# Shop's Log



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Chip-Carving Style Knife*

Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!

But, a knife is a such a simple tool with multiple uses…and can be expressed in so many artistic manners…they are easily addictive IMO. Plus, what a great chance to practice gluing techniques, wood shaping, minor joinery, and possibly carving?

Here's a special one with a knapped blade from Dacite (glassy, volcanic ash), a handle shaped from Leopardwood, and a guard made from cow bone!










Yep, I shaped the piece of cow bone flat, drilled and filed a slot for the blade to fit through, and polished it so far that it resembles ivory in every way. Funny part…the cow bone is a store-bought dog treat forgotten by our doggies and left in the yard for me! LOL. There are also 2 micarta pins slightly over an inch long bored through the guard and into the wooden handle to keep the guard in place for a while. They are nicely hidden underneath the shoulders of the blade…

I've also made a knife completely from wood…not very useful for anything except opening letters. And, truthfully, it's not very well suited for that.










But, sorta pretty, and a ton of fun to make! This one is shaped from 7 layers of 0.009" thin wood (power planer tricks), and pinned with brass. The layers visible in the photo are Blood wood, Poplar, Walnut, Tigerwood, and Osage Orange for the 'cutting edge'. The other side is similar in colors and has the lovely Blood wood on the outside.

But, I digress…

THIS blog was supposed to be about something completely different.

Recently, in preparation for the LJ's Plane Swap, I ordered a short plane iron from Ron Hock…and decided to spurge on a small carving knife blade as well. I chose the one in the center…










Now, for a meager $10, Mr Hock will gladly ship this fine piece of high-carbon steel WITH a handle, but what self-respecting tool geek and knife maker would consider that option? Dude, just send me the steel! LOL

But, once I received the blade in the post, and realized how short the tang was, I had some figuring to do. I've never made a knife with a partial tang which was visible on the top…as chip carving knives are mostly made. Doh! Time to learn something new…

It was obvious what was needed to make a handle, a narrow slot to accept the sweet Hock blade. But, how, by hand? No router or shaper or mill in my shop. I thought of a custom-cut spacer from an old bandsaw blade which would allow me to create the illusion of a full-tang knife, and just use 2 separate 'scales' for the handle. Been there, done that…but it wasn't what I wanted this time.

So, I opted for the marking gauge and sharp knife method…slowly gouging out a slot as straight and square as I could manage. Fail. Slot was too wide, not square, wasted a scrap piece of Wenge.

Time for a jig…










OK, there's my top secret jig for using the edge of a cabinet scraper to gouge a slot. A straight slot, square to the wood. Feel free to copy it…if you don't mind spending a few hours and some skin cells on the task! LOL. It certainly wasn't easy, but once I began to see progress, I stayed motivated. There's a small block of wood hidden under the right guide to help hold the work piece. The blue tape is mostly to cut down on glare…so I could actually see what the slot looked like.

Eventually, the blade's tang fit the slot. No big deal…although I wished I had used a depth gauge to pay closer attention to the base of the slot…more later…










Next, I used more blue tape to position the blade relative to the front of the handle, and marked the location of the pin holes. Just eyeballed it, and was a bit off. But, drilling the front hole in the tang a bit larger hid my mistake.

So, after a quick trip to the drill press…oh wait. Maybe I can share a bit of advice here?

My brass pins were 5/32" or whatever, from the store. The way I was taught to deal with pins…forget about the manufacturer's size. Measure the pin in your hand with calipers, add 0.003", choose a drill bit that size, or as close as you have. Leave the 5/32" drill bit in the drawer. The extra 0.003" you bore will allow room for epoxy and provide a perfect blend into the handle without gaps if done correctly.

So, after drilling for the pins, and several attempts at dry fitting all 4 pieces together (remember, I had to return to the drill and enlarge one steel hole), I finally mixed some 5 minute epoxy with a bit of black sawdust, and eased the knife parts together.










Actually, that's another lie, since I was trying to save money and used one BENT brass pin, I had to hammer it home with a bit of force! That's why the front pin seems so long…I was trying to use the straightest part of it. This is a bad practice. Please, don't copy this action at home. Why? The bent brass is fairly soft, but has to enlarge the hole it's being hammered into, and can possible leave a gap between the wood and brass when all is said and done. We're trying to rise above that level of knife making here…

using the hacksaw to remove most of the extra pins…










And, while I'm at it, here's another mistake I had to work around…










Here, you can see the blade fitted into the wooden handle, the brass pins already glued in place, BUT someone forgot to size the handle to the correct width BEFORE starting with any of this pin placement business! LOL. Notice my scribe marks which define the intended handle width before finishing. A big, time consuming mistake!

Why? If you simply laid this puppy on the belt sander and tried to remove that much material, the brass would get hot in 30 seconds, melt the epoxy around it, and leave a gap on the finished knife. So, here you see my work around to that problem…the thin edge of a cheap file. Still, I pause frequently to feel the brass and make sure it isn't getting hot. Taking your time here makes a difference, I promise.

Now, the belt sander…










Notice I still have the super sharp part of the tool covered…Never forget about that sharp end! Especially around a power tool like this one. Obviously, this one isn't running…when it is, I keep the blue tape away from the blue sandpaper!

Once the wood and brass pins are flush, sand slowly, and feel the temp of the brass frequently. If you sand too slowly, you enjoy more shop time! If you sand too quickly, you burn the epoxy or even the surrounding wood. Been there, done that…

I continued using the belt sander to round the handle into a shape I had in mind…but remember that depth gauge I mentioned earlier?










I should've used one to transfer how deep my slot was onto the OUTSIDE of the handle, so I didn't make the mistake of sanding right into it. Rats! See how important proper layout is? Too late to go back now.
So, more epoxy and sawdust…










Then, began the task of sanding to finish. Yep, sanding. From 80 to 1500 grit by hand…using a small block of wood to keep the brass flush with the wood. A simple coat of fine wax for finish…










Oh yeah, the wood handle is East Indian Rosewood, very dark and dense. And smooth as glass…I've already dropped it twice! LOL.

You may notice the small black ring around the front brass pin…don't use bent pins.

The mistake on the base didn't hide as well as I wished, but still came out smooth and completely un-noticeable by the hand during use.



















Overall, I was pleased with the results. The next one in this style will be better, I hope, from what I learned this time!

This Rosewood Knife is getting boxed up now, and into the post tomorrow to an LJ buddy. I can't say whom…don't want to ruin the surprise! LOL. But, I hope you'll excuse my mistakes, and get the thing scratched up with use…

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed:


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Beautiful results, superb craftsmanship, excellent and informative blog!! What a great read.

Outstanding display of skill Terry. Thanks for taking the time to share and teach.

That Super Dave marking knife is pretty sweet too.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Nice knife and blog Terry. I learned a lot from your mistakes! At the same time, I kind off like the black 'accents'. That's one fortunate LJer!
Thanks for sharing.
Edit: That knapped knife is gorgeous!! Wow!


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Thanks, Candy, I'll keep the mistakes coming…my skills have gotten rusty from swinging a 22oz framing hammer most of the summer! LOL

Tony, ain't that knife from Dave awesome! In a piece of spam from PW ?yesterday I now know it's official tool name is a Forged Striking Knife. At first, I thought the tool was sorta bent. But from reading, they're supposed to have a certain shape such that when laying flat on the bench, the round tip is easy to grab. And this one is easy to reach for! The awl shaped tip was a HSS drill bit he folded over and shaped. Awesome! ...gotta get my forge working…


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Excellent Terry. Well hidden mistakes. The signs of a true woodworker!


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## woodcox (Nov 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Nice one Terry, as always. My ol'man grew up with Steve Johnson here in Utah. He had one of his knives but sadly his home was burglarized and his collection stolen. There are some real gems among us. Your recipient will be stoked I'm sure.


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Excellent work on the "design opportunities". Who ever the lucky LJ is that receives this knife will be proud to have such a fine tool in their inventory.

Great job, great write up!


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Cool stuff. I do love a nice knife.


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## 489tad (Feb 26, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Well done. Good write up.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Excellent work on your carving knife and letter opener . I admire your determination to get it the way you wanted it. I also loved the Dacite knife. Very beautiful and well done. I have made some carving knives and I just make the handles with two halves, make a shallow indentation for the tang on both sides and glue it up with the blade in place. On the negative side you get an almost invisible glue line all around, but on the positive side the tang doesn't show. It's quicker, and works great, but it might not satisfy everyone's aesthetic sense.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Thanks, guys.

Mike, I like your method, too! Much faster. Plus, seperate scales require thinner pieces of wood…opening up more choices from the scrap bin.


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Good stuff Terry. I think I saw they have blades for kitchen knives too.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


I an confused Mike, why is 'an almost invisible glue line' a bad thing?


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Handsome knife and I picked up some much needed knife making tips; thanks!


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Phenominal display of skill and adaptability Terry. I'm in awe of your talents my friend.

I'm hoping to get a couple of those Hock knives for Christmas, but I think I'll get mine with the handles. )


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


This is an interesting post and it looks like you have a lot of fun. Thanks.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words, ya'll.

Come to think of it, I never even tried the edge on the Hock blade! Doh! Andy, cannot wait to see Ron's finished handles…gotta compare them to mine…and keep practicing!  I hope to grab a few of his 7" long blades soon, or get off my lazy butt and force my forge to heat-treat steel!!!

Candy, I think Mike means the glue line is tiny, but still perceptible. No big deal on dark woods, though!


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Well, as it turns out, I am the VERY lucky recipient of terryR's awesomeness! I went to the mailbox this afternoon and there was a note that I had a package in the "big" mailbox at our group mailbox for the development. I am expecting a couple of items so I figured it was either a replacement part for my refrigerator or a water filter cartridge. Turns out if was a package from Terry containing not only the marking knife shown in the OP, but a knapped knife and some small sticks for cleaning out cavities in rusty tools during their rehab.










The knapped knife is made of Brazilian agate; the handle is moose antler and is wrapped with deer rawhide. The little sticks are made from Purple Heart and Tigerwood. Terry suggests using them to mix epoxy or paints, or to clean out the crevices during tool restorations. One end is pointed and the other is more like a paddle.

I fell like I've won the LJ lottery, and that I got a jump on the Marking and Measuring Tool Swap! I did not have a marking knife until today, and I expect my joinery to be WAY better when I use the marking knife. Oh, and Terry-what mistakes? The marking knife looks and feels just perfect to me!

Thanks for your kindness. I never expected that, and I feel like I own YOU now! A big thank you for having such a kind spirit and for keeping the LJ values alive!


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Congrats Don. Fantastic haul.

Such cool people on this site….


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Don, you're more than welcome! Glad to hear you don't have a marking knife…perfect!!!  Use this one till it falls apart, and I'll make you another! Just don't use the Agate blade, she's just for looks. LOL.

And there's NO WAY you owe me…this is just 1/2 payment for that sweet marking gauge you sent me out of the goodnees of your heart!

Tony, you're right, brother, it's THE PEOPLE on this site that keep me going! Watching Stef sharpen his first saw, watching YOU restore that gorgeous wooden broom, BigRed hugging his planes, Huge jointer made by Mos, Bondo on his bench, Mauricio cutting his new bench with a skill saw…MUCH better than CNN!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


I love the random, "hey I thought you'd like this" deliveries from other LJ's. I think I have one at home waiting for me, along with one very anticipated box. I think one of them may actually outdo the box I also received from TerryR some time ago. I'm still digging into that box for pieces of hardwood.

CNN never sent me anything!!


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Chip-Carving Style Knife*
> 
> Most of you who already know me, know I like to make knives. No, I LOVE making knives. Every since an ol' master taught me to refine my flint knapping skills, it's been a constant addiction in my life!
> 
> ...


Looks like a wonderful project Terry. I do like the method of the placement of the half tang.
Well done!
Now I have to go over to Hocks website and look around.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*More marking gauges*

More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…

cherry…









...and Rambutan…










I soon changed out that black steel thumbscrew above for one of shiny brass, though!
And, finally, this one came out good enough for a gift…










(made from Bubinga and brass, and a shop-made O1 steel blade. heavy, heavy)

So….why ANOTHER one? Hmmmm……….for practice. My shop skills seem rusty since I've been swinging a framing hammer and mowing grass all summer. So, I thought completing this gauge would get me back in the swing, and give me another user. I mean, who has enough marking gauges? LOL

I had already formed the beam this past Spring from Black Cherry, and roughed out the fence, so I had done most of the work. Unfortunately, I was too quick with chopping out this mortise, and it had issues.










Luckily, this new (to me!) Brown and Sharp depth gauge let me see where my mortice was too proud or too non-existent. Gotta admit…I read the idea from The Schwarz in an article about diagnosing dovetail problems. I sure wish I had owned one of these guys during the swap!

I could tell I needed to add a tiny shim on one edge to square up the mortise, so chose a sliver of Bocote that was in already the tool tray, and mixed up some epoxy. Love my tool tray…I could just about use one all the way around the bench! LOL










Another new tool my wife surprised me with for our Anniversary this year, was a 1/2" LN float. What a sweet tool…with teeth cut into only one of the four edges, it's great at removing material just where you want. Night and day difference over my borg files which had shop-made 'safety edges'! Plus, these floats can be sharpened with triangular files…wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

I modified the mortice slowly…aiming for accuracy. I mean, I wanna be a tool-maker, ya know! LOL










Wow, that's pretty close to balls-on square with reference to the front of the fence. I'll take it!

But, the beam was still a bit tight moving through the fence, and I wanted it smooth for an easy to use gauge. I forced the 2 parts together, back and forth a dozen times, until I could spot the burnished sections of wood that had rubbed together…










Then, simply used hand-held 400 grit sandpaper to remove the shiny areas of wood, all the way around the beam. I repeated this procedure 3 or 4 times until I was happy with the freely moving parts.










From here, I chose to kill a few electrons and square up the sides of the fence at the disc sander…










Hate to admit it to my hand tool buddies, but I love this tool. 1 horsepower and a nice milled table make it pretty easy to remove wood right to the line. Only problem is the dust…cough…cough…cough…

I liked my 'new' depth gauge so much, I decided to copy the shape onto the top corners of this fence.










Again, I used electrical tools with noisy motors to sand the waste into a billion little air-borne particles that are still floating around in the air of my shop…and settling on my beloved hand tools. I swear, I feel as though I spend 20% of my shop time either looking for my glasses OR wiping down tools. LOL

Now, that the wooden parts of the gauge were working in order, I turned my attention to the marking part of the tool. I chose my favorite marking item…a broken HSS drill bit. Wow, I wish I could find a lot of broken drill bits on fleaBay cheap…I'm sure most folks throw them out.










I roughed out a pointy end with the grinder, then used the best method I know for sharpening steel rods. A cordless drill and DMT's. Above, you can my fancy sharpening station…5 DMT's on a piece of non-slip rubber shelf liner. Works great! I frequently move the stones around to use different areas, so I kinda like them free like this. Yeah, it looks like dirt.

To capture the sharpened bit in the gauge, I like using a set screw. Cheap and easy. Now, which size hole for the 10-32 threads?










LOL. I'm sure you guys have these blocks of wood in your shop, too. Mine get dusty, but never thrown away! Too much stored information…so, a .149 drill bit, please. Then, threads get tapped easily into the Black Cherry…










Of course, my 1/2" set screws captured the marking pin, but stuck out of the beam 'this much' when tightened. How much is this much? Doesn't matter. Depth gauge says 'this much'…so I mark that much off the OTHER end of the set screw with blue tape and head back to the grinder for stock removal. And, why do I place emphasis on the OTHER end? Hmmm…I'll let you guys find that one out the same way I did. LOL

So, here's the finished tool…










HSS, Black Cherry, Brass, and a tiny piece of Bocote. Hand-sanded as usual to a ridiculous 1500 grit, then finished with 2 coats of fine wax. It's, by far, the best marking gauge I've made so far! No brass inlay, or sliding dovetail joints, but this tool is tight and square. And, it fits nicely in me hand.










But, I still need to practice on stamping the finished tool. Oh well, maybe this can appear one day on kneeBay, "Vintage marking gauge, Estate find, Shop-made, stamped 2013". And, some bloke will buy it for the brass. LOL.

Speaking of brass…










here's another gauge I made this past Spring. Purpleheart and Beech laminated to form the mortice. Tested, but never used, although I used it to make the Black Cherry one. Same HSS marking pin as you just saw.
As I said, who can have enough marking gauges?










Time to move up to panel gauges! LOL

Comments and suggestions welcomed:


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Good stuff Terry. Looks like you need 2 or 3 more to round out the collection.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Your blogs are fantastic Terry. I really enjoy reading them. Beautiful work.


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


WOW! Truely inspirational. Really like the broken drill bit in place of a sharpened finishing nail for the srcibe; and the set screw securing it is wonderful. Many many thanks for sharing.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Most excellent work Terry.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Glad you got some quality shop time, Terry. You made some really handsome gauges, there.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info Terry. I really like the Rambutan and brass one! Wish I'd read this last week before I tossed that piece of broken drill bit (knew I should have held on to it)!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


very nice tools Terry. Some Bridge City likeness there.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Looks like you've got a marking gauge for every occasion there Terry. Very nice.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Wonderful blog Terry.
I love the last picture!
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *More marking gauges*
> 
> More marking gauges? Yes, I made a few for practice during the Marking Gauge Swap this past Spring…
> 
> ...


Nice write up TR.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Warming Closet*

Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…

For those of you who've never been as far South as Alabama, and don't think we see cold weather, let me change your mind. LOL. No, we don't get many Nor'easters, or tons of snow, but here in the mountains of N. AL, the weather is fickle. And, winter hath suddenly arrived with low temps at night below freezing on a regular basis.

(An important event when you collect water from the nearest cave!) 










As it happens, my shop is one of those galvanized steel buildings with two wooden end walls. After Katrina, the building itself received a Hurricane rating from the gov't. Cool. I need a shop to outlast me, so we bought it. Unfortunately, they don't tell ya how hard it is to insulate one of these guys. A foam spray on the inside would've been a good option a few years ago BEFORE I moved tons of tools in…for about $4,000! yikes!

So, we skipped that expense, and decided to let me insulate the shop as best I can in my 'spare' time. LOL. And, I'm actually making progress…in a geological sort of time frame…but my epoxy and wood finishes need a little help now. Hence, my excuse for this blog.

I need a place to store glue, finishes, and maybe a small project in clamps, inside the freezing shop. The shop is 30×40 feet and with 14 foot ceilings, we cannot afford to heat the whole area until insulated tight as a drum. So…let's build a warming closet…

How big? Hmmm…I planned to use 1/2" rigid insulation for the walls since I had some in the shop left over from a bow blank heating box. The left over pieces were 24" by 7 feet. That determined the overall size, since I didn't want to cut this rigid insulation. Hopefully, this warming closet will be a temporary build, so no glue, and no cutting the R-Max.










To determine the height of shelves, I made a quick mock-up at the bench. Or maybe I made a mockery of the bench? Hard to tell. But, at least, now I had an idea of how long to make the legs.

Sorry for the messy shop, did I mention I'm in the middle of insulating and sheathing that back wall in the photo? Those of you really paying attention, should remember the open stud wall and big stack of pink insulation behind the newly completed bench a few months ago! LOL.

So, now a quick trip to the miter saw with a handful of 2×4's…4 legs, 4 long stretchers, and 4 short ones. I guess I failed to grab photos of the miter saw action…kinda boring anyway.










