The Slowest Farm Shop #3: Mildly Frighteningly Sharp?

So today I managed to pick up

What’s this? It’s plate glass!
I got it home, and a little later, after picking up some 3M-77 spray adhesive and some more sandpaper,

I then got to work lapping my beat up blue marples chisel. As it turns out, the chisel has gotten WAY out of wack. Probably from my misguided attempts at lapping it in the past, but oh well, that’s why I had gotten them cheap, so I could learn without destroying something special.
The pictures of the lapping and honing didn’t really turn out, but it’s not bad…it’s not scary sharp yet, but it’s WAY sharper than it was, and I can see where it’s going now. I just need to spend some serious time flattening it properly. The glass is 24”x12”x1/2”. Heavy, probably 20-25lbs, and the 3M-77 works very well, a quick spray to the back of the paper, then give it a minute or two to set on the glass. When I was done, the paper peeled off without issue, and some acetone and a paper towel took the glue off the glass. When it gets a few degrees warmer here, I’ll spend some time lapping and honing all my chisels to sharp.

So someday, on the farm (which I don’t have yet) I plan to have a pretty large shop. I’m fortunate to have a woman who not only supports that idea, but likes it, and in fact will be using it almost as much as I will. She’s even on Lumberjocks as well! The current plan is a large, barn-like structure, and I fell in love with the structure of an old english barn:

I don’t plan on doing it exactly like that, but it should have the look of that. I tend to favor truss construction, and I’m thinking the skeleton will be steel, especially since there are these steel house “kits” which you can have brought in these days….but this is how I’d like it to LOOK on the inside, just expanded a bit, so there’s plenty of room between and inside the bays.

The next major project is a traditional toolbox, to be completed in stages. Currently I’m held up by being FLAT BROKE…but as soon as I can get my hands on some wood for the exterior case, it’s going to be a pine case with through dovetails. Then all sorts of tills, drawers, veneer, banding, stringing will take place, but first I need a box!

-- "That which has in itself the greatest use, possesses the greatest beauty." - Unknown Shaker