Matt's projects

[Fretters]

I'll definitely be getting more time in the shed now. New bench made & the surface plate, (which is going to be the base for the lathe), boxed in.

Also got this out of the vat today. The bed of my first ever Drummond. Roughly of 1907 vintage, as close as I can place it. It's been in the vat for weeks, as I'd nowhere to put it until I gained some semblance of order in the shed.

 

[Fretters]

Fitted a vice to that new bench.

The vice is bolted to a piece of butchers block, (coated with linseed oil with a hint of green), and that block is secured to the bench by five screws from underneath. Mounted it that way so that I have the option of swapping vices without having shedloads of mounting holes in the bench.

 

[Fretters]

Added a small tray to the front of the pillar drill bench. Just so I can have the odd bits to hand without searching for them.

This is where the other half of the butchers block went.

Trying to decide whether to mount this one to the plinth which it's atop.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: did you make the butcher block or cut a cutting board of your wife's in half and then say sorry honey?

I love that SWINDEN(?) vice and it looks like your wood pillar somehow turned to steel at the bottom. if it won't tip when you use the vice and maybe have something fairly heavy in it's jaws you have my vote to use it as a stand.

nice colors too!! did you say you put some green paint in your Linseed oil and guessing you used that on the NAKED STEEL?

thanks for sharing and love the little tray!

 

[Craptain]

Nice to see a little progress in the shed.

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[Fretters]

Nice to see a little progress in the shed.

It's getting there, slow but steady. There's been quite a bit done in there lately. A lot of it has just been rearranging and suchlike, granted, but I can actually walk, fairly unimpeded, from one side of it to the other now.

 

[Fretters]

Fretters: did you make the butcher block or cut a cutting board of your wife's in half and then say sorry honey?

I love that SWINDEN(?) vice and it looks like your wood pillar somehow turned to steel at the bottom. if it won't tip when you use the vice and maybe have something fairly heavy in it's jaws you have my vote to use it as a stand.

nice colors too!! did you say you put some green paint in your Linseed oil and guessing you used that on the NAKED STEEL?

thanks for sharing and love the little tray!

It was a cutting board I was given awhile ago, so no upset spouse to appease. Have got a couple more lengths knocking about in the shed too. One was the cutout portion from a worktop for a sink, and the other is a worktop which was chucked out when replaced. Both from neighbours.

That stand has changed more times, and had more uses. The base that's on it now is a knackered hub from an Austin Gypsy.

Yup, I add Linseed Oil to my enamel paints. Makes a hell of a difference to how well they flow when applied with a brush. That green Swindens is marked with the crowsfoot and dated 1944. The burgundy one is marked with the Air Ministry insignia and dated 1936.

This is the drill bench now that I've stopped farting about with it:

Those two ply topped blocks either side are to act as rests for longer pieces. With a piece of 1/2” ply/chipboard/MDF placed on the drill table, they tally up in height. The right hand piece of ply extends outwards to keep swarf off the plug socket strip mounted on the side of the bench.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: that plywood box type area looks perfect for a compound miter saw so is that what you built it for?

keep posting pictures and i'm sure there are others watching and just not saying anything while we chat a bit about your stuff.

speaking of BLO how do you like the before and after of my Craftsman steel handled wheelbarrow? it was 60 and sunny here today so i had a chance to work outside cause normally in the middle of January it's about 20 degrees and maybe snow on the ground.

cheers

 

[Fretters]

That barrow has come up a treat.

Nope. Just for the drill. I wouldn't use a mitre saw in the workshop if my life depended upon it. They're the untidiest of machines which resist any & all attempts at dust/chip collection, IMO. I don't use woodworking powertools in the workshop unless I must, due to dust extraction/collection requirements. There's a fine layer of wood dust on everything just from using hand tools recently in there, so it'd be a dive if I'd been using power tools. I rarely clamp anything on the drill, so the supports are just there to make it easier when holding longer pieces in place by hand. For example, this weekend I had to drill some holes in a uPVC infill panel, (so that I could cut some vent holes for louvre vents with the jigsaw). At over two feet long, it would have been awkward without the supports.

Before anyone mentions any danger from doing that, (holding things by hand on the drill), the pillar drill has a round leather belt driving it, set with minimal necessary tension. I can readily make the belt slip via hand pressure alone.

 

[drivesitfar]

Thanks Fretters for the kudos on my new favorite wheelbarrow.

just an FYI a few members use a shop vac type system on their saws that almost eliminates the dust and debris 100% so if you want me to provide you with a few links to their threads just ask and i will.

otherwise i love hearing how you hand drill almost everything or hand saw and i bet your hands and arms are grateful you do cause one thing modern technology does is make us lazy.

i actually have mixed maybe 2 or 3,000 80 pound bags of cement in my wheelbarrows (hence my love for a good wheelbarrow, but this one won't be for cement work) and i bet for a 62 year old i have one of the better grips and arm strength of anybody that doesn't go to a gym daily.

keep up the great work in the shed and always like to see your pictures and hear how you mix up some concoction or fix something.