Wow, I don't know how I ever assembled stuff like this before having a massive bench with dog holes on every surface! What a great extra pair of hands! Yeah, this is a pretty ugly build, screws, butt joints, and cheapo pine. But, it can always be taken apart in a minute and re-purposed. Ooops, that lower stretcher was supposed to be attached underneath the long one…










A few more stretchers, more screws…hmmm…see if that piece of ply fits on top. Sweet! Another good reason to make this closet 24" deep. It's really starting to come together…










Add some more scrap ply left over from the wall, and voila, a piece of crap we have! It's sturdy, but makes my eyes hurt to look at it. Luckily, it's headed to a dark corner of the shop, and getting a cover of rigid insulation…










Ahhh…there…it looks better already. Off in the corner with the stack of pallets! The R-Max is just held together with the aluminum tape used to seal HVAC systems, in fact, the door just uses tape as hinges. It's not completely air tight, but I wasn't trying to build an epoxy bomb…just a space to keep it warm. LOL.

And…there's room for expansion. Oh wait, I said it was a temporary build. Busted!

For a latch, how about a spalting 2-by? Works for me…










Now…back to the shop's wood stove installation! 

Thanks for reading along…comments and suggestions are always welcomed.


----------



## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Big enough to smoke a turkey in! Nice job, just don't forget to sign your work.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Great idea Terry. Actually I can picture you in there sitting on top of that sturdy bench on a cold day knapping some flint.


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Is there a heat source, like a light bulb or something? Guess I was among thos who didn't know it got "somewhat" cold in Alabama. Cool shop building. 40×30…sounds like a mansion to me.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


So sorry, Shane, I forgot to mention there's a lil electric heater down on the floor…on the lowest setting!


----------



## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Comfy, cozy, n toasty. Looks like a good spot for a nap too. Makin due as usual Terry. I dig it.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


No knapping or napping in the shop! Well, except for the shop kitty.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Nice job Terry.

Does it work to your satisfaction?


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Spalting 2X for a latch!? High falutin Terry!! Looks great, thanks for sharing.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


I need to do something similar. It moving the stuff into the house for now. My shop is insulated, but I can't afford to heat it full time.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Tony, I've placed a lil thermometer inside the closet to make sure the max temps don't waste money, and so far the unit still needs to be fine tuned…but works great! Wood glue is warm to the touch in the morning. 

Candy, I had to choose between THREE door latches: more alum tape, pallet or this piece of wood on top of the pallet. Easy choice! LOL

Don, I've been carrying epoxy back and forth, too, not anymore. At first, I thought this closet was too huge, but now I'm glad I built it big, and sturdy. I feel this will a permanent feature of my evolving shop.


----------



## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


Slick Terry, very smart approach.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Closet*
> 
> Sorry, no hand-cut dovetails, or fancy inlays this blog…time for some work on the shop itself…
> 
> ...


I certainly can identify with you and Don re: cold shop space and keeping things from freezing. Well, I could up until last winter, but you know what I mean.

HVAC of any kind in a 30×40 space is a comittment. It's the very reason I ended up additing a partition wall. Something still on the 'to do' list is framing a small room on the other side of the 'back door' for paints, the paint shaker, other finishes, bulk fastener storage (Folgers cans), etc. Well insulated, that draws heat from the propane heater in the shop room.

I love the use of alum. tape for your hinges. Love that stuff. Looks incredibly sturdy, too. Nice job!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Warming Canopy*

Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…

Last installment, I built a crappy warming closet for glues and finishes, and it's working great, but now I need a warm place large enough for a tool chest to sit while the Titebond3 cures. In my head, I could picture a covered wagon sort of structure which would cover my table saw and outfeed table…add a space heater, and a tarp and we are in business!

I had seen similar builds using pex as the support for the outer tarp, so off to town I go for 1/2" pretty red pex and a heavy duty tarp that's silver on the inside.

To connect everything to the table top, I came up with the idea of legs…about 16" tall, hole near the base for clamping. hole in the top to accept the pex. Then, I proceeded to turn 6 legs to exactness…lost the photos from a PC crash, but here's one leg.










Kinda fancy, yeah. I'm trying to upgrade the look of my shop, so figured this was as good a starting point as any! LOL. The legs are turned from Hard Maple and finished with Danish Oil.

And here's what everything looked like when I added my pretty red pex and the heavy a$$ tarp.










...kinda like crap, huh? I had no idea the 1/2" pex was so flimsy at these lengths. Especially under a heavy tarp. bummer.

But, the system worked…I went ahead and started on the carcase for my tool chest using a lil heater underneath the tarp. However, I had flat out over engineered the build to the point of laughing or crying…depending on your point of view. I spent nearly two days turning those fancy legs…guess they'll make a nice table!

Back to the drawing board…something simple…lightweight…cheap…

PVC! 

We have a ton of 1" on the property, but it felt flimsy to me, and I wanted none of that. I figured I may as well overbuild the warming canopy, so off to town for some 1.5" pvc and a few connectors…










Much better! Clamps up-side down to accept the pvc…simple! Holds the weight of the tarp without question! sweet. I even discovered I could remove one leg section, and have better access to the project since my bench is one foot behind the camera in this shot…better work flow!










Sorry for all the wood filler…hiding the countersunk screws and a few gaps before paint.

But, I tend to just leave the tarp on top of this canopy, and clamp it out of the way. Folding the tarp North, south, east or west…doesn't matter on the rigid frame. Heck, I can still use my table saw once that chest is moved…nice!

On really cold days without sun, my steel shop is a terrible cold sink! Now, I can leave 1/2 the canopy down, and work around the outfeed table with the space heater keeping this small space comfy.










That's a plus I hadn't counted on! Of course, we haven't seen the shop's power bill since the new addition.  But, generally, I leave the shop with the heater on a timer so that it shuts off in 6 hours. That ought to be long enough for T3 to cure?

Here's what the canopy looks like closed and buttoned up…










OK, I'll admit it's sorta homely looking! LOL. But, it sure is helping this homey get some stuff built this winter. So far, temps range 55-65 inside the tarp during the heat session…love it.










Comments and suggestions are always welcomed…


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


Beautiful, love it!


----------



## cajunpen (Apr 9, 2007)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


Looks like a clever solution. Happy I don't live where it gets that cold . Of course, when I am dealing with Hurricanes - you are probably happy that you don't live where there are Hurricanes. Anyway it looks great.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


Way to persevere Terry! Now, what to do with that pretty red PEX and maple legs?


----------



## Picklehead (Feb 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


And it could double as a nice warm "doghouse" after your next big tool purchase!


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


You need to find one of the insulation blankets like concrete guys use to cover new concrete. You could probably get away with just a heat lamp.

I see some kiln possibilities in your future as well.


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


Great solution Terry, finding a place to get some work done in the cold can be an ballad he at times. Looks like you've made yourself quite a bit of room to work with now! I'd second what Don says too, some insulation for the bottom might go a long way to keeping the cold leaching its way back in!


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


Very nice Terry. Turned out much more adaptable than one would have expected too.


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Warming Canopy*
> 
> Hello everyone, more on Global Warming in this blog…
> 
> ...


Oh man…..lol. What a pain just get some glue to dry. Somehow I missed these shop blogs of yours. Good stuff. It's cool to see your man cave.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Sargent 3416 Restoration*

Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.










Nearly everyone I know cleans vintage tools with some combination of BLO, soap, and spirits…or a secret solution containing one of the above.

However, recently, LJ buddy CFrye uncovered this article on The Best Things:
http://www.thebestthings.com/toolfaqs.htm

The author is mostly dealing with collectable tools, but admits any fine tool should be cared for properly. I agree. He preaches the use of dry cleaning agents, no oils, no steel wool, no water. He also mentions that a tool so badly rusted that it won't respond to his methods, is usually passed along to another tool junkie. And, if you're restoring a non-collector to user status, do whatever you want! LOL.

I have several vintage levels, braces, and planes in a pile ready for restoration, and really wanted to keep the old patina on them, so was waiting for info like this…

So, off to town I go for a $4 can of the red Turtle Wax Cleaner…actually, I was at the auto parts store for our Jeep…no way I'd drive 40 minutes to town for a $4 item.

My test subject was a Sargent 3416 Transitional plane, complete and in fairly good shape, just filthy. After disassembly, I noticed the smell of burned wood at the base of the tote, probably the same event the caused the heavy discoloration on the left side, too?










Since it's below freezing in the shop, and SWMBO is at work, I had no trouble securing permission to set up a restoration area inside the house between the propane heater and the coffee pot.

My intentions were to use only the Turtle wax and scotchbrite pads for the entire process to see what happened…










I applied the cleaner directly to the green pads and started rubbing it in with the direction of the grain. Scrub 15 seconds, then wipe clean with a cotton rag…nice results immediately! The turtle wax leaves a slight film on the surface after cleaning which buffs to a nice satin finish.

I scratched off the film with dry scotchbrite, then applied more cleaner to the very grimy parts. A final coat of wax is intended once cleaning is done. I had to skip this step since my wax was across the frozen tundra in my shop, probably 1000 feet from the toasty, warmth of our home.










I also used the turtle wax on the painted surfaces with only minor improvements. Of course, someone has painted over the original japanning and rust, so these parts will require additional cleaning when I can un-thaw the shop. I sprayed a lil citrus degreaser on the nasty parts and scrubbed with plastic brush, and wiped clean with cotton rag.

Since this 3416 has a high probability of being a Type 1, I don't want to re-paint it, or make it look new! It has both the horseshoe shaped lateral adjuster and Type 1 logo on the iron, so I hesitantly call it a Type 1. Still, after a few months of looking, I don't see a pre-lateral Sargent transitional, and Heckel's images of the Type 1 look just like this plane…










I had no luck at all cleaning around the iron's logo with scotchbrite pads. Half of the logo is missing anyway, so I'll probably leave it as is. Except for sharpening!

The completed plane looks much better IMO, but could use more cleaning on the metal parts…especially those that are un-painted.










Since this transitional is a user/collector for me…I've managed to obtain 75% of the trannies Sargent made…I really want it to look old, but cared for. I certainly will find a better method to clean the iron, but will avoid WD-40 and steel wool till the end on these pre-1901 parts!



















Comments and suggestions are always welcomed…


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


I was waiting for ya to throw a blog out about the turtle wax stuff, seems like it did a pretty decent job. Going for that "just cleaned, definitely not restored" look, it seems it's a good $4 investment. Shame that someone had to paint over it but that's a fine looking Sargent!


----------



## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


I'd say it worked great! I like that look. Might use the turtle wax on saw totes, for a similar keep the patina, but clean it up, look.

Thanks for documenting it Terry.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


I'd agree with the type 1 Terry. I think if a pre-lateral Sargent is found, it will be a prototype. I don't think they ever went into production.

Excellent job on the #3416. I can't wait for the family picture.


----------



## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


That looks like it worked great. Am I reading this right that the pictures are a cleaned up but not oiled or waxed state because your wax is stuck in the tundra? I just put the red turtle rubbing compound on my shopping list after seeing Candy post that.


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


Looks really nice Terry.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


Great results. Thank you Terry.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


Wow, Terry! That is how I want my restored/cleaned up tools to look. I have this stuff on my list of things to get. I just need to remember the list when I go to the store! 
When I read 'un-thaw'' it made me think of John Wayne saying "Unloosen those gun belts" heeheehee!
Thanks for sharing your results.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Sargent 3416 Restoration*
> 
> Hi everyone, just wanted to share some quick results from a recent product experiment…Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound.
> 
> ...


Thanks, everyone. Really, Candy gets the credit for digging up this info! And, Candy, I suppose I'm old and Grizzly like John Wayne, but about 1/3 His size! LOL

Certain to change how I restore tools from now on…I imagine steel wool or pumice may yield different results for dirtier wood?

Tim, yes, no wax or oil at all. No, my wax isn't really stuck in the tundra…I'm just too lazy to walk across the road to my shop some days…especially when it's 20 degrees in the shop, and 60 in the house!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Cherry Tobacco Pipe*

Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker. 

Actually, I should blame the current Pipe Swap that's just begun for pushing me to try this now…

In my quest to learn more about Native American life, I've carved a couple of pipes from stone, using simple tools. ( drill press and rasp) I'd rather NOT smoke from a stone pipe due to the silica or stone dust, so my small Native inspired collection is for looks only.

However, a wooden pipe is a real user tool, and after a bit of reading on acceptable woods, I chose a piece of Cherry for my first attempt. Onto the lathe, around it goes, BAM! Another piece of firewood…










I was in a hurry, and just didn't pay attention to what was happening at 1000 rpm. Blame it on low serum caffeine levels at the end of the day!

The next day, I was more focused and full of coffee, so paid closer attention to the layout of the initial block of wood. I even cut it into more of an 'L' shape to make lathe turning easier.

After an hour of careful turning and sanding, I was confident I had the beginnings of a nice pipe this time! I wasn't concerned how long this build took, I just wanted to prove I could make a pipe without a store bought kit.










Unfortunately, I had turned the cherry too thin where the stummel needed to accept the stem. I decided a Maple spacer would solve that problem, plus add a bit of length to the pipe. It took me a couple of hours to turn the little piece of Maple since it had to fit inside the stummel, and accept the coming stem. Tricky, tricky.










I also decided while I was going through all the trouble of adding the spacer, why not decorate it a bit with some red vulcanized plastic? A knife maker's trick. Here in the clamps…










While waiting for the epoxy to cure, I started on the little stem. I had some 3/4" Delrin in the shop, so plopped a section on the lathe and started to form what I had in mind. This stuff is tricky to turn! Always trying to grab the carbide chisel tips. And it sure doesn't chip like wood!










Eventually, stubbornness won over, and I had a polished piece of rod with a tenon that tightly fitted my pipe, and a shoulder that would match the stummel.



















Using a backsaw, I cut off the extra Delrin, and used the drill press to form a slot from the center-drilled through hole. No photos of this, but I basically drilled short diagonal holes which led to the center hole, and formed sort of an oval opening for the stem.

Trying to copy a store bought stem I had in stock, I then reached for rasps to shape the lip at the end of the stem. Soon, I realized the Dremel loaded with a carbide cutter worked much faster!










Still, for fine detail work, like the lip on this stem, I prefer the slow steady work of a hand tool. Especially when Auriou is stamped on one side! These small hand-stitched rasps are a pleasure to use, and eat Delrin with ease. In just minutes, I had a lip on the stem.










I had read a few articles online, and everyone recommends cabinet scrapers at this point for cleaning up rasp marks. I chose DonW's newest gift knife for the job since it had a more comfy handle than a scraper. Worked great at producing a smoother finish in seconds as you can see the cleaner section nearest you in the photo…










Unfortunately, we still have a LONG WAY to go before this poly-methyl- whatever is ready for presentation.

I knew I was headed for some time in front of the buffing wheels, so I formed a quick handle to hold the stem from a scrap of Chakte Viga (Mexican orange wood)...










...and loaded a 120 grit flap sander in the lathe. Nice. These wide flap sanders are great for sanding into corners without removing details. Only a few minutes later the entire stem was scratched with 120 grit marks…yeah, that's a good thing! LOL. Hopefully, I'll score a few more of these flap sanders in higher grits pretty soon, but for now I had to settle for hand sanding.

As soon as I reached 600 grit with hand held sandpaper, I took the stem back to the lathe where I had a few buffing wheels in wait. 600, 1200, and finally 2000 grit buffers removed all traces of tooling on the Delrin. whew!










By now, the epoxy was well cured on the stummel extension, so I returned to the woodworking part of the project. I turned to my best saw ( Excaliber scroll saw ) and quickly removed most of the bulky waste…










...then a few seconds on the 12" disc sander for finer stock removal…










And, no more chunky square thing with holes bored in it. I was close to a pipe!

At this point I relied on the fanciest multi-purpose, adjustable, variable speed, multi-position tool I have…my hands holding another hand-stitched rasp. I'm certain if I were trying to make pipes for a living, I'd stick with power tools as much as possible. But, this is just a hobby for an old retired Nurse, so the time I spend feeling a fine rasp remove wood fibers is one of the simple joys in my life. Really.

I grabbed my Gramercy rasps for removing the unwanted cherry since they were the perfect size for the curves I wanted. I may have stumbled upon a new pipe maker's tool by using my saw tote maker's rasp and shaping the critical curve leading up to the bowl? Fits and works perfectly…










These Gramercy rasps were made in Pakistan, but are of fine quality and workmanship. I've had mine for a year+, and they show no signs of wear. I trusted the vendor, Tools For Working Wood, and have no regrets. Except it took about 8 months of steady-watching their website to score the elusive saw tote maker's rasp. A highly recommended tool if you like to carve rounded stuff!

From here, the pipe just needed a few hours of hand sanding to be completed. I sanded to 1500 grit, then applied 2 coats of Bison wax for a finish.



















I hate to admit it, but the piece of cherry is sorta bland, so not a block buster of a finished pipe. But, I made it in MY SHOP from a couple of chunks of wood, plastic spacers, and 3/4" solid Delrin rod. No kits, ya know? Lots of satisfaction from overcoming all the obstacles. Isn't that what woodworking is all about?










The bowl was turned sorta thin, so this guy may be a wall hanger. But, that's OK by me since I learned a ton from the build! The next one should be easier, I hope! LOL.










Comments and suggestions are welcomed…


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


You do wonderful work Terry. A beautiful pipe for sure.
Thanks for taking the time to bring us along.

How does it draw? Have you tested it?


----------



## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Nicely done Terry. Inspiring me to give this a shot. Maybe I'll go back to smoking pipes and get rid of the cigarettes.

I won't be able to find time for the swap though.


----------



## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Let me say this. That looks a hell of a lot better than I thought it would from the first couple pics. That's a really nice job Terry.


----------



## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


You sure that's for tobacco?


----------



## LittlePaw (Dec 21, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...





















Wow, Terry, that was quite a read! I admire your inventiveness and follow-through! I agree that the wall is on the thin side - only one of my pipes was that thin. They were mostly either straight grained or walnut burls. But I didn't make them, I just enjoyed them. I used to pipe smoke up to the time my youngest was born. My wife (then) told me to quit, ya know! Now they are just sitting in my curio cabinet to remind me of those "good ole days". I don't smoke them now, but sure enjoy the aroma of my custom-blend tobacco that still linger. I had a poker buddy who owned a pipe shop and he came up with a special blend that cured the raw tongue I was getting from store bought tobacco. Well, Terry, I kinda miss the ole ritual of tamping, lighting n puffin on the old pipes, though! Enjoyed reading yours!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words, guys. I'll probably keep this one as a wall hanger since the walls of the bowl are so thin, and it's just cherry. Gonna probably need a rounded bit to bore out a user?

Maur, ummm, whatcha got? 

LittlePAW, that's a sweet collection! I've got briar now, so will make some nicer ones soon.


----------



## cajunpen (Apr 9, 2007)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Great build and you really documented the build well. I beat that nicotine habit in 2010 no matter how pretty the instrument, I don't want any part of smoke in my life again, but I don't mind if you enjoy


----------



## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Excellent work Terry. Really impressive.


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Terry, from an odd square piece of wood with a bowl in it, you turned out a dang fine looking item there! I gotta say too, every time you show off those Auriou rasps off I start to get a real itch to drop some serious money on those things! Glad to see you like the Gramercy variety though too, they are a bit more affordable!
Excellent work!


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Great blog Terry.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Beautiful pipe Terry! almost makes me wish Jim still smoked one. Almost. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Yeah, Candy, from a retired RN's perspective, these pipes aren't meant for getting into shape! LOL.

All about the craftsmanship and art…


----------



## palaswood (Aug 9, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Cherry Tobacco Pipe*
> 
> Hi everyone, more eye candy in this blog since I'm having a go at a wooden tobacco pipe for the first time. Why? Are you kidding! Pipes are tools as old as spoons and bowls…important stuff! And you guys already know I want to be a tool maker.
> 
> ...


Terry I just scored a Delrin scraps source. I have been shootin the breeze with this local machine shop manager in my workplace's business park for the past few onths, and they make all manner of things out of Delrin. He knows me cause Im always on the hunt for wood around lunchtime. I spoke to him today and he'll start putting aside the nice sized cutoffs for me.

