766 Mile Gloat

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DocStram

DocStram

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Remember that Norfolk Island Pine that Bruce119 discovered last week? He was gracious and kind enough to help me out. It was worth every inch of the 766 mile round trip drive to Florida.

This is just one load of what Bruce and I hauled out.

200712313054_NIP%2011.jpg


Just as much fun was spending the morning with Bruce and my brother. Bruce gave us a tour of his shop .... and we saw it all. His copper wire pens were first rate, his pen collection was top quality, and those snake skin blanks he's working on reflect his high level of craftsmanship.

I had a great time with you, Bruce! Thanks for helping me out.:D
 
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Originally posted by Gary Max
<br />Dang must be nice----with gas at $3.00 a gallon I can't even buy the gas to make a trip like that [:D]
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Not to detract from the super gloat... but Gary, your reply nearly gave me a mini heart attack.

Unless my calculation is way off then I wanna move to USA.
1 gallon = 4.55 litres. We now pay on average £1.07 per litre
Thats £4.87 / gallon. Now I know that the £/$ exchange rate is over $2 to £1 so that means we are paying $9.73 / gallon.

Wanna swap houses???[:D][}:)]
 
Originally posted by fiferb
<br />Hmmm, I may have to detour through Macon on my way to Tampa again.[:p]
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Bruce,
Better would be to leave Tampa, go north up 19 to Holiday, load up, then swing past me on the way home. [:D]
 
Originally posted by Gary Max
<br />Dang must be nice----with gas at $3.00 a gallon I can't even buy the gas to make a trip like that [:D]
Click to expand...

Actually, I doubled up the trip with a visit to my brother and his wife who live along the way in Florida. (Who happened to have a couple of very large pieces of walnut waiting for me).

But, here's the rest of the math: I spent about $90 for gasoline. From what I can tell, NIP sells for around $3 to $4 a pound. That one big piece of NIP that you see in the trunk weighs about 70 pounds which makes it worth somewhere around $210 - $280 in raw wood. A well done NIP bowl that size? Check out some web galleries and you'll see the bowls sell for $400 to $800 on up. I'd say the trip was worth it even though I have no plans of selling the wood or my bowls. It's all about the personal satisfaction of turning. Get it? [:D]
 
And I've taken lessons from Dario in wood mongering. LOML is none too happy about it either.[:0] I'm still in the dog house over my last two acquisitions... one of them was the stuff Dario left for me in San Antonio when he moved. But given a deal like that, Al, I'd be in the dog house again... happily.[;)]
 
Hey, this gives me an idea. With diesel averaging $3.40 a gallon and my rig getting 9 to 10 mpg, taking our RV out to California next week to visit family for Christmas and new years normally would be expensive.

But... I'm planning on dropping by a fellows shop in Oakdale, Ca, and if lucky will come home with some nice burls and killer blanks I have been seeing lately. Maybe I can figure out how to write off the fuel bill and stick it under "expenses" in my little pen making business venture![:D]
 
[:0] I'll have to stop complaining about the cost of fuel down under. In Perth we are averaging around AU$1.35 per litre. This converts to about US$1.19, and £0.58. You guys can do your own conversions to US and Imperial gallons, but we obviously are doing pretty well by international standards.
 
I can't wait to see some of the NIP turned too. if you make some platters then when you are finished sanding it if you soak it in 100% pollyurathane for about 30 hrs. then take it out and let it drip for a min. or 2 and then wipe it off with a rag and let it dry for 24 hrs. and repeat the soaking again for 1-2 more times you can use a slow speed buffing wheel to finish it or a find grit sandpaper 400 + will do and then buff it. after that hold it up to the light and see your translucent NIP, aloha.

Chris
Kalai[:)]
 
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