Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[jimreed2160]

Christmas gifts

One of the real joys of woodworking has been making trinkets for my grandchildren. Here is one from a few years back for one of those special little girls. It is a Barbie sized bed and matching chest made from walnut and birdseye maple. My friend, Harriet, made a great mattress, pillow and bedspread.

I took special care with the bed and added safety features. The tenons are purposefully weak so the bed will collapse if someone falls on the bed. I got that idea from breakaway tabs on rear view mirrors. In addition, I made the posts cannonball style so they would be less likely to impale. Also avoided small pieces that might become detached and swallowed. Making things for kids is fun but one must manage risk.

 

[jimreed2160]

Stanley #40 lineup

 

[jimreed2160]

Repairing a tote horn

I picked up this infill plane for a song because the front bun was a mess and the tote horn was damaged.

The first step is to cut away old wood and make a level recipient site. I started this with a chisel and finished with a plane.

The tote was beech so I found a piece of beech and made a wedge that matched the direction of the grain. Then I glued it up.

After the glue dried, I trimmed as close as I could with the bandsaw.

At this point, it still looked pretty ugly.

But all it took was some sandpaper to get this look.

From the top.

And the plane sat for many years until I got around to finishing it. I am pretty sure I posted the bun fix for this plane somewhere early in this thread. I also stained and finished the tote at that time.

 

[jimreed2160]

Chamfer shaves on parade

A few years back, I picked up a handful of Stanley #65 chamfer shaves and I found out that Highland Hardware could order replacement wings from Kunz. Since Kunz knocked off the Stanley with a direct copy, those wings fit perfectly. I found the appropriate knurled screws at MSC. So I sharpened the blades, painted the nasty green wings black, and offered these users to my ww buddies. They were gone in a flash and some happy ww are making chamfers.

 

[jimreed2160]

Cleaning up the boneyard

 

[jimreed2160]

Cordless drill

Here is a fun project. Find an eggbeater drill. They can be had pretty inexpensively. And then go to HF and get an equally inexpensive set of screwdrivers.

Use your tool of choice to cut the handles off of the screwdrivers. I like my angle grinder.

Dress the ends that were severed. Now you have a cordless screwdriver kit.

These bits also work in your hand brace if you need more torque.

 

[jimreed2160]

Japanese tools

I picked up this Japanese hammer and later found the chisel. I like the handle because it is a barely trimmed branch and looks almost like folk art. The chisel handle was toast and the hoop was missing. I made a replacement handle, added the hoop and sharpened the chisel. All I had to do was clean and wax the hammer. I think they make a nice pair.

 

[chrislehr]

Those screwdrivers were already cordless, you cant trick me!

 

[drivesitfar]

JIM: i'm on OVERLOAD with all the pictures and all the cool pictures and tips, but that said KEEP THEM COMING cause i'm sure some of the guys that are following are as amazed as i am at how you keep coming up with all this STUFF.

also sorry to hear of your friend REID's passing and let's hope he's got all the great wood he needs now.

Chris: I hope you had an extra piece of Walnut after that little screw up so hope your jig works better next time.

ALL: enjoy your sunday and if it can quit raining for a few hours i'll have all the commercial racking set up in my back yard cause i'm picking up a few thousand feet of RED CEDAR from the mill this next week or next. i'm still trying to find out best methods for drying wood outside in the PNW wet winters cause it know with some tarping and strips of wood (cedar 1x2's) between each layer the guys have been doing for years around here so they had good wood to build with in the spring.

cheers

 

[jimreed2160]

Picture frame continued

I know this is not a very exciting project but I have a few interesting pictures from today. One truth I have discovered about plane work is that quality work cannot be obtained unless the workpiece is snug and held in place. Wobbly and wonky workpieces destroy your fun and your good outcomes. So sometimes the real challenge is how to hold something steady.

Remember the tale of Gulliver? He was held down by dozens of ropes. Well, I used that concept today with the frame.