 

[Fretters]

Must admit, I have been getting a bit lazy on the drilling front of late & using the Bosch 12V drills. The breast/hand drills still see their fair share of use though. Still much prefer sawing by hand. Every piece of that new bench was cut with a handsaw. Judging by how many skewed cuts I see done with chopsaws too, my cuts are usually a damned sight more square. Always amazes me how people can neglect setting their tools up correctly, and rechecking them occasionally to make sure they're still accurate, especially when they know, or should know, better.

With the dust extraction, I've always found it akin to ******* into the wind with chopsaws. Their design seems to make them highly inefficient in that area. Chopsaws are one of things I use when I must, but I always use them outside. For cutting beads or trims, for example, it's easier to do those on the chopsaw as they're quick for doing the angles. Or, if it's one of those jobs you want to do as quickly as possible, then again the chopsaw has its place. When it's something you can afford to spend time on though, I still much prefer using hand tools. Relaxing, and it keeps your technique honed.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: i know you are a bit like me with limited space to work on stuff at home so maybe Woody's little shop vac type dust collection unit might suit your needs. I think his one car garage is only 15x25, but he just used this shop vac unit while remodeling his basement so it's mobile. if you can't find it on his thread just ask Woody (Denwood) and I bet he'll post up a few pictures.

also since you are a bit of a TECHIE you might like all his smart home and tech stuff he mentions and maybe you've got something to teach him too.

here's the link to Woody's thread. Enjoy cause he and his thread are one of my favorites!!

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263351&highlight=denwood

 

[Fretters]

Cheers DIF. I'll have a read of that thread.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: I need your sense of humor on my Organizing thread (link is in my sig line) cause I can get in a terrible mood as i'm having to get rid of stuff and not keep buying whatever i find if i have the cash or the room to store it.

anything new in the shed or are you working too much again and following teenagers around their sporting events?

cheers

 

[Fretters]

Chin up old chap. I can sympathise on the clearing out front. Heart wrenching, but needs must on occasion. Not been doing much in the workshop recently, bar some tidying & rearranging, but I have been sorting a little pet project elsewhere, namely a compost enclosure. Just used some old fencing for constructing it.

It still needs some finishing touches, but the main part is sorted now. I've been working in wind, rain & hints of snow sorting that. It's around 6' x 3' x 4-1/2', or thereabouts.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: nice little project and congrats for taking on the winter weather and getting it done for spring. do you have a garden and how big is it? what do you grow cause we love the stuff we grow in ours?

BTW: check out my getting organized thread and I have some clean bench space (at the moment) and we'll see how long that lasts.

 

[Fretters]

We do have a fair size garden, but that composter wasn't for I.

I was just going to ask for the link to your thread, but then I noticed your sig.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: i know if i post an 9 inch vise on my thread you and your fun comments will show up, but as i'm GETTING ORGANIZED i need your humor cause it's always more fun to shop/hunt/find and buy than it is to Organize all of that or worse have to sell something. so get over to my thread if you have time to give me some good words to keep a fire under my **** to GET ORGANIZED sooner rather than later. i would actually like to be able to find some of my stuff and not have to run to the store to buy something i know i already own.

do you put anything special on your metal to metal parts like on an old cabinet or tool? I know beeswax is a good option and just wondering if you have some other concoction or product you like?

cheers

 

[Fretters]

Run out of my wax mix, and my turpentine is rust contaminated, so just coated the leg & tray with linseed oil with graphite powder mixed in.

I've also lathered some paint on an old compressor tank today. Was sick of seeing that damned machine grey it had been painted with previously. It's not a perfect paint job, but it looks better than it did.

 

[Craptain]

Nice paintwork Fretters. I have been wondering where and what you were up to. I don't expect to see you here as much as some of us time wasters, but please consider stopping by a little more often.

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[Fretters]

Will do.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: something seems amiss in the background cause I see something SHINY & BLACK & NEWER. new toolbox in amongst all your cool old gems?

nice work on the lathe legs and compressor. do you still used a brush on bigger items or do you have a little sprayer? love your green, burgundy and naked steel colors for your shop and I guess I could get used to shiny black if it's functional.

cheers (just had a homemade Chai and check out recipe in the GET HEALTHY thread if you want to try it and add a kick to your day)

 

[Fretters]

Brushed on, then the excess wiped off a hour or two later.

Regarding the tool cabinets, guilty. There are three of them in the workshop; Two grey, one red. Got to store the tools & tooling somewhere.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: you certainly are given a pass on owning some newer toolboxes especially if you can find the stuff in your drawers. i think my cabinet addiction has gotten worse than my vise or old tool addiction hence me buying nicer looking or better cabinets that still need to have the old tools put in their drawers that i pulled out of the ones they replaced.

nice work on the painting and I always learn something when reading how you do things so keep up the great work and even though you don't get a lot of posts on your thread I know others are reading and learning too.

cheers and have a great weekend and maybe no rain for a few days will get you some good outside painting or BLO drying weather.