I'm interested to see what you mean about turning it. I know using the drill press on a small 3/4" x 3" block was a joy. This stuff is so hard, and I'm interested to find many uses for it in my shop. Cool stuff.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*

Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…

Was shaping a little smoking pipe from Briar the other day, when the handle came off my year old Gramercy Saw Tote Maker's Rasp. I was sorta shocked! The hand-stitched teeth in the steel really make this a fine user, but less so without the handle.

Upon closer inspection, I could see no evidence that the handle's hole, the steel's tang, or the brass ferrule had ever seen signs of glue…










In fact, the hole drilled for the tang was too large, and wood/steel contact only occurred for the final 1/8" of the drilled hole. I was dismayed to see no scratch marks on the inside of the brass ferrule or on the tang of the blade. I know the handle was made in USA, but whomever assembled this tool was in a hurry, or missed a day during instructions.

No biggie…gives me a chance to turn a new handle, in fact. So…let it be Cocobolo…










So, onto the lathe with a 4/4 piece of the sweet stuff…round and round she goes! First, I turned the square blank round, then placed it in the 4-jaw chucks. And, after the usual re-turning round, I drilled a .200" hole for the tang…a bit smaller than what I had received. You can my high-tech depth stop on the drill bit above.










With the proper size hole finished, I used the 60 degree revolving cone in the tailstock to keep the piece held in center while I shaped the handle. The area underneath the brass ferrule comes first in my book. I have to constantly turn the lathe off and on and pull the tailstock out of the way to test fit the ferrule…even using 100 grit sandpaper the last few thou' of an inch. It's that important! I also turn v-grooves into the wood underneath the ferrule to allow extra room for the epoxy. Sorry, I missed a photo of that portion…next time…

I shaped the handle according to a template I made months ago, but allowed for any differences that popped up. Just the general shape, please. Sanded on the lathe to 600 grit, then removed so I could subject the cocobolo to the THREE buffing wheels in wait.










First buff is Tripoli, second is White Diamond, third is just cotton that I use to buff the coat of wax finish. And, IMO, this is some fine wax…










I just use the clear so far. But love it absolutely for the sheen it creates and how it deepens colors. Of course, this is cocobolo…you could polish it to 2000 grit and finish it with ear wax and it would STILL look like a million dollars!

And, for the important part, the epoxy. No, not borg epoxy, please. Spend your hard earned money on quality epoxy and soft tissue paper I always say! I usually heat the epoxy with the heat gun till it drips easily from the bottle, and I heat the wood, the mixing stick, everything that comes in contact with the epoxy. Especially when it's winter.










And, no, I don't have a clamp fetish!

Well, OK, yes I do.

And for the finished handle…










Came out so nice, I've been trying to get the handle OFF my other Gramercy rasp so I can make them match! But, it won't budge…yet.

I'm certain that Tools for Working Wood and Gramercy have the utmost respect for fine tools, and somehow, this rasp slipped through QA to find its way in Alabama. No real complaints from me on a $50 tool since I can crank out handles and enjoy it. The hand-stitched teeth still perform madly, and the shape of this rasp makes it a joy to shape round objects.

But…ummm…I just may stick with Auriou or Lioger from now on. Unless I can buy hand-stitched steel without the handle at a discount! Then, that's not a problem…


----------



## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Nice looking handle Bud!!

That cocobolo came out great.

What is the brand on the wax?? I can't tell from the photo.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


You "handled" it well.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


^LOL
Terry, it's Liberon wax. stinky good.


----------



## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Beautiful work T!


----------



## cajunpen (Apr 9, 2007)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


So, you got a handle on it . Good story and the handle looks amazing. I just might have to order some of that Liberon wax, I have been using Renaissance Wax - how does it compare to that, or are talking Apples and Oranges?


----------



## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


I like that buffing wheel rig. Can you show us (i.e., me) some more details?


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Wonderful Terry. Always a pleasure to see your work.

Thanks.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Thanks, again, guys.

Bill, PM sent, but I say use that Renaissance till it's gone…great wax!

JJ, the buffing rig is sold by several vendors online, this one is by Beall…










Mine came from Klingspor since I was ordering sandpaper from them as well, but is the same. It's essentially a 17" long mandrel that one end fits a MT2, and the opposite end can be grabbed by your tail stock. Uses pvc spacers and washers to hold 3 buffing wheels. They run about $95, but I'm already sold on the time savings! Not to mention the final finish…love it!

For the record, most turners apply Tung Oil to the wood piece, allow to dry, then start with this 3 buff system. I'm out of Tung, so skipped that step…but will grab some in town later this week, and see if deepens the wood colors…


----------



## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Or you can make your own multi-wheel buffer (2, 3, or even 4 if desired).
1/2" all thread
6 nuts and 6 washers to hold the wheels in place
sufficient 3/4" or 1" PVC I used 3/4" on mine to act as spacers between the nuts
a starter drill for putting a hole for a live center on one end of the rod.

I use a collet chuck with a 1/2" collet to hold and spin mine. I had the all thread on hand form a different project, 6 nuts and washers cost me less than 10 bucks.

Great time saver.


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Great save terry, that cocobolo handle looks pretty sweet. Thx for bringing the buffing wheel attachment for the lathe to my attention…. More reasons to get one!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Very nice, Terry I knew there was a shop made solution! I already had the buffs, so splurged on the mandrel for $40. I'm not much of a metal worker…yet…


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Wow, beautiful finish on the handle! Very nice work.


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


I really like the pattern you use for your handles. The ones you share with me are prized in my shop.

And I didn't even know there were better quality epoxies….now I do;-)

Good stuff man. I need to go back and read more of your blogs.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Now I think you need to include a pic showing a bit of the ole' shop log if your going to name this series "Shop's Log…"


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Terry, that new handle is a thing of beauty. What kind of wood was the old one? I checked the Gramercy website. It said "With wood handle." Well *that* was helpful! Thanks for the step by step. 
Edit: and thanks for the tip on heating the epoxy!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Thanks, ya'll.

Red, yes, epoxy is NOT created equal. And, since I try to sell my wares, handles must not come off. LOL.

Candy, I'm not sure what type of wood Gramercy used? Looks like maple? Certainly not a tight-grained species I'd pick.

Smitty, I'll try to get a log in the next blog, buddy…they keep getting moved closer to the bandsaw and…


----------



## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


Wow, it came out beautiful!


----------



## CharlieK (Jan 6, 2008)

terryR said:


> *Gramercy Rasp Gets New Handle*
> 
> Well, this is a short blog that I sorta wish I didn't have to share, but not every day in the shop is cherry…
> 
> ...


That Gramercy file is truly worthy of such a beautiful handle. Nice Work!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Two More Pipes*

Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…

First, for those who don't know me, I have an addictive personality. So, when I create something in the shop that turns out better than I anticipated, or was more fun than I expected…I just HAVE to make another one. LOL.

...wooden arrows, pine needle baskets, and wood-burned gourds come to mind. This month it's wooden tobacco pipes! 

I learned a ton from my first attempt, and after JimtheCarver posted a couple of his one-piece pipes on the Pipe Swap Forum, I had to try one. A pretty 2×2" section of Cherry was close at hand, so cherry it is…

The most difficult part IMO seemed to be turning the outer section of the bowl…










...as you can see the blue-taped section swings in an awkward way when the machine is on. In fact, it's very difficult to even see at 400 rpm, that's why I added the blue tape. I got my knuckles tapped a few dozen times while shaping this part. Not good.

Also, as a side note…notice my little Jet with a supposed 5" of clearance over the bed (giving the 10" swing). However, since I'm using a 4-jaw chuck to hold the workpiece, some of that distance is used up by tooling, so a 5" long stem wouldn't clear the bed…Sorry for the math, just something to remember when buying a lathe. You won't be able to use the maximum stated swing for some projects.

And, notice also how little space there is left for the tool rest support…not to mention the tool rest itself. This is exactly where a metal working lathe excels over a wood turner. Not saying this cannot be done…keep watching…but it takes more skill and attention with this tool.










Once the tobacco chamber is turned, the pipe is re-chucked on the lathe in this position. Much easier to shape since there's more room! But, I still use the blue tape to remind my brain to keep the chisels away from that section.

Oh, I completely forgot…the blank has already been drilled on the lathe for the air hole and the tobacco chamber. 3/4" Forstner bit for the chamber since I don't have a proper rounded bit yet, and a 3/16" air hole…gotta get photos next time!

After shaping at the lathe, there's still some stock removal which has to be done with rasps or power carving tools. I used both. A carbide cutter in the Dremel is nice for fast removal, but the rasp is better for precision work IMO.










In the above photo, I've already used the carbide cutter, and have progressed to a worn flap sander. An extremely noisy tool, but very effective nonetheless. Above, you can also see the old handle which came off my Gramercy rasp…bummer. See previous blog for repairs. Told you I'm behind on posting stuff. 

After power sanding a ton of cherry dust into the shop's air, I had to leave for a while just to breathe! Guess I've been playing with hand tools too much lately and have gotten out of practice with the power sanders. Must have shop vac nearby!

Eventually sanded to 600 grit by hand, then subjected to the 3 buff system on the lathe. Simple wax for a finish…










Again, the cherry is sorta bland, but not a bad pipe for my 2nd attempt. It draws quite well despite the flat tobacco chamber! Overall length of 6". Was such a blast to make…

I cut another blank of wood immediately. I wanted something with more grain and color, so chose some Spalted Alder…










No, no, no, I'm not gonna smoke out of this pipe…I just wanted a pretty piece of wood. I still failed to get photos of drilling the air holes, but in the photo above you can see the careful layout and transfer of lines all the way around the blank. You can also see I like to play with sharp knives and colored pencils. LOL.

I followed the exact same steps as the cherry pipe above…used the lathe to turn the bowl, then the stem…










Here's a good shot of what the pipe looks like after all the lathe work, and before the handwork…










And, I used the Dremel, then rasps, then sandpaper, blah, blah, blah. Who's even reading by now? Just show us the eye candy! 










Came out pretty nice for pipe no.3, short and stubby at 5.5" long. Definitely a wall-hanger, but on this one I learned to hold my lathe chisels left-handed…keeping my tender knuckles further from the rotating evil wood. So, not a waste of time at all IMO. 

In fact, I'm feeling confident about working that Apple and expensive Briar now! AND, I'm hooked on making pipes…

Comments and Suggestions are always welcomed!


----------



## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Great blog.
Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Terry, I'm seriously impressed with the pipes I've seen you turn out. Great way to practice your skillz: just make more of 'em!!!!


----------



## Philzoel (Dec 26, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Curved stem next, rirgt.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Pretty nice Terry.


----------



## Hybridwoodworker (Jul 24, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Turn an 8" to 10" cone extension. Cone on one end and smal derpession or hole on the other end. Use it between the pipe bowl and the tail stock cone. Now you have room to the right of the pipe handle for the tool rest banjo.

BRuce


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Very nice Terry. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


I like watching you work;-)


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words, ya'll.

Thanks, Bruce, I will try that! I've turned a 3" long cone before, but it was green oak, and split the first week. Will try again with some beech! 10", huh? sounds long…but will give it a go!


----------



## Hybridwoodworker (Jul 24, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Terry, they to use dry wood and even pine will work. I would aim for a minimum of 3/4" diameter. At the speed you are turning and off center weighted piece, you should not have a lot of vibration.

BRuce


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks, again, BRuce…was just searching google images, and see a lot of pine colored jigs!

I think a wooden pipe mandrel is coming up.  Thank you for helping me see the obvious…


----------



## Hybridwoodworker (Jul 24, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


You are welcome. I've been turning for a while and solving theses types of issues are the fun part .


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Bruce, just to prove you are not wasting your time…

...my new pipe mandrel. 










About 8" long, made from pine, works great!

Yes, I agree that solving shop 'problems' is 1/2 the fun sometimes…sounds like I need YOU in the shop more often. LOL.


----------



## Hybridwoodworker (Jul 24, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


I'm around most of the time now so either post a question or send a private email. I've never turned a pipe but may have to give it a try since it has different mounting problems. It would be an interesting piece to display. I never feel it is a waste of time to post a response, someone will benefit. Your lathe looks like a Jet but I can't see enought of it to tell.

BRuce


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Don't know how I missed this Terry. Those pipes are great. I wouldn't know where to start with a project like that, so thanks for such a detailed and amusing blog. Great read.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words, Andy.

Your 3mx3m shop would look nice with a midi-lathe! LOL. And, I bet your wifey could think of lots of holiday stuff for you to turn for the up-coming carnivals! I KNOW it isn't a hand tool…but…it can make hand tools!


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Two More Pipes*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Yeah I'd love a lathe, but there's a lot of other stuff to get before then. Today I was wishing I had a grinder as I was re-establihing the primary bevel on a block plane. Took freakin' ages on a 250 grit diamond stone. In the end I used a P80 grit sanding belt to get me in the ball park.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Split Nut Driver*

Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…

I have an 1870's Shelton and Sons back saw that I'm trying to bring back to life. Tote is in aweful shape; missing the lower half with the sexy lamb's tongue, missing half of upper horn, many cracks…As you can tell, I'm looking for an excuse to replace it. LOL.

Actually, that decision is still up for committee to decide, but before anything can happen, the old brass split nuts HAVE to be removed. Priceless, yes. Fragile, yes, again. And since my existing split nut driver didn't fit the nuts, time to make a split nut driver…

Looks like lots of folks modify a 1/2" spade bit for a driver, so that was my plan.










First, I cut off the tip, trying to use the existing hole in the bit to start my needed slot. I should've made the cut closer to the tip, so more 'hole' was left closer to the 1/2 mark, so don't copy me exactly! 

A cut-off wheel in the Dremel proved very effective at overcoming that mistake, and roughed out a nice slot…










Then, a bit of work with a small file to square off all the edges. Like the 'hardwood flooring' I'm working on? It's just chips from the lathe, but they are spreading over a 4×8 foot area now! I'm undecided on whether to vacuum, or just go with it. LOL.










At this point, the driver would probably remove most split nuts, but the guys I'm dealing with have been sanded until there's hardly any slot left, and I need a sharp edge on the driver. Grinding wheel? No, I chose the slower route…sandpaper…










First, coloring the area I was about to work with a sharpie. And just rubbing the bit against 80 grit sandpaper, I was able to place a sharp bevel on both sides fairly quickly…










That'll work!

I wanted to leave some of the initial number 2 just for the heck of it…made it look shop-made, ya know? At this point, I couldn't help but try out the driver, so attempted to remove the split nuts in question. A lil downward pressure, twist about 5 degrees to tighten, then loosen gently. Ahhh…no problems with removal of the 130 year old brass.










Except…










They are all bent pretty badly. Just as expected. I'm actually new to restoring saws this old, but have been told these appear about average for this vintage. Jeez…

No worries, an LJ buddy is already on the task of turning me some new split nuts for this saw. I'll try to straighten the screw on the Medallion slightly, and re-use it.

Meanwhile, this blog…the driver now needs a suitable handle! I chose a section of Bloodwood, drilled and turned it on the lathe so that it fit the steel shaft. And cut a brass plumbing fitting in 1/2 to use for a ferrule.

Somehow, I failed to get any photos of the lathe work, but here is the finished driver.










I also managed to epoxy the ferrule on backwards, the beveled end should've pointed towards the steel, not left to create a gap between ferrule and wood. Oh well, for less than $5 I think I can live with it. LOL. Plus, there's always time for another one…

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed:


----------



## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


You really do great work Terry.

Nice Handle.
Nice tool.
Good luck rehandling the saw.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Nice work Terry.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


She's a beaut'. Well done Terry.


----------



## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Right on Terry. Good luck with the restores!


----------



## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Nice. I like the bloodwood handle.


----------



## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Great job Terry! I love your turnings. Anxious to see what you decide to do with the handle.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Lovely job sir. Can't wait to see the saw once you've worked your magic.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Nicely done, Terry! How did you burn the lines in? Looking forward to the saw handle do over.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks, everyone!

Candy, burn lines in with wire…nearly any kind will work. I use worn out guitar strings cut down to about 12" from my best friend…free! Turn the lathe to max speed and carefully touch string to workpiece. Different species burn quicker…just use caution at every step!


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Nice work Terry, the lines are a nice touch.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...












Thought that those bent bolts looked familiar!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


^LOL. You found the photo I was going to share on the Saw Forum yesterday; how funny!

Those nuts were a devil to remove! I think you know the feeling! 

Hey, those $3 saws you've been collecting lately with hardware are a smart investment! just scan eBay for the cost of hardware minus the busted saw…


----------



## blue77 (Nov 30, 2015)

terryR said:


> *Split Nut Driver*
> 
> Hi everyone, another short blog in an attempt to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thank you this is just what I need! I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Red Oak Cat Shelf*

Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…

In addition to the goats, pigs, and chickens, The Wife and I also have too many cats on this place! LOL. Four cats live inside with us, plus one in the barn, two live in the back yard, and at least two frequently visit for food.

I guess I take after my Dad who was known as "The Cat Man" by the local vet's office…I just love cats. The barn kitty hangs with me in the shop when I'm working, the other outside cats always want food and affection, and the inside cats rule our house.

If you have cats, you probably understand! 

We already have a 6 foot tall cat "tree" covered with carpet in the living room, so the cats will TEND to scratch it instead of the furniture. And we have a handful of cat "shelves" attached all over one wall, intended for them to climb and frolic upon. Great for entertainment, believe me!

When my wife showed me this photo from the web:










...I wanted to upgrade our ugly cat shelves immediately! Nah, I wasn't interested in paying 250 Euros plus shipping, just give me a hint on how to joint the things together! LOL.

No, I'm serious…I'm new to joinery, and have no experience on how to decide which joint goes where. I know how to build junk, but want to learn to built nicer stuff. Even furniture for the home. More reading needed…

In the meantime, I asked one of my buddies here on LJ's that builds furniture what to do. He suggested, based on usage, rabbets, screws, and glue. Cool, I can handle that…

First, I needed a panel from which to cut the three pieces that I would need…the backboard, the shelf, and the support. I like the look of Red Oak, and had some extra in the shop, so oak it is.










...trying hard to arrange the boards so that hand planing is easier later, but who put all these knots in the wood? Bummer.

Into the heat canopy overnight (see how old this build is!) for the glue to cure.










And then, it's time to flatten each piece I cut off the crappy panel I glued up. Must practice panel glue-ups. For now, it's time to practice flattening…more…










Once flat and square, I started cutting a rabbet on the actual shelf portion of the build…using a method I had read The Schwarz use. He showed starting at the far end of the rabbet, and working your way backwards to prevent the fence from slipping on the 45. Worked for me!










I also cut the ends of the board to prevent the up-coming dado from showing…thanks to Paul Sellers for the tip! Um, no. He didn't just drop by the shop…But, I own a few of His books. 

After flattening the second piece of oak, I scribed a line where I wanted the bottom of the shelf to fit. And after a bit of chiseling, offerred the rest of the rabbet to the backboard for laying out the top of the dado. Another Sellers' trick explained MUCH more clearly in his writing!










Notice the nasty tear-out on the 'top' of the shelf? Yeah, I sorta gave up trying to smooth the top of this piece since it will be covered with carpet. Plus, the grain of the oak was just laughing at my No.62.

A lil check for square…










Check out the blue bucket in the right of the photo…very valuable piece of shop equipment! It catches the rain when it leaks through my hurricane-proof building. No, I'm not joking…

Next, the small support that holds up the 7-25 pound cat that jumps on the shelf. I hope this is enough! I WENT to engineering school, but didn't graduate. 










Gotta give the little LV Detail Rabbet Plane nine thumbs up. Great at small clean up duties! Although a bit finicky to fettle due to the one-piece lever cap and handle.

