man-in-loire

Ooh sensual… thanks Mint

The small flutter lamp was made as a xmas gift from a few offcuts and some crimson veneer. The two clocks - the square one and the windsurfer one - were commissions. The windsurfer one was commissioned by a lady who wanted a small clock for her brother who is a keen windsurfer and has a camper van. She wanted it to be small enough for the van and collapsible - hence the cut out at the bottom which is where a peg is located so the mast and sail can be removed. It was fun to make from scratch as all she asked for was a surfboard clock. The potpourri bowl is from Elm, which I really like to work with. Paul

Cheers for being my PA John. I have some letters need typing too… The pendulum clock is now beside my fireplace at the house in France - it is about 15' diameter and 3' deep. I cut through the body to let the pendulum hang through it. The smaller clock is spalted beech with walnut inserts to make the numbers and the bowl is also spalted beech. the goblet was made as a commission for a local white witch who wanted it food safe. I've no idea what they drink out of it. Anyway it is made from Ash and with a crimson veneer laminated to create a cross through the centre. The small clock is Elm and Walnut.

No worries John, whenever you get time. Paul

Same with using laminated (laminated as in wood glued together not as a finished surface) pine board. When you cut it to make shelves etc make sure you cut with the laminate rather than across it, as otherwise all the little separate little glued segments will sag in the middle. John did you get my photos? I sent them in 2 batches to your email address. If not they are in cyberspace somewhere... Paul

That watch is very cool.

You made the right choice. No worries, whenever you are released from duty, much appreciated. I have been ordered to go and get some material for a sewing project, bias binding or sumfink - not very hardcore carpentry. It may involve a diversion to the pub.

well every time I clock on there's a new one - thought I'd have my 5 bob's worth and not weight too long to reply

safari - but I have google chrome too. I could try that. Cheers [URL=http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/paul-mc1/media/P1010751_zpsherhlpf5.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t442/paul-mc1/P1010751_zpsherhlpf5.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Nope, just the same as you see!

You are right - that is partly what I had planned to do - and maybe when i get round to it I will turn the roundy-bits and then cut the teeth with my fret saw. I just had a load of offcuts given to me by a furniture maker of all kinds of thicknesses so it was easier to stick them through the thicknesser. i'm still struggling with photo uploads and posting icons just results in gobbledegook too, so i'm not sure what is going on. I'll try and send you a few photos by message. Cheers

These yokes are a-pawling. Drum-ming up all these puns is a matter of timing don't y'know

Thanks Andy What started out as quite a naive opening question has triggered some good trails to follow up on. One of the companies that I do repeated commissions for is an international company that has bases throughout europe, including france, so should be registered as an employer, though I need to check out specifically what this might mean for me as a self employed contractor to them. It is a slightly complicated arrangement as in this instance I am contracted through one company but have honorary positions in the universities they are partnered to, so different universities employ me as faculty. Whether this alters the 'single' employment arrangement is something to be investigated. I work with others too outside of this arrangement. I appreciate what you say about the cost of living, but i am not being blasé about it I assure you, which is why I want to cost it out as thoroughly as i can over the next year. It is becoming clearer…in a rather cloudy way…Thankyou

It's only a little one, so just battery operated. I have some plans for complete wooden clocks but have only got as far as borrowing my neighbour's planer/thicknesser to get the gauge of the wood down to 10mm. Now it sits on my bench while I look at it hoping it will materialise into something. The axminster website does it for me: I keep going back to a Jet planer/thicknesser on there… I am a mouse unreservedly - or strategically depending on hope you look at it. Survival is my main aim in life. My axminster is a fairly basic one but has variable speed and swivel head. I've got up to about 17" diameter with a nice piece of spalted beech - but note to self; always remember to set the speed to minimum when you first round it off otherwise it gets a little exciting when you press the start button…

Sorry for the meandering - but a nice intro to the france woodworking fraternity for me. I need to tidy my workshop too as the bench is piled high with tools brought home from my last visit to my retreat. I recently invested in a mini lathe for smaller work and have been making a little desk clock on it. it is very quiet and quite smooth (variable speed) but you need to be gentle with the cuts as it is easy to dig in and slow it down. Keeping the chisels sharp helps! Also just replaced the drive belt on my axminster lathe and finished a bowl in burred oak on it which i want to sell but the OH refuses to see it go. In the uk I live just a few miles from a woodturning supplier called Peter Childs who are brilliant for equipment and advice. I would miss them a lot if I do move over to france.