Here I am using two scraps of wood, a shoprag, and a clamp in addition to the bench dogs. Good news is that it worked well on this irregular piece.

I wanted to take down the veneer strip a little more. Now it is where I need it--thick enough to do its job yet thin enough to not throw the adjoining sides out of whack.

I stained the strip and checked out the rest of the frame. It was OK except for a crack on another piece. I teased glue into the crack and clamped it to dry. I hope the next step is to reassemble it.

 

[jimreed2160]

Handle for basa mallet

I got this basa mallet head a while back on the cheap because it had a splintered handle remnant. It is very large and will make a nice basher. I derusted it and coated it with BLO. While I was working on it, I found a handle at HD. The head was too small but it just fit another handle-less head so I used it for that. Well, I used the first foot or so. It was a long handle. Once I cut the smaller mallet to size, the remaining handle was large enough for the big head.

But it was a tad large so I went after it with the sander.

Once it fit I made a slit in it and made a nice hickory wedge. Attaching the handle is pretty straightforward. I put all of the parts in place and slammed the end of the handle on the concrete floor. Two whacks and it was home and was very tight.

I even used its brother to set the wedge. That was a nice touch for him to help a brother out. Sometimes a metal hammer can split the wedge. Well, if I am doing it, it always splits. But the wooden face protects the wedge and is far superior to the other alternatives.

And trimmed it.

Here is the money shot.

Next step is to glue up some hickory and turn a pair of sturdy faces. It will be a nice mallet to have around the shop. I am still smiling about getting a toofer out of the handle.

 

[Notgrownup]

Christmas gifts

One of the real joys of woodworking has been making trinkets for my grandchildren. Here is one from a few years back for one of those special little girls. It is a Barbie sized bed and matching chest made from walnut and birdseye maple. My friend, Harriet, made a great mattress, pillow and bedspread.

I took special care with the bed and added safety features. The tenons are purposefully weak so the bed will collapse if someone falls on the bed. I got that idea from breakaway tabs on rear view mirrors. In addition, I made the posts cannonball style so they would be less likely to impale. Also avoided small pieces that might become detached and swallowed. Making things for kids is fun but one must manage risk.

Mine were not as nice as these but I built a bunk bed and a dining room suite for my granddaughter for her American Dolls...she’s 14 now but said she wouldn’t get rid of that ever.

 

[jimreed2160]

Not--You are right on about projects for grandchildren. They are so rewarding and the recipients are thrilled.

 

[jimreed2160]

The Bristol Assortment Clock

This clock was hiding in the back of the closet. I need to send it on to one of the kids because it belonged to the boys' Great-grandparents and was on their farm in east Tennessee.

It was made sometime between 1903 and 1920 and is a pressed oak kitchen 8 day clock. The wings were loose and grandpa did a repair.

Notice he carefully left the nails proud so they would not penetrate the front. I will leave them but add glue blocks for strength.

My guess is that Meemaw wound the clock weekly while she still had biscuit flour on her fingers. There is some residue on the back of the wing where the latch is located.

Otherwise the original shellac is in good shape with a nice patina on it to show its age. I hope the boys like it.

 

[Alchymist]

Not--You are right on about projects for grandchildren. They are so rewarding and the recipients are thrilled.

Rocking chair/cradle made for one grandchild, followed later by a toy box. Center arm on the cradle is removable.

 

[jimreed2160]

Alchy--Great projects. Thanks for posting.

 

[Irongrave]

A project I completed a few months ago roughly 3x10 farm table with reclaimed timbers.

 

[jimreed2160]

Shop upgrade

When I started my large grinder last week, it buzzed and killed the breaker on a surge strip. For the last 15 years of so, it has had a balky start. Probably due to capacitor issue. Never having done electric motor repair, I was reluctant to dig into it. So I finally decided that it was time to upgrade and pass the old one on to one of my more electrical buddies.