Next, you can see the dado being created for the support under the shelf…










...chiseling to break up the wood fibers, then cleaning up with the 271. What a sweet plane! 










Almost there…No special joinery between the shelf and its support; just glue and screws since it will covered. In fact, I had already planned to install THIS shelf at about a 7 foot height in our living room, so it will be difficult to inspect the actual joinery and finish. Smart-huh? The next one should be prettier! 

A quick trip to the scroll saw to make up for all my time flattening with planes…










...then the disc sander to make the curves a little nicer…










And, after assembly, and a heavy coat of oil/wax, this one's ready for the house…










Honestly, is it a piece of Fine woodworking? Of course not! But, it's not a complete piece of poop, and is actually much nicer than our current shelves. I learned a bit, got a workout, and had fun on top of all else.

Hopefully, everyone will notice the funny cat on the shelf, and not the tear-out or beginner joinery. LOL.

So, across the road, and into the old home we go…sorry for the mess. I simply used carpet tape to attach one of the cat's favorite piece of shaggy to the shelf, and drew instant attention from the grey tuxedo…










Penny gave my work a quick inspection from every angle…



















Nope. She wasn't getting on it! Smelled like oil, and the joinery is a hack!

Once attached to the wall (the reason for the large backboard…to capture studs), she gave it another brief look. How could any 'normal' cat resist such a lofty position?










But…no cat has been on this damn shelf since I built it! I cannot believe it!

I've perched stuff up there precariously, covered it with magazines, adorned it with half open boxes, placed my fleece shirt on top of the carpet, I even placed an open jar of catnip on it, but cannot get a single cat in our house on the thing.

Crazy cats! There is the cat's tree in the left corner, and there are two more shelves below this photo that they use to get to the top ones. Notice the cheapo Borg shelf supports and mdf that spans the doorway behind miss Penny…they love that shelf.

But, not the one hand-joined.

Guess it's not rabbet season…

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed…


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


I bet they're all over it as soon as you go out the room Terry. )


----------



## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


i built a huge fancy bird house that won a contest here on jocks, but ya know what, from what i can tell, there are hardly any birds in the thing, and there are like over 20 different places for them to go….so, birds cats…they go where they want , when they want…get one of those cameras that take pictures when it detects motion…you might see something different…


----------



## Mean_Dean (Oct 13, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Nice looking cat shelf! Of course, maybe that's the problem-it's too nice. Maybe they like things more rustic!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Yep, the critters certainly have their own methods.

Andy, you're probably right. They probably sleep there all night until I wake and grind coffee beans!


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Cats just seem to have a mind of their own. I bet if you didn't want them on it, you wouldn't be able to keep them off. If you make a few more like the inspiration set, they will prolly come around. Should be sturdy enough for sure.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Of course you could always put barbed wire on all the other shelves Terry, then they'd probably think your shelf was a des res.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


^LOL.

Yeah, Shane, if I keep a few boxes stacked on the floor, unevenly, that's the next noise when I leave the room!


----------



## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


get an old lamp and put it up there, something that wont break, but i bet if you put something up there showing them that its not for them, they will get up there and curl up right next to it…


----------



## DrPain (Sep 2, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


It's well-known in the cat community that they don't like the smell of red oak.

Well, it could be true.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Catnip.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Great shelf, Terry! Of course I'm not a cat. Jim said put some sardine oil up there. When you're looking at the empty shelf try to remember how much fun it was to build and tell the cats to bug off! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## j1212t (Dec 7, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


For all of my cat furniture I played with my cats around there, get them excited, chasing the toy and they will follow that thing on the shelf, let them "catch and kill" the toy on the shelf and if you tire them out enough in the process they'll do a quick grooming and fall asleep on the new shelf.

Also the question might be also in the carpet, although you said it was someone's favourite? Cats are quite territorial, so you might consider getting rid of the carpet and leaving it bare, so it doesn't have any specific cat's or any other animals scent on it. That probably is part of your issue there as well.

Of course, nice shelf none the less.


----------



## bowtie (Dec 23, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


good looking shelf, maybe when the new smell is gone? If you have a laser pointer maybe they'll chase the red dot up there.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Lots of good ideas…thanks! I think replacing the old carpet may do the trick?

Or replacing the cats? LOL.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Nice work Terry. Cats are fickle and contrary by nature. Were you able to cipher what their objection was?


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Thanks, Tony. I assume the smell turns the cats off? But, you are right about how they are fickle…

They won't play with the most awesome cat toy you can find on the internet, but drop a pencil on the floor for a second, and it's theirs!


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Turned out great Terry. That's just what I pictured


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


So glad you like it, Red! You know where my advice came from. 

When I get time, the next ones will be nicer…


----------



## JayT (May 6, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


Ya done good from our perspective, Terry, even if the cats are finicky. Have they finally started using it, yet?


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Red Oak Cat Shelf*
> 
> Hello Everyone, time for another blog from The Farm…
> 
> ...


JayT, Thanks!
Only the oldest female cat gets on it…it's HER shelf now! LOL


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Pipes 4 and 5*

Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…

I've managed to become quite addicted to Pipe Craft, and still blame it on the recent Pipe Swap. The exactness required for the airflow, and the contrast of non-conforming exterior shapes just pulls me in.

To make a good pipe, it seems you need good calipers, and artistic imagination. A metal turning lathe would be nice, but only a drill press and hand tools are required. Your mileage may vary. LOL.

Before I wandered into my stash of expensive Algerian Briar, I thought one more pipe from cherry might be a good idea. And let me experiment with some recently purchased acrylic pen blanks for a stem?

The camera must have been across the road and in the house, because I failed to get and shots of the cherry being turned into a pipe stummel. But, it looked very similar to this piece of cherry…note the long extension recently added so my 10 thumbs have more room to control the chisels at 1,000 rpm.










Of course, I use a standard 60 degree cone in the tail stock to center the pipe blank first, then switch to this extension for the shaping of the bowl section once drilled.

And, since I mentioned how important the airflow is, how about a web image of the goal since I failed to get any photos this time around…










Not the best example, but much faster than I could re-produce in Photoshop. At least, you can see how the TOP of the air flow hole intersects the exact BOTTOM of a rounded tobacco chamber bore. That's important from the reading I've done on the web. Plus, the little mortise for the stem to friction fit into. Another small challenge…

Hoping to save a bit of money, I had a go at modding a 3/4" spade bit into a rounded profile…










But, you can see by the hole I bored with it, I failed at making it symmetric. Even had it spinning on the lathe for a while with a hand held grinding stone, but didn't get it right. Oh well, the tobacco chamber is usually drilled to a diameter of 7/8", I was just practicing. LOL.

I took the failure back to the grinding wheel, and removed material from the sides of the bit, making it about 5/8" in width. That way I could drill my current pipe with the 7/8" Fortsner bit, then round over the bottom of the chamber in hopes of improving airflow.

Then, I went inside to the computer and ordered a properly ground 7/8" round bit for the future! LOL.

Here's what my attempt created…










Not perfect, but probably smokable. It does whistle a bit when drawn through. No big deal…it's a wall hanger anyway.

I shaped the cherry with a combination of power tools and hand held rasps. Of course, sandpaper provides the final shape.

As mentioned, I had planned to make the stem from an acrylic pen blank. Again, no photos, but it went easily with this brand of blank. Since this, I have turned a few different brands of acrylic on the lathe, and some require more skill than others! Because I have so much to learn, I really don't want to sway anyone's opinion of a brand name…yet…especially since I'm making pipe stems out of them! (or trying)

I DID make the mistake while drilling the stem of boring all the way through. Usually, the pros drill 90% of the way with a 3/16th or similar bit, then drill from the 'bit' end with as tiny a drill bit as they dare to help create a sexy bit that is easily held 'tween the teeth. That's why this pipe has a big ole honking bit at the end. 

Guess I may as well just show ya the finished pipe…I managed to get photos of that!










I colored the cherry with one coat of light red dye, which made it look quite pink! So, I covered that with 2 coats of light brown dye, and onto the buffing wheels with simple wax as a finish. Not my best pipe, but I learned, and that was the purpose.

Now…for the briar pipes!

I purchased this pre-drilled pipe kit off fleaBay some months ago, but didn't really want to work it. I wanted to prove I could make a pipe without a kit. And did!

But, now, I wanted to make a pipe with a sexy stem and beautiful grain. Time for that kit! LOL.










I paid about $35 for the pre-drilled piece you see above. Which seems a lot, but if you want to make a nice pipe, and don't have the tooling, this is a decent option IMO. Proper airway, nice stem, and a gold-plated ring. Actually, you could use it as is, and as long as you don't carve into the airway, you cannot ruin this piece.

So, all there was to do…

...was imagine a final exterior shape and remove the excess briar. Simple,huh? Oh, damn, I had no idea this stuff was so hard! And the grain swirls like your typical burl, so it's impossible to work with the grain for more than a split second. I had read online forums where beginners commented on how hard the briar was, but thought they were just wimps that hadn't seen Cocobolo or a dense rosewood. Nope! This briar is another league of hardness.










I found the above method quite effective in removing stock. Trying to hold the block of briar with one hand was removing too much skin. LOL. Note I covered the pretty section with blue tape so I didn't have to work it again. Although, I still had to sand it lightly after a few errant rasp marks…

And everyone knows by now, I like to play with colored pencils…










Tons more rasping to get my desired shape…in fact…this was taken just before the handle came OFF that Gramercy rasp! (see earlier blog for that fix)










...hand sanded to 400 grit, then onto the buffing wheels…looking nice!










And the finished pipe…slightly asymmetric…but still my best so far.



















Smokes great, no flavor at all from the briar. Now, I understand why it's so highly sought after for pipes…doh! All I can is Daddy smokes from briar only from now on.

And I cannot wait to get into the blocks I have in wait…

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.


----------



## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Great looking work.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Simply gorgeous results Terry. Wonderful job.


----------



## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Looks like a lot TLC to create one of these. Love the wood grain. I am about ready to do my first harvest.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Superb work Terry.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


now that's smoking!
what's the fur. Alive or not so much?


----------



## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


I am impressed. Bravo.


----------



## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


I'm not a smoker, but I'm glad I read this. What you did with your spade/paddle bit is ingenious. I'm sad that I've thrown so many away.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks, guys!
Don, the white fur is rabbit, the fuzzy part is a '******************** tail. northern '********************.
Oh, the antler is moose…


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


This briar is another league of hardness.
Duly noted! I always learn something from you, Terry! Thanks for sharing. The finish is like glass.


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Good fun Terry. A deep down need to be creating with our hands…..we have that in common;-)


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Don't worry, Candy, the briar blocks are so expensive, and mostly sold by pipe supply companies, so you probably won't come across a big chunk in the wild. Unless you move to the shores of the Mediterranean sea.  THEN, send me a PM…

yes, Red, I have that disease badly. Need to create something every day or I feel empty. The Schwarz calls us artisans! LOL! For me, happiness comes in the form of completed baskets, spoons, bowls, knives, mallets from 8 pieces of wood…AND collecting the tools to make my play time more enjoyable!

But, I really need an online store, because the craft projects are taking over our house! I have baskets filled with knapped bats, lil spoons, replacement plane parts, now pipes!!! What in the world am I to do with a dozen tobacco pipes? hmmm…Etsy…


----------



## jim65 (Feb 8, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Excellent work! you have a new career Terry! Keep going!


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Love to see a knapped bat Terry. Maybe you could put one in the background of one of your photos next time you take post some pics.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


^ will do, Andy!


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


I think they look great Terry.


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Ya, I vote for an little etsy page or something. Then I'd have somewhere to refer friends


----------



## August (Apr 27, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Terry very Nicole done!!!!

Question do you mind sharing the source on where you purchase the buffing wheel??
Thanks


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks, August.

I think I got my 3 buff system here:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/t/37/Buffs

but there's lots of articles on how someone with your skills could make your own…

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f28/beall-buffing-kit-uk-making-my-own-2711/

...just some threaded rod with nuts and washers to hold the buffs, pvc covers the rod between buffs on the store bought versions.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


This one's for you, Andy! 

A handful of small knapped bats…posing on a tie dye shirt I made 2 days ago.










The little guy in the top right is propped up so you can see he's translucent. Love that Knife River Flint…petrified cattails!

These are the small ones; I've also got a few twice the size, but cannot find them in the shop. Oh, they are packed somewhere safe…just don't know exactly where yet. LOL!

Why knapped bats? I vend at a local events for cave explorers, since I'm an old has-been caver. Nearly all cavers collect cool rocks, and these little ones never come home with me after an event!

"Oh, honey, look how cute they are!" Cha-ching…


----------



## August (Apr 27, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks TerryR
I was planning on making one but don't know what's a good buffing wheel.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


August, that is something I WISH I could answer!

I'm new to buffs, so still learning what type I like. I have cotton sewn wheels from Grizzly that do a great job polishing and spreading wax. But, I think the 'loose' buffs or un-sewn have more cutting action up in tight corners, so am playing with those now.

And, I've bought buffs from Woodturnerscatalog, Penn State Industries, and Grizzly. Be sure to keep up with the mandrel size on the buffs you buy, or you may have to drill the center larger. FWIW, I think muslin is tougher and more abrasive than cotton. Of course, the abrasive you apply to the buff matters…most pen turners use the red tripoli first which is 500 grit, then white diamond which is about 1000 grit, then apply carnauba wax with the third wheel.

IMO, but this needs testing, I would use a loose muslin buffing wheel for the tripoli and white diamond, then sewn cotton for applying wax. Don't have that combo here yet, but am trying…


----------



## August (Apr 27, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Hey TerryR
After the buffing or like the way you got your pipe looking,
Do you still have to put a finish on it? Or the wax is the finish?
Reason for all my question is I would like to polish or buff out all my handplane handles?


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


August, the final wax finish is extremely hard when applied with a buff…can only scratch it off with 120 grit sandpaper. So, no other finish is required after the wax. I apply wax to the buff at 500 rpm, let heat melt the wax onto the buff, then crank the lathe up to 1000 rpm to apply the wax onto the wood, again heat from friction helps with the transfer.

August, buddy, just remember you are getting free advice from a rank beginner on buffs! LOL! I always thought they were cheating…so am just now experimenting and learning…

One BAD tendency to watch out for…the whie diamond abrasive is awful about getting into the open pores of dark wood like walnut…and the finished product comes out sorta 'whitish' and plastic in appearance. The red tripoli does the same, but usually adds a nice warm color to most woods. I think a lot of folks apply Tung Oil to their project, let it dry, then head to the 3buffs? I haven't tried that or filling the pores in dark wood yet.

IMO, this white abrasive contributes to the color of LN totes…sorta whitish cherry, not dark red like an oil finish would produce. Guess I need to try tung oil first! 

And, hey, how much for a shop built mandrel that could hold six buffs? LOL! Still looking for a variable speed motor that can power that dream rig…I think I can build one out of just threaded rod, use nuts and washers to hold the required pulley and all the buffs, just need the right motor and a v-belt! And some more spare time, ya know?


----------



## August (Apr 27, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Damn TerryR
6 wheels looks like your spying on me 
Well looks like all we need is a shaft and a thread on one side and lots of spacer in-between for the wheel??!!
Anyway as assin as I'm done moving my equipment to my garage, and finish installing my motor for my 12" jointer we can start doing some stupid project,
And hey also we have to build the project you and I chat about.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Pipes 4 and 5*
> 
> Hello everyone…still trying to get caught up with shop activities…
> 
> ...


Thanks for showing us your bats Terry, looks like a lot of fun.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Pipe for LJ Swap*

Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.

Actually,‭ ‬this one isn't just another pipe.‭ ‬This was my entry for the LJ Pipe Swap last month…another reason I've been practicing pipe craft‭! ‬This finished pipe went to jim65‭ ‬in Italy‭! ‬Very cool.‭

It all started out on paper,‭ ‬of course…here you can see my initial plans for the pipe which included a ring of antler.‭ ‬I had been practicing with antler on the lathe,‭ ‬as you can see on the small cherry piece at the top of the photo.










I later changed my mind on the added antler,‭ ‬but laying out the airway and final shape now is important before any shaping.‭ ‬Especially since that little chunk of Algerian Briar in the photo cost‭ ‬$8‭ ‬shipped‭! ‬No time for practice work now…

I marked the center of the top,‭ ‬and laid out the rough outline of the bowl using the trusty leg vise.‭ ‬Gotta find a way to get more of these in the shop…










Did the same for the air hole,‭ ‬and onto the lathe we go…using my custom wooden jaws this time.










After drilling the‭ ‬5/32‭" ‬air hole,‭ ‬I followed with a‭ ‬9/32‭" ‬mortise hole,‭ ‬then moved the‭ ‬60‭ ‬degree cone into position,‭ ‬and rounded off the shank of the pipe.‭ ‬Note the bright yellow tape…makes the square portion easier to see when spinning‭! ‬Very important for the knuckles to avoid those parts‭!

Next,‭ ‬the blank was rotated‭ ‬90‭ ‬degrees for drilling of the tobacco chamber…










After boring the‭ ‬7/8‭" ‬chamber,‭ ‬this extension is used so I have more room to work with the chisels.‭ ‬I also sanded this portion of the pipe briefly while spinning on the lathe,‭ ‬but not the stem since it will see rasps later.

This briar is some beautiful stuff,‭ ‬huh‭? ‬Got it from Vt.‭ ‬Freehand on eBay…a highly recommended source for briar and tooling.

At this point,‭ ‬I changed my mind about the antler,‭ ‬and decided to add a Nickle Silver band recently purchased online.










Most pros add these by heating the band to expand slightly,‭ ‬then press it onto the stem with a cool tool.‭ ‬I opted for sanding the stem to match the ID of the ring,‭ ‬and attach with‭ ‬5‭ ‬minute epoxy…










...works for me.‭ ‬Should stay put for a lifetime‭! (‬lemme know on that one,‭ ‬jim‭!) ‬I like using these store bought bands,‭ ‬but need to learn to make them considering the asking price‭! ‬Ahh…so much to learn…

From this point forward,‭ ‬there are numerous ways to finish removing the excess briar.‭ ‬Most pros have a sweet French wheel set-up,‭ ‬and I'll show you guys a photo of that when I get one‭! ‬LOL.‭ ‬Also,‭ ‬sanding belts and discs are used in a variety of combinations.

Here's my quick set-up for power carving…










I clamp the business end of my Foredom flex carver to the bench as well as the vacuum hose.‭ ‬Insert the long cylindrical burr‭ (‬which is partially ruined in this photo,‭ ‬but being replaced soon‭)‬,‭ ‬and use the foot control to adjust the speed of the carver.‭ ‬That gives me both hands to hold onto the briar.

Works pretty well.

A quick trip to the big ole‭ ‬12‭" ‬disc sander to help smooth the shape…










This is an awesome tool…1‭ ‬hp directly drives the disc.‭ ‬Very flat,‭ ‬machined work surface.‭ ‬Grizzly did a good one with this tool,‭ ‬but it's a bit large for pipes.‭ ‬Stay tuned for a French wheel…LOL…

From this point,‭ ‬it's time for the hand tools.‭ ‬Expensive rasps,‭ ‬rifflers,‭ ‬and sandpaper.










A more experienced hand can finish these pipes with just power sanders and buffing wheels,‭ ‬but I like the feel of hand tools.‭ ‬They are slower,‭ ‬but sure give me more control over final shaping‭! ‬Love that Gramercy Tote Maker's rasp for these pipes…now that the handle stays on.‭ ‬LOL.

After an hour or so of hand-sanding to‭ ‬400‭ ‬grit…










...this one's ready for the buffing wheels,‭ ‬then stamping of the maker's mark…










As soon as I get back to vending,‭ ‬and make a bit of profit,‭ ‬a customized stamp is in order for my maker's mark‭!

