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34K views 42 replies 9 participants last post by  Jim Jakosh 
#1 ·
Cleaning, finishing the band saw stand, carpentry, and making pestles

I took a look at my project lists this morning, like I do every Monday, and picked out a something that had been waiting a while. It was a carpenter project, custom exterior stair rails. I went out to my shop to take a look around and decide where to start. I decided that before I went outside in search of material, I needed to clean the place up. As I vacuumed the planer shavings out of the base of the band saw stand,

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Flooring


I decided to finish the case and build the drawer that I had planned for the stand before I got started with work.

Wood Gas Wood stain Hardwood Machine


Each leg was built 2 degrees off plumb, out from the center, and I built the drawer the same way. I filled the drawer with the stuff that belonged there and was happy that said stuff would not be buried under planer shavings again.

While I was cleaning the shop up from that project, I heard a truck outside. My friend, and neighbor, needed help with his shop project. His shop is a 20 by 60 building that he moved with him the last time he relocated.

The building has an interior wall that is structural. This wall had separated from the rest of the room on one side and was leaning 2 inches out of plumb.

The interior of this wall is not sheathed so I screwed a 2Ă—2x16 inch block to the XBX on the outside corner where the wall was leaning out, another to the adjacent wall, which was sheathed on the inside, cut the obstructing nails that had once held the two walls together out of the way with a Sawzall, used a pair of clamps to pull the corner back together, and fastened the corner with 3 inch deck screws.

I did not take any pictures.

I went back to my shop but before I could gather materials for my intended carpenter project, a guy shows up at my door hoping that I might make him a couple of pestles. Visitors are welcome but unusual because I am not exactly in an industrial park. My shop is off of the beaten path inside of an old trailer house. My work generally comes through referral. As it happened. the man, an older guy who grows much of his own food, had heard that I made kitchen utensils. I do make kitchen utensils, and I decided to put off the general carpenter work.

He uses glass bowls and did not want me to make him any mortars so I decided not to clean off my 10er to make 2 pestles.

Wood Bottle Gas Machine Engineering


We figured out what he wanted, one out of birch, and the other out of alder, I suggested several more suitable hardwoods, but he wanted what he wanted.

Wood Bird Grey Beige Flooring


I found a clean scrap of alder, laid out one side of the first pestle, cut it out with the band saw, laid out the next side of the block and cut it the same.

Wood Tints and shades Office ruler Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


I did not cut the round end completely out because I still needed the layout on the adjacent side.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Hardwood Flooring


Wood Flooring Floor Road surface Font


Wood Gas Hardwood Plywood Wood stain


I smoothed the sides with the stationary belt sander and used a 7/16 round over to shape the corners. This gave me a perfect circle at the small end of the taper to guide my work on the disk sander. In no time, I had a conical pestle with round ends, which I completed shaping by hand with sandpaper. It did not get an oil finish, so I burnished it with a clean leather stropping wheel and moved on to the birch pestle which had a different shape.

I did not find a scrap of birch in the shop, so I looked for something in the yard.

Wood Floor Gas Flooring Hardwood


Mmm, lets grind up some pesto!

Saw Automotive tire Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Concrete saw


That block could have been any number of woods but birch and alder both have distinct smells. The sawdust told me I had guessed well before I even examined the fresh sides.

I cut out my block and laid out two sides the same just as I had on the other pestle. I rounded the blank on the router and finished shaping with the sander, sandpaper, and a scraper.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Composite material Font


Wood Ruler Office ruler Rectangle Tints and shades


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Tints and shades Bumper


Wood Tool Hardwood Font Hand tool


Wood Font Kitchen utensil Hand tool Office ruler


Gas Auto part Chest Metal Room


Kitchen appliance Drinkware Fluid Cookware and bakeware Gas
 

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#2 ·
Cleaning, finishing the band saw stand, carpentry, and making pestles

I took a look at my project lists this morning, like I do every Monday, and picked out a something that had been waiting a while. It was a carpenter project, custom exterior stair rails. I went out to my shop to take a look around and decide where to start. I decided that before I went outside in search of material, I needed to clean the place up. As I vacuumed the planer shavings out of the base of the band saw stand,

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Flooring


I decided to finish the case and build the drawer that I had planned for the stand before I got started with work.

Wood Gas Wood stain Hardwood Machine


Each leg was built 2 degrees off plumb, out from the center, and I built the drawer the same way. I filled the drawer with the stuff that belonged there and was happy that said stuff would not be buried under planer shavings again.

While I was cleaning the shop up from that project, I heard a truck outside. My friend, and neighbor, needed help with his shop project. His shop is a 20 by 60 building that he moved with him the last time he relocated.

The building has an interior wall that is structural. This wall had separated from the rest of the room on one side and was leaning 2 inches out of plumb.

The interior of this wall is not sheathed so I screwed a 2Ă—2x16 inch block to the XBX on the outside corner where the wall was leaning out, another to the adjacent wall, which was sheathed on the inside, cut the obstructing nails that had once held the two walls together out of the way with a Sawzall, used a pair of clamps to pull the corner back together, and fastened the corner with 3 inch deck screws.

I did not take any pictures.

I went back to my shop but before I could gather materials for my intended carpenter project, a guy shows up at my door hoping that I might make him a couple of pestles. Visitors are welcome but unusual because I am not exactly in an industrial park. My shop is off of the beaten path inside of an old trailer house. My work generally comes through referral. As it happened. the man, an older guy who grows much of his own food, had heard that I made kitchen utensils. I do make kitchen utensils, and I decided to put off the general carpenter work.

He uses glass bowls and did not want me to make him any mortars so I decided not to clean off my 10er to make 2 pestles.

Wood Bottle Gas Machine Engineering


We figured out what he wanted, one out of birch, and the other out of alder, I suggested several more suitable hardwoods, but he wanted what he wanted.

Wood Bird Grey Beige Flooring


I found a clean scrap of alder, laid out one side of the first pestle, cut it out with the band saw, laid out the next side of the block and cut it the same.

Wood Tints and shades Office ruler Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


I did not cut the round end completely out because I still needed the layout on the adjacent side.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Hardwood Flooring


Wood Flooring Floor Road surface Font


Wood Gas Hardwood Plywood Wood stain


I smoothed the sides with the stationary belt sander and used a 7/16 round over to shape the corners. This gave me a perfect circle at the small end of the taper to guide my work on the disk sander. In no time, I had a conical pestle with round ends, which I completed shaping by hand with sandpaper. It did not get an oil finish, so I burnished it with a clean leather stropping wheel and moved on to the birch pestle which had a different shape.

I did not find a scrap of birch in the shop, so I looked for something in the yard.

Wood Floor Gas Flooring Hardwood


Mmm, lets grind up some pesto!

Saw Automotive tire Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Concrete saw


That block could have been any number of woods but birch and alder both have distinct smells. The sawdust told me I had guessed well before I even examined the fresh sides.

I cut out my block and laid out two sides the same just as I had on the other pestle. I rounded the blank on the router and finished shaping with the sander, sandpaper, and a scraper.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Composite material Font


Wood Ruler Office ruler Rectangle Tints and shades


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Tints and shades Bumper


Wood Tool Hardwood Font Hand tool


Wood Font Kitchen utensil Hand tool Office ruler


Gas Auto part Chest Metal Room


Kitchen appliance Drinkware Fluid Cookware and bakeware Gas
Don't you think you'd better get to work on those stair rails? I swear.

Woodsmithery: The sport of the easily-distracted.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Cleaning, finishing the band saw stand, carpentry, and making pestles

I took a look at my project lists this morning, like I do every Monday, and picked out a something that had been waiting a while. It was a carpenter project, custom exterior stair rails. I went out to my shop to take a look around and decide where to start. I decided that before I went outside in search of material, I needed to clean the place up. As I vacuumed the planer shavings out of the base of the band saw stand,

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Flooring


I decided to finish the case and build the drawer that I had planned for the stand before I got started with work.

Wood Gas Wood stain Hardwood Machine


Each leg was built 2 degrees off plumb, out from the center, and I built the drawer the same way. I filled the drawer with the stuff that belonged there and was happy that said stuff would not be buried under planer shavings again.

While I was cleaning the shop up from that project, I heard a truck outside. My friend, and neighbor, needed help with his shop project. His shop is a 20 by 60 building that he moved with him the last time he relocated.

The building has an interior wall that is structural. This wall had separated from the rest of the room on one side and was leaning 2 inches out of plumb.

The interior of this wall is not sheathed so I screwed a 2Ă—2x16 inch block to the XBX on the outside corner where the wall was leaning out, another to the adjacent wall, which was sheathed on the inside, cut the obstructing nails that had once held the two walls together out of the way with a Sawzall, used a pair of clamps to pull the corner back together, and fastened the corner with 3 inch deck screws.

I did not take any pictures.

I went back to my shop but before I could gather materials for my intended carpenter project, a guy shows up at my door hoping that I might make him a couple of pestles. Visitors are welcome but unusual because I am not exactly in an industrial park. My shop is off of the beaten path inside of an old trailer house. My work generally comes through referral. As it happened. the man, an older guy who grows much of his own food, had heard that I made kitchen utensils. I do make kitchen utensils, and I decided to put off the general carpenter work.

He uses glass bowls and did not want me to make him any mortars so I decided not to clean off my 10er to make 2 pestles.

Wood Bottle Gas Machine Engineering


We figured out what he wanted, one out of birch, and the other out of alder, I suggested several more suitable hardwoods, but he wanted what he wanted.

Wood Bird Grey Beige Flooring


I found a clean scrap of alder, laid out one side of the first pestle, cut it out with the band saw, laid out the next side of the block and cut it the same.

Wood Tints and shades Office ruler Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


I did not cut the round end completely out because I still needed the layout on the adjacent side.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Hardwood Flooring


Wood Flooring Floor Road surface Font


Wood Gas Hardwood Plywood Wood stain


I smoothed the sides with the stationary belt sander and used a 7/16 round over to shape the corners. This gave me a perfect circle at the small end of the taper to guide my work on the disk sander. In no time, I had a conical pestle with round ends, which I completed shaping by hand with sandpaper. It did not get an oil finish, so I burnished it with a clean leather stropping wheel and moved on to the birch pestle which had a different shape.

