What's on your Thursday Menu?

That detail makes a difference!

The lamb was Snow because it was very white when it was clean and the goat was Gruff, like the fairy tale.

Were the annual pig and cow eventually dinner? DD likes ferrets but they are kinda smelly little creatures. My SIL had a couple of rats. I am not a fan of their gross tails (or red eyes for the white ones).

Yes. Pig was always named bacon, cow was always named steak. Ferrets are a lot of work because of the ammonia in their pee but they can be stink free if you manage that all the time. It was worth it, they are delightful creatures.

Good morning, everybody!

QJB, I was glad to see your happy post yesterday. Sounds like a great birthday week.

It?s Day 4 and we are through the physically taxing part of the class. And my bamboo strips are actually starting to look like a hexagonal fishing rod.

Yesterday was planing and gluing. We used the form that we had set the tapers with and the plane to bring the bamboo strips to exactly the right size. We had to be careful to plane the two sides that were not the outside, so that we kept the best wood grain for the outside of the rod. With each pass we would flip the strip from side to side in the form.

After we planed the bottom of the rod, we got the micrometer out and RE-set the planing forms for the tip (smaller piece) and did those.

Glue up followed planing. The hexagon pieces were taped together to make a solid piece, then one edge of tape was cut so that the pieces spread out, almost like making a sushi roll. The glue ( regular wood glue) was applied with a toothbrush, some excess glue wiped off, and the whole thing wrapped in fishing line. Six strips were now one hexagon.

Last night we went out for charcuterie and had Wednesday Happy Hour on our screen porch.

Pictures include Marilyn fishing and the engraving that I was telling Jen about.

They sure look like hexagons to me! Very nice.

I'm guessing the line gets glued to the stock as the glue cures -- does it get planed off when you clean up the exterior?

Planing is great fun. You should have a few of your own at home.

That is what we were contemplating on the ride home last night. It's 20 pound test line, so I'm guessing it's strong enough to pull off, but we will see. They definitely said we will be sanding the tape off.

Very cool project, Jim!

Don't let Grim peer pressure you into buying your own planes. Apparently it becomes an addiction and you end up owning 842 of them, and then start taking classes to make your own.

Such a cool project.

What an awesome experience for you and a story to tell about your rod. It is no wonder some fishing rods are so expensive considering the work that went into the one you are making.