Tag Archives: woodwork

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I had the day off, thanks to the 9 hours I worked on Sunday. It was quiet and relaxing, except for about 10 scary minutes when James was choking on a pill. This was only possible Tom was in school, and we had an aide to cope with him after school.

Did some housework and shopping with mia_mcdavid, then we went to the lunch buffet at the local Indian restaurant. The last is becoming a tradition on days when we are both free and we have coverage for Tom (Actually, the last phrase is redundant). After getting home we both napped. Later we went to the St. Paul Farmers Market to pick up our turkey (ordered long before) and a few other things.

While doing a yard chore for mia_mcdavid I remembered to bring my shaving horse indoors. I know of woodworkers who use their shaving horses outdoors all year long. None of them live in Minnesota.

In the late afternoon I did a little work in the shop. I am making a targe (17th century Scottish Highlander’s shield) as a gift for James.He will be able to use it when we are at events of colgaffneyis. I was able to saw and file the plywood blank to a reasonable approximation of a circle, then glued a leather cover to what will be the inside. Later I will glue some heavier leather to the outside, then add the nails there, and finally the grips.

Tool Raiders

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Tool Raider is a store in Bloomington (MN), almost across the street from Woodcraft, where I frequently shop for woodworking tools and supplies. I noticed Tool Raider after a visit today to Woodcraft, and decided to stop in. They sell both new and used tools, including woodworking tools. The new ones are distinctly inferior to Woodcraft’s, but the used tools merited some attention. There were lots of power tools, which I ignored, but a few hand tools got my attention. I left the store with my wallet $20 lighter, and two bit braces (drills), a chisel, and a gouge in my hands. $10 was devoted to one brace from Millers Falls. I had a good feeling about it, but was not enough of an expert to be sure it was what I hoped it was. But I figured $10 was an OK price anyway–It was in very good condition.

I got home and checked a web site about Millers Falls braces. Sure enough, this was one of their “Lion” braces, comparable to the Stanley Bell braces–among the best braces ever made. Nothing like it is made today. I don’t think Tool Raider realized what they had set out on the shelf for $10.

Saws and planes

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Finished ripping that old oak….then planed the sawn sides smooth. Unfortunately, in the course of that I broke a small part on my best plane. The part was not original, in fact it was a distinctly inferior modern replacement. Nevertheless I have to find another replacement, or, perhaps, make one. I am getting more comfortable with simple metalwork.

Axis of Ripping

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A little more shop time tonight. Nothing fancy, just legs for a stool. I did not want to buy more wood, so I am using some leftover oak (from discarded church pews). Did not have any in the right size, so I have to rip (saw longways) about 4 feet of thoroughly seasoned, very dry oak, 1 1/2 inches thick. …..

…. without power tools. I have several hand saws, and did some experimenting. A very cheap rip saw from Harbor Freight proved to be worth about what I paid for it. A pull saw (Japanese style blade) from Home Depot actually worked OK, though it is not specifically intended for ripping. My big Japanese rip saw did quite well, but I think my Putsch saw from Germany did better.

This is hard work. That oak is tough. I am getting some exercise on this project.

Four hobbies in one Sunday shopping trip to the West Metro ….

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1. A discussion of kilt history with 3stitches, and subsequent research, sent me to SR Harris (fabric outlet in Northwest suburbs). I bought some wool (on sale) to make a kilt in the style of c. 1800.
2. MicroCenter (computer store in Western suburbs). Bought a USB Jump Drive. Long overdue!
3. Whole Foods. Bought fresh ginger to brew a sparkling ginger mead. Having discussed mead in rhymeswithghoti‘s journal, it seems to be time for another batch of my own brew.
4. Rockler Woodworking. Another diamond sharpening stone.

Mia and planes

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Replaced the iron (blade) on my #7 (22″ long) plane with a new one from Hock Tools, one of the best aftermarket sources for plane irons. The blade was a gift from mia_mcdavid, from some time back, but with the pressures of our summer schedule I had not found the time to hone and install it. Also added a Hock chip breaker.

My best plane, a Bedrock Jack, is also a gift from mia_mcdavid. Tonight I replaced its iron and chipbreaker by the Hock equivalents, so it should be even better now :-)>

No good deed goes unpunished …..

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… and two good deeds can conspire against you.

Good deed #1: I completed the woodworking phase of a project over the weekend, in which I had badly banged up two chisels–close encounters with nails. I was expecting this, and was using my rough duty chisels (intended for nasty jobs like this), but the experience was too much even for them–large ugly nicks in what was left of the edges. So I carefully reground them, using a hand grinder so as not to overheat the steel and ruin its temper. I have a very nice tool rest for the grinder so this went OK. After grinding came the honing. Some effort on a coarse oilstone, then three diamond stones of successively finer grit, and the edges looked good.

Good deed #2: This morning our son James was a little late getting ready for school. In fact, mia_mcdavid and I realized that he would not get to the bus stop on time. Not being under severe time pressure I offered to drive him to school.

So….James is taking his own sweet time. I start the car, figuring I might as well warm it up while I wait. Then I get out of the car and go into the family work room. Looking at my workbench I wonder where I had put a couple small tools. I reach out to sort a small pile of stuff. Then …. a sudden pain in my thumb. I had touched one of my newly sharpened chisels. Yes, I did put a good edge on it….. Blood starts dripping out, and I think about going inside for a bandage. I open the door to the main body of the house….

….And there is James, putting his jacket on and finally ready to go! Well I hope the cut is not too bad. So I sigh, and we go back out to the car. I start driving, then look at my thumb: Big, and growing, drop of blood there. I take him to school, occasionally sucking the blood off my thumb, and otherwise pressing it tightly against the steering wheel. James being James, he probably did not notice anything. I was wondering if I would need stitches, but the bleeding did stop about 10 minutes after I dropped off James.

Much too exciting a way to verify my sharpening technique. Tonight in the shop: Blade guards for those chisels. Trivial (scraps of leather held on by rubber bands), but definitely worth doing.