Month: January 2025

Wrapping up my winter vacation

~ Chuck ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow is our last day in Sävsjöström before starting the journey home. I plan on heading into the nearby city, Växjö, tomorrow to meet up for coffee, but otherwise take it easy. On Wednesday we take the train to Stockholm, and Thursday morning we fly back to Boston.

This trip has been pretty busy. We have had a lot more social time pushed into a shorter period than our trip the summer of 2023. While it has been a lot of fun, I am tired. The weather has been mostly overcast, with some rain and finally snow for the past few days.

My workbench, as complete as it will be this trip! The only thing left to do is wax the tools and sweep the floor on last time. The shop is a 15-minute walk from the house.

It is pretty thin on tools, but I plan on adding tools each trip over here. I’ll bring some of mine over, as well as pick some up here. I finished up a shelf under the bench as well as some accessories to hang tools on the wall. I didn’t get bench vice this time, and I really missed having a good way to hold work. I need to make or buy some proper planing stops, but was able to make due with a thin board and clamps at the end of the bench. I also need a marking gauge; they are small and light and that was an oversight to not bring one.

We returned the rental car today and visited the swim park (Växjö Simhall) before grabbing lunch and taking the bus back to Sävsjöström. The rain/sleet/snow slowed down enough that we completed the 20-minute walk home from the bus stop without getting soaked. Tonight Izzy’s cousins are over for a sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa; I’ll be hiding in the annex to keep my sanity.

Yesterday (Saturday) was pretty quiet. I helped Dan install a fence gate down at the cabin on the lake. The whole family took a walk to check out the new gate, and Dan made a fire at the cabin. I walked to the workshop and back to get my steps in and I did spend a little time there. Overall, it was a relief to have a quiet day.

Saturday, we went to a hockey game with Susanna’s parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephews. I was surprised how much Izzy was into the game, but it way more engaging watching in an arena as opposed to watching in TV. The Växjö Lakers had a family day with face painting and candy drop. It was a disappointing loss in overtime, and Izzy’s cousins took it pretty hard. We followed the game with dinner at Foodie in Växjö centrum and followed that with some tears from the kids after dinner (yes, of course it is much less fun to ride with mom and dad instead of grandma and grandpa).

Adventures in Sävsjöström

~ Chuck ~ 2 Comments

The past week has been busy. We arrived in Sävsjöström on Thursday. We didn’t pick up our rental car until Monday, so spent a lot of time at home and getting rides from Susanna’s parents.

I spent time building a workbench in Dan’s workshop. He generously offered to let me take a corner of his shop to start my wood shop over here. Even more generously, he let me pick through his lumber stock to make the bench. I brought over three hand saws and two handplanes to leave here, with the plan to pick up clamps and chisels (and other tools as needed) locally. The workshop is a 15-minute walk from their house, so I have been getting my steps in most days.

My workbench pushed alongside the wall. I will probably still add a shelf below the bench and some shelves to hold the handplanes if I have time.

The week has been very social. For New Year’s Eve, Susanna, Izzy, and I went with her Sister’s family to a friend’s house for dinner and games. Almost all the kids stayed up until midnight and the neighborhood fireworks display. We had a great time, and Susanna has been paying for it today. I was the designated driver, so I’m not feeling the effects of the night today. Izzy and I had a nice outing to Kosta outlets while Susanna slept until early afternoon.

Earlier in the week, Susanna, Izzy, and I went to an open house. We are a few years away from buying a place here, but we don’t have lots of time here between now and then, so it is good to get an idea of what we like and don’t like about apartments here. Of course it was new, so Izzy loved it. I suspect Izzy will love most of the properties we go look at.

A snowy morning walking to the workshop in Sävsjöström, Sweden.

Dan took me bowling with a group of his friends over the weekend. I am certainly not a good bowler, but I had fun. I even won the first game, but was trounced the second game. After bowling we all went out to the pizza buffet in Kosta. I was invited to join them at the Sävsjöström “sport club” sauna that evening, but I was still feeling the time change, so declined. It was a good call. Apparently the person that was responsible for turning on the sauna that morning didn’t do it correctly, so they had to wait over an hour for it to heat up.

I found a woodworking store (SweDendro-Tools) in the nearby city, Växjö. Not really found it; Dan has been there, so he pointed me in the right direction. I dragged Susanna there with me so I could get two parallel clamps, chisels and a sharpening stone. I decided to get Axminster Tools clamps and chisels. I haven’t seen them before and I believe that they are a UK company, but the quality seems decent. The chisels sharpened up nicely, but time will tell if they hold an edge. The clamps are nice; they were half the price of the Bessey clamps. Then again, I haven’t used Bessey clamps, so won’t be able to compare them.

We have a busy week planned with visits to relatives and friends, a hockey game, and possibly a sleepover with Izzy’s cousins. I will see how far I get in the workshop in the time between all the activities.

Susanna keeping me company while I build the workbench.