I did not find a scrap of birch in the shop, so I looked for something in the yard.

Wood Floor Gas Flooring Hardwood


Mmm, lets grind up some pesto!

Saw Automotive tire Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Concrete saw


That block could have been any number of woods but birch and alder both have distinct smells. The sawdust told me I had guessed well before I even examined the fresh sides.

I cut out my block and laid out two sides the same just as I had on the other pestle. I rounded the blank on the router and finished shaping with the sander, sandpaper, and a scraper.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Composite material Font


Wood Ruler Office ruler Rectangle Tints and shades


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Tints and shades Bumper


Wood Tool Hardwood Font Hand tool


Wood Font Kitchen utensil Hand tool Office ruler


Gas Auto part Chest Metal Room


Kitchen appliance Drinkware Fluid Cookware and bakeware Gas
Honestly… shoulda got to them a while ago. You got that right! very easily distracted.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Cleaning, finishing the band saw stand, carpentry, and making pestles

I took a look at my project lists this morning, like I do every Monday, and picked out a something that had been waiting a while. It was a carpenter project, custom exterior stair rails. I went out to my shop to take a look around and decide where to start. I decided that before I went outside in search of material, I needed to clean the place up. As I vacuumed the planer shavings out of the base of the band saw stand,

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Flooring


I decided to finish the case and build the drawer that I had planned for the stand before I got started with work.

Wood Gas Wood stain Hardwood Machine


Each leg was built 2 degrees off plumb, out from the center, and I built the drawer the same way. I filled the drawer with the stuff that belonged there and was happy that said stuff would not be buried under planer shavings again.

While I was cleaning the shop up from that project, I heard a truck outside. My friend, and neighbor, needed help with his shop project. His shop is a 20 by 60 building that he moved with him the last time he relocated.

The building has an interior wall that is structural. This wall had separated from the rest of the room on one side and was leaning 2 inches out of plumb.

The interior of this wall is not sheathed so I screwed a 2Ă—2x16 inch block to the XBX on the outside corner where the wall was leaning out, another to the adjacent wall, which was sheathed on the inside, cut the obstructing nails that had once held the two walls together out of the way with a Sawzall, used a pair of clamps to pull the corner back together, and fastened the corner with 3 inch deck screws.

I did not take any pictures.

I went back to my shop but before I could gather materials for my intended carpenter project, a guy shows up at my door hoping that I might make him a couple of pestles. Visitors are welcome but unusual because I am not exactly in an industrial park. My shop is off of the beaten path inside of an old trailer house. My work generally comes through referral. As it happened. the man, an older guy who grows much of his own food, had heard that I made kitchen utensils. I do make kitchen utensils, and I decided to put off the general carpenter work.

He uses glass bowls and did not want me to make him any mortars so I decided not to clean off my 10er to make 2 pestles.

Wood Bottle Gas Machine Engineering


We figured out what he wanted, one out of birch, and the other out of alder, I suggested several more suitable hardwoods, but he wanted what he wanted.

Wood Bird Grey Beige Flooring


I found a clean scrap of alder, laid out one side of the first pestle, cut it out with the band saw, laid out the next side of the block and cut it the same.

Wood Tints and shades Office ruler Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


I did not cut the round end completely out because I still needed the layout on the adjacent side.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Hardwood Flooring


Wood Flooring Floor Road surface Font


Wood Gas Hardwood Plywood Wood stain


I smoothed the sides with the stationary belt sander and used a 7/16 round over to shape the corners. This gave me a perfect circle at the small end of the taper to guide my work on the disk sander. In no time, I had a conical pestle with round ends, which I completed shaping by hand with sandpaper. It did not get an oil finish, so I burnished it with a clean leather stropping wheel and moved on to the birch pestle which had a different shape.

I did not find a scrap of birch in the shop, so I looked for something in the yard.

Wood Floor Gas Flooring Hardwood


Mmm, lets grind up some pesto!

Saw Automotive tire Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Concrete saw


That block could have been any number of woods but birch and alder both have distinct smells. The sawdust told me I had guessed well before I even examined the fresh sides.

I cut out my block and laid out two sides the same just as I had on the other pestle. I rounded the blank on the router and finished shaping with the sander, sandpaper, and a scraper.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Composite material Font


Wood Ruler Office ruler Rectangle Tints and shades


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Tints and shades Bumper


Wood Tool Hardwood Font Hand tool


Wood Font Kitchen utensil Hand tool Office ruler


Gas Auto part Chest Metal Room


Kitchen appliance Drinkware Fluid Cookware and bakeware Gas
Dont worry about the stairs as you say they are just a distraction

Wood Rectangle Building Material property Hardwood


Concrete cancer there goes another one!

Soon I will have a completly wooden set!!
 

Attachments

#5 ·
Repairing my antique basswood drawing board.

I cleaned up my shop after work today, intent on gluing the plane tote pattern I printed from the Lee Valley website to a scrap of wood to make a permanent pattern, thanks goes to terryR for Shop Log 20. http://lumberjocks.com/terryR/blog/47745 . Unfortunately, my printed pattern was off scale, .9487 to 1. Rather than fiddle with he printer settings and hoping for the best, I figured out the scale and grabbed my old drawing board from the closet in my shop. This decision wrecked my plans to make knobs and totes because I found the old Hamilton board to be in a bit of disrepair and I decided to fix it instead.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


This basswood drawing board is an antique, made by Hamilton Manufacturing Co in the first part of the twentieth century. I purchased it at a flea market when I was in college along with an old David White instrument.

Wood Floor Handwriting Flooring Hardwood


The David White came in the wooden box shown along with a tripod head, but no legs. I made the tripod out of maple. it has brass and stainless fasteners. The bolsters at the base of each upper leg section are aluminum, and I shaped the foot spikes out of galvanized electrical conduit.

Theodolite Tripod Fixture Wood Gas


The red paint was not a mistake or a lapse of judgment. I wanted the the tripod to be easy to see and find when I set it up in the field. It is common practice.

There were several blank prints with the board, which provide a clue as to its age.
Rectangle Wood Tints and shades Font Pattern


Wood Font Rectangle Parallel Hardwood

(it says: 1941, by McGraw Hill)

The board was still in good shape when I made this drawing. I wish I would have dated the document, I am sure I did date the final tracing, but the arena I drew the Judges stand for is now a parking lot, so I guess I have not looked at the board in a while.

Handwriting Rectangle Wood Font Paper


After my trip down memory lane I carefully disassembled the board. Most of the glue joints were separated completely. One was about half gone and I helped it along. There was one solid glue joint left, and I left it alone.

Wood Table Flooring Tool Hardwood


Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Floor Stairs Automotive exterior


Table Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring


Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Composite material Hardwood


Once everything was apart, I carefully scraped the antique glue from the old joints. I tried to avoid sanding for risk of rounding the edges, but I did have to sand 1 joint. I could still see the faint marks left from a rotary planer of some kind, but that is not a good clue of the board's age because Hamilton was using such machinery by the 1920s. It seems like I read that in a Hamilton Manufacturing Co advertisement in an old Sweets engineering resource catalogue but I could not find it.

With the joints clean, I reassembled the board one piece at a time, using modern wood glue. I was careful to keep the pieces flat and lined up at the edges. I slid the dovetailed steel straight edge that runs up each side for the tee square on each board as I progressed. As I reassembled the board, I wiped the excess glue off with a weak solution of bleach water to destroy the mildew that had infected the surface of the wood. I gave each segment about twenty minutes to tack up before adding to the next.

Wood Wood stain Floor Hardwood Flooring


Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Gas


When the glue was set, I swelled or filled, nicks, gaps, and dents and carefully sanded to 220 with the random orbit sander, finishing further with my sanding block.

Brown Wood Beige Rectangle Flooring


Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


I do not think the board ever had a finish, but I gave it a coat of Watco cutting board oil and it will get another coat to protect it from any further mildew.

Brown Wood Rectangle Table Flooring


Wood Rectangle Material property Wood stain Hardwood


Rectangle Wood Table Composite material Flooring


Once I have washed the case I will spray it with Scotch Guard to keep it from letting moisture through and then I will be able to store the old board without worrying about it. I will try to add a better picture once I have applied the last coat. Though plain, it is a nice looking board.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Repairing my antique basswood drawing board.

I cleaned up my shop after work today, intent on gluing the plane tote pattern I printed from the Lee Valley website to a scrap of wood to make a permanent pattern, thanks goes to terryR for Shop Log 20. http://lumberjocks.com/terryR/blog/47745 . Unfortunately, my printed pattern was off scale, .9487 to 1. Rather than fiddle with he printer settings and hoping for the best, I figured out the scale and grabbed my old drawing board from the closet in my shop. This decision wrecked my plans to make knobs and totes because I found the old Hamilton board to be in a bit of disrepair and I decided to fix it instead.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


This basswood drawing board is an antique, made by Hamilton Manufacturing Co in the first part of the twentieth century. I purchased it at a flea market when I was in college along with an old David White instrument.

Wood Floor Handwriting Flooring Hardwood


The David White came in the wooden box shown along with a tripod head, but no legs. I made the tripod out of maple. it has brass and stainless fasteners. The bolsters at the base of each upper leg section are aluminum, and I shaped the foot spikes out of galvanized electrical conduit.

Theodolite Tripod Fixture Wood Gas


The red paint was not a mistake or a lapse of judgment. I wanted the the tripod to be easy to see and find when I set it up in the field. It is common practice.

There were several blank prints with the board, which provide a clue as to its age.
Rectangle Wood Tints and shades Font Pattern


Wood Font Rectangle Parallel Hardwood

(it says: 1941, by McGraw Hill)

The board was still in good shape when I made this drawing. I wish I would have dated the document, I am sure I did date the final tracing, but the arena I drew the Judges stand for is now a parking lot, so I guess I have not looked at the board in a while.

Handwriting Rectangle Wood Font Paper


After my trip down memory lane I carefully disassembled the board. Most of the glue joints were separated completely. One was about half gone and I helped it along. There was one solid glue joint left, and I left it alone.