Yes I am (near Saumur, not in Law!) About half an hour's drive from Saumur. It is a great town I agree - a ham and cheese baguette and coffee by the river after a wander round the market on a sunny saturday is a nice treat.

You could be right - but I just don't know it :-)

Thanks Theiere - I have been a bit defeated by the technology but will keep at it. Paul

Oooerr, maybe there is some kind of delay somewhere. I am completely lost too - what did I do to make that happen?. I like your approach - i worked in medical education and we used to use the BFI method a lot (Brute Force and Ignorance). It generally worked quite well. You prob know the old saying: Drs Bury their mistakes, carpenters burn them. A lot of my stuff has fed the wood burner. here is my photo bucket link anyway: http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/paul-mc1/library/?sort=3&page=1

Thanks- yes it is showing up as you describe in the message box prior to posting but when i post it changes to the format in the forum. Technology - lathes and chisels so much more reliable!

Never mind - here's a link to my new photo bucket album with the few piccies I've uploaded. The windsurfer clock was a commission for a lady who wanted a small and collapsible clock for her brother who is a keen windsurfer and it needed to be small enough to fit in a camper van and could be dismantled, which is why it has the cut-out piece at the bottom for a peg to unhitch the mast and sail. http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/paul-mc1/library/?sort=3&page=1 Cheers, Paul

Hi John I am copying the link to each photo and pasting it into the message box, and when I preview it it works fine and the photo is there. It is only when I actually post the message that it is just the link that is visible not the photo. Frustrating! I'm using a Mac, so maybe the layout ls different? Will keep trying… Paul

Hello -I am new to the forum and have come to this thread a few years too late! I am planning to move to my house in Maine et Loire next year. It has a good sized attached barn, and has a woodyard and carpenter round one corner and a winemaker round the other. Of course none of these factors were influential in my deciding to buy it… I will be bringing my lathes with me to occupy the barn - though my oh wants to turn it into a living room extension - unbelievable! I am trying to post a few photos and I can get them to be visible in preview mode but when I post the message it just shows their photobucket url. Anybody have any advice for attaching photos? Regards, Paul

Thankyou, I have a contact in France who is an independent tax consultant and my income is quite predictable evan as self employed so I can probably get some quite accurate predictions as to what the costs would be re income tax/social charges, and I think it would be prudent to consider top-up health insurance. Yes I had assumed that 100% cover would only be for specified chronic conditions and other health matters would be separate. Clearly I don't have any accurate figures, but when I weigh up what I pay in the UK for council tax, NI and income tax, even with my habitation taxes, social charges, health and top up insurance I don't think I'll be much worse or better off - but I guess some figures will either cheer me up or depress me! My apologies, I have diverted a little from the original question but it has been helpful. Thanks again.

Thanks, I am self employed and can work from anywhere as it is all internet based, so will be based in France. My feeling is it would be better to set ourselves up as permanent residents, with all that comes with it, such as taxation, healthcare insurance, GP registration etc. This is why we have given ourselves a year to do some fact finding and planning. I will give the Newcastle office a call for some advice. Thanks, it is all helpful - no such thing as problems, only solutions! Paul

Thankyou for this, it is very helpful. We (or at least I) will still be working. The plan is for a minimum 2 year move while we investigate/plan some business opportunities before we make it permanent, so we do see ourselves as being 'resident' for that period at least. Our current travel insurance does make for periodic visits back to the UK to ensure its continued validity, but whilst this is okay for untoward events while visiting France it feels a little unsafe for anything more permanent. Best regards, Paul