Recent content by I'mMattman

You have a lot of factors to contend with. Materials used, and weather. If you're doing wood, I would recommend getting it to as close to the same moisture content as the rest of the barn. I know when I buy 2x4's they're usually super wet, and as we all know, wet = shrinkage. If you do that...

Did someone say shop fridge? Well, these might be close to fitting the description... How about a little shop refrigerator ****?

Thanks, we're almost neighbors. Glad I'm not alone out here!

Thanks, from the shore of Monterey Bay.

Good info thanks! Haha, I have the same pickaxe, found it in a bedrock hole on the Feather River. It was looking great until the fire in Paradise, after digging it out of the ashes, I have an extremely delaminating core that crumbles when you look at it... Might snap some pics and post.

Info much appreciated! It's actually very solid, not fragile at all. The handle is loose, however it won't come out of the head. Shims are still tight as well.

Any recommendation on oil? I was thinking just mineral/butcher block oil, so it won't discolor the wood.

Naw, I've got to keep the patina. I have been tempted to soda blast it and put a coat of oil on it to stop the deterioration, but for some reason I always stop myself.

I've had this for quite some time now, picked it up at an estate sale. After some research and forensics, I can date this tool to sometime between 1720-1800. This puts it in the second colonial dominion era. The earliest known example of this design if from around 1750, and this one likely...

My name is Matt and I'm an American, living out here in California, (not bragging, believe you me). I'm 54 and have been swinging hammers since the days of the Yankee Screwdriver. As the son of a General Contractor, I'd get pulled out of school sometimes to go to work. My friend's thought it was...