While cruising through the aisles at Lowes, I found this jewel. Notice the luncheon meat container. It is just right for holding all of the spare parts.

Of course, now the grinding room looks a little shabby and needs a makeover. Maybe that will be my holiday project. I have a 4 x 6 foot area in the bump out for three grinders and a vise. One option is to get a 40-60" x 18" mobile workbench and mount them on that. How does that sound? Will dust and vibration an issue?

 

[jimreed2160]

Iron--Your table sounds nice but the picture is not displaying for me.

 

[Irongrave]

Iron--Your table sounds nice but the picture is not displaying for me.

hopefully it is working now

 

[jimreed2160]

hopefully it is working now

Yes, and WOW! Now my eyes can see your picture and my imagination sees a big roasted turkey on the end. Good job.

 

[Notgrownup]

Rocking chair/cradle made for one grandchild, followed later by a toy box. Center arm on the cradle is removable.

That is nice...betcha got some grins outta that...Unfortunately my granddaughter now is into Kate Spade and Mickael Kors....

 

[cheechi]

I genuinely hope you have fewer problems than I did with my Delta grinder. Mine was older than yours, and not the variable speed model.

I'd also be interested in whether you find the variable speed useful especially with all the vintage tool blades in your shop.

 

[jimreed2160]

I genuinely hope you have fewer problems than I did with my Delta grinder. Mine was older than yours, and not the variable speed model.

I'd also be interested in whether you find the variable speed useful especially with all the vintage tool blades in your shop.

I hope to report soon. The old one already has a home. I just need to mount this one on the board with my Wolverine tool rest bases. Maybe tomorrow...

 

[jimreed2160]

Japanese chisel makeover

More PB stuff. Here is a chisel that came in pretty bad shape.

The handle just fell apart once I removed the iron parts.

It was a big mortise chisel and I made a free form handle for it that fit my hand comfortably. I used a nice piece of walnut.

The hoop was pretty gnarly so I upgraded it.

I sharpened it. Here it is alongside another mortise chisel.

And now it is ready for work.

That was a blast from the past.

 

[R_einan]

This panel had a slight cup in it after it came out of clamps and defeated my initial plan to use a dado stack on the table saw to machine the tongues. So I ordered a pattern following bit from Whiteside so I could clamp the table flat and use a piece of known flat stock to reference the router to. Worked well as far as machining a straight tongue but the thickness of the tongue varied a bit along the 20” length. After quite a bit of tuning using a sanding block and a chisel; mostly because I haven’t followed Jim down the handplane rabbit hole yet, I was able to fit the breadboard end. I still need to pull it off to dril the dowel holes, mark the tongue with the holes and offset them so I can install the drawbore dowels. Not bad for a first attempt at breadboards.

 

[ez-duzit]

R--a low angle block, a jack and a shoulder plane are a good basic set. The shoulder plane would have been a great help here.

 

[BikerDad]

R--a low angle block, a jack and a shoulder plane are a good basic set. The shoulder plane would have been a great help here.

In this particular instance, one COULD get a low angle rabbet block (LARB) plane in lieu of the low angle block and shoulder plane. A LARB is better for cleaning up the cheeks of tenons, wide rabbets and such than a shoulder or LAB, but a shoulder is, not surprisingly, much better for shoulders. Basically, everything a LAB can do a LARB can also do, plus it can work right up into corners. It's not, however, as comfortable to hold.

 

[jimreed2160]

R-- Top looking good. I like the contrasting wood. And yes, a few more handplanes would have helped out.

 

[jimreed2160]

Grinding area

It is very hard to dedicate yourself just to working with wood because metal and machinery are required for shaping. Sometimes I feel more like a mechanic than a woodworker but that's the way it is. Because of the dust and swarf I like to confine my grinders to a special corner. It is a mess.

OK. I am not proud of that spot. Not only is it a wreck, it is a very inefficient and uncomfortable workspace. I need to rework the whole area and it begins with a cleanup.

