Glued and Clamped

And here is an assembled frame. Once the glue is set I will sand it and stain it with a coloured wax. 

Frames

Here are the picture frame pieces after they have gone through the router. 

Making Picture Frames

This is a close up of the router bit. I am using it to cut the rebate in some picture frames.

The table is made from some cheap pine and some scrap MDF but it does an adequate job. 

Router Table

This is the router table from above. It sits on a couple of saw benches. The guard is adjustable and also collects the saw dust. 

A New Project

I have built this router table at nightschool, it should help me with my picture framing. I got the router for xmas and here it is bolted to the bottom of the table.

Pororari Valley

Before driving back to Chch, we had to go and visit the Pororari valley. This is a favourite spot for Tracy and I. We must have walked up and down it a dozen times.

This photo is my first attempt at combining HDR and panoramic photography. It's a bit artificial looking but I think it has a painterly quality to it.

Stained Glass

I liked this stained glass window in the Hilton. It is a very west coast scene. 

Lunch

We had a nice lunch in the Hilton, The venison sausages and mash were excellent. James was intrigued by the fire, he has never seen coal before. He took a lump to take to 'show and tell' at school. 

Mine Ruins

Just north of the town are the ruins of the old coal mines. 

Blackball Hilton

World famous in New Zealand! The Blackball Hilton was sued by the Hilton hotel people so changed its name to 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton'.

Blackball is an interesting place, visiting it is like travelling back in time about 50 years. It is an old mining town and the birth of the New Zealand Labour Party. 

Sunset

This was the first time James had seen the sun set behind the ocean. 

WIld Thing

James loves beaches. He would happily spend all day playing in sand. 

Hokitika Beach

I took James to the beach to have a run around and to show him the sunset.

Hokitika beach is a typical west coast beach, very wild (too rough to swim) and littered with driftwood. 

Dorothy Falls

I remember brining my Mum here on her first visit to New Zealand. She saw the name on the map and had to see it. 

Canoe Creek

The calm water made for great reflections.

Lake Kaniere

We had lunch on the shores of Lake Kaniere. The weather was fantastic. On the coast the weather is either glorious or torrential rain. It doesn't seem to do anything in between. 

River Styx

The west coast is a scenic wonderland. There are more forests, mountains, rivers, lakes and beaches than you could visit in a lifetime. It is great to be back. 

Hokitika Gorge

Hokitika gorge is a great place to visit. The river is a beautiful blue colour and there is a nice short bush walk to a swing bridge that crosses the gorge. 

Kahikatea Trees

We are having a holiday on the west coast with Tracy's folks, staying in Hokitika. Before James was born Tracy and I would visit the coast several times a year but this is our first visit in a while. It is great to be back.