Wood Table Flooring Tool Hardwood


Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Floor Stairs Automotive exterior


Table Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring


Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Composite material Hardwood


Once everything was apart, I carefully scraped the antique glue from the old joints. I tried to avoid sanding for risk of rounding the edges, but I did have to sand 1 joint. I could still see the faint marks left from a rotary planer of some kind, but that is not a good clue of the board's age because Hamilton was using such machinery by the 1920s. It seems like I read that in a Hamilton Manufacturing Co advertisement in an old Sweets engineering resource catalogue but I could not find it.

With the joints clean, I reassembled the board one piece at a time, using modern wood glue. I was careful to keep the pieces flat and lined up at the edges. I slid the dovetailed steel straight edge that runs up each side for the tee square on each board as I progressed. As I reassembled the board, I wiped the excess glue off with a weak solution of bleach water to destroy the mildew that had infected the surface of the wood. I gave each segment about twenty minutes to tack up before adding to the next.





When the glue was set, I swelled or filled, nicks, gaps, and dents and carefully sanded to 220 with the random orbit sander, finishing further with my sanding block.



Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


I do not think the board ever had a finish, but I gave it a coat of Watco cutting board oil and it will get another coat to protect it from any further mildew.

Brown Wood Rectangle Table Flooring


Wood Rectangle Material property Wood stain Hardwood


Rectangle Wood Table Composite material Flooring


Once I have washed the case I will spray it with Scotch Guard to keep it from letting moisture through and then I will be able to store the old board without worrying about it. I will try to add a better picture once I have applied the last coat. Though plain, it is a nice looking board.
By the way, I have no Idea why Hamilton Mfg. made their drawing boards out of such soft woods as basswood and pine, but when I looked it up they seem to have been be quite proud of the fact. Maybe they were going for light weight. As it does not grow here, I have only ever used basswood for repairing guitars.
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Bench Planes!

With over 100,000 avid or prospective woodworkers on this site, I would not be surprised to learn that there are fifty thousand blogs about bench planes. We love our bench planes, we like to use them and we want to talk about them.



As of recently, I have 8 of them in use, which is 2 more than normal and 6 more than I usually need. While I learned about making cabinets and furniture young, I have done far more general carpenter work in my career. In my truck I carry a 9 inchish smoothing plane, a 14 inch jack plane, and two block planes, often the Millers Falls no 75 and the venerable Stanley 60 1/2. I also carry a belt sander and a power planer but I use the bench and block planes when the task is better suited for them. Used to using them in the field, I fell out of the habit of using anything else in my shop. Lately, I have been doing a lot more in my shop and I have found myself dusting off the others enough that I decided to put them into shape.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my power planer collection too, but there are a lot of things that are better done, and done better, with a bench plane.

Motor vehicle Electrical wiring Automotive lighting Gas Machine


The spiral cutter of the old Stanley door planer does a nice job for jointing, but they are a door planer and they came in a door hanging kit along with a router base and hinge templates. (my little one came with a spare base and a second router motor with base) Planing doors is where they excel. They can't smooth because of the way they are made, but I digress.

In the last blog of this series I fixed my drafting board so that I could sit at my bench and draw a bench plane tote, based off of the schematic that I downloaded from leevalley.com. The end result was a hybrid between the Stanley design and the Fulton, with a couple of changes to fit my big fat hands because it is no fun to run a jointer that you can only grip with two fingers.

Handwriting Wood Font Material property Rectangle


I did not draw the knob, but I based the fore plane knobs on the Fulton design because they were Fulton made planes. I made a Stanley-ish knob for the jointer. Somewhere in the middle of this process, I went and dug around in my old truck(it has a work shell and things can get lost back there for years) until I came up with an old Stanley no 5C that needed some restoring. after some cleaning it proved to have a very pretty rosewood knob and a like tote that I can't even grip because it is too small.

Here are a few pictures of the work. I used Ipe.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plywood


I traced my drawing and cut out a pattern. I traced out the totes on my piece of Ipe that is 1 1/16 inches thick. (the finished totes are 1 inch thick) I cut out the totes on my bandsaw and sanded them to shape with my spindle sander. I routed the edges with a 1/2 inch round over on my router table. I sanded and polished the totes by hand down to 500 grit, oiled them with mineral oil and polished them dry with cotton and saw dust, finishing them with watco cutting board oil. The finished pictures follow the knobs.

Brown Wood Gas Wood stain Hardwood




I had to glue up pieces for the knobs. I have decided that the best method for gluing Ipe is to let it set outside on a pallet for fifteen years and dry out. If you do this it will glue fine with any wood glue as long as you clamp it tight. I turned the knobs between centers and finished them the same way as the totes.

I had to clean rust and green paint off of the old no 5c. I did not sand all of the varnish off of its knob and tote and I am still deciding if I want to coat them with cutting board oil or wait until I build a tote that I can use.











the old stanley with it's original rosewood knob and tote



More pictures of my humble collection. There are no fancy bench planes here. I have honed medium to no camber on the no 4-sh smoothers, medium and light on the Jacks, heavy camber on the fore, very lite on the jointer and almost none on the 3-ish smoother. From 3 to 8 the makes are Shelton(8 1/2Ă—1 3/4, screw adjust on frog), Stanley Defiant No 4c(thanks to fellow lumberjocks for helping to identify this in the forum), Craftsman(9-1/4 inch), Fulton(10 incher), Stanley(No 5c, patent applied for 9-92 on iron), Craftsman/Fulton no 05, Fulton No 06c, Stanley/Bailey No 8c(screw adjust on frog, pat applied for 9-92 0n iron, patented (looks like) April 02, Aug 02 on body behind frog.

The knobs and totes that I replaced.











If you made it this far, I thank you for indulging me. I would welcome any educational pointers and suggestions from all of you wise and knowledgeable bench plane using and restoring folks out there.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
Bench Planes!

With over 100,000 avid or prospective woodworkers on this site, I would not be surprised to learn that there are fifty thousand blogs about bench planes. We love our bench planes, we like to use them and we want to talk about them.

Personal protective equipment Gas Auto part Wood Metal


As of recently, I have 8 of them in use, which is 2 more than normal and 6 more than I usually need. While I learned about making cabinets and furniture young, I have done far more general carpenter work in my career. In my truck I carry a 9 inchish smoothing plane, a 14 inch jack plane, and two block planes, often the Millers Falls no 75 and the venerable Stanley 60 1/2. I also carry a belt sander and a power planer but I use the bench and block planes when the task is better suited for them. Used to using them in the field, I fell out of the habit of using anything else in my shop. Lately, I have been doing a lot more in my shop and I have found myself dusting off the others enough that I decided to put them into shape.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my power planer collection too, but there are a lot of things that are better done, and done better, with a bench plane.



The spiral cutter of the old Stanley door planer does a nice job for jointing, but they are a door planer and they came in a door hanging kit along with a router base and hinge templates. (my little one came with a spare base and a second router motor with base) Planing doors is where they excel. They can't smooth because of the way they are made, but I digress.

In the last blog of this series I fixed my drafting board so that I could sit at my bench and draw a bench plane tote, based off of the schematic that I downloaded from leevalley.com. The end result was a hybrid between the Stanley design and the Fulton, with a couple of changes to fit my big fat hands because it is no fun to run a jointer that you can only grip with two fingers.



I did not draw the knob, but I based the fore plane knobs on the Fulton design because they were Fulton made planes. I made a Stanley-ish knob for the jointer. Somewhere in the middle of this process, I went and dug around in my old truck(it has a work shell and things can get lost back there for years) until I came up with an old Stanley no 5C that needed some restoring. after some cleaning it proved to have a very pretty rosewood knob and a like tote that I can't even grip because it is too small.

Here are a few pictures of the work. I used Ipe.



I traced my drawing and cut out a pattern. I traced out the totes on my piece of Ipe that is 1 1/16 inches thick. (the finished totes are 1 inch thick) I cut out the totes on my bandsaw and sanded them to shape with my spindle sander. I routed the edges with a 1/2 inch round over on my router table. I sanded and polished the totes by hand down to 500 grit, oiled them with mineral oil and polished them dry with cotton and saw dust, finishing them with watco cutting board oil. The finished pictures follow the knobs.





I had to glue up pieces for the knobs. I have decided that the best method for gluing Ipe is to let it set outside on a pallet for fifteen years and dry out. If you do this it will glue fine with any wood glue as long as you clamp it tight. I turned the knobs between centers and finished them the same way as the totes.

I had to clean rust and green paint off of the old no 5c. I did not sand all of the varnish off of its knob and tote and I am still deciding if I want to coat them with cutting board oil or wait until I build a tote that I can use.





Smoothing plane Scrub plane Plane Wood Shoulder plane


Smoothing plane Plane Wood Scrub plane Rebate plane


Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Rebate plane


the old stanley with it's original rosewood knob and tote

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Rebate plane


More pictures of my humble collection. There are no fancy bench planes here. I have honed medium to no camber on the no 4-sh smoothers, medium and light on the Jacks, heavy camber on the fore, very lite on the jointer and almost none on the 3-ish smoother. From 3 to 8 the makes are Shelton(8 1/2Ă—1 3/4, screw adjust on frog), Stanley Defiant No 4c(thanks to fellow lumberjocks for helping to identify this in the forum), Craftsman(9-1/4 inch), Fulton(10 incher), Stanley(No 5c, patent applied for 9-92 on iron), Craftsman/Fulton no 05, Fulton No 06c, Stanley/Bailey No 8c(screw adjust on frog, pat applied for 9-92 0n iron, patented (looks like) April 02, Aug 02 on body behind frog.

The knobs and totes that I replaced.

Wood Font Metal Hardwood Still life photography


Automotive tire Wood Gas Tread Automotive wheel system


Wood Hardwood Metal Natural material Barrel


Hand tool Wood Natural material Art Hardwood


Personal protective equipment Gas Auto part Wood Metal


If you made it this far, I thank you for indulging me. I would welcome any educational pointers and suggestions from all of you wise and knowledgeable bench plane using and restoring folks out there.
John, don't throw the old ones out. You'll think of some use for them.
 

