A glimpse into the process of making olive wood products in a small shop just out side of Bethlehem. I'm just amazed that this craftsman still has all his fingers.

Just amazing 

Where is that OHS officer when you need him. No eye/face protection, no guards, no dust collection, no emergency stop, no spectator control. Certainly looks like someone has been watching out for him. Its hard to imaging that you could sit there all day and not make a mistake. Still I've counted his fingers and I believe he has all ten.

Safety issues aside it is a simple business using simple woodworking tools. Similar to a craft business my wife used to run. She made wooden fish. Yes, Wooden Fish. It was quite successful till her life situation changed and she couldn't spend enough time on them any more. Children have that effect on mothers 

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Master craftsman, Jim Degan, of the Brookfield Craft Center, demonstrates basic wood turning techniques and shows off some of his beautiful handy work. Don't you just love the feel of turning wood, the crisp firm buzz as the tool touches wood. The smell of the wood dust and flutter of falling chips. Just magic.

After watching this video I raced down to the bottom shed and retrieved some blanks that my grandfather in law had turned. I'd forgotten they where there and now I'm all excited about giving them a spin. Just as Jim mentioned they all still had wax cover. The old method has preserved them pretty well. One or two had split but out of the dozens in the shed I should find a few gems to finish. Thirty years in the making, lets hope they spin up OK .

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