In the end I decided to work on the base first. Using a piece of walnut of approximately the right size, I planed one face flat, using winding sticks to check for twist. I then planed one long edge square to this registration face to create a registration edge.
Then using a marking gauge I scribed a line from the registration edge for the final width on both faces, and planed down to create the opposite edge. Continue reading “Making and glueing up the base – Dovetail box #2”
I’ve already mentioned, in previous posts, my wish to build a traditional woodworking bench. That, as I have said, will have to wait because my workshop is not really set up for one yet. Another future project that I’ve talked about is a bow saw – a larger companion for the turning saw – but that too will have to wait until I can source the hardware. I’ve also hinted at another mallet or too, just because I enjoy making them.
Other projects, that I haven’t mentioned, include the Tom Fidgen sawyers bench from his book The Unplugged Woodshop. I’d also like to make a proper shooting board and bench hook, and perhaps another project involving dovetails.
Well, we are up to date. The joiners mallet is my most recent completed project. From now on I’ll be posting on projects as they are progressing, so posting might slow down a bit.
The project that I am working on at the moment is a small storage box which features my first hand cut dovetails. In fact they are my first dovetails of any kind.
A little while ago a friend popped in with some presents for me – three logs. One of apple, one of ash and a smaller one of acacia (myrtle). I had put word about that I was interested in some big lumps of seasoned hardwood to make a mallet from.
It was after watching these videos from Paul Sellers that I first became interested in making my own mallet. He uses oak in the videos, but I had read somewhere that apple was quite a traditional wood for mallet heads, so I decided to go with that. Continue reading “Joiners Mallet”
I’ve just realised that it has been one year exactly since this photograph was taken:
A lot has changed since then.
When I demolished my old shed, I pretty much got rid of everything of the structure, apart from one thing. I saved a large beam, 3″ by 9″ by 15′. I cut it up into three sections and they are stored in my new shed. One of these fine days I intend planing them up, jointing them and laminating them to form the top of a Roubo style workbench.
I was watching one of Tom Fidgen‘s videos a few weeks ago, and he was using what looked like a wooden coping saw – a small bow saw, with a very thin blade. I was intrigued by it, so I did a bit of research and ascertained that it was what is called a Turning Saw.
There are several instructional videos and articles online on how to make one of these saws, and I thought I’d have a crack at one. Continue reading “Turning saw”
I had a little project on the go a few weeks ago that I’ll be posting about shortly. Anyway, this project called for two small turned handles. Well, the thing is, I don’t have a lathe. I’d love to have a lathe, but I just don’t have the funds at the moment and, to be truthful, I’m not sure how much I’d actually use one – certainly not enough to justify spending hundreds of pounds that I can’t really afford.
Maybe, one of these days, I’ll get one. But for now, I was faced with a choice: buy some handles online, or improvise.
I decided to improvise. Continue reading “Shopmade turning machine”
In my last post, I linked to a Paul Sellers video about recutting saw teeth. Near the end of the video he can be seen using a set of saw chocks, to clamp the saw plate at an easier height for working.
I decided that I would like to make a set of saw chocks for myself. I found this post on Paul’s blog, which gave the dimensions of his chocks, so I adapted the design a little and set to work.
One of the hand saws that I bought from eBay was an old Disston rip cut saw. It arrived in pretty poor shape, but I hadn’t really paid anything for it, not much more than the postage really.
The teeth were all blunt and misshapen, and it was difficult to tell how many points per inch (ppi) it was. Needless to say, it couldn’t cut through a blancmange, let alone a piece of wood.
goatboys woodshop 