So,‭ ‬that's a finished pipe stummel.‭ ‬But,‭ ‬not much good without a stem,‭ ‬so…










Let's make a stem.‭ ‬The photo above shows my approximate idea for the shape of the stem,‭ ‬and the black rod in the lower right is the‭ ‬7/8‭" ‬Delrin we'll use.

Gotta start on the lathe…










...first by drilling the through hole for airflow.‭ ‬This is traditionally done with a‭ ‬5/32‭" ‬or similar sized bit for‭ ‬90%‭ ‬of the bore,‭ ‬then a tiny bit is used to complete the air way at the end which will become the bit for your teeth to bite.‭ ‬Here,‭ ‬I used a‭ ‬.101‭" ‬bit,‭ ‬and had no problems drilling this slippery Delrin.‭ ‬Acrylic needs much shorter strokes with the bit to allow for clearing the debris and cooling.

After turning the Delrin back around‭ ‬180‭ ‬degrees,‭ ‬I started to work the tenon which fits into the pipe's shank.










This stuff is slippery,‭ ‬but a pain in the butt to turn on the lathe compared to wood‭! ‬The‭ ‬Delrin constantly wants to grab the sharp chisel,‭ ‬and can cause deep gouges when it does so.‭ ‬Also,‭ ‬the material wads up in long strands and gets in the way of progress,‭ ‬unlike wood which chips away and lands in my socks.‭ ‬LOL.

Upon more reading,‭ ‬I've learned that a little lube goes a long way to help this problem,‭ ‬and have been experimenting with lard‭! ‬Works for me…










When the tenon approaches its final diameter‭ (‬remember,‭ ‬it has to fit tight to the stem with only a friction joint‭)‬,‭ ‬I go ahead and use a Forstner bit to‭ '‬face off‭' ‬the stem,‭ ‬or make the end completely square to the axis of rotation.‭ ‬Not as critical with this tenon,‭ ‬since it will be hidden inside the pipe's shank,‭ ‬but this is how objects are treated on the lathe and later glue up seamlessly.‭

Actually,‭ ‬the tip of the tenon gets a slight chamfer,‭ ‬and the shoulders in this photo are what have to be square to the pipe's shank for a tight joint.‭ ‬To ensure that,‭ ‬I simply use a square carbide tip on my chisel and carefully check when done.










To actually get the pipe to fit the stem,‭ ‬I use‭ ‬320‭ ‬grit sandpaper to remove Delrin,‭ ‬and gradually slide the pipe onto the stem…










Sweet,‭ ‬no gaps.‭

The remainder of the stem gets shaped off the lathe,‭ ‬again,‭ ‬using a multitude of potential tools.‭ ‬Power sanders,‭ ‬power carvers,‭ ‬or rasps and sandpaper.

I gave the belt sander a try…










...but a‭ ‬2‭" ‬belt would be more useful,‭ ‬especially without a platen behind it.‭ ‬Hmmm,‭ ‬must get serious about a‭ ‬2×72‭" ‬sander…










Back to the Foredom and a carbide burr.‭ ‬This yellow burr is fine grit and leaves a decent finish considering how quickly it removes material.

And,‭ ‬another secret tool in my shop…









...a flat piece of Beech that I can wrap sandpaper over‭! ‬LOL.‭ ‬Not very high-tech,‭ ‬but very effective at flattening areas the power tool couldn't.‭ ‬Good thing I made that stem holding tool a few months ago,‭ ‬too‭! ‬Different sized mortices at each end for‭ ‬2‭ ‬sizes of stems.

Then a trip back to the lathe for a couple of flap sanders…










Love these sanding mops…great for removing heavy tool marks without changing the contours of the project piece.‭ ‬I only have flap sanders in‭ ‬120‭ ‬and‭ ‬180‭ ‬grits,‭ ‬so after a brief trip to the lathe,‭ ‬I was back at the bench,‭ ‬hand-sanding.










And,‭ ‬yes,‭ ‬that's a holdfast holding my padding in place.‭ ‬Got tired of picking it up off the floor‭! ‬LOL.‭ ‬Told you guys I had a clamp fetish a few months ago‭!

Hand-sanded to‭ ‬400‭ ‬grit,‭ ‬then time for something completely different‭! ‬Time to bend the stem…

I had read about this step,‭ ‬and watched a few uTube videos,‭ ‬but no one had dealt with Delrin,‭ ‬so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.










That's a shot of my bending rig.‭ ‬Heat gun on low,‭ ‬black cherry mold clamped and ready,‭ ‬pipe cleaner in the stem so I can hold it,‭ ‬and a cup of cold water hiding someplace for cooling the bent stem…










Ahh,‭ ‬there's the water…had to heat and attempt the bend twice.‭ ‬This stuff is hard to bend‭! ‬Or needs more heat,‭ ‬but it was starting to form a melt spot on the surface,‭ ‬so I went with this slight bend instead of risking breakage and starting completely over‭!

After a bit of buffing,‭ ‬the stem and pipe were ready to show off‭!



















Came out pretty nice for pipe no.6‭! ‬I love the gorgeous briar…just a shame it's so expensive‭!

To sweeten the package for the Pipe Swap,‭ ‬I intended to mail some pipe tobacco samplers I purchased off the internet.‭ ‬Jeez,‭ ‬I had no clue it was highly illegal.‭ ‬Gotta even get a special permit just to mail it to the next state…forget it‭! ‬I really don't get along with the USPS out here anyway.

So,‭ ‬I decided to add a pipe tamp to my gift…find a scrap piece of Cocobolo please.‭










Grabbed a sweet piece,‭ ‬drilled a short hole of some diameter to hold the upcoming brass screw,‭ ‬and shaped it as above.

Used my favorite parting tool to remove the tamp from the excess…










...then proceeded to rasp and sand the base pretty.‭ ‬I won't bore you guys with that process.‭ ‬I had an extra blank Medallion from brass that a fellow LJ made me to match some split nuts,‭ ‬and decided it was perfect for the tamping end of this tool…










Works for me.

And,‭ ‬when all was said and done,‭ ‬here's my gift for jim65‭ ‬in Italy.‭ (‬minus the old saw‭)










As it turned out,‭ ‬Jim is also a pipe maker,‭ ‬but was very pleased with this briar pipe and tamp.

Hope you guys liked all the photos…comments and suggestions are always welcomed.


----------



## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Excellent work, Terry. If you keep making such beauties I'm gonna start smoking. It seems like some "Old Toby" (Finest pipe weed in the south farthing) would go well with some good old fashioned hand planing.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Beautiful pipe and tamper, Terry! No surprise you went the extra mile and bent the stem. Great blog.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Great blog Terry and another beautiful pip. Lucky Jim. Thanks for sharing your method.


----------



## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Quite the involved process along with all the shop made tooling Terry. It certainly appears to be worth all of the effort though, the pipe came out awesome bud.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


well done Terry. you sure make them look inviting. If I still smoked a pipe, I'd place an order.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Thanks, everyone! One reason I'm drawn to pipe craft is the diffuculty and needed attention to detail.

Hoping to have a store on Etsy.com soon…can sell pipes there…and vintage tools, too!


----------



## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


As a recipient of some of Terry's work, I can vouch for its quality and craftsmanship.

Another great piece of work Terry.

One of these days, I'll look into the pipe making thing. (You make it look so easy)


----------



## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Great job there. Lot of work for sure. My first harvest is ready for the picking.


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


That turned out exceptionally well Terry! Beautiful.


----------



## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Great job Terry!


----------



## fatandy2003 (Apr 4, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Great job on the pipe Terry. And of course a very detailed blog. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Cheers,


----------



## jim65 (Feb 8, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


I can confirm as the lucky receiver of this awesome set, very we'll done, the workmanship is excellent, the briar beautiful and the cocobolo tapper very nice. Again, thank you terry, I appreciate the work and enjoyed your blog of the project - awesome vise for the lathe I think I will try to make one of those ! Your buffing finish still shines! Cheers


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Everyone, thanks for the encouragement to make more pipes! 

I have an addictive personality anyway…after I complete a spoon…I gotta make another!

Thanks, Jim, your comments mean the most to me on this one! I hope she is a good user for many years to come…

...next, a bent pipe with bent stem…


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Echoing Stef here… It seems that is a very elaborate and process. It's quite obvious that your studying and practice has paid off. The set came out beautifully.

You always do such fine work. Thanks for taking the time to write up such a great blog so that we have a better idea of your methods. Really great stuff, thanks Terry.


----------



## widwotkma (Nov 8, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Nice work. Question: Where did you source the sanding mop / flap sanding drum?


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Pipe for LJ Swap*
> 
> Hello everyone,‭ ‬another blog…another pipe.
> 
> ...


Here

http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/mm07201/

several grits, I hope the link makes them easy to find.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Bent Apple Pipe*

Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…

I promised a bent pipe at the end of the last Blog, so here goes…

The challenge for this project was to create a BENT pipe; meaning the airflow and tobacco chambers do not line up at 90 degrees. Seemingly simple, but not so using a lathe. Many pipe makers use specialized jaws to hold the workpiece for this geometry, but I've also seen a few use the techniques below…

First, we need a plan, Stan…










...lots of calipers, squares, and measuring thingys to properly layout our intentions on the workpiece…which happens to be a lovely piece of dry Apple wood given to me by an LJ buddy. (Thanks, Jordan)

You can see my plan, and how I removed a bit of excess wood with the bandsaw. Of note, is the 1/8" I removed from the entire blank since I felt it was a bit too wide for a pipe. Remember this fact for later…

OK, real quick like, here we go with a pipe stummel…

Onto the lathe whilst being held with 2 of 4 bowl jaws. Needless to say, don't try this at home without a bit of reading and care. Note how the Apple is aligned with the drill bit, and the block is out of square in the chuck's jaws. The proper choice of jaws should allow for a decent amount of steel to contact the Apple, although it's hard to make that out in the photo…










Now, before moving the stummel, bore the mortise for the stem.










Then a quickie with a Fortsner bit of proper size to completely square off this face of the piece.










Move up the 60 degree cone, and shape the pipe's shank.










(remember, the yellow tape? Reminder to keep knuckles a safe distance)

Then, aligning the piece so that the tobacco chamber can be properly bored; first with a 7/8" Forstner bit, then the expensive bowl bit just until we reach into the air hole. Here, you can see the type of bowl jaws I'm using a little better…










And, after a small amount of turning, our pipe stummel is roughed out. I was hoping for an 'Apple-shaped' finished pipe, so am shooting for a rounded, fat bowl.










Sorry for the nasty looking fingernails…I was into black dye the previous day.

Now, for some power sanding to remove the excess wood quickly.










Then, work with the rasps, for slower stock removal…still trying to keep that fat-bottomed look for the bowl.










And, more rasps…










I guess I forgot to take photos of the stem being produced, but it looked a LOT like the last one! LOL. This one is made from an Acrylic pen blank. And here you can see both stem and shank being rasped to the same diameter.

Then hand-sanded to remove the rasp marks…all the way to 400 grit…










And, to go with the bent pipe stummel, how about a bent stem? Same heat bending set up as previously shown…










...heat gun on low, block of wood for a mold, and water. Only thing missing…gloves! Wear leather gloves when you guys try this at home. I will next time. LOL.

But, in the end, all came out pretty nice…



















The Apple had a lovely natural color and a small knot for enhancement, so only wax for a finish! I was able to pull off the fat-bottomed look I had hoped for…except from the front view.










That shape is called a 'Brandy' not an Apple as I wanted. Bummer. I shouldn't have re-sawn that 1/8" off at the beginning! Doh! Lesson learned.

No more pipes on the next Blog, I promise.

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed


----------



## August (Apr 27, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Damn terry your good with that lathe.
I can't wait to modify the one I got as a payment for all the stuff I have to a guy in Texas.
Very nice bud
Now is that the one your sending me?


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Amazing craftsmanship Terry and by the way if 2 months is a long time not to have posted a blog then I've been sorely neglecting my blog. The last one I posted was 281 days ago!


----------



## Jimthecarver (Jan 14, 2008)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


I'd smoke that baby!
Nice blog, nicer pipe though.


----------



## fatandy2003 (Apr 4, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Another beaut Terry! Maybe time for another swap!

Cheers,


----------



## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Wow, thats nice man. I want to smoke one. Not sure I ever have.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Thanks, MEN.

I hope you'll still read along when I post the baskets later. LOL!


----------



## Spoontaneous (Apr 13, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Turned out looking GREAT and I bet an apple pipe would smoke well. Thanks for the blog.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Fantastic skills you possess Terry. It's a pleasure to read your blogs that beautifully capture the fine work you do. Thank you for taking the time to share with us.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


fantastic workmanship Terry.


----------



## jim65 (Feb 8, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Excellent job on that, you have a new profession! compliments


----------



## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Bent Apple Pipe*
> 
> Wow, cannot believe it's been over 2 months since I posted a Blog…still behind I am…
> 
> ...


Well done, sir!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Turned Boxes*

Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time! 

How about a handful of turned boxes? What's that? Ummm…a round box with a lid…










...very handy for storing small items, or just decoration. And a LOT of fun in the workshop to make. As soon as I complete one, I start laminating another blank, or drawing ideas for the next. Of course, you guys already know I have an addictive personality that way.

Usually, I'm so busy taking photos during any build, an extra hour or so is added by looking for the camera…then trying to find my glasses again. LOL. Sorry, but looks like this time around I only took photos of the finished boxes, so I cannot bore you guys with lathe photos.

Anyhow, here's the first box from Black Walnut…










Oh sweet, I managed to find ONE photo of wood on the lathe. As you can see, this piece promised beauty from the beginning and all the way through shaping! Notice the blue shop towel…that is literally enough friction needed to secure the top and base while being shaped together. Both ends have already been separated and the base is already hollow at this point.

(if you guys really want to try one of these at home, there's tons of tips on the internet and youTube…just start small)

And, after an hour of sanding, cough…cough…cough…










Looks better in person. This side is sorta dark brown, the reverse is sorta light brown. Buffed wax for the finish on all these boxes…

Next, I re-sawed a 6×6x3" bowl blank in half, so I could turn this sick piece of Black Cherry…










What an awesome piece of wood! ANY shape would look like a million dollars!










You can barely make out the small rabbet which holds the lid on the base in this photo. Blah, blah, blah, I'm sure everyone is just looking at the lid on that one! LOL. Hard to decide if this guy stays home, or goes on the vending circuit in a few weeks?

Also, from another chunk of Black Cherry, how about a pencil holder?










I hate pencil holders from plastic that fall over all the time…this one has quite a bit of heft left in the base. I would keep it in the shop, but it's just not
large enough for all my colored pencils. LOL. Another blog…

And here's another sweet piece of wood…










East Indian Rosewood…yummm…actually yuck! All these gorgeous exotics taste so sweet they are sickening to me. Gotta get better dust control…

Notice how this box is wearing the shop towel skirt…that means it's hollow, the top fits the base, and artistic shaping is now needed. Or the best I can do. LOL.










I turned this one sorta similar to the others, have already learned that I need a drawing before I start the lathe, or these are all gonna look the same! Above is a good shot of how I remove the lathe marks from the piece…Auriou rasp and sandpaper.

Time-consuming? Yes.
A perfect finish without rosewood spinning off the lathe at 500rpm? Oh, yes.

After all, I'll advertise these boxes as "hand made" you know…

Before going much further, I should share my county boy solution to dust collection while sanding on the lathe…










Try not to laugh…it's a tupperware container with a hole cut in the center large enough for my shop vac to fit, and a rubber flange which connects the two. Looks like a hack. Works like a charm! I'm serious. The spinning motion of the wood directs 99% of the dust while sanding right into the shop vac!

Notice, I mentioned 'sanding' use…no way does my shop vac have the power to collect chips as they fly off the lathe. Luckily, my hairy chest has become used to chip collection! And my beard! Good grief! LOL.

Next, I wanted to try a 'carved' box similar to many I've seen on the web…










The carved section is only random bites taken with 3 Dremel bits, then finished with black dye. I let this dye cure for about 3 weeks, then just buffed a clear wax over it for protection.










I also shaped the lid to accept a 7mm bead of Hematite at the very top for something different. Held in place with epoxy…I've tested it 50 times by dropping (gently) and tapping it with wooden cut offs, and it seems secure. Of course, wait till I get it outside in the 60 degree Fall air while vending…well, if the bead comes out, it's a Prototype! LOL.

I also tried my hand at a few 'ring' boxes. These come in as many shapes as you can dream up, but I chose the shapes you see below. Their purpose is to provide a safe location for your wedding ring should you remove it; either placed inside the box or around the spire protruding from the box's top.










There…a photo is worth 1,000 words…huh? The purpleheart appendage will gladly hold a ring or act as a handle for the lid. Now, I know why I've been saving scrap pieces of exotic woods this big! LOL. The purpleheart was shaped into a 3/4" dowel, and then glued into the maple for 3/4", so no worries on that joint.

Similar, but a lil taller…










...a short section of Bubinga inserted into Sugar Maple. I still have no idea what 'size' to make the diameter of the tall spire…just guessing by what fits on my thick fingers.










There's a better shot of the rabbet that holds the box together when upright. And, no, the Bubinga doesn't stick out on the inside of the lid. LOL. That's the FIRST thing everyone stresses about lathe work…measuring constantly.

Hope you guys like this round of boxes…more already finished but not photographed. Recently I managed to get bitten by a brown recluse spider, and that has slowed me down for a good week! I'm on the road to recovery and more shop time, so hope to have more to share soon!

Thanks for reading.

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


I love to see what you've been up to Terry. Looks like you're having a lot of fun. The boxes are beautiful.


----------



## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Mighty fine work Terry!


----------



## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Great looking stash boxes you made there Terry. Your turning skills are getting nice buddy! Any plans for them?


----------



## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Nice work.
You have been busy.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Thanks!

Stef, I'm hoping to sell them when I set up my canopy next month…knives, arrows, bowls, baskets…


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Wow. Amazing work Terry.


----------



## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


these are terrific, you used some beautiful woods, and you're turning is really pretty cool…some of those wood really stand out…


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


nice work Terry. You've got a natural talent!


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Beautifully turned Terry! Really shows off the grain of the woods. I wish you well at the vending. Hard to believe you wouldn't sell out fast. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Your the man T

The carved box is my favorite.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words, my friends!

If I knew each of your addresses, I'd plop them in the mail for all of you!

Scotty Yo gets the carved box, Candy gets the pretty purple, Don…hmmm…Coffee Tree? I think Paul is ready for some hyper-allergic wood… I have a sick poece of walnut for Bro. Tony, and I guess Andy gets the black cherry? Hmmm…how much is postage to UK?


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Terry! Missed the part about the spider bite earlier. Nasty little buggers. 
I don't know what to say. Your thoughtfulness and generosity are boundless!!


----------



## LukieB (Jan 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Wow Terry, these look amazing. Excellent work.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


You are joking Terry aren't you? I thought you were going to sell them all.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Well, yes, the plan is to set up the 12×20' canopy, and try to sell enough to pay for the A/C I have been burning in the shop the past 8 weeks. Gonna finish a bunch of knives today…

But, Andy, you are a special case! I already owe you soooo much for what you've taught me, a small trinket like these would only scratch the surface on what I owe. Ditto for Don! Hmmmm…I think I already have YOUR snail mail, so be careful what you wish for, buddy! LOL!


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Mighty fine work Terry. Your really makin me itch to get my lathe up and going. The stand is all done!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


That's a sweet stand, Red. I'm jealous!


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Thanks buddy. Check out the weights below. Chunks of railroad steel…lol.


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


These are all very nice pieces. Congratulations.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


----------



## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Wow..Blown away by the skills and workmanship..unreal..


