in case. 5) Once we are both happy with the arrangement, I will confirm your booki ng. 6) Please aim to arrive 10 mins early for the Experience. 7) Don't forget to bring Cash on the day for the best rate! ​ Checkout the Calendar here for Available Time slots 2 hrs Basic Experience Quick View Try a bit of Woodturning in Tralee for 2 , 3 or 4 People Price €84.00 Add to Cart Fun 3 Hr Experience Quick View Ornament Making Experience for 2, 3 or 4 people Price €130.00 Add to Cart Ornament Making Plus Quick View Woodturning Experience for 2, 3 or 4 People Price €156.00 Add to Cart 3 Hr Standard Tuition Quick View Private Woodturning Tuition Class for 2, 3 or 4 People Price €156.00 Add to Cart

Thermal Fleece Face Shields. Protect your face in cold weather with these These are extremely warm and can be used in any type of inclement weather. Not suitable for warm weather. As the first Official Re-Seller of SA Fishing products in Ireland I am delighted to broaden my range ​ Great for those who Ski, ideal in all cold conditions! If you don't want to cover your face you can scrunch it down and use it as a comfortable neck warmer! Quick View Polynesian Blue Thermal Face Shield Price €10.00 Add to Cart Quick View Pineapple Turquoise Thermal Face Shield Price €10.00 Add to Cart Quick View Fleece Galactic Skull Thermal Face Shield Price €10.00 Add to Cart Quick View Mermaid Scales Thermal Face Shield Price €10.00 Add to Cart Quick View Sinister Thermal Face Shield Price €10.00 Add to Cart