Attachments

#12 ·
Making my own backsaw

I have been reading blogs and articles recently, by people who make their own hand saws and decided to make one of my own for no good reason. I made a good heavy duty twelve inch 11 tpi rip filed back saw. I made the back out of a heavy piece of lawn border,bluing it with a propane torch and motor oil. I made the blade out of an old wrecked hand saw that had a kink that I did not feel was worth trying to pound out. I watch for these at flea markets because wrecked saws are an inexpensive source for saw hardware and scrapers. My new saw blade is 30 thousandths, a little thick for small dovetails, but good for an aggressive rip filing. Coming up with my own design, which does resemble a common saw tote, I made the handle out of a piece of poplar figuring that I would copy it with a harder hardwood on my next saw.

I love this saw! I have been using it every day and I am pleased with what I have made but I have determined that I will never make another handsaw from scratch. While purchasing a saw or saw kit can be expensive, websites like Blackburntools.com sell pre cut saw blanks with a varariety of sizes, teeth per inch, and pitches availiable for a very reasonable price. Now that I have done it, cutting the saw teeth in with a file was enough of a chore that I would rather not do it again if I can help it. I appreciate that other lumberjocks make their own saws and do a very nice job of it. I respect their talent and patience. It took me many hours to learn the skill of cutting saw teeth and another hour or two to shape the teeth and complete the job once I had it figured out. Fortunately I have a stash of antique saw files and the file I started with is still sharp, but I would hate to wreck an irreplaceable file by making saw blades that are inferior to those which I can purchase inexpensively. I enjoyed making the handle and the back but I will let a saw maker cut my saw teeth for me in 0.20 thousandths saw blanks for the rest of the saws I want to make.

Wood Gas Kitchen utensil Metal Natural material

I cut out the handle with the coping saw because I was working lat at night and I did not want to bug the wife.

I used my little polish made two speed breast drill to start the cut in the center of the handle. I do not know much about this particular tool. I do not know id it was cheap or expensive or even who made it, but I do know that the language on the box is polish, because the wife's family is polish and she recognized the language. The tool does work well.

The nice thing about coping saw blades is that one can remove the bow and leave the blade stuck in the workpiece while they resume cutting from the other direction.




I did not make a pitch guide because I can control my file well enough to control the pitch, but I did need to use a guide block to help with teeth spacing, so that I would cut the teeth where they belonged. once i had all of the teeth cut, I jointed the saw with a twelve inch single cut mill file, set the saw up in the vice properly, and filed the teeth with a six inch double extra slim taper file, until the flats just disappeared, skewing the file in the direction of whichever tooth needed the most material removed.

I ordered a bag of saw handle screws from Amazon. I do not have a close up of the teeth, but they came out alright. The new saw does look rather like an antique, however
 

Attachments

#13 ·
Making my own backsaw

I have been reading blogs and articles recently, by people who make their own hand saws and decided to make one of my own for no good reason. I made a good heavy duty twelve inch 11 tpi rip filed back saw. I made the back out of a heavy piece of lawn border,bluing it with a propane torch and motor oil. I made the blade out of an old wrecked hand saw that had a kink that I did not feel was worth trying to pound out. I watch for these at flea markets because wrecked saws are an inexpensive source for saw hardware and scrapers. My new saw blade is 30 thousandths, a little thick for small dovetails, but good for an aggressive rip filing. Coming up with my own design, which does resemble a common saw tote, I made the handle out of a piece of poplar figuring that I would copy it with a harder hardwood on my next saw.

I love this saw! I have been using it every day and I am pleased with what I have made but I have determined that I will never make another handsaw from scratch. While purchasing a saw or saw kit can be expensive, websites like Blackburntools.com sell pre cut saw blanks with a varariety of sizes, teeth per inch, and pitches availiable for a very reasonable price. Now that I have done it, cutting the saw teeth in with a file was enough of a chore that I would rather not do it again if I can help it. I appreciate that other lumberjocks make their own saws and do a very nice job of it. I respect their talent and patience. It took me many hours to learn the skill of cutting saw teeth and another hour or two to shape the teeth and complete the job once I had it figured out. Fortunately I have a stash of antique saw files and the file I started with is still sharp, but I would hate to wreck an irreplaceable file by making saw blades that are inferior to those which I can purchase inexpensively. I enjoyed making the handle and the back but I will let a saw maker cut my saw teeth for me in 0.20 thousandths saw blanks for the rest of the saws I want to make.

Wood Gas Kitchen utensil Metal Natural material

I cut out the handle with the coping saw because I was working lat at night and I did not want to bug the wife.

I used my little polish made two speed breast drill to start the cut in the center of the handle. I do not know much about this particular tool. I do not know id it was cheap or expensive or even who made it, but I do know that the language on the box is polish, because the wife's family is polish and she recognized the language. The tool does work well.

The nice thing about coping saw blades is that one can remove the bow and leave the blade stuck in the workpiece while they resume cutting from the other direction.

Wood Wood stain Gas Hardwood Plywood


Wood Tool Hand tool Gas Auto part

I did not make a pitch guide because I can control my file well enough to control the pitch, but I did need to use a guide block to help with teeth spacing, so that I would cut the teeth where they belonged. once i had all of the teeth cut, I jointed the saw with a twelve inch single cut mill file, set the saw up in the vice properly, and filed the teeth with a six inch double extra slim taper file, until the flats just disappeared, skewing the file in the direction of whichever tooth needed the most material removed.
Wood Bumper Wood stain Automotive exterior Handle

I ordered a bag of saw handle screws from Amazon. I do not have a close up of the teeth, but they came out alright. The new saw does look rather like an antique, however
Wood Bumper Wood stain Tints and shades Automotive exterior
Are saw handle screws different from other screws, John? I see the pictures of your completed saw, and I'm thinking, it looks just like the one I have that I spent ninety bucks on. Which, by the bye, is the only Veritas tool I've ever convinced myself to buy. It has a screw head on the bottom of the tote that I have no idea what it's for. What is "lawn border." And, please 'splain "bluing".
 

Attachments

#15 ·
Making a guide for my Makita D handled routers

I like these routers. The D handle allows for controlled single handed operation of the tool while holding the workpiece with the other. I have 3 of these routers and none of them came with a guide. I wanted a guide for one of them the other day and found myself wishing that I had ordered one, as I was not able to put off the project until I could get one. I decided to order 2 and make 1 so that I could use the router I wanted to use on the project at hand.

Planer Sander Automotive tire Gas Engineering


A radial arm saw will do a nice job of cutting 3/4 aluminum bar. A radial arm saw will also do a nice job of mangling one's workpiece, its fence, its blade, its arm, its post, its carriage, its windings, and especially its operator, so don't try to cut 3/4 aluminum bar on your radial arm saw at home. It is neither a safe nor a wise practice. Fortunately, I cut my bar and my 1/8 aluminum sheet on my radial arm saw without all that much drama. My saw and my fingers are still sound.

Saw Machine tool Gas Power tool Machine


Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Revolver


Once I had cut out the plate to double the guide back under the router base, I laid it out and cut a 2 1/2 inch clearance area for the bit with a hole saw and a hacksaw.

Wood Gas Tool Hardwood Machine


Wood Font Engineering Rectangle Metal


I used 5/8" by 1/2" aluminum channel to make the guide edge. I set it up carefully in the vice to be sure that everything was aligned parallel, straight, and square. I used 8 1/8Ă—3/8 pop rivets to mount the guide edge to the guide body plate.

Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Tool


Drilling a 1/8Ă—3/8 blind hole into the guide mounting block, I used a 1/8Ă—1/4 pop rivet to secure and hold the body plate to the mounting block while I drilled and countersunk 2 #21 holes and tapped the block for #10 by 24 flat headed machine screws to attach the mounting block securely to the body plate.

Wood Bumper Gas Automotive exterior Metal


Motor vehicle Saw Tool Wood Machine tool


I cut a 14" long piece of 3/8 cold rolled round bar to use as the guide rail. 10 mm would have worked also, but I live in the United States. I drilled a 1/2 hole in the mounting block for the guide rail and 3 #7 holes in the mounting block, which I tapped to 1/4 28 for allen head set screws. Two of the screws serve to secure and align the split bushing(1/2" OD, 3/8" ID, not clearly pictured) within the guide block and 1 to compress the split bushing to lock the guide block into position on the guide rail. The split bushing prevents the set screw from digging into the guide rail and creating burrs that would hollow out the guide rail hole in the mounting block.



Wood Engineering Revolver Tool Aviation


Carefully rotating the round stock against my cordless portable band saw blade, I cut a snap ring groove 1 inch in from the end where the guide rail mounts to the router base so that the guide rail seats into the mounting bracket on the router base without protruding in too far and interfering with the router bit.

Hand tool Metalworking hand tool Tool Wood Wrench


Everything came out square and straight. I think it looks pretty cool too. I will probably make a couple of 1/2 inch guide blocks out of hardwood or plastic and secure them to the guide edge so that I do not have to worry about streaking finished edges with aluminum, but other than that, it is done. It worked great for my purpose, which was cutting 18mm rabbets and dados because someone used Canada's measuring system when they manufactured the sheet goods I used on my last project.

Gas Automotive tire Machine tool Cylinder Engineering


Gas Engineering Machine Auto part Nut
 

Attachments

#16 ·
Making a guide for my Makita D handled routers

I like these routers. The D handle allows for controlled single handed operation of the tool while holding the workpiece with the other. I have 3 of these routers and none of them came with a guide. I wanted a guide for one of them the other day and found myself wishing that I had ordered one, as I was not able to put off the project until I could get one. I decided to order 2 and make 1 so that I could use the router I wanted to use on the project at hand.

Planer Sander Automotive tire Gas Engineering


A radial arm saw will do a nice job of cutting 3/4 aluminum bar. A radial arm saw will also do a nice job of mangling one's workpiece, its fence, its blade, its arm, its post, its carriage, its windings, and especially its operator, so don't try to cut 3/4 aluminum bar on your radial arm saw at home. It is neither a safe nor a wise practice. Fortunately, I cut my bar and my 1/8 aluminum sheet on my radial arm saw without all that much drama. My saw and my fingers are still sound.