----------



## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Turned Boxes*
> 
> Hi everyone, as promised, no pipes this time!
> 
> ...


Fine workmanship terry, good job.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Saw Sharpening Clamp*

Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.

I've finally decided to take the walk down the saw sharpening path…have been putting it off for over a year! I fully expect a rocky beginning, but hope the trail eases out with time. Luckily, you LJ's are full of information and love to share.

My initial attempts at re-shaping teeth were an abomination to the craft due to lack of fresh reading, and NOT even knowing how to properly adjust my Veritas saw filing jig. My fault completely…didn't read the instructions. Yep, I went to Engineering school…gotta TELL me to RTFM every once in a while. LOL.

And, the simple method I was using to clamp the saw's plate in my leg vise between 2×4's, was too low to work comfortably. My post-op back certainly didn't let me forget that mistake the next day!

Time to get serious, and build a dedicated saw sharpening vise. Or, as I call my build, a saw clamp…since it has no hardware at all and relies on another vise or clamp to hold the plate tightly.

After a brief Google search, I chose a simple version I saw on Close Grain here: http://www.closegrain.com/2011/06/building-lie-nielsen-saw-vise.html

..built from scraps, leather hinges, lots of variables I could change…Let's do it…

I started by laying out how large the inside of the clamp should be to hold a full-sized saw WITH tote. Ahh, a Disston No.7 should do nicely…










I chose 9" as the outside dimension based on that photo. And 1.5" tall spacers at the top and bottom of the clamp should work just fine…How do you like the old tote on the saw? It's ONE year old. LOL!

So, following my sketch, and the image from Close Grain, I grabbed some 3/4" Baltic Birch ply and began to size it for front and back. I wanted the clamp to hold my longest saw, so I wouldn't have to stop my work flow and turn the saw around for rips…so chose 29" for overall length.










I'm not sure if I should apologize to anyone for that photo…but I love the irony of the DeWalt vs. the bronze LN in the same photo. Sorry to admit it, but this is how I've been dealing with pieces of ply I want to be square. Cut outside the line with the power tool, and true up with hand tool…










...smoother for fast removal, then the No.95 for a few final passes. Certainly NOT fast, or ideal. But, I suck with the table saw.

Next, I grabbed a pine 2×5" off the floor and cross-cut it to length. Then used the No.164 to remove the rounded over edge.










Just recently sharpened this iron for the FIRST time since owning the plane! Now, shavings just whisp off stock…thinner than my shop has ever seen.

A quick trip to the bandsaw for ripping…










...yep, THIS is the one task in the shop that I cannot bring myself to use hand tools for. Ripping 29" or so. I'm pretty sure I'd cut a worse line than Mr. Grizzly did in the above photo.










Then, the edges have to be re-trued back to a marking line…on the workpiece…AND the stock that I want 3 more sticks from! I'm starting to see why it takes me so long to build anything…must use table saw for stuff like this.

In fact, this was the end of work for the first day since it was already after dark, and my blood sugar was dropping. Lucky for me. Why? The next day, I spent an hour removing rusty tools from the top of my table saw and re-positioning the out feed table. Then, it took just a few seconds to cut the remaining spacers for the saw clamp.

I still went over each piece with a smoother for a few passes just to get that shaving craving, though. LOL.










I also found a piece of red oak left over from the leg vise, and cut it in half for outside cleats on my clamp. The cleats keep the whole rig at a certain height once dropped into the leg vise, and also hold onto the big ole saw clamp while the saw is being finely positioned.

True to what I had seen on the web, I used leather on the base of the clamp for hinges. Thus far, they seem to work just fine!



















Above, you can see me testing where to position the cleats so that a saw plate ends up about 3-4" below my elbow. I centered one cleat in front and back, and simply attached them with wood screws. That way, I can easily change the height later if needed.

The inner spacers were attached with TB in the green bottle and finish nails.










Unfortunately, I was in a hurry when nailing the upper spacers, and placed the nails far too close to the upper edge to allow much of a chamfer. This chamfer is of great importance since it allows the filing jig to get closer to the saw, thus using more of the file's length. Ooops. I didn't draw the chamfer in my plan. Next lesson learned…

I tried to pull ONE finish nail out…ONCE! After stopping the bleeding, I probably won't try that again. LOL. Had to be another approach…










I placed a row of nails in the proper location, then ground the upper ones down a bit with the Dremel. Kinda left some ugly scars on the finished build, but I can always fill these slots if my knuckles find them later.

Here you can see the completed clamp posing with the same No.7. I used my No.62 to form the chamfers on front and rear…and even HIT one of the darned nails I had not seen! Bollocks. Oh well, it was time to sharpen that one anyway…










Certainly no piece of Fine Woodworking…but a useful learning tool IMO. Heck, I already learned TWO things from the build…use the table saw to cut repetitive parts, and mark out where I want the nails and screws on the plan!










A brief coat of Howard's Oil for a finish…










...really brings out the end grain in the ply, huh? LOL. No worries, I'm pretty sure this thing will be covered with steel fibers soon enough.

Here, the clamp is posing with a beautiful Disston No.12, my largest user. So, hopefully, it will last through my learning years with no problems. I've also positioned it mid-bench in the photo to FINALLY get some use out of this enormous apron on my bench! LOL.

Seriously, it's a versatile clamp that could be held in many ways. This took a bit of fettling to correctly position the saw, but offers another option if the leg vise were busy. I kinda feel the holdfasts would loosen slowly with vibration, but two of those expensive Veritas clamps would do the trick!

Thanks for reading along…suggestions are more than welcomed since I am just a beginner on this path.


----------



## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Looks like it should work nicely. One thing I did, was glue thick drawer liner/anti-slip mat to the jaws of my saw vice. This helped quite a bit with vibrations while sharpening. Might be worth it if you have that issue.


----------



## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Mos' suggestion is a good one. Big Red recently hooked it up with a piece of leather that ive used on the jaws of my smaller vice and the difference is huge. Not only are the vibrations annoying sounding but they take away from the "bite" of the file in my opinion. Always looking for the least amount of file strokes as possible. Get it done buddy!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Sounds good…have non-slip liner and tons of leather. Anything to cut down the screeching!


----------



## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Good job on the clamp/vise, Terry. It actually looks a lot like my saw vise.










One thing I did was attach uprights on the back. I clamp these in my bench vise instead of the saw vise itself, and this allows me to open the saw vise without opening the bench vise. I then secure the saw vise closed with a couple C-clamps. I've found attaching a closepin type clamp on the top edge of the saw keeps it from falling down inside the vise while I'm adjusting it to proper position. Also be sure to put a level on the top of your saw vise before each use. If it's off, you'll end up with a different rake angle when you swap ends with the saw.


----------



## August (Apr 27, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Men lookng at this pictures make me wanna try to make it this out aluminuim and steel and brass.
HMMMMMMM
Looks like I need to toooooo


----------



## yuridichesky (Jan 9, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


This is nice and practical one. Favorited. Good job.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tips, Bob. Hard to believe you do such nice work in such a humble vise! The spring clamps are a great idea…and a level…


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Nice one Terry. It will make a hell of a difference to your filing.


----------



## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...





> I ve found attaching a closepin type clamp on the top edge of the saw keeps it from falling down inside the vise while I m adjusting it to proper position. Also be sure to put a level on the top of your saw vise before each use. If it s off, you ll end up with a different rake angle when you swap ends with the saw.
> 
> - summerfi


Wow!! Great tips there bob! I have only sharpened 3 saws thus far and never thought about inadvertently changing rake angle from it not being level.


----------



## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Terry, one question. You said "I wanted the clamp to hold my longest saw, so I wouldn't have to stop my work flow and turn the saw around for rips…"

Does that mean you turn the whole clamp around to file the other side vs turning the saw around in the clamp?


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Nice project Terry.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Mike, no flipping of saw at all…until I get to cross cut filing.

I also made it 29" long, so I wouldn't have to stop, and re-position the saw, thus losing muscle memory on long plates.


----------



## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


OK. I was under the impression that I should file into the teeth that are leaning toward me, even on rip saws. That way, there would not be a burr on the outside of the teeth leaning away from me.

After you have read the Veritas instructions (dig, dig), how do you like it? I am ready to shell out the cash for one, especially since my next victim is a 12 tpi backsaw with cows and calves (no goats).


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Mike, i'm learning…but from what I remember, "File the fronts of the teeth leaning away from you".

Like the Veritas tool now! LOL. Would rather has the expensive Blacburn version…but it wouldn't improve my skills.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Great vise Terry! I understand what you are saying about interrupted work flow and muscle memory. What about taking a break to rest weary/fatigued muscles? Or is that something that will pass as one gets better at sharpening? Really like the leather for hinges. Bet hitting that nail with the plane hurt almost as bad as hitting your thumb with a hammer.


----------



## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


I'm just learning too. I followed Andy's blog series on sharpening. Looks like I need to download his video and contribute to his Christmas pagent.


----------



## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

terryR said:


> *Saw Sharpening Clamp*
> 
> Hi everyone, Welcome to another blog WITHOUT pipes. LOL.
> 
> ...


Looks great terry! I need to get back into the saw filing. I have a couple that need attention.

Leather to cut down on the screeching is a must! I will do that one, great tip.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Stanley No.3 Restored*

Just a few quick photos to document a recent plane restoration…

This is a Stanley No.3 Type11…with the infamous V-logo on the cutting iron; made from 1910-1918. A lil rusty, and missing a small amount of wood, but in great shape otherwise.










As soon as I took off the knob, the small chunk you see fell off…along with another piece. And the tote had an obvious repair needed to the beaver tail…unfortunately it involved the hole for the hardware, and I wasn't sure I could pull this off.

I used chisel and knife to create a flat spot on the knob, and added a small cut-off from the previous day's turning. Easy. Trying to match the grain on the tote was another matter…










There you see my added rosewood…in hindsight I can tell the East Indian Rosewood I added is a different species than the original wood, but it sure looked good in these photos! LOL.

I used the 12" disc sander to remove the bulk of the extra mass on the knob, then placed it on the lathe for a gentle shaping. Worked much easier than I had expected!

For the tote, I chucked it up on the lathe using only 2 jaws of a 4-jaw chuck…the same way I held pipes just a few blogs ago. Hmmm…that was practice for more than just pipes!










Boring the through hole from the base was pretty straight-forward…good thing I had a long 3/16" bit on hand! The counterbore needed to seat the brass hardware into the tote was a bit more tricky…










I used the lathe and same chucking system as before, but this set-up required more fiddling to get correct. I wish I could video a tote spinning around the axis of the hardware holes, it's a trip! Needless to say…be careful if you try this at home and watch those knuckles!

Typical of my luck lately…as soon as I took the plane parts out of the EvapoRust solution, some of the paint started to scrub off. Crap! Gotta re-paint ANOTHER one. I had hoped to own a small sand blasting unit by this point in my life…but that will have to wait. So, break out the stinky paint remover…

The new paint went on without excitement, and soon I was enjoying my favorite part; removing the colorful tape! LOL. Don't ask me why, but I feel like a kid again when it reaches this point.










Time to get serious. The back of the original iron was pitted pretty badly, and I hadn't even noticed it before now. Bollocks! Seems like I just went through this battle…

Luckily, the 120 grit DMT, and some elbow grease broke through the pitting, and gave a nicely polished back…










It looks a LOT better in person than the iPad photo! I also worked the 'breaker flat. No good to have a sharp iron if the 'breaker jams with debris!

With all the parts re-vamped, it was time for assembly, and shavings! Here you can see my tote repair isn't worthy of copying, but not bad for my first try! Too bad the species of wood is wrong. LOL.










And, time for the after photos…a previous owner has stamped BOTH sides of the tote with '11' and the knob with '21'. Looks like most of that stayed with my restore. Cool. This plane is twice my age…I don't want to make it look brand new.










I'm sure a lil patina will return after a few months in my shop due to the humidity, and my lack of wiping down planes.










I kinda like the way the tote came out…different! Too bad it's on a valuable Type11.










And, a few full-width shavings…










But, this one's NOT going anywhere for a while…










A few more 3's perhaps?










Comments and suggestions are always welcomed!


----------



## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Stanley No.3 Restored*
> 
> Just a few quick photos to document a recent plane restoration…
> 
> ...


Looks great, Terry. Crazy that those woods look so similar without finish and so different with. I kinda like it too. And the execution of the repair is fantastic.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Stanley No.3 Restored*
> 
> Just a few quick photos to document a recent plane restoration…
> 
> ...


Looks great Terry. I've pulled a type 10 out of the pile. Now to find some time.

This was the extent of my woodworking today:


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Stanley No.3 Restored*
> 
> Just a few quick photos to document a recent plane restoration…
> 
> ...


Nice save, Terry! The different tote/knob wood species celebrates the repairs and return to user status (how's that sound?)! And of even more importance, how does the repair finish feel to the touch?


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Stanley No.3 Restored*
> 
> Just a few quick photos to document a recent plane restoration…
> 
> ...


Wonderfully done Terry. I agree with Candy, the repairs are a testament to the tools journey, the owner's skill and his desire to put it back in service.

Awesome blog, thanks.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Stanley No.3 Restored*
> 
> Just a few quick photos to document a recent plane restoration…
> 
> ...


Thanks, you guys, the tote feels great in the hand, and the look will probably age nicely?

Candy, i hate to admit it, but these 3's aren't really going into user service. They will probably go in their own till on the wall…collectors! Honestly, I cannot fit my ten thumbs on a plane this small. 4's are about as small as I can use…may as well grab a block plane for the size! LOL!

Don, looks like important wood! Bet it's already cold way up North!


----------



## ratchet (Jan 12, 2008)

terryR said:


> *Stanley No.3 Restored*
> 
> Just a few quick photos to document a recent plane restoration…
> 
> ...


That is an awesome save. You are to be commended. I totally favor seeing the stable of planes.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*3 Ply Tills*

Three ply tills;
Three ply tills;
See how they slide;
See how they slide;
Made with Birch cut on the table saw;
Joined with rabbets from Veritas;
Three ply tills.










Recently, I added a new ply top and Poplar edge banding to my main work table, since the old 1" mdf top was aging badly due to moisture. This table is 4×5' and stands between my bench and lathe, so occupies valuable space!










The new top was screwed and glued down, then I removed the screws and plugged the holes with walnut. I stained the Poplar to match the walnut, and also stained the birch ply with some left over Minwax that has to be used up…Pecan maybe? The Poplar is rabbeted at the corners, but that's difficult to see.

The table is still a hack, with a couple of pressure treated 4×4's for a legs, but the top looks pretty now. (And maybe I'll clean up better after sharpening sessions in the future…that Windex eats mdf!)

Anyhow, this table is always covered with too many tools because of where it stands. Most of the stuff is small, so I thought a till which ran along the high shelf on the table would be a nice addition!

Using more Birch, I cut out four pieces to form the till walls, and a slightly over-sized piece for the base.

Hate to admit it, but this Veritas Skewed Rabbet plane has sat in my shop without use for nearly a year! Yeah, I made a few shavings with it, but built nothing. That's about to change! LOL.










Love this plane after 5 minutes of use…even does a nice job on ply of all materials. I set the fence for 3/4" so I could house the entire sides of the till in the face…and it took about 2 minutes for each rabbet. Nice! Belay that order for a $100 dado stack!

Unfortunately, a brief cold spell had swung down from Canada and made glue ups challenging in a 52 degree shop. I tried to get the till into clamps before sundown, and added a small heater nearby to help the glue cure.










Since this photo, I've built a larger warming area for this sort of thing. I just wasn't prepared for temps in the teens during November. LOL.

Next day…I trimmed the base to fit, and attached it with glue and nails…










No fine woodworking here. Lots of butt joints and exposed 'end grain'. I used a block sander to remove as many of the ply splinters as I could; before my fingers find them down the road. Tried my No.18, but I just don't have good luck with hand planes and ply yet.

Of course, the above till is pretty homely in appearance. Lots of points for usefulness; maybe a few negative points for looks. Hmmm…drawers have false fronts, why not shop tills?

Add a lil walnut…










...and Bam! A nicer looking till! LOL! I even added some nearly straight pine runners to keep this guy running back and forth in control. As you can see, this till can be pulled out from either side of the table. That was a necessity since I work all the way around this spot.

So, I liked it. One nice till. It held all my tape, then was full. Bollocks! Look at that 4×5' table…it's wide enough for a few of those tills! And I've certainly amassed enough tools to fill more tills…so time to dig out more ply.

*()()()()*

Another important lesson for me to remember…whenever I see a spot that could use ONE drawer, automatically see the entire picture, and assess how many drawers could be built AT ONE TIME.

*()()()()*

Yep, still learning I am.

Back to the table saw to cut a few more pieces of ply…which should've been ripped the first time when the fence was set. Plus…now that I search…I don't have enough 1/2" material for more bottoms. That means the next two will be slightly taller. Oh no, there goes my OCD again…

So, I'll save you guys the boring part of gluing up two more boxes. And cutting 8 more rabbets. How about a cool LN plane loving its' way through some walnut?










Oh, and there's the other two tills in the photo, too. Cool. They look a LOT better from a few feet away! LOL.

After laminating the fronts on both sides of both tills (?), I trimmed them to fit with the No.18 and No.95.










...nice end grain curlies from the 95! Gotta love that plane! Should've invested in one of them before so many bench planes. Just sayin'

A little wipe-on poly, and…










Oh, that's much better. Three tills on tracks, which I can access from either side of the table. Sweet! And just look at all the tools waiting to be stored. LOL.

Nah, the tills don't take up all the space available…they are all sized based on the first. See…I STILL have lots to learn!

Pulls next, if I can decide on a design…

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.


----------



## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


Great idea for additional on board storage space


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


nice improvements Terry. And keep using that Veritas Skewed Rabbet plane !!


----------



## Detoro (Jan 17, 2011)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


Nicely done. I like the verse, too! A bit of music would have been nice. Roman


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


Your shop has so much character T. I've barely used my Veritas skew rabbet too. But I've got some opportunities coming up.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


You're a poet and you didn't know it…
Nice refurb of the work table, Terry! Is there a divider in the middle of the tills to keep stuff from scooting end to end?
I've always been a fan of the cupped style drawer pulls similar to these:








I wonder if you could turn a small 'bowl' and cut it in half to use as pulls?


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...





> I wonder if you could turn a small bowl and cut it in half to use as pulls?
> 
> - CFrye


Candy, you're a friggin genius. I may need to think about replacing the rope on mine!


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


Aw, shucks, Don. Post a picture if you do!


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...





> Aw, shucks, Don. Post a picture if you do!
> 
> - CFrye


I've got to actually break down and buy the lathe chuck. The only thing holding me back is actually making the decision. SO MANY CHOICES!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


Thanks, Candy, wait till you see that table next…

Been looking at too many pulls…the designs are all mixed together right now.

Don, keep looking for a package deal if you can find one with a chuck and a few jaws. Chances are you'll always want more jaws…


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *3 Ply Tills*
> 
> Three ply tills;
> Three ply tills;
> ...


Well done Terry. Great improvement.

Happy to see your skewed rabbet worked well for you (in ply none the less). 

Thanks for bringing us along.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*First lathe bowl*

Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…

Started with a walnut blank from kneeBay I bought in 2011…










Turned it round between centers, and added a spigot to the base…










Then, grabbed the blank by the spigot using bowl jaws,










and turned the outer shape. Sorta bland since I didn't have a plan before starting, but not ugly. I also burned a couple of accent lines near the top.

Next, time to bore a hole in the bowl section to allow access for the chisels,










...and a few minutes of hollowing out the center…










Believe it or not, I stopped to vacuum the shavings TWICE before this photo! Then an hour of sanding to remove some tear out on the end grain, cough…cough…cough.

