Dragon Food - Banana Bread

Click HERE for the video

Banana Bread

I love this recipe (originally borrowed from Sam, AKA the Caked Crusader). Technically, it's not a bread - no yeast - but it is a great way to use up old bananas, dried fruit and nuts or chocolate (I prefer plain chocolate, otherwise it can get a little too sweet). Rather than bending a fork on new bananas, rescue the ones that are getting too ripe in the fruit bowl. Stick them in the freezer until you're ready to bake, once defrosted they'll be even easier to use in baking and slightly sweeter.

Ingredients:
75g Butter, softened
100g Light Brown Sugar*
3tbsp Honey
2 Eggs
2 Bananas,over-ripe
225g Self-Raising Flour
1tsp Mixed Spice
1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1/4 tsp (Pinch of) Sugar
225g Mixture Sultanas, Raisins, Chopped Walnuts, Chocolate Chips (whatever you have in the cupboard, no more than half chocolate or nuts)

*If you don't have brown sugar you can use caster sugar and add 1tbsp Black Treacle/Molasses instead.

Recipe:
[Preheat Oven to Gas Mark 4, 180C]

1. Line a 2lb/800g loaf tin with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang for later use.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light - brown sugar won't get really fluffy, just give it a decent go.
3. Mash the bananas, then mix in the honey and eggs. Add to the butter and beat well - yes, it will look awful!
4. Sift in the flour, spice, bicarb and salt then stir until just combined.
5. Stir in the fruit and nuts (or whatever) then spoon into the tin.
6. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean, then sit on a rack for 30 minutes before removing from the tin.
7. Eat warm or cold, best with buter and jam if you like, custard or ice cream, yogurt and a drizzle of honey or whatever takes your fancy.

This recipe takes minimum time to make, and fills your kitchen with a fabulous smell. Actually using butter and unrefined sugar makes it relatively healthy, as cakes go. This makes a fabulous breakfast loaf, particularly if you add some sesame, pumpkin or other seeds - you could sprinkle some on top as well, but beware of burning. You could easily increase the batch to make a couple of loaves, just stockpile your bananas until you have enough, you can also divide among muffin tins and reduce the baking time accordingly (16-18 muffins for 20-25mins or 12-14 cupcakes15-20mins)

3 Minutes-ish - Altering Trouser Hems

Click HERE for the video

This is a skill that has fallen off the curriculum. Something as simple as this is not taught in Textiles classes, leading to fold-ups or dragging hems... neither looking particular professional, tho it has a certain Grunge appeal!

Yes, it's not quite 3 minutes... but if I stopped explaining then I'd manage 2 legs in about 15 minutes...

As a member of St John Ambulance I have to look smart in uniform, and so does the rest of my Unit... guess who gets the job!

Anyone LOCAL who needs their clothing altered - not just trouser cuffs - I am happy to oblige. Email for a quote.

Secret Santa 2016

Secret Santa Project

This was the first chance I've had to complete a project with so many different techniques, from veneer laminating with CA glue to (attempting) to make a mitre-cornered box from scratch... interesting and frustrating at the same time!

Click Secret Santa for video.

Things I Learned...

1. CA glue sticks to everything! Nitrile gloves, masking tape, glass, skin... yup. Although I've found a few ways to get rid of it when you have glued yourself to something. Nail varnish remover/acetone works well in general - and also cleans up unset resin spills (wish I knew that last year, then I might still have a level table top! Thanks Peter Brown) Top Tip - Don't let glued fingers touch, it's easier to clean them up separately than to try and separate them! If you're not keen on using chemicals to clean your skin then have a good long shower or bath - wrinkly fingers required - then rub in loads of your favourite moisturizing cream and the glue will eventually peel off.
2. There is a reason why people make veneer rings and not bangles - unless you can get veneer sheets 3 feet long (and a trough long enough to soak them in) it is difficult to blend multiple pieces together and maintain a tight coil, and it is expensive in terms of glue to get all the layers stuck. In the future I would stick to rings of no thicker than 1/2", no longer than 12" per strip... although I have plans for other types of jewelry using the technique. Watch this space.
3. Carving patterns in layered veneer is damned difficult, keep things simple and avoid long, sweeping lines. Sticking in plastic stones is also prone to disaster, CA glue does not dry clear on top of them so you lose the shine and definition - I think they might melt a bit. Not sure how glass stones would react, tho...
4. Mitre joints require a proper cutting system, not just dad's knackered old mitre box and a big saw... although I have plans for some jointed boxes on the scroll saw this year.
5. Filler covers a multitude of sins, but cannot correct a wonky angle... particularly on a 'square' box.
6. If in doubt, paint it black... well, not everything, but strong wood creates an interesting pattern when coloured.

It was a good project to experiment with, and the gift was well received by the giftee... leaving me with many ideas for next year... and a few lessons I hope that I won't have to learn again!

Winter Project 2016-17 - Chess Set Part 2

The Dragon Shed Winter Project - Part2

Diving, once more, into Veneer Mountain... or How NOT to do Marquetry!

This is my original design, reproduce for personal use not personal gain.