Saw Machine tool Gas Power tool Machine


Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Revolver


Once I had cut out the plate to double the guide back under the router base, I laid it out and cut a 2 1/2 inch clearance area for the bit with a hole saw and a hacksaw.

Wood Gas Tool Hardwood Machine


Wood Font Engineering Rectangle Metal


I used 5/8" by 1/2" aluminum channel to make the guide edge. I set it up carefully in the vice to be sure that everything was aligned parallel, straight, and square. I used 8 1/8Ă—3/8 pop rivets to mount the guide edge to the guide body plate.

Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Tool


Drilling a 1/8Ă—3/8 blind hole into the guide mounting block, I used a 1/8Ă—1/4 pop rivet to secure and hold the body plate to the mounting block while I drilled and countersunk 2 #21 holes and tapped the block for #10 by 24 flat headed machine screws to attach the mounting block securely to the body plate.

Wood Bumper Gas Automotive exterior Metal


Motor vehicle Saw Tool Wood Machine tool


I cut a 14" long piece of 3/8 cold rolled round bar to use as the guide rail. 10 mm would have worked also, but I live in the United States. I drilled a 1/2 hole in the mounting block for the guide rail and 3 #7 holes in the mounting block, which I tapped to 1/4 28 for allen head set screws. Two of the screws serve to secure and align the split bushing(1/2" OD, 3/8" ID, not clearly pictured) within the guide block and 1 to compress the split bushing to lock the guide block into position on the guide rail. The split bushing prevents the set screw from digging into the guide rail and creating burrs that would hollow out the guide rail hole in the mounting block.





Carefully rotating the round stock against my cordless portable band saw blade, I cut a snap ring groove 1 inch in from the end where the guide rail mounts to the router base so that the guide rail seats into the mounting bracket on the router base without protruding in too far and interfering with the router bit.



Everything came out square and straight. I think it looks pretty cool too. I will probably make a couple of 1/2 inch guide blocks out of hardwood or plastic and secure them to the guide edge so that I do not have to worry about streaking finished edges with aluminum, but other than that, it is done. It worked great for my purpose, which was cutting 18mm rabbets and dados because someone used Canada's measuring system when they manufactured the sheet goods I used on my last project.



That's great, John. And to think that I paid almost $200 for a Microfence that I rarely use.
You've probably seen my setup for my Sliding Miter Saw (I don't have a RAS), which I clamp to a hollow door laid across a couple of trash cans.
Canadians. They do like to complicate things, don't they.
 

Attachments

#18 ·
Finally got to those stair rails

Earlier in this series I mentioned a set of stair rails I was supposed to be building for one Mrs Customer, a couple of towns away from my town of Laporte. I got distracted by any number of things and just got back to them this week.



The previous stair rails were built to match the existing porch rails. They had deteriorated sufficiently that they had become a hazard and Mrs Customer wanted them replaced in the same style, as her porch rails are in good shape.

There were a couple of reasons for the poor condition of the rails; one was just weathering, as they looked to have been painted from the start with latex paint, which does not protect as well as oil. The other problem was settling of the stairs away from the porch sufficient to damage the rail and create a 1 inch gap between the top step and porch floor, with a drop of 1/2 inch, which Mrs customer also required me to fix. An engineer in the neighborhood determined that the stairs had settled all that the were likely to settle and that there was no reason to underpin or mud jack the steps, which would get expensive. So I ground the concrete landing to meet the top step, cleaned out the gap, filled it with a piece of cedar and some mortar patching compound, and painted the cedar gray.



Interestingly, she is thinking about having the entire porch slab ground to match the landing area.



I built the new rail on the same pitch as the previous rail, about 30 degrees, and painted it to match the other rail but I made a couple of key changes with the intention of increasing the lifespan of the stair rails by a decade or two.



The previous railing was made from Douglas fir, painted with latex exterior deck paint. The pickets that served to attach the rails to the brick posts were redwood. I replaced the four redwood pickets with Ipe. I replaced the doug fir with treated. I chose treated over redwood both for economy and because, if dry when painted, it holds paint a little bit better than redwood when exposed to sun at our altitude. I should point out that redwood can last twice as long as treated lumber, but the Ipe will probably outlast the brick. Because treated lumber from the HD is pond dried, I let the material rest in the shade all summer and fall so that it was dry when I painted it.

Wood Building Wood stain Plant Brickwork


Plant Window Fixture Building Wood


Property Window Building Wood Fixture


Fixture Brickwork Wood Building material Brick


I coated the rails with valspar exterior oil based primer for oil and latex paints. The oil based primer bonds and protects better than latex primer, especially when thinned with BLO, which I did. Prior to assembly, I gave the wood three coats of primer, sanding each coat smooth. I partially assembled the rail and painted it with the exterior latex provided by Mrs Customer, installed the rail, masked the brick, applied painters caulk where necessary, filling the screw holes, let it cure, applied caulk again where it shrank, and painted the final coat of latex.

Wood Building Wood stain Plant Brickwork


Plant Building Window Wood Tree


I used led shields and no 12Ă—2-1/2 flat head wood/sheet metal screws to anchor the Ipe pickets. I took care to be sure that the rails were level, plumb and parallel, relevant to the stairs and one another. I used 2-3/4 inch epoxy coated, finish head, self drilling deck screws waxed and installed on layout in predrilled holes to assemble the rails.

Plant Window Building Door Stairs


All in all, I think they turned out well.

Now that this is done, Mark can quit giving me Grief about getting after the stair rails and I can move on to the next couple of blogs in this series, Mr Customer's reading table project which I first addressed in my posted reading table project.
 

Attachments

#19 ·
Finally got to those stair rails

Earlier in this series I mentioned a set of stair rails I was supposed to be building for one Mrs Customer, a couple of towns away from my town of Laporte. I got distracted by any number of things and just got back to them this week.

Plant Property Building Window Porch


The previous stair rails were built to match the existing porch rails. They had deteriorated sufficiently that they had become a hazard and Mrs Customer wanted them replaced in the same style, as her porch rails are in good shape.

There were a couple of reasons for the poor condition of the rails; one was just weathering, as they looked to have been painted from the start with latex paint, which does not protect as well as oil. The other problem was settling of the stairs away from the porch sufficient to damage the rail and create a 1 inch gap between the top step and porch floor, with a drop of 1/2 inch, which Mrs customer also required me to fix. An engineer in the neighborhood determined that the stairs had settled all that the were likely to settle and that there was no reason to underpin or mud jack the steps, which would get expensive. So I ground the concrete landing to meet the top step, cleaned out the gap, filled it with a piece of cedar and some mortar patching compound, and painted the cedar gray.

Wood Rectangle Road surface Beige Asphalt


Interestingly, she is thinking about having the entire porch slab ground to match the landing area.

Plant Stairs Wood Fixture Door


I built the new rail on the same pitch as the previous rail, about 30 degrees, and painted it to match the other rail but I made a couple of key changes with the intention of increasing the lifespan of the stair rails by a decade or two.

Wood Purple Table Hardwood Rectangle


The previous railing was made from Douglas fir, painted with latex exterior deck paint. The pickets that served to attach the rails to the brick posts were redwood. I replaced the four redwood pickets with Ipe. I replaced the doug fir with treated. I chose treated over redwood both for economy and because, if dry when painted, it holds paint a little bit better than redwood when exposed to sun at our altitude. I should point out that redwood can last twice as long as treated lumber, but the Ipe will probably outlast the brick. Because treated lumber from the HD is pond dried, I let the material rest in the shade all summer and fall so that it was dry when I painted it.

Wood Building Wood stain Plant Brickwork


Plant Window Fixture Building Wood


Property Window Building Wood Fixture


Fixture Brickwork Wood Building material Brick


I coated the rails with valspar exterior oil based primer for oil and latex paints. The oil based primer bonds and protects better than latex primer, especially when thinned with BLO, which I did. Prior to assembly, I gave the wood three coats of primer, sanding each coat smooth. I partially assembled the rail and painted it with the exterior latex provided by Mrs Customer, installed the rail, masked the brick, applied painters caulk where necessary, filling the screw holes, let it cure, applied caulk again where it shrank, and painted the final coat of latex.

Wood Building Wood stain Plant Brickwork


Plant Building Window Wood Tree


I used led shields and no 12Ă—2-1/2 flat head wood/sheet metal screws to anchor the Ipe pickets. I took care to be sure that the rails were level, plumb and parallel, relevant to the stairs and one another. I used 2-3/4 inch epoxy coated, finish head, self drilling deck screws waxed and installed on layout in predrilled holes to assemble the rails.

Plant Window Building Door Stairs


All in all, I think they turned out well.

Now that this is done, Mark can quit giving me Grief about getting after the stair rails and I can move on to the next couple of blogs in this series, Mr Customer's reading table project which I first addressed in my posted reading table project.
Marvelous work by a terrific workman, John.
 

Attachments

#22 ·
Mr Customer's Reading Table.

Mr Customer finally decided on poplar for his reading table, which is actually a gift for his daughter. As I mentioned when I posted the pictures of the Wife's reading table, which is made of dimensional lumber and finished with sanding sealer and Poly, like a cabinet, he and his daughter liked the table and the have been bugging me to build one like it for four years. I finally got the hint and the material is now warming up in my shop. Because he is paying good money for a piece of fine furniture for his daughter, I am making a couple of changes to the original design so that I can present them with a piece of sufficient quality to be comparable to any fine piece the might purchase or have made, and so that their table is unique and not to be found in their neighbors parlor. As his choice was popular, and not furniture grade pine, oak, maple, cherry, etc… I took extra care to select heavy, clear, furniture grade pieces with little to no tint of green. I will finish the project with teak oil, applying as many coats as it takes to make the table gleam. So far I have a picture of the plan, and a picture of the lumber, which has overwhelmed my small workshop.

Handwriting Rectangle Font Parallel Pattern


Wood Wheel Workbench Hardwood Machine tool
 

Attachments

#23 ·
Mr Customer's Reading Table.