Lastly, I used the mini-cole jaws to grasp the bowl from the outside and let me remove the spigot…










Easily done, then sanded clean.

signed, dated, and numbered (no. 16) and a few coats of oil/wax…










sweet! gotta look for more $5 bowl blanks, or build that shop kiln!

Just for fun, when completed, I turned my first magic wand from EIR…










...too much Harry Potter lately, I suppose? LOL.

Comments and suggestions are welcomed:


----------



## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Looking good.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Friggin' awesome Terry. You have a real talent for turning.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


And I was feeling so good about mine! Nice job Terry!


----------



## john2005 (Jun 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Looks good Terry. What do you burn your lines with?


----------



## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Beautiful as always Terry. What model is your Jet lathe? My daughter is looking for a new lathe to spend her Christmas money on, and yours seems to do a great job.


----------



## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


"PURDY"! That's some mighty fine work. You're very talented.


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Looks good Terry. I have never turned a bowl before either…or a pen. Both on the list of someday projects.


----------



## tyvekboy (Feb 24, 2010)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Nice bowl and wand.

Why donʻt you just watch when the neighbors are cutting down a tree. Itʻs free wood. You just have to learn how to work with freshly cut wood. Iʻm not a turner but I know what the real turners do. Just ask one how to work with green wood.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Thanks, guys! I was inspired by DonW's bowl last week! wait till the next blog where i'll drill holes in a plane tote on the lathe.

John, I use guitar string to burn lines…my best friend IRL plays and gives me used strings free! 

Bob, I don' think they make my lil model anymore. Mine is a 1022VS or something similar. Jet makes a newer version now…highly recommend the variable speed! very user friendly. feel free to copy my dust collection system, too! LOL.


----------



## Iguana (Jun 22, 2011)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Nicely done.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Sweet bowl and wand, Terry! Why is it #16? Admit it, you're eyeing that barn, aren't you?


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Thanks, again.

Candy, it's my first bowl from the lathe, but I've finished 15 prior to this. Carved with a 2" chainsaw, dremels, and chisel. That method usually took 12 hours for a bowl this size! Now, it's just 3 hours with a lathe…As long as you like round bowls, it's awesome LOL!

And, Yes, I have been collecting barn wood!!!


----------



## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Ohh….I dig it. I wanna try one.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Sexy. Love the accent lines.

Beautiful work as always Terry.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Red, log in to eBay, search for bowl blanks, get out your credit card!  That was a $5 blank…less than a burger from a drive thru…and I still have it for use!

Tony, I need your snail mail buddy, so I can send ya some pretty stuff I've been saving!!!


----------



## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Nicely turned my friend, Very nice indeed.


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Terry nice bowl! Your work, as usual, is impeccable.


----------



## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


Sweet looking bowl, Terry! You've got a real gift with scale and proportion. Those accent lines are a nice touch.

Happy New Year, Y'all!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *First lathe bowl*
> 
> Hi everyone, somehow I managed to carve over a dozen bowls prior to purchasing a lathe, but none since in a year and a half. Thought I'd change that…
> 
> ...


You guys are too kind! 
Thanks.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Hock Marking Knife*

Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.










This blade has a full-tang, so should make a stronger user! I didn't care for the square edges on the original blade, so used french curves and a sharpie to lay out a few nice curves.

A quick trip to the grinder, and I had a sexy shape to play with. I also used the belt sander to smooth the outer shapes.










Next, I chose some highly figured East Indian Rosey, and laminated a flat piece of Elk antler to one end. Re-sawed the blank in 1/2 to create bookmarked scales!










Using double-sided tape, I positioned the knife blade exactly where I wanted it on the scale, and proceeded to drill holes for the pins. First, drilling one scale. Then, more tape to position the opposite one, before drilling through the first set of holes and into the second scale. Make sense?










I also traced the outline of the steel onto each scale, so extra wood could be removed quickly at the scroll saw. I'll sand the wood down flush with the steel later, but want to use the scroll saw to save time now.










For a little accent, I cut some red vulcanized plastic spacers which will seat against the steel blade. Also decided to use stainless steel pins to match the blade on this piece. All waiting for a little heat and epoxy…it was 52 degrees in the shop even with the heat pump running!










No boring photos of the clamping, although I did manage to epoxy one plywood caul to the lovely rosewood! oops!

I spent a few more minutes at the belt sander to true up the edges of wood and steel, but final shaping was done with handheld sandpaper against a dowel or block of wood.

And, then, an hour of sanding to 800 grit while rounding over the edges of the handle…buffed wax for a finish…










Nice. Heavy. I even honed the edges and scored a few test lines. Sweet user! And the square shape won't roll off the bench.










It was a shame to cover up Mr. Hock's name on the steel, since He has such nice blades, but that's the way it goes! I still consider it a Hock Knife!

Questions and comments are always welcomed…


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


That is the dog's gonads Terry. Best general purpose marking knife I've ever seen period, but an hour to sand that handle to 800 grit? Were you working in slow motion? )


----------



## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Nice knife Terry. Can I get a set of steak knives?


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Seriously Terry, if you ever fancy making more of those I'd like to reserve one.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Thanks, guys, I love to re-handle knives. Cannot wait for a proper forge, so I can hammer them as well.

Andy, will make more! And, I think I still have your address?

Paul, Working on 2 Henkel steak knives now!


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Let me know the cost and there's no rush.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Andy, my dear friend, the cost shall be terrific!

You must share with me all the tool secrets down deep inside your memories. Teach me to sharpen saws, restore braces, and honor my fellow man. Instill in my cells the love of vintage hand tools, and the desire to surround myself with as many as possible…even learning how to use a few!

...oh…you've already paid many times over what is required!!!


----------



## john2005 (Jun 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


That is one handsome knife Terry! Very nice!


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


I asked a question about actual steel knives on the project post. But I see you mentioned the idea of getting a forge. Man, if that ever comes to fruition I can only begin to imagine the kind of blades you're gonna make. Couldn't wait to see some TerryR original folded Damascus with some incredible scale work. Thanks for sharing Terry.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Ha! Your response to Andy almost outshines your design and craftsmanship, almost.

Stellar Terry.


----------



## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Damn classy knife Terry!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Thanks, gents!


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Beautiful workmanship, Terry! The red really sets it apart! Where do you get those spacers? What are some other things that can be used as spacers? Keep the tool projects coming!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Candy, Thanks! Knife supply stores online have those vulcanized plastic spacers usually for $2 per 8×11" sheet.

Thin wood also looks great, and metals, too. Thin brass switch covers from the Borg, as well.


----------



## ShotgunWillie (Apr 6, 2016)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Looks great.

I have a similar project I've been putting off for a long time. Can you share a little more info on how you fastened the parts together? Is there an epoxy applied to the pins?

I have a on old blade that already has the holes drilled. I was going to match the holes in 2 pieces of river birch that I'd cut down and milled a while back. Where in the hardware store would I find those kinds of pins?

Thanks in advance. Seeing your blade is what inspired me to pick up my old project. It's been sitting in my workbench for over a year.

Will


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Hock Marking Knife*
> 
> Hi everyone. Another quick Blog to share a marking knife I just completed. Have had this Hock blade sitting in the shop for a year, and decided to put him to work since my other main knife has a round handle and rolls badly.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Will.

Yes, the pins are epoxied in place. I get pins online at a knife supply site like

http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=87_35_627_629

Lots of choices for pin material. Usually $2 per foot or less. Shipping is the killer in the deal. But other metals can be used, maybe cold-rolled steel from the hardware store? I haven't tried it, but it's round and should polish to be pretty. I've also used micarta, carbon fiber, and Delrin. If you have anything round in your shop, it may work fine to hold the handle together, if you want to save money?

Worst case scenario, the handle comes apart in a couple of years, then you get to try again!


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*How to Make a Handplane Tote*

Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist. 

I wanted to share a few different techniques on how to make a handplane tote…in case your shop is like mine…sans router table. Also, my Ryobi drill press lacks much of a quill stroke, which makes boring and counterboring a challenge. So, I've nixed that tool from the build as well.

And, for entertainment value, let's make new totes for some one year old Lie Nielsen planes from something exotic! Cocobolo would be the first choice in my dream, but I don't have the stock on hand, and cannot afford it now. But, I have a ton of Wenge! That's plenty dark to hide dirty hand prints in the shop, and rare enough to be exotic. So, Wenge, I chose…

Before going into this build, if you're planning to make your first tote, I highly recommend printing out the pattern from Lee Valley, gluing it to a pretty piece of wood, and following the instructions. I did…2 or 3 times! It's just too easy.










Using this pattern, and having it attached to a square piece of wood, sure makes it easier to comprehend the process the first few times…

However, there are no patterns online for LN wood, so we go without…

For me, if I plan to shape more than TWO of anything, I make a template from 1/8" hardboard. It always comes in handy down the road…










Note the entry holes for the through bore are marked with small cut outs at the top and bottom of the hardboard. This is crucial for alignment of drilling.

Then, the template is traced onto 1" thick wood…hoping the completed tote is 0.9" thick. YMMV. Here you can see our pattern traced a handful of times…nice to see if you have enough Wenge for ALL before making just one! The drilled holes make removal of each tote blank easier at the bandsaw.

I think most folks use a larger Forstner bit, and carve some of the tote while drilling those holes…but I stay outside the lines. Just my preference.










To layout the actual tote on my wood, here's my procedure…

First, starting with square lumber, mark a knife line squarely around the workpiece.










Then, lay the template on your wood, and align the knife line with our cut outs on the template…both at the top and bottom…










...and carefully trace the outline of the template onto the wood.

Now, using a marking gauge, mark the center of the board's edges. Here I am marking out for several at once…then using an awl to define the crossing of center lines. This is where the drill bit will enter.










After a quick trip to the bandsaw, I had a blank for my tote. A few seconds at the disc sander let me shape the top and base very close to my pencil line…I try to leave 1/16" extra for later…










Now, time for the most difficult part…the holes needed for the hardware. Gotta pull that off now, so if it's screwed up, we didn't waste all that extra time shaping the tote!

I've made a handful of plane totes, and the long bore and needed counterbore always frustrate me with my cheap drill press. There's just no way to raise the chuck for different size drill bits, and still keep the workpiece in place to ensure an accurate hole on the second entry. I knew there HAD to be a better way!

Upon reflection, I remembered drilling a few pipe stummels on the lathe while the workpiece was off-center, and thought about doing the same for a tote!

Here's what I had in mind…










The wood held by 2 of 4 jaws in a chuck, and the drill bit in the tail stock. Wow! It worked flawlessly! Drilling the through bore was now simple…1/2 way from either end now met in the center without slop. And the lathe makes it so easy to place as many drill bits in the center hole as you wish. Sweet…

Here is a closer look at the bowl jaws I used:










Some folks refer to them as 'tower jaws', but I'm pretty sure most vendors just sell them as bowl jaws. I cannot remember the size since all my jaws are out of the box, but it's the portion that protrudes from the rest that is important to find if you're shopping.

The devil is always in the details…no difference here. That tote must be aligned perfectly, with the center line lining up with the tailstock, AND the center of the jaws. There's no marking from Nova to indicate the centerline of the jaws, but I've placed sharpie lines to show mine…










...not visible in this photo, of course! LOL. I need a more permanent marking system for metals.

And at 300 rpm…










Careful to watch your fingers!

But, this is how I'll drill totes from now on. Probably saw totes as well…

Anyhow, once the through hole and counterbore are done, I turn my attention to the base of the tote. It needs to fit over that raised boss…which happens to be oval shaped on this 164…but the boss is at a 90 degree angle to the base. Different than the through hole.










I find this easy enough with the drill press. I just keep the base of the tote square with the drill bit. Here, I started with a 9/16" Forstner bit, then enlarged the hole with a small rasp until the tote fit snugly on the plane's boss.

Locating the correct spot for drilling the front hole in the base of the tote was accomplished with a screw in the plane's base, sharpened at the tip to leave a point in the wood.










Although, I found this method tends to place the hole too far BACKWARDS by the amount shown above. So, I fudged the alignment like this…










Worked for me.

As it turned out, on these LN totes, there's no way to drill this hole from above due to the overhanging top. No big deal on the hole itself, but the countersink which allows the screw to rest into the tote was a pain, and had to be shaped with a hand-held drill bit.










At least, this will now allow us to test fit the wood to the plane…










Sometimes the wood will not make contact with all the plane's bed, leaving a small gap. If so, that's why we left that extra 1/16" way back when…a quick trip to the disc sander will re-flatten the tote as needed. Looks like the front screw could be sunk a bit deeper here, but from here on out, only shaping to fit the hand is needed.

No router…so get out the colored pencils…










I marked the centerline, and my intended roundover with green pencil, and chose handtools to remove the excess wood.

First, a small chisel to remove small chunks…










Then, a slew of rasps…using the original tote for influence…










And, of course, the usual hand-sanding from 80 to 1,000,000 grit!










Oh, I think I stopped at 800 grit this time, since de wenge was wearing we down. LOL. A hard coat of buffed wax, and this tote was finished!










Not an exact replica of the LN version, but I'm more than happy with the results! So, onto the 62 Low Angle Jack…and a different method of shaping the wood…

Same procedure as above for laying out the desired shape, and roughing out the blank on the bandsaw. But, the base of the tote is where things change…










Note, there's no raised boss cast into the plane's bed, even though the cherry tote from LN has the counterbore. Yeah, they source out the wooden parts…and I'm certain it's cheaper to just make them all as close to the same as possible. Although, I discovered that FEW of my LN totes are the same size!

Regardless, I skipped the counterbore on my tote for the 62…one less step…and makes mine custom-shaped! LOL.

Same steps for the front hole on the tote: marked with the sharp screw, drilled at the drill press, then countersunk by hand.

But, for shaping, I wanted to try another tool which has been shoved to the dark recesses of my shop since becoming a hand tool addict. This Foredom rotary carver:










Awesome tool! 1/3 HP, a flexible shaft which accepts multiple shaped carving bits, and a foot pedal to control the variable speed. These yellow bits are actually 'fine toothed' but eat wood extremely quick. Note the vacuum hose! Best use of my bench's enormous apron I've come across yet…

So, 5 minutes with the Foredom…then another 5 minutes with this power sander…










The Guinevere sander from King Arthur Tools, which sports chucks on either end and can accept anything that fits in the chuck. Sweet. The best part is again a flexible shaft, and this tool came with pneumatic sanding drums that don't remove curved features or small details when sanding. Perfect for removing the carving marks on our tote…total savings in time vs. rasps? Probably 2 hours! At least.

Downside…the dust. There's always a trade-off for using those power tools! But, in the end, I was able to finish this 62's tote in about 4 hours…took about 7 hours for the previous! So, maybe the decision whether to use power or hand tools, just depends on how many you gotta make, and how long you have?










With two totes down and two more to shape, I decided to use the power tools to hog off material, and clean up with my rasps. I just love shaping wood with a fine rasp! The feeling is similar to making fine shavings with a well-tuned plane in that the final product isn't always as important as enjoying the journey.

Oh, that's deep…

As I mentioned earlier, my LN totes are slightly different in size…the 62 is just a tad larger than the 164. And the 4 ½ is much larger than either of the Low Angles. Add to that the fact that my 112 is tiny compared to any of the above, and that meant a couple of more templates for me to make. Luckily, the blanks still came from the Wenge that I had drilled all those holes in. Whew!

The largest problem I encountered was dealing with the horrid tearout from the Wenge. The darker growth rings are very dense, while the brown rings are quite soft…so the wood tends to de-laminate under stress of power tools and chisels on the lathe. In retrospect, it's a very tough wood for shaping into totes…and later the knobs! I would actually NOT recommend it for lathe work due to the incredible amount of time it took to sand out the tearout, despite all tricks to prevent it.

However, since I had started, I HAD to complete this build. I intended to add another Blog on turning the knobs, but that is probably not needed. If you have a lathe, you probably can turn a knob. If you don't have a lathe, you just need a buddy who has one. LOL.

Of course, I start with a template of the original knob as shown below. This allows me to draw those pencil lines on the project at any time, and measure my progress with calipers…










And, here's a good shot of the tearout I mentioned while turning the Wenge…










My solution was to use chisels to shape the wood to withing 0.010" of final dimensions, and sand to the final size. Lots of sanding! 

And, a few poser shots after all the cherry was replaced with Wenge…





































All for now…thanks for following along through all those photos! Time to actually build something now with my custom planes. LOL!

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.


----------



## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Wow Terry, that's some amazing work and valuable information. Thanks.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Lots of details and great information. Great looking wedge totes and knobs!I find that drilling the hole through the tote at the drill press while it is still square is easier, but I haven't tried your technique with the lathe yet.


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Very nice looking. Wenge is a bit hairy for my liking, but you seem to have done just fine with it.


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Great blog, terry.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Well done Terry. I love the wenge tote. I trick I've found for marking the forward hole is spread some oil on the plane and set the tote down where it goes. Screw it right in place. When you remove it, there will be a nice "dry" circle. I still like my drilled threw broken Stanley base, but it only works for Stanley planes, I haven't even made one for Sargent yet, so they still get the oil treatment.


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## yuridichesky (Jan 9, 2013)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Classy work, Terry, very nice!


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Looks good Terry. Nice tutorial


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Nice writeup terry! Still loving the walnut tote and knob you made for me.


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## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Wow Terry - great knowledge and technique! LJs for years will benefit from this. Great job!


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## socrbent (Mar 9, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


I have two Ohio Tools wood planes that need totes. Having never made a tote and not done a lot of research I am wondering why you did not arrange the grain of the wood to follow the bulk of the tote - off vertical but not horizontal?


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Thanks, guys!

socrbent, usually the grain is allowed to run along the axis of the beaver tail sticking out the back to add a bit of strength in this weak area. I'll make certain these planes never see the floor of my shop, so the grain orientation isn't really crucial IMO. I'd imagine your Ohio tools totes have the grain similar to mine?

Sounds like a good tip, DonW. Will scratch that down in my brain…


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


"the usual hand-sanding from 80 to 1,000,000 grit!"
Hahaha your OCD is showing, Terry! 
Beautiful totes and knobs! Thanks for sharing.


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Great blog, Terry, thanks!

Drilling with the lathe - can you use just about any drill bit, or do some kinds lend themselves better to the process than others?


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Yeah, Candy, hard to hide OCD amongst this group! LOL.

Good question, Todd. I failed to mention that I tend to start holes with a Forstner bit since they don't wander off-center. But, they don't clear debris well, so I switch to brad points after the initial 1/2". Drilling on the lathe is more time consuming, but very accurate!


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Awesome. Thanks, Terry.


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Really nice work sir.

Nothing wrong with using the 80 grit skew on some woods. Chasing a perfect finish with a skew is a fool's errand sometimes.

That Wenge should darken a bit a bit with time and use, Very nice indeed.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Spectacular Terry.

Thanks for the blog.


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## john2005 (Jun 8, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


You do nice work Terry! Tall order to tackle those in Wenge, but they look sweet!


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Lookin good


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## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Very nice work Terry! The write up is pretty helpful as a guide for anyone considering doing the same. Thank you very much!


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## AgentTwitch (Oct 29, 2008)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Those look so good!


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## oldstarter (Apr 27, 2014)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Thanks Terry wish I'd seen your instructions before I'd managed to finish my *1* lol. I did download the Lee Valley instructions as well and they certainly helped, but I was surprised at the amount of rubbing down by hand I had to do. (no lathe). Drilled the main hole after I'd shaped the tote without a lathe, not a good idea. We live and learn.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Yeah, Dave, gotta drill the difficult holes first.
Don't feel too bad, I've made some tote-shaped firewood!


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## fatman51 (May 16, 2013)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


having seen the knob and tote you made for your Vaughn and Bushnell plane, I just searched out this blog on making knobs and totes as I am preparing to make 3 sets out of ipe and I do not have any to reverse engineer. Thank you very much for posting this blog.


