Recuperating

On Monday, December 31, I had my post-surgery visit with my doctor. I got my stiches removed and a review of what he had to do. Basically, he removed the bone spur and cleaned up the debris. There was not much room available for anything in the joint. I was also told that I could drive again and a return to work date was set for Monday, January 7, 2019 with no restrictions.

I then went across the parking lot to South West Rehab and got registered for physical therapy. My first appointment would be for Thursday at 1:45 PM. I would be with the same physical therapist

The hospital HR office is closed on Monday and Tuesday. I had to wait until Wednesday to hand in my return to work documentation. I meet up with the HR person on Wednesday morning. I even drove myself. She inspected my paperwork and was satisfied that I could start on the following Monday.

I was trying to keep busy as I began to feel better. Georgia was still having to help me put my shirt on and my jacket. After therapy later in the week, I was able to do both by myself.

I viewed YouTube videos on how to make pendants. I found many different ways of how to hold the pendant as it spun on the lathe. I was trying to find a quicker way and one that did not mar the outside of the pendant. I intend on scroll sawing a design into the center of the pendant and filling it with resin. This meant that I was free to have a drilled hole in the center of the pendant.

One method that I viewed uses a hole saw to cut the pendant blank out of a piece of wood. It is the same way that plumbers cut large wholes for pipes and carpenters install handle sets in doors. It was the hole saw sized bit that had a ¼ inch drill bit in the center. The drill bit helps the hole saw bit stay in the right spot to cut out the large hole. In my case, I am interested in the cut out and not the actual hole.

The hole saw bits also come in sizes from ¾ of an inch up to 6 inches. Some sets come with an arbor set that can be used with multiple hole saws. You can also buy hole saw bits and are one piece. The arbor and one hole saw are more expensive than the single hole saw and bit. However, the arbor and more than 1 hole saw are cheaper. I bought the arbor and a 2 inch hole saw bit. I returned later for the 3 inch size. I will probably be getting more sizes.

After using the hole saw on some ¼ inch oak, I needed to mount it on my lathe. I found a piece of wood that I had previously turned, drilled a ¼ inch hole through it, a dowel ¼ inch through the drilled hole and mounted the pendant blank on it using double sided tape and the dowel. I was quickly able to turn and shape the outside of the pendant quickly and then sand first one side and then the other. This method was much quicker that what I have been doing before. 

My next step was to use my scroll saw to cut some designs into the pendant. I was still using the Game of Thrones wolf and dragon patterns. I quickly cut them and then filled them with resin, pressure potted them, and then waited until evening to look at them. I had used oak since I had a ¼ inch thick plank. I quickly found out that oak does not work well with resin as the open grained nature of oak allowed the resin to seep into it. They were not really acceptable. I had made another pendant blank out of myrtle wood.  Its closed grain nature worked great. 

I again read my Elders Quorum lesson material and decided that there were some great quotes found there. We are using the Elder Rasband’s and Elder Christofferson’s talks from last conference as selected by the Elders Quorem presidency. A couple of quotes stood out in my mind as I read Elder Rasband’s talk. I decided that I could take the pendants that I had made and make a note stand. I could even cut the pendant in half to get two note bases out of it. 

I have not made these for a couple of years and before the High Priest and Elders Quorum were combined. I will make about 36 bases and print out index cards of the quotes to be handed out for my first lesson of the year. I intend to hand out more during the coming year. I will also encourage the brethren to make up their own. I really believe that it is by small things that build and strengthen our testimonies of the Gospel. 

I leave these quotes for you. I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.