Mr Customer finally decided on poplar for his reading table, which is actually a gift for his daughter. As I mentioned when I posted the pictures of the Wife's reading table, which is made of dimensional lumber and finished with sanding sealer and Poly, like a cabinet, he and his daughter liked the table and the have been bugging me to build one like it for four years. I finally got the hint and the material is now warming up in my shop. Because he is paying good money for a piece of fine furniture for his daughter, I am making a couple of changes to the original design so that I can present them with a piece of sufficient quality to be comparable to any fine piece the might purchase or have made, and so that their table is unique and not to be found in their neighbors parlor. As his choice was popular, and not furniture grade pine, oak, maple, cherry, etc… I took extra care to select heavy, clear, furniture grade pieces with little to no tint of green. I will finish the project with teak oil, applying as many coats as it takes to make the table gleam. So far I have a picture of the plan, and a picture of the lumber, which has overwhelmed my small workshop.

Handwriting Rectangle Font Parallel Pattern


Wood Wheel Workbench Hardwood Machine tool
I occasionally will bring inside a potential victim to keep it from getting wet and forcing me to run my Saw Stop in bypass. But, bringing wood in to let it warm up? This is alien to me, John.
 

Attachments

#26 ·
My Version of the Chisel Plane

Admittedly, Tow Mater chairs and well executed portable work benches are both more interesting and practical than my fancy decoration but I am always happy when I build a tool that is received well by my woodworking peers.

This chisel plane project is particularly special to me because where I have had several occasions to want one, I have never been willing to purchase one, nor had it occurred to make one until I saw that several other Lumberjocks have made their own and done a nice job of it. (see: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/28415 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/5004 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/40545 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/92012 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/18566 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/104379 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/144202 ) These are all good examples of shop-made edged trimming, flush trimming, planes that I have run accross here. Of course, I do a lot of knot and end grain inlay so I wanted my chisel plane to have some heft to it and a soundly bedded cutting edge, which is why I made it out of ipe and brass.

The tool is 1-3/4 inches wide, 7-1/8 inches long and weighs 28 ounces, making it heavier than the Veritus and small Wood River models but lighter than the Stanley #97, Lie Nielsen, and the large Wood River models. This tool should have enough mass, however, to do the work I made it for, cleaning inlays, removing excess dry glue, planing inside corners or edges where necessary, resting conspicuously in the background with one of my Veritus back saws when I take pictures of projects in my shop, and holding stacks of paper in place. I am not joking, look for the thing to show up in every thing I post from now on.

I do not have pictures of every step but I took enough photos to tell the story of the making of this edge plane.

The first thing I did was cut the body out out of ipe. I cut the block to size on the table saw, laid out my 12 degree angle, cut it on the band saw, and smoothed it on the disc sander. Next I drilled the iron adjustment hole in the drill press before clamping the block in the Zyliss vice to cut out the mortise for the top brass nose piece inlay with my gent-saw.

Wood Tool Gas Machine Engineering


Next, I clamped my cordless portaband into the Zyliss and cut the brass top nose piece and the rear pomel (I still have not figured out what to call the thing)

Engineering Machine Gas Metal Carmine


Gas Automotive tire Bumper Automotive wheel system Metalworking


Wood Gas Tool Auto part Machine


Wood Tool Hand tool Gas Metal


Wood Tool Gas Auto part Metal


I fit the top or "bed" nosepiece, bedded it to the body with PL-200 construction adhesive and secured it with 4 6-32 hardened flat headed machine screws, sanding both surfaces flush on the disc sander. I drilled the mounting holes for the brass pommel with a 7/32 drill and threaded the ipe to accept 1/4-20 stainless steel socket headed cap screws. I did not bed the pommel with PL-200, but it is well secured with the two bolts.

Wood Gas Auto part Metal Tool


I salvaged a trashed, US made, iron from a parts plane and made a a cap Iron out of a chunk of 1/4Ă—2 aluminum bar. I used a hammer and an ironworker's vice to put the required camber into the cap iron. I used a thin, 1/2 inch, stainless steel washer between the bronze knob and the aluminum cap iron to prevent digging and slipping when turning the knob to secure the iron to the bed.

Grey Wood Font Gas Concrete


Next, it was time to turn my attention to remachining the big bronze adjustment knob I found to fit my purpose. I do not have the capacity to properly machine metal in my woodshop, but my eldest brother has a well equipped metal shop. I dropped by and he chucked the thing up in his lathe.

Gas Automotive tire Composite material Engineering Machine


I do not have as many pictures of the next steps as I should but I will try to explain the process. I cut a 1/8 by 2Ă—7-1/4 inch brass strip to use for the sole of the plane. I used 12 flat head machine screws to attach this securely to the body of the plane. To do this, I clamped the sole in place, marked and drilled the twelve holes with a 1/8 inch drill. Removing the sole, I tapped each hole in the sole for an 8-32 thread. I enlarged each of these holes in the body with a 3/16 drill and counter sunk the holes to allow the flat heads to turn in flush with the surface. I drilled the holes in the bed of the plane square with the 12 degree bed angle so that the machine screw heads there would seat flush and tapped the holes in the sole accordingly. When I finished with all of this, I bedded the sole with pl-200, tightening the screws securely and repeatedly until the sole was seated permanently before sanding the bed and sole flush on the disc sander. Once this was done I was ready to finish sand the body and brass before drilling and tapping the hole for the knob.

Wood Gas Auto part Machine Metal


I should have taken this step prior to bedding the sole. Had I done so, I would not have a round hole in the sole of my plane. I can fix this by threading a thin piece of 1/2-20 threaded brass rod into the hole with lock tight and sanding it smooth, but I do not know that this is necessary. Additionally, this hole is slightly off center because I did not clamp the body of the plane properly to the drill press table when I drilled the hole. This, too, is not a problem, but it is imperfect. This imperfection carries through to the top of the plane, causing the slot in the iron to be slightly off center and the hole in the cap Iron had to be enlarged so it could be centered to compensate. It is not off much but this will detract from the value of the plane someday when some guy buys it at my estate sale and wants to turn it in his flea market booth. Factoring in inflation, the off center hole in the sole is going to cost some flea market vendor ten or twenty bucks all because I was in a hurry and skipped two steps. We should all feel bad for him and I am sure that this will be weighing on my conscious when God judges me..

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Metal Plywood


Artifact Wood Art Paper product Metal


Hand tool Household hardware Tool Wood Metalworking hand tool


Wood Rectangle Household hardware Plywood Metal


Thank you for seeing this through with me and I am looking forward to using this plane for a great many years before the auctioneer calls out my eulogy.
 

Attachments

#27 ·
My Version of the Chisel Plane

Admittedly, Tow Mater chairs and well executed portable work benches are both more interesting and practical than my fancy decoration but I am always happy when I build a tool that is received well by my woodworking peers.

This chisel plane project is particularly special to me because where I have had several occasions to want one, I have never been willing to purchase one, nor had it occurred to make one until I saw that several other Lumberjocks have made their own and done a nice job of it. (see: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/28415 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/5004 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/40545 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/92012 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/18566 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/104379 , http://lumberjocks.com/projects/144202 ) These are all good examples of shop-made edged trimming, flush trimming, planes that I have run accross here. Of course, I do a lot of knot and end grain inlay so I wanted my chisel plane to have some heft to it and a soundly bedded cutting edge, which is why I made it out of ipe and brass.

The tool is 1-3/4 inches wide, 7-1/8 inches long and weighs 28 ounces, making it heavier than the Veritus and small Wood River models but lighter than the Stanley #97, Lie Nielsen, and the large Wood River models. This tool should have enough mass, however, to do the work I made it for, cleaning inlays, removing excess dry glue, planing inside corners or edges where necessary, resting conspicuously in the background with one of my Veritus back saws when I take pictures of projects in my shop, and holding stacks of paper in place. I am not joking, look for the thing to show up in every thing I post from now on.

I do not have pictures of every step but I took enough photos to tell the story of the making of this edge plane.

The first thing I did was cut the body out out of ipe. I cut the block to size on the table saw, laid out my 12 degree angle, cut it on the band saw, and smoothed it on the disc sander. Next I drilled the iron adjustment hole in the drill press before clamping the block in the Zyliss vice to cut out the mortise for the top brass nose piece inlay with my gent-saw.

Wood Tool Gas Machine Engineering


Next, I clamped my cordless portaband into the Zyliss and cut the brass top nose piece and the rear pomel (I still have not figured out what to call the thing)

Engineering Machine Gas Metal Carmine


Gas Automotive tire Bumper Automotive wheel system Metalworking


Wood Gas Tool Auto part Machine


Wood Tool Hand tool Gas Metal


Wood Tool Gas Auto part Metal


I fit the top or "bed" nosepiece, bedded it to the body with PL-200 construction adhesive and secured it with 4 6-32 hardened flat headed machine screws, sanding both surfaces flush on the disc sander. I drilled the mounting holes for the brass pommel with a 7/32 drill and threaded the ipe to accept 1/4-20 stainless steel socket headed cap screws. I did not bed the pommel with PL-200, but it is well secured with the two bolts.

Wood Gas Auto part Metal Tool


I salvaged a trashed, US made, iron from a parts plane and made a a cap Iron out of a chunk of 1/4Ă—2 aluminum bar. I used a hammer and an ironworker's vice to put the required camber into the cap iron. I used a thin, 1/2 inch, stainless steel washer between the bronze knob and the aluminum cap iron to prevent digging and slipping when turning the knob to secure the iron to the bed.

Grey Wood Font Gas Concrete


Next, it was time to turn my attention to remachining the big bronze adjustment knob I found to fit my purpose. I do not have the capacity to properly machine metal in my woodshop, but my eldest brother has a well equipped metal shop. I dropped by and he chucked the thing up in his lathe.

Gas Automotive tire Composite material Engineering Machine


I do not have as many pictures of the next steps as I should but I will try to explain the process. I cut a 1/8 by 2Ă—7-1/4 inch brass strip to use for the sole of the plane. I used 12 flat head machine screws to attach this securely to the body of the plane. To do this, I clamped the sole in place, marked and drilled the twelve holes with a 1/8 inch drill. Removing the sole, I tapped each hole in the sole for an 8-32 thread. I enlarged each of these holes in the body with a 3/16 drill and counter sunk the holes to allow the flat heads to turn in flush with the surface. I drilled the holes in the bed of the plane square with the 12 degree bed angle so that the machine screw heads there would seat flush and tapped the holes in the sole accordingly. When I finished with all of this, I bedded the sole with pl-200, tightening the screws securely and repeatedly until the sole was seated permanently before sanding the bed and sole flush on the disc sander. Once this was done I was ready to finish sand the body and brass before drilling and tapping the hole for the knob.

