| Blog series by Kookaburra | updated 263 days ago | 4 parts | 3561 reads | 52 comments total |
Part 1: Why do I do this?
I have been asking myself why I love woodwork. Is it finishing projects quickly or is it the process itself? I do not have any need for production work – this is not an income stream for me (far from it actually!). So what is the benefit of tools and gadgets designed to speed up the process? The feel of wood under my hand, seeing something take shape as I work, the discovery of what the wood wants to be, and the pure pleasure of doing something well – those are the things th...
Part 2: My first hand cut dovetail!
Thanks to George_SA for the link to the 5 minute dovetail exercise. I am going to try to do one each time I get some time in the shop. Unfotunately, work has me on the road a lot these day, so I will have to be patient. What would happen if I brought a couple of saws and chisels along with some chunks of wood when I checked in at the airport? Maybe I am better off catching up on my LJ reading! Back to the topic at hand. I used a short piece of oak to do my first. I like working with ...
Part 3: Let's try shaping by hand
After some excellent advice in my last blog post, I decided rather that trying to work on my dovetail skills, I would take a step back and work on the component skills. I wanted to make my version of woodpezzer's porcupine. I had the wood (some figured maple in smaller pieces). Why not try that! I started by gluing up three one inch pieces and drawing on my little porky. He is about 14” long and 6” tall. Next came my rough shaping. Big chunks, little chunks, some ...
Part 4: Santa came early and brought me a saw!
My Bad Axe saw came today! I am so excited – a saw hand made especially to my specifications. I wanted to take pictures before I cut anything, so here it is fresh out of the box: And the logo: Since then I have cut a few small pieces and it feels great – just the right size for my hand and SHARP. I know I have never cut with a saw this nice! For the record, here are the specifications: Bad Axe Tool Works 16” Tenon Saw Handle Preference: American Black...