Before:

After:

The new grinder is staged and ready to go but I think I will reorganize the space first. Time to charge into the breech!

 

[jimreed2160]

Desk box

I am still working on the desk box. It was made with a flush door that was intended to be opened with a key. At some point, the key was lost and someone damaged both doors getting the thing open. The first thing I did was to remove the lock.

But now I think the key is needed for a handle. I ordered a bunch of antique keys and they arrived today.

This is the key that is the closest fit.

There is an escutcheon on the outside of the door but I noticed that the keyhole opening is pretty gnarly.

I cleaned that up with a rat tail file. Next problem was that the post was too long for the key. The easiest thing to do is drill out the key so I made a gauge from a finish nail.

Then I fixed the key in the vise and cranked up the milling machine. Because it is an irregular shape, I used an old sock to shim it without leaving marks.

The gauge works well. As you can see, we have to drill a little deeper.

Bingo!

The key fits after a little filing but the door mech does not work reliably. It locks but will not open. Perhaps that was the original issue. So I jammed it with a splinter to keep it from working. Perhaps future craftsman will be a more talented locksmith.

With the lock in place, the key works fine as a handle. Here is the back of the lockplate.

And here is the key/handle.

The key can be inserted and turned about ten degrees--just enough to keep it from coming out. It makes a nice handle and can be removed if the flush door look is preferred.

Success. I need to find some suitable screws and mount the lockplate. Next job is to poly the door stop and install it.

 

[BikerDad]

The new grinder is staged and ready to go but I think I will reorganize the space first. Time to charge into the breech!

First pic is a breech, of a railway gun. One does not charge into such a thing.

Second pic is charging into the Breach

We won't discuss britches/breeches, lest we turn GJ into a fashion forum.

 

[R_einan]

Looked at the prices of some of the planes mentioned, and OMG, those are crazy expensive. Not going to add one of those to my shop anytime soon. Wow, I never knew how expensive planes could be.

 

[chrislehr]

Looked at the prices of some of the planes mentioned, and OMG, those are crazy expensive. Not going to add one of those to my shop anytime soon. Wow, I never knew how expensive planes could be.

guessing lie nelson got this reaction? Stay tuned for their Black Friday deal - last year, it was 1/2 off their small block plane (so $110 shipped iirc) - love that thing. Grab it more often than expected.

 

[IMStuner]

I would like some Lie Nelson but they cost too damn much. I ended up just buying some Stanley Bailey and DMT diamond stones.

 

[R_einan]

I would like some Lie Nelson but they cost too damn much. I ended up just buying some Stanley Bailey and DMT diamond stones.

Those look nice, have to let us know what you think of them.

And yes, it was the LN that got that reaction, not sure I can justify money like that for one plane.

 

[chrislehr]

I have stanley baileys and they are awesome for my needs

 

[jimreed2160]

First pic is a breech, of a railway gun. One does not charge into such a thing.

Second pic is charging into the Breach

We won't discuss britches/breeches, lest we turn GJ into a fashion forum.

Sorry for the esoteric reference. I was an English major and had to read lots of Shakespeare. Here is the source of the quotation I lifted.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends definition. Words from the play King Henry the Fifth, by William Shakespeare. King Henry is rallying his troops to attack a breach, or gap, in the wall of an enemy city.

 

[chrislehr]

Tonights workout. Hand tools except a small router for hogging out the bowtie



About 48x18 intended for bench in the mudroom.

 

[jimreed2160]

Sorry for the esoteric reference. I was an English major and had to read lots of Shakespeare. Here is the source of the quotation I lifted.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends definition. Words from the play King Henry the Fifth, by William Shakespeare. King Henry is rallying his troops to attack a breach, or gap, in the wall of an enemy city.

Biker--Sorry that I totally missed the point of my spelling error. Even the wiki was a poor speller. Thanks for your correction.