Wood Gas Auto part Machine Metal


I should have taken this step prior to bedding the sole. Had I done so, I would not have a round hole in the sole of my plane. I can fix this by threading a thin piece of 1/2-20 threaded brass rod into the hole with lock tight and sanding it smooth, but I do not know that this is necessary. Additionally, this hole is slightly off center because I did not clamp the body of the plane properly to the drill press table when I drilled the hole. This, too, is not a problem, but it is imperfect. This imperfection carries through to the top of the plane, causing the slot in the iron to be slightly off center and the hole in the cap Iron had to be enlarged so it could be centered to compensate. It is not off much but this will detract from the value of the plane someday when some guy buys it at my estate sale and wants to turn it in his flea market booth. Factoring in inflation, the off center hole in the sole is going to cost some flea market vendor ten or twenty bucks all because I was in a hurry and skipped two steps. We should all feel bad for him and I am sure that this will be weighing on my conscious when God judges me..

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Metal Plywood


Artifact Wood Art Paper product Metal


Hand tool Household hardware Tool Wood Metalworking hand tool


Wood Rectangle Household hardware Plywood Metal


Thank you for seeing this through with me and I am looking forward to using this plane for a great many years before the auctioneer calls out my eulogy.
Ahhh. Four screws. Very good, John.
 

Attachments

#32 ·
Fixing my Low $ Stanley Surform.

So I was in my wood shop today, cleaning, organizing, planning the next steps for my current project, a cherry Foyer Bench for Ms. Customer's front entry, and considering my next tool project, an infill scraper plane, when chance turned me onto a simple repair project that was probably too involved for a $12 tool.

I was in the middle filling out drill indexes and putting them away in my drill cabinet when I found that I was completely out of #59 and #21 drills. I jumped into my truck and drove over to the local hardware store only to find that their number drill selection was almost entirely depleted. They did have replacement blades for my 6 inch surform, however, and I remembered that I needed one of those. Interestingly, the replacement blade for the surform was $6.49 and a new sureform was $11.99. This became relevant when I returned to my shop to install the new surform blade.

At this point I will interrupt the narrative and explain that I have 7 or 8 different surforms that I use for rough forming artistic kinds of things, quickly shaving material for carpenter projects, grating beeswax, forming bondo, and various other tasks. The Stanley Surform™, Millers Falls Plane-R-File™, or a like product by any other name, can be a very useful tool.

Where my other surforms are somewhat marginally valued vintage tools from the 1970s, my 6 inch surform is more modern and had a plastic adjustment assembly, which I probably threw out with the broken blade. I needed to make something new. This was not too big of a deal, as I still had everything out for making the chisel plane. The pictures follow if you care to see what I did to fix the tool.

Bumper Automotive exterior Grille Gas Musical instrument


Bumper Automotive exterior Vehicle Gas Automotive lighting


I cut a little piece of round stock in two when I made the pommel for my chisel plane. For the surform blade tensioner, I cut the remaining half in two, drilled and tapped a 1/4-20 hole for the tensioner screw, and then ground the excess material away from the inside corner where it protruded over the cutting teeth of the blade.

To make the tensioner screw, I found a knurled brass knob, drilled the center to 8/1000s under the diameter of the head of a 1/4-20Ă—1-1/2 inch socket headed cap screw and pressed the knob on to it. I made a heavy brass washer, added an ordinary 1/4 inch washer, and assembled the surform, now better than new.
Wood Nickel Household hardware Fashion accessory Metal


Wood Tints and shades Fashion accessory Sports equipment Circle


Wood Rectangle Tool Hardwood Pattern


Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Flooring


Wood Gas Auto part Composite material Hardwood


Composite material Wood Plastic Hardwood Transparency


Rectangle Composite material Plastic Fashion accessory Electric blue


Thank you for reading!
 

Attachments

#33 ·
New and Improved Tool Posts for my Tool Grinder

Years ago, I bought a bench grinder at a discount import tool and surplus store that predated Harbor Freight stores. I was working on a very tight budget but I wanted a dedicated grinder for sharpening chisels and drill bits. This grinder is rather heavy with a cast iron base and the store owner let me take it out of the box to confirm that it ran smooth. It ran very smooth, in fact, and twenty dollars later I was at home repairing my chisels.

All I have ever used this grinder for is sharpening tools and I have only ever had one complaint about it. Chintzy tool posts.

The factory posts on this machine have never been good and I was never able to use them to any purpose. Where this was not a problem up to now, as I get older, (that is to say blind and arthritic), I find that I have a hard time holding the tools at the grinder correctly and I have not been doing a good job with them at the grinder, which means a lot more time spent honing things.

This week, I decided to fix this problem. First I shopped for a better grinder finding these items: http://www.wenproducts.com/store/bench-grinder/8-inch-Slow-Speed-Bench-Grinder-Item-4286 , http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW758-8-Inch-Bench-Grinder/dp/B0000224J4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid= 1463002504&sr=8-4&keywords=tool+grinder , http://www.amazon.com/WEN-4276-6-Inch-Bench-Grinder/dp/B00LPFIPQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463002504&sr=8-1&keywords=tool+grinder , one of which I may still purchase. Giving it some thought, however, I decided that I was not ready to give up on my old Hoteche (made in someplace called "Chine") bench grinder. Removing the old tool posts, I decided to see what sort of improvements I could come up with in my workshop. Honestly, I never even thought of purchasing an aftermarket tool post. That is just not my style.

Fluid Kitchen appliance Liquid Gas Home appliance

First I needed to turn the bottom forward shroud mounting screw around and replace it with a flat head machine screw, countersinking the hole in the inner shroud so that the screw sat flush.

Hood Automotive lighting Automotive tire Trunk Bumper


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Composite material Plywood

That done, it was time to start fabricating the new tool posts. I chose to use aluminum for much of the build because I can process the material easily in my woodshop. If you hav not done this before, I should caution you to read about cutting aluminum with your wood working machinery before you try it. Negative rake saw teeth and properly held/clamped/controlled work pieces generally produce more favorable results with less potential for damage and injury.

Fluid Wood Gas Ingredient Composite material


Gas Machine tool Machine Engineering Milling

Because the minimum speed on this woodworking drill press is 750 rpm, I was careful to clamp things well before drilling my holes in the post structure pieces. Certainly, it is fruitless to match drill holes without clamping things properly.

Gas Machine Plastic wrap Plastic Table


Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Gas Tool

I quickly deburred the holes by hand

Motor vehicle Tool Gas Automotive tire Engineering

Not pictured is a a 10 gauge steel backing plate that I am fastening to the inside of the shroud to act as a stiffener.

Automotive tire Gas Wood Rim Automotive wheel system

I drilled and threaded the 2 mounting holes for the tool posts in the backing plate for 3/8 nc hex headed cap screws.

Here, my phone battery died and I proceeded without the camera. The bottom mounting plate, which mounts to the aforementioned backing plate, is 1/4 by 2 inch aluminum with a 3/8 slot along the length for depth adjustment. This mounting plate has a vertical adjustment slot for the tool post risers that attach on either side with the 1/2 inch nc bolt and wing nut. (I will replace these bolts with carriage bolts after my next trip into the hardware store.) To make the slots, I drilled s series of the appropriate sized holes on lay out, cut out the remaining material with a jigsaw or hacksaw as best suited the task, and filed them to the line with a coarse, double cut mill file. I used 1/8 inch aluminum bar to bend up the adjustable tool rest mounting brackets and fastened the 1-1/2Ă—3-3/4 inch steel tool rest plates to the assemblies with more of the aforementioned #6 machine screws.

Toy Automotive tire Gas Automotive lighting Machine


Gas Auto part Machine Electric blue Plastic


Automotive tire Automotive lighting Helmet Motor vehicle Bumper


Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Hardwood

I set the tool rests such that I could grind the chisels at 28 degrees. I should note here that once I have hollow ground a butt chisel, I seldom hone it beyond 400 grit on the diamond stone, very occasionally I will take it to 600 grit. Too fine an edge on something like a butt chisel does not hold up and I do not like to have to stop five times a day when setting doors to hone my chisel to a mirror finish on a 6000 grit water stone. I feel the same way about most chisels and plane irons. I will hone carving chisels, paring chisels, and specialty plane irons to 600 or sometimes 1000. With limited exceptions, I hollow grind irons and chisels at 25 to 30 degrees and hone everything between 25 and 35 degrees depending on the steel and my purpose. My preference comes not so much from reading but from training and personal experience. Years ago, Stanley Tool Works used to publish booklets for tradesman with instructions on how to sharpen tools. I have one, it is a good resource. Please reign in your anger if you disagree, as I neither have to sharpen nor use your tools.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Composite material Art


Fluid Bottle Gas Wood Drink


Thanks for reading. This was a fun little project that should improve my quality of life immensely.
 

Attachments

#34 ·
New and Improved Tool Posts for my Tool Grinder

Years ago, I bought a bench grinder at a discount import tool and surplus store that predated Harbor Freight stores. I was working on a very tight budget but I wanted a dedicated grinder for sharpening chisels and drill bits. This grinder is rather heavy with a cast iron base and the store owner let me take it out of the box to confirm that it ran smooth. It ran very smooth, in fact, and twenty dollars later I was at home repairing my chisels.

All I have ever used this grinder for is sharpening tools and I have only ever had one complaint about it. Chintzy tool posts.

The factory posts on this machine have never been good and I was never able to use them to any purpose. Where this was not a problem up to now, as I get older, (that is to say blind and arthritic), I find that I have a hard time holding the tools at the grinder correctly and I have not been doing a good job with them at the grinder, which means a lot more time spent honing things.