STAGE 2 - Video Part 2
Materials:
Pre-Made (Or re-purposed) Box*
Selection of Wood Veneers (I'm using Cherry, Avodere, Ash, Oak, Mahogany and Walnut)
Sandpaper
Masking Tape
Strong Wood Glue
Protected Board and weight
Black Acrylic Paint
Wood Filler
White Spirit
Paste Wax

What I Did:

1. Rip out the original lining from the box and sand the painted sides to remove the finish.
2. Measure the top and work out the board pattern - draw out 1/4 - then cut veneers to appropriate size/shape.
3. Lay out strips of masking tape, sticky-side up, over the pattern and arrange the veneers on top. Make 2 1/4's of the board, then glue to the box, cover with a board and weigh down to keep things flat.
4. Fill in the rest of the board using tape to hold things in place as you go before gluing each 1/4 down.
5. Design a pattern for the sides of the lid and box, then cut and stick in place.
6. Fill all the cracks and allow to dry.
7. Sand back the filler to a level surface, wipe with white spirit to remove any dust. Paint the inside of the lid with black acrylic.*
8. Cover the veneer with a coat of wax, then store until needed.

*I showed the beginnings of the Backgammon board in the video, but in the end I decided that my skills were not sufficient to get the accurate angles and shapes in veneer. I will decide what to do in Part 3.

I am not including the pattern here, basically because the size of the board depends on the box you have and your veneer colour combinations. I decided to cut the grid pieces on a diagonal, which created a nice sunburst pattern, but also caused chaos with the weak, short grain on the corners cracking off all over... good idea design wise, but probably not one an experienced Marquetry worker would choose... Well, live and learn - but veneer splinters are nasty creatures!

Winter Project 2016-17 - Chess Set Part 1

The Dragon Shed Winter Project - Part 1

So far I have only dabbled in scroll sawing, this is me diving in... although it only started on the saw...

This is my original design, reproduce for personal use not personal gain.

STAGE 1 - Video Part 1
Materials:
1x1" Pine Strip Wood, (depending on knots) about 1.4m (?)
Cutting Template*
Glue Stick
Packing/Masking Tape
Sandpaper
Fabric Measuring Tape
Selection of Wood Veneers (I'm using Ash, Oak, Mahogany and Walnut)
WaterStrong Wood Glue
Clamps/Elastic Bands
Wood Filler
Pyrography Tool
Paste Wax

What I Did:

1. Cut each template into strips and arrange the pieces on the strip wood, avoiding knots and defects. Glue around 2 sides of the strip, then cover with packing tape.
2. Cut the strip into manageable lengths.
3. Set up scroll saw with No.2 or Spiral blade.
4. First cut out the shaded section and set aside, then cut out the rest of the piece, re-sticking the waste around the sides as you go. File in boxes by shape for ease of processing.
5. Sand the faces of each piece to smooth the curves and transitions, but keep the corners as sharp as possible.
6. Measure the faces of each piece to get an average length, then cut the veneers to length+5mmx3cm. Stack together by piece, filed in the appropriate boxes.
7. For each piece, place the ash veneers into a jar of cold water for a few hours (or boil for 30 minutes) then press onto the piece, using the waste pieces to apply even clamping pressure to opposite sides. Leave to dry.**
8. Remove the clamps, then glue the veneer in place and re-clamp. Dry overnight.
9. Once dry trim back the overhanging veneer, then repeat the process with the oak veneers.
10. Repeat with the mahogany and walnut veneers, trim flush, then fill and leave to dry.
11. Sand the filler, and the wood until smooth, then burn the exposed pine with the pyrography tool for an even colour.***
12. Cover with a coat of wax, then store until needed.

**I tried gluing wet, damp and dry veneers during the various parts of this project and I recommend waiting until the bent veneer is completely dry before gluing. You could stick some tape over the waste block, but that would slow down the drying in general. Be patient, grasshopper...

*** In the video I showed the pyrography being done before the laminating, but I only did that on the pawns. All the other pieces waited until the veneer was glued and trimmed back so that I could see where it was needed - it also helped to burn the endgrain of the veneers flat rather than risk chipping off whilst sanding. Using Pyro instead of painting means that it will not affect the glue bond - although burning after gluing negates this issue.

*Cutting Template - This is the design I worked with, quite simplistic, relying on the veneers to add flare, with some added details for a bit of flash.

[TEMPLATE coming soon!]

Yes, this was as tedious as it looks! But only having 8 clamps limited each session to 4 sides at a time, which meant only about 20 minutes of tedious work each day and pretty much saved me from going completely potty! I used powdered filler, blended with PVA, acrylic paint and a little water, which was probably more work than it needed to be... and much more sanding than I expected... a Learning Experience, as dad calls it!

Welcome to the Dragon Shed Blog

Welcome to The Dragon Shed Blog

[I will be adding backdated entries for 2016 with sketches, plans and recipes for my Youtube videos]

New entries every week with details of each project as they come online, plus a few hints of what's to come...

New Year's Resolutions for 2017

 See New Year's Resolutions 2017 for details...

1. Back on the Wagon - (Weight Loss, not alcohol!)
2. Get Organised - (Coursework, St John Ambulance Trainer, Online pages, Project planning & Family Responsibilities)
3. Get Better at Stuff - (Video Editing, Craft Skills)
4. Be Useful - (3 Minute Skills and Save-A-Life September)
5. 100 Youtube Subscribers