 

[Fretters]

Was just rereading my post above. I was obviously just referring to the linseed oil when I mentioned wiping excess off. The green was brush applied too. A bit of linseed oil added to the paint to make the brush marks flow out. I do have a metal floor to ceiling drawer cabinet too. You can see a bit of it behind that lathe leg.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: i've heard you mention putting linseed oil or maybe BLO in your enamel paints to make them FLOW better and is there an amount you'd like to mention?

you are more than welcome to give us a few panoramic pics of your shop/shed if you have time to.

 

[Fretters]

I don't put a vast amount in there. Probably 1 part oil & turpentine to 10 or more parts paint. I usually just gauge it by eye in the container, rather than using specific ratios. The addition of raw linseed oil & turpentine both thins the paint & makes it flow far better for brushing, at the cost of extended curing times. I use pure turpentine as the solvent as, unlike white spirit for example, it always seems to mix well, without separating or globbing, in any paint I've tried so far.

 

[bonneyman]

I don't put a vast amount in there. Probably 1 part oil & turpentine to 10 or more parts paint. I usually just gauge it by eye in the container, rather than using specific ratios. The addition of raw linseed oil & turpentine both thins the paint & makes it flow far better for brushing, at the cost of extended curing times. I use pure turpentine as the solvent as, unlike white spirit for example, it always seems to mix well, without separating or globbing, in any paint I've tried so far.

When I was a painter many years ago we used a product called Penetrol that did the same things you're talking about.
Update: they still make it, and here's an SDS. Contains linseed oil and petroleum solvent.
https://ilrc.ucf.edu/documents/ILRC 00000619/NCFS_619 Flood Penetrol.pdf

 

[Craptain]

When I was a painter many years ago we used a product called Penetrol that did the same things you're talking about.
Update: they still make it, and here's an SDS. Contains linseed oil and petroleum solvent.
https://ilrc.ucf.edu/documents/ILRC 00000619/NCFS_619 Flood Penetrol.pdf

I use it in all the oil based paints that I use.

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[Fretters]

I believe it was the mention of Penetrol, originally, which set me off experimenting with the oil & turpentine. It's worked a treat every time, so far, including use in synthetic enamels.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: one of these days i might start painting stuff again, but in the meantime thanks for the tips and i'm sure other members and lurkers watching are benefiting from your experiments and wisdom.

cheers (fresh ice tea in a cold mug for me)

 

[Fretters]

If we didn't experiment, we wouldn't know what works & what doesn't. Natural curiosity on that front is something I just give into. It can only go one of two ways.

 

[Craptain]

If we didn't experiment, we wouldn't know what works & what doesn't. Natural curiosity on that front is something I just give into. It can only go one of two ways.

I like that logic. In fact I tend in that direction myself.

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[Fretters]

I like that logic. In fact I tend in that direction myself.

It's the best approach, most times. With certain things, it's simpler to ask advice from someone experienced. With a lot of things though, advice tends to be little more than opinion, rather than experience. People tend to just go with what they know works, so whilst they may say something won't work, they can't actually say that from experience, as they've simply never tested the truth of it.

Painting cast without primer, and the viability of using linseed oil either as a base or a final coat, both of those things I only verified through testing. Painters will literally swear blind that paint won't effectively adhere without primer, on the first point, and the second just seemed to be something which no-one had tried, else if they had, they hadn't made the results readily known.

 

[Craptain]

I've always gone against popular techniques and materials when it comes to painting. I totally despise latex paint for anything, and yet I have occasionally bought tools, including vises, painted with it. Oil or occasionally acrylic for most things. Oil paint for tools. Oh, and epoxy occasionally as well.

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[Fretters]

Glad I'm not the only one who can't stick latex paint. Won't touch it with a bargepole.

This made its way into the workshop a week or two ago. A Hobbies scrollsaw. Only one I've seen of this design. They made several models of saw, which crop up quite frequently for sale, but this is the first of these I've seen.

I was supposed to be getting rid of some stuff, but it ended up with two Drummond Roundbeds going out the door, and this saw and an early Drummond pre-B, (photo attached), coming through the door in return. I've not got the hang of this "having a clearout" lark yet.

 

[Fretters]

Also got round to fitting a length of butchers block worktop on the tool cabinets, to give the 1913 Drummond 5" a sturdy base. Just need to finish restoring the lathe now. Half killed myself oiking that bed up onto blocks so that I could slide that worktop underneath.

 

[Maui]

Fretters, if I had been thinking ahead I would have touched base with you earlier. I am visiting GB right now, but flying back home tomorrow morning. I am about 40 minutes outside of Manchester. I would have asked you for tips on where to go and what to visit in the brief amount of spare time I had available after my meetings were over. The weather has been fantastic during my visit, sunny and warm with cool nights every single day. I like it here.

Maui

 

[Fretters]

Lovely weather? This hot weather is killing me. We're not accustomed to it.

Chester would have been a good place to visit. A historic, walled city. Lovely place to have a walk round. You were likely in a fairly decent spot for industrial heritage museums etc. within a reasonable distance too.

 

[dutchgray]

I have not liked the heat this week either, just finished laying a 30 sq m patio, its been a struggle and I haven't managed to do anything else apart from work this week.
As far as painting cast Iron, I have only ever used whichever metal paint I had straight on bare metal, works for me but I dont do much painting.
How many lathes does that make at the moment?