This week, I decided to fix this problem. First I shopped for a better grinder finding these items: http://www.wenproducts.com/store/bench-grinder/8-inch-Slow-Speed-Bench-Grinder-Item-4286 , http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW758-8-Inch-Bench-Grinder/dp/B0000224J4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid= 1463002504&sr=8-4&keywords=tool+grinder , http://www.amazon.com/WEN-4276-6-Inch-Bench-Grinder/dp/B00LPFIPQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463002504&sr=8-1&keywords=tool+grinder , one of which I may still purchase. Giving it some thought, however, I decided that I was not ready to give up on my old Hoteche (made in someplace called "Chine") bench grinder. Removing the old tool posts, I decided to see what sort of improvements I could come up with in my workshop. Honestly, I never even thought of purchasing an aftermarket tool post. That is just not my style.

Fluid Kitchen appliance Liquid Gas Home appliance

First I needed to turn the bottom forward shroud mounting screw around and replace it with a flat head machine screw, countersinking the hole in the inner shroud so that the screw sat flush.

Hood Automotive lighting Automotive tire Trunk Bumper


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Composite material Plywood

That done, it was time to start fabricating the new tool posts. I chose to use aluminum for much of the build because I can process the material easily in my woodshop. If you hav not done this before, I should caution you to read about cutting aluminum with your wood working machinery before you try it. Negative rake saw teeth and properly held/clamped/controlled work pieces generally produce more favorable results with less potential for damage and injury.

Fluid Wood Gas Ingredient Composite material


Gas Machine tool Machine Engineering Milling

Because the minimum speed on this woodworking drill press is 750 rpm, I was careful to clamp things well before drilling my holes in the post structure pieces. Certainly, it is fruitless to match drill holes without clamping things properly.

Gas Machine Plastic wrap Plastic Table


Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Gas Tool

I quickly deburred the holes by hand

Motor vehicle Tool Gas Automotive tire Engineering

Not pictured is a a 10 gauge steel backing plate that I am fastening to the inside of the shroud to act as a stiffener.

Automotive tire Gas Wood Rim Automotive wheel system

I drilled and threaded the 2 mounting holes for the tool posts in the backing plate for 3/8 nc hex headed cap screws.

Here, my phone battery died and I proceeded without the camera. The bottom mounting plate, which mounts to the aforementioned backing plate, is 1/4 by 2 inch aluminum with a 3/8 slot along the length for depth adjustment. This mounting plate has a vertical adjustment slot for the tool post risers that attach on either side with the 1/2 inch nc bolt and wing nut. (I will replace these bolts with carriage bolts after my next trip into the hardware store.) To make the slots, I drilled s series of the appropriate sized holes on lay out, cut out the remaining material with a jigsaw or hacksaw as best suited the task, and filed them to the line with a coarse, double cut mill file. I used 1/8 inch aluminum bar to bend up the adjustable tool rest mounting brackets and fastened the 1-1/2Ă—3-3/4 inch steel tool rest plates to the assemblies with more of the aforementioned #6 machine screws.

Toy Automotive tire Gas Automotive lighting Machine


Gas Auto part Machine Electric blue Plastic


Automotive tire Automotive lighting Helmet Motor vehicle Bumper


Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Hardwood

I set the tool rests such that I could grind the chisels at 28 degrees. I should note here that once I have hollow ground a butt chisel, I seldom hone it beyond 400 grit on the diamond stone, very occasionally I will take it to 600 grit. Too fine an edge on something like a butt chisel does not hold up and I do not like to have to stop five times a day when setting doors to hone my chisel to a mirror finish on a 6000 grit water stone. I feel the same way about most chisels and plane irons. I will hone carving chisels, paring chisels, and specialty plane irons to 600 or sometimes 1000. With limited exceptions, I hollow grind irons and chisels at 25 to 30 degrees and hone everything between 25 and 35 degrees depending on the steel and my purpose. My preference comes not so much from reading but from training and personal experience. Years ago, Stanley Tool Works used to publish booklets for tradesman with instructions on how to sharpen tools. I have one, it is a good resource. Please reign in your anger if you disagree, as I neither have to sharpen nor use your tools.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Composite material Art


Fluid Bottle Gas Wood Drink


Thanks for reading. This was a fun little project that should improve my quality of life immensely.
"Fun little project…" John, you da man.
 

Attachments

#36 ·
computer glitch

this is a computer glitch, for some reason the LJ website posted the next entry twice. I can not figure out how to delete this and they won fix it. I will post my next blog here.
 
#39 ·
I broke my old dunlop utility vice.

I kinda want to blame this on my wife. But we all know that she has not been out in my shop pounding on things with hammers.

Gas Machine Machine tool Auto part Metal


I am not sure when I broke it, but I have a good idea how, because I am always out in my shop pounding on things with hammers.

I am kind of bummed to see that I broke my vice. It is a good 3-1/2 inch dunlop vice. More importantly, it sits on the bench at the end of my shop in line with my table saw blade and the top of the jaws rest 3/16 inch below the top of my outfeed table. I suppose I can braze it, but it is raining outside and I do not have a metal shop. Maybe I can clamp the piece tightly where it belongs and bolt it back together with flat headed/socket headed cap screws. They are very tough and I can use them to align things when I do get around to fixing it properly.

Wood Gas Art Hardwood Metal


Everything is secure, and I am using a 7/32 drill, which I will follow with a 1/4-20 tap once the hole is prepared.

Wood Machine tool Gas Hardwood Milling


I am drilling 1/2 inch down with a 17/64 drill bit so that my tap will pass freely as I cut the threads in the lower part of the casting. Like the tap, the bolt needs to pass freely through the broken piece so that I can clamp it to the rest of the vice body.

Gas Bandsaws Machine Auto part Cylinder


I need to countersink the hole for the flat head screw to seat below flush. A single flute countersink works better than the one you see in the picture.

Gas Machine tool Auto part Machine Engineering


By setting the screw upside down int the hole, I can gauge that my countersink is deep enough. I switched to one such that was ground on about the same pitch as my screw head.

Automotive tire Gas Machine Wood Tread


Wood Gas Bumper Automotive wheel system Auto part


I will run this tap clear down to the socket, which will just give me enough thread for my flat headed/socket headed cap screw.

Wood Automotive tire Gas Metal Auto part


Wood Motor vehicle Gas Kitchen utensil Tool


Now that I have installed the first screw, I can repeat the process as I install three more, 2 at 1/4Ă—1-1/2 and 2 6-32 by 1/2. The break is tapered and I do not need a large screw for the shallower part of the break.

Wood Automotive tire Gas Machine Hardwood


Wood Gas Fish Composite material Automotive exterior


You might be able to see that the hole through the broken piece is clean, allowing the screw to pass cleanly through.

Gas Machine Metal Machine tool Auto part


So far so good. Not only are the bolts very strong, but the coarse surfaces op the broken pieces with hold things well as long as the bolts are tight.

Wood Gas Composite material Circle Auto part


The disc sander said that the crack was close enough to flush. You should be able to see that I decided to add a couple of smaller screws north of the first.

Wood Gas Machine Nut Motor vehicle


Back together and back in place! I will have to be a little careful not to crack the casting around the bolts on the broken piece, but it will hold up fine in normal use.

Table Wood Building Engineering Machine


Milling Wood Tool Gas Machine tool


Everything checks out. Thank you for reading.
 

Attachments

#40 ·
I broke my old dunlop utility vice.

I kinda want to blame this on my wife. But we all know that she has not been out in my shop pounding on things with hammers.

Gas Machine Machine tool Auto part Metal


I am not sure when I broke it, but I have a good idea how, because I am always out in my shop pounding on things with hammers.

I am kind of bummed to see that I broke my vice. It is a good 3-1/2 inch dunlop vice. More importantly, it sits on the bench at the end of my shop in line with my table saw blade and the top of the jaws rest 3/16 inch below the top of my outfeed table. I suppose I can braze it, but it is raining outside and I do not have a metal shop. Maybe I can clamp the piece tightly where it belongs and bolt it back together with flat headed/socket headed cap screws. They are very tough and I can use them to align things when I do get around to fixing it properly.

Wood Gas Art Hardwood Metal


Everything is secure, and I am using a 7/32 drill, which I will follow with a 1/4-20 tap once the hole is prepared.

Wood Machine tool Gas Hardwood Milling


I am drilling 1/2 inch down with a 17/64 drill bit so that my tap will pass freely as I cut the threads in the lower part of the casting. Like the tap, the bolt needs to pass freely through the broken piece so that I can clamp it to the rest of the vice body.

Gas Bandsaws Machine Auto part Cylinder


I need to countersink the hole for the flat head screw to seat below flush. A single flute countersink works better than the one you see in the picture.

Gas Machine tool Auto part Machine Engineering


By setting the screw upside down int the hole, I can gauge that my countersink is deep enough. I switched to one such that was ground on about the same pitch as my screw head.

Automotive tire Gas Machine Wood Tread


Wood Gas Bumper Automotive wheel system Auto part


I will run this tap clear down to the socket, which will just give me enough thread for my flat headed/socket headed cap screw.

Wood Automotive tire Gas Metal Auto part


Wood Motor vehicle Gas Kitchen utensil Tool


Now that I have installed the first screw, I can repeat the process as I install three more, 2 at 1/4Ă—1-1/2 and 2 6-32 by 1/2. The break is tapered and I do not need a large screw for the shallower part of the break.

Wood Automotive tire Gas Machine Hardwood


Wood Gas Fish Composite material Automotive exterior


You might be able to see that the hole through the broken piece is clean, allowing the screw to pass cleanly through.

Gas Machine Metal Machine tool Auto part


So far so good. Not only are the bolts very strong, but the coarse surfaces op the broken pieces with hold things well as long as the bolts are tight.

Wood Gas Composite material Circle Auto part


The disc sander said that the crack was close enough to flush. You should be able to see that I decided to add a couple of smaller screws north of the first.

Wood Gas Machine Nut Motor vehicle


Back together and back in place! I will have to be a little careful not to crack the casting around the bolts on the broken piece, but it will hold up fine in normal use.

Table Wood Building Engineering Machine


Milling Wood Tool Gas Machine tool


Everything checks out. Thank you for reading.
Looks like a good fix & a keeper. Now go get yourself a small anvil for pounding on.
 

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