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## defrosted (Jun 19, 2021)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


I am again digging up another ancient thread, but I love the way the grain shows on those.

I had read that the angle of the tote bolt hole in the plane body may differ enough for some to cause frustrations, resulting in the bent tote bolts and rods many of us have see. I needed (still do…) to make about 7 totes, and went and measured the angle on the whole flock for my database. (yes, i now have more planes than projects…) my measured angles varied from 26 to 32 degrees. more than I would want to "oval" or slot the long bore by far, and more than i want to bend the rods.

Measuring this angle before hand allows me to lay out the tote on the blank so that the thru hole for the rod is perpendicular to the square sides and grain, drilling it before I make anything less square, allowing the rod to run straight.

as a side curiosity: with the rim around the perimeter of the tote footprint, why not leave a tenon on the bottom of the tote to fit this basin on the casting to lock the tote in place? we sort of do this with the knob, but for totally different purposes.


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## DevinT (Mar 25, 2021)

terryR said:


> *How to Make a Handplane Tote*
> 
> Hi everyone, as usual, I'm behind on uploading blogs…just too slow of a typist.
> 
> ...


Absolutely phenomenal!!!


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*

Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.

Since I'm such a slow typist, I'm always behind on sharing recent projects from my shop anyway. Maybe this unrestrained format will let me introduce builds in progress and completed as I feel the need?

For the most part, the past 6 weeks have seen me struggle to keep our Farm working despite sub-freezing temps. Since we don't have running water on the other side of the road, where the livestock live, that means hand-carrying water several times daily, and ice removal. Frustrating at the very least…










We received nearly 10" of total snowfall during the month of Feb…and it only takes ONE inch to shut down this entire county! Hey, sometimes the truth hurts.

My 1200 square foot steel shop remains uninsulated, so shop time also gets limited during extreme cold spells. I still have glues and finishes stored in a warming closet made of rigid insulation and duct tape to prevent damage from freezing. 

Luckily, I was able to find enough time to complete my gift items for the most recent LJ Tool Swap! A handle for an ErikF-made saw plate, and a small brass mallet. Here's the start of the cocobolo tote…










The design is a combination of Gramercy's and a vintage Moses Eadon, with the double nibs that I like so much. Since I allowed the deadline to sneak up on me, I chose to use power tools for most of the shaping to cut down on time. Of course, I paid the price by dealing with all the coco dust in my shop and lungs. Oh, the horror!

The finished saw came out fairly nice IMO! Brass hardware also from Erik. I wanted to attempt shaping my own hardware, but time just ran out for experiments.










I also added another piece of coco to an August-supplied brass head for a nice heavy, little mallet. Glen-Drake styled…










...wedged with Apple, and pinned with a brass thumbscrew that I shortened. This lil tool was hard to give away!  As a small quirk in our swaps, Paul…HammerThumb…received this saw AND my previous gift which was also a saw! He also received a gift mallet recently with a coco handle, so has a pair. Luckily, the saws are different ppi, and the mallets are different weights.

I've come to prefer these small mallets lately while chopping the waste from DT's. They are easier to see around and take up less space on the bench.

Speaking of DT's, I also made a DT alignment board, a blatant copy of David Barron's. But, after seeing August's recent build, and watched Mr. Barron online, I could see this would make a grand tool in the shop! previously, I've been aligning pins and tails with cheesy clamps and planes on their side. That method works, but the board should improve my accuracy.










Shaped from H.Mahogany and Walnut…probably my best DT's to date. Honestly, I've become amazed at how EASY it is to cut DT's. I'm still quite the beginner, but improvement seems to come quickly when I take my time. Hard to believe I was intimidated by them…since there's no valid reason for the feeling. Cutting DT's just takes a few careful steps. That being said, perfect DT's may elude me for some time, but I'm OK with that! 

I hate to admit it, but the sawdust and clutter in my shop has become a very real problem that hinders workflow! When preparing inventory for an upcoming vending event, I tend to just let the wood chips and sawdust gather on the floor. A very bad practice! Especially since my hurricane proof shop seeps water from underneath the building's concrete foundation. That just allows the debris on the floor to soak up water, and keeps the humidity out of control.

Solution? Ummm…working on that! More concrete outside to assist with drainage, more sealers to fill gaps, and no wood debris on the shop's floor.

After a few days of cleaning, I started on a stud wall inside to provide more space for storage. This should have been done from the very beginning, but wasn't in the budget.










Just a 12×8 foot wall for now…that's literally all the floor space I could clean at once without completely emptying the tools from my shop. The plan is to move stuff into this clean area, and keep working my way around the whole shop, cleaning and organizing the overwhelming amount of tools I've collected. AND using the shop vacs to collect debris better from today forward.

Perhaps the 'messiest' tool in the shop is my lathe…although I vacuum up chips several times daily! Frequently, it's hard to even tell…


















This tool provides such instant gratification, that I become addicted to it easily. Perhaps that's why I volunteer to make so many things for other folks? LOL. The past few weeks, I've started laminating together a few layered bowl blanks. Not segmented, just layered vertically for now.

Here's a walnut and purpleheart bowl in progress…note that I'm using the tailstock as long as possible to help secure the wood on the spinning lathe. Even though this is a small bowl, I still don't like hollowing out endgrain. I need a better tool rest to keep the tip of my chisels closer to the workpiece to prevent vibrations and small catches.










There are a few more of these laminated blanks in progress…including one with ELEVEN layers!

I also turned a new shifter knob for my Ford since the OEM came unglued this past cold spell. This walnut feels so much better in my hands that I'm sorry I waited so long (10 years!)










For my shop, I also turned a nicer split nut driver from Apple, using a tip I purchased from Gramercy, As well as a new handle for my short flat head screwdriver from Koa…gorgeous stuff!










I had previously turned one of the walnut knobs above as a replacement for an LJ buddy. But, since the counterbore on the base was off-center, my OCD asked to try again. However, the 2nd attempt had a bum counterbore at the top (bent 15/32" drill bit…really?), so I had a third attempt in wait. Looking for a little help, I turned the little jam chuck above which fits into the top counterbore of this size knob. I'll certainly use it in the future for shaping the base…

That's enough for this blog…no time to ponder the meaning of life. Especially since all our female goats and hogs are pregnant and due any time! And 50 baby chicks due to arrive tomorrow. Goodness…

Lemme know if anyone sees my bench!


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Enjoy the general musing Terry. I'd like to pick up my blog on showing specifics of some older more complicated tools but just haven't had the time. I've seen all the fun you've had with your lathe. While mine will be nothing special with a relatively small swing, can't wait to get that old Dunlap up and running and give it a shot! Appreciate you sharing the experience.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Terry, really good post.

Was that split tip driver from Gramercy meant to be mounted like that?


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Thanks, gents.

Kevin, I tried it with the other end sticking out for a year, but it didn't work as well as it does this way.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Terry, nice blog, beautiful apple handle on that driver. Wow.

And I totally understand the catch 22 with shop renovations. Still haven't fully recovered grom my shop floor project over a year ago!


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## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Great blog my friend. It'll be fun for you to look back on these someday.

We've definitely got the "worker bee" trait in common.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Love seeing your shop and all that's going on Terry. Some pictures of your place taken from outside the shop would be interesting sometime. When are you planning the big move to CO? I don't envy all the work that will entail.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Thanks, again guys.

Bob, our move may be on hold due to jobs? I'll get a few exterior shots of my shop…


----------



## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...





> Bob, our move may be on hold due to jobs? I ll get a few exterior shots of my shop…
> 
> - terryR


Say it ain't so! I need someone to show me the ways of a real turner.

Terry, I as well love seeing your shop projects. I would love to all see the life musing, so don't skimp out on us


----------



## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Terry, guess I didn't state my question very well. Was the slotted bit you bought designed to be fitted with a handle like what you did? Or did you adapt it to your design?


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Will do what I can to see CO again, Todd! Loved the small taste I had a few years ago!

Sorry, Kevin. The bit looked like this from Gramercy…










...and I really think they intended for it to slip into a screwdriver. I tend to dislike multi-tip drivers since I lose the little pieces! So, a wood handle for every driver tip in my shop. I've even glued a few drill bits into wooden handles. Just crazy, man!


----------



## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Hey Terry,

I enjoyed your blog entry. Some time ago I added several North Alabama jocks to my "friends" list, and you're one of 'em.

I'm guessing you are in Jackson Co. I'm in Huntsville.

You sure have a lot of energy to do all that!

What kind of lathe tools do you use? How do you sharpen them?

-Paul


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Hi Paul, we used to live in Huntsville…and sometimes I sure miss parts of it. We get our mail in Princeton, the nearest town. Pretty quiet out here since hunting season has ended.

I have vintage Craftsman HSS tools that I use a little, but mostly I wear out my Easy Wood tools. Carbide tips, so no sharpening. Although, the tiny carbide tips seem to chatter more to me? I use regular steel gouges for roughing blanks, and sharpen them by hand on DMT's. Not very good at that, but I'm learning, I think.  getting a Wolverine jig soon…

You turn, too? Gotta check your blogs in the morning when the coffee is fresh!


----------



## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


I bought a little lathe, which seems adequate in itself, but found that as soon as my tools started getting dull (probably were dull all the time, since I used 'em out of the box), I was done, since I had (at that time) nothing to sharpen them with. I've heard that HSS is slow to sharpen.

That's why I asked about your lathe. If you enjoy it, I'm sure you must have sharp tools.

I very much like the idea of carbide and have noticed that some folk on here make their own bar to mount the carbide insert. I have a spiral-head planer, so I've got a box of spare inserts I've thought about using for various things - from lathe tools to small handplanes - and even pencil-sharpeners and dowel-makers.

I don't get much done in the shop, unfortunately. With the job and the family (wife and 4 kids) and the garden, woodworking really never gets done.

I noticed your first mallet project while looking at your project page. You mentioned that you used to just use a piece of firewood. The only project I've made this year is a primative pecan mallet, 2 lb, perhaps not worthy to be posted here. It in the catagory of improved firewood.

-Paul


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Paul, I would highly recommend a set of small Easy Wood chisels, square, round, and pointy tips. they sell small chisels especially for pen turners and small stuff. No need to sharpen at all, and the $15 tips last me at least 6 months each.

Of course, a roughing gouge is really needed to just get square stock rounded. For this, I'd stick with HSS. Cheaper, easy to sharpen on a grinder wheel without damaging the hardness of the steel. Just don't turn the steel any color except blue while grinding, and really try to avoid getting it that hot with frequent dipping in water.

I'm a book-learner, so tend to buy books on sharpening, plane set-up, table saw tips, etc. YouTube is also a great resource for learning lathe skills!

If you have limited shop time, I'd put 3 carbide tip tools on your Anniversary wish list. Forget about sharpening stones and jigs, and just turn some wood. Mallets are a great place to start since just about anything will work fine, and you can practice with various shapes as you want. A roughing gouge can be sharpened in 15 seconds on a grinding wheel, exact bevel is not critical. Any bevel between 30-50 degrees should help you round over your stock.

Save your carbide inserts for later. you'll be able to make your own tooling better after turning a few mallets, bowls, handles, and other small stuff for the shop.

Good luck with the garden this year! I've already had to mow twice out here…Spring arrived suddenly!


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Terry, thanks. I think that bit will fit my small brace!


----------



## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the recommendation Terry. I had looked at the Easy tools.

I've got a birthday next month and MIL already sent a check for $150 - should get me part of the way there. That's a good idea!

My bench grinder, unfortunately, is a HF model, probably cost less than $40 with wheels. I wouldn't dare use it for anything nice like a lathe chisel. It's just for lawnmower blades so far. It seems a crude instrument.

-Paul


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


It looks like a set of 3 easys are $377 on amazon. That's a lot of cash for a handle for a $15 piece of carbide!

-Paul


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Yep, those Easy chisels are an investment up front, but well worth it! You won't need anything else but wood and sandpaper to get started. No sharpening stones, no sharpening jigs, no time spent learning to sharpen.










The smaller ones are about $90 each, but extremely well made. Without access to a machine shop, and skills to go with those tools, it would be hard to build chisels as nice at home.

For a ton less money, I bought 7 vintage HSS chisels off eBay, but they required de-rusting and regular sharpening.


----------



## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Just for comparison, a 1/2" Narex mortise chisel is available from Lee Valley for $18. It's only 11 1/2 inches long, but it's a very beefy piece of high-quality steel, nicely machined, with a good handle. So double that for the greater length of the lathe tool and you get $36, not $125. Ok, throw in $15 for the carbide part, it's still hard to explain why the easy chisels should be so expensive.

-Paul


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


It's not hard to explain - watch:

People buy them at that price. End of explanation.

But because they are that price though - I am making my own.


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


That's it, of course! I *want* the easy lathe tools, but it's out of my pocket money range.

I was looking at Cap'n Eddie's stuff, but everything is out of stock on his store.

Sorry for hijacking this thread a bit.

-Paul


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


I'm not sure comparing Narex to Easy Wood is a fair comparison. I've read many users say the Narex are better than Borg chisels, but never seen them compared to LN by a real woodworker, which are the same size, but run $55-70 each. One of our LJ 's is trying hard to flatten the back of a brand new Narex now on the workbench thread, and I've read the exact same thing many times. All my LN's were flat when they arrived…big savings in time. Plus, the socket chisel design is far superior to a tang chisel, time has proven that. Sorta comparing apples to oranges. The LN's are superbly built. If the chisels will see limited use, then there 's no reason for the comparison to begin with.

Besides, a bench chisel see far less stress than one designed for the lathe. The biggest reason for the increased cost. Try using a Narex on the lathe, and you'll visit the ER unless you were lucky that time.

The best way to get started on any task in the shop without spending a ton of money, is to buy vintage. Just like your Stanley planes. Seriously good users. But, they each require constant maintenance to be of any use beside a decoration…mostly sharpening which requires a fair amount of skill. Lathe chisels are even more difficult to sharpen due to the various shapes. So, to get started turning, you'd need a grinder, sharpening stones, sandpaper, probably a jig, honing compound…all of which has to replaced when worn. Carbide chisels eliminate the extras, so you pay for it. The replaceable carbide tips which last me 6 months are an insignificant cost compared to the electricity needed to just run the lathe and lighting.

There's no reason to spend thousands for lathe tooling, I bought seven Craftsman chisels off eBay for $30 since they were rusty. 'The Complete Guide to Sharpening' by Leonard Lee is an excellent reference for the whole shop, $23. Lots of tips on YouTube for free. I've even seen some dudes turn with sharp screwdrivers, though I cannot recommend that.

But since I own four Easy Wood chisels, and have used them extensively, I can speak of their build quality. When a workpiece is spinning at high rpm next to my fingers, I don't want to think of a cheaper tool being in my hand. Name brands like Henry Taylor, Robert Sorby, Packard, Ellsworth, and Hunter will tell you the exact type of steel you are buying, not simply 'chrome-manganese' or 'well-made'. plus, nearly anything American-made has to include the costs of labor unions and health care benefits. Probably not necessary from some other countries…but that's a personal matter.

I'm not certain anyone would recommend building your own lathe chisel without some good shop experience. So, it's not fair to breakdown a tool into just a carbide tip, and handle. You have to pay the man that actually assembled the tool. Or buy machines to do what he has done. The brass ferrule will set you back a few dollars, and how would you turn a nice handle without other chisels? How would you know if your build is strong enough to withstand the vibrations of the lathe? A case in point is the vintage chisel CFrye just bought a few months ago, which was clearly re-purposed by someone with a scary amount of tang sticking out of the handle. Everyone begged her to NOT use the tool since she has little experience. Your limbs are worth more than any tool!

All the lathe tooling I see online costs real money. My lathe was just $700, but I quickly surpassed that cost with chucks, jaws, centers, and chisels. From my reading, that is to be expected. Everyone has more money invested in lathe tooling than their smallest lathe.

If your budget for lathe tooling is tight, start small. vintage HSS chisels and a $40 grinder. Glue some sandpaper to a flat surface, and learn to sharpen. The key is learning. If you don't get good at sharpening, try another hobby, or consider carbide tips.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Ya know…I really don't think ANY $20 tool can be compared to a $100 tool.
Just sayin'


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


Terry,

Thanks for your perspective. I've heard nothing but good things about the Easy Lathe tools. I'm an engineer, so I try to figure things out. I appologize if my comments were out of line.

-Paul


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


I somehow missed this until now Terry. Its been a tough winter. But spring has sprung (well sot of)


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


You have a very interesting shop and do nice work. I have always thought that a woodworking and/or metalworking shop are great to have on a farm.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *Alabama Snow and the Meaning of Life*
> 
> Hi everyone, I've decided to try a new format for Blogs for a while and see the response. I've been reading Paul Sellers' blogs nearly every day, and enjoy his ramblings on tools, woodworking, and life in general. So, thought I'd start sharing more of my shop life instead of focusing on one build.
> 
> ...


I missed seeing this entry until the next installment was posted.

You do exquisite work Terry; your patience, care and skill shines through in all your projects.

It is a treat to read about and see your process; thank you.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*FlintKnapping is my Friend*

Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.

I'd estimate that I try to mow 5 acres of 'yard' including around the house, around the barn and pond, around the shop, a good 1/2 mile of road frontage (both sides of the road), and a mile-long path around our larger field. I certainly don't want it to look like a golf course, but if the grass is over 5" tall you simply cannot see the snakes before stepping on them! Our free-range guineas do a surprising job on scaring off most snakes, but they have a wide area to cover. So, we have snakes. I realize they are an important part of the food chain, so only take out the stupid ones that I encounter in the mowed areas. LOL!










That's me and our livestock guardian dog, Mr. Beast. His size is much more impressive in person…as well as His extremely low frequency bark! He's lost a little weight over the winter, but still pushes 160 pounds easily. For scale, the fencing behind him is 48" tall, if you can even see it!

He's an Anatolian Shepherd, very gentle with the goats who are under His command, and simply a large puppy around my wife. He sleeps most of the day since His job is to watch the fence line all night, and keep out predators. After just mowing the outside of the fenced area yesterday, I still see no evidence whatsoever of intruders. Since we live so far from civilization, we have a healthy coyote population, but as soon as they start to howl in the distance, Mr. Beast answers with His long-reaching barks! Only a fool or rabid animal would enter our fence…and I've only encountered ONE rabid coyote in the 10 years we've lived here.

Shop time has been somewhat limited lately due to troubleshooting our ZTR mower, which finally saw a trip to the dealer for a new fuel pump. A quick introduction to the pressure washer, and now it runs and looks brand new. A very important power tool out here!

My main focus in the shop has been to complete the 12 foot stud wall I started last time…










Sheathed with cheap B/C plywood, painted with Kilz eggshell which I had on hand, and 'framed' with red oak to match the french cleats. I decided to add the vertical strips of oak to hide the ply joints, and shorten the french cleats to 47" since I ripped them by hand. Crazy!










But, that gave me more time to spend with my vintage tools, instead of a few minutes of risk at the table saw. Honestly, since I'm not working on commission, enjoying the time in my shop is more important than the stuff I build.

However, I had no idea how difficult planing the bevels would be. I shaped them close to a 45 degree bevel, and mounted four cleats to the wall, but after trying to hang the first cleat, I realized the bevel had to be more precise than what I had made. So, out came the marking gauge; and a fresh knife wall for me to aim for. I was able to plane 4 cleats to a clean bevel, but the amount of time and effort convinced me I was using the wrong method!

Time to tilt the table saw, and admit defeat. I cut a couple of longer push sticks from 3/4" birch ply and made a sacrificial fence that rides over the factory piece so I would have more room to clamp a featherboard. Then ripped the remaining eight cleats in just a matter of minutes. I think it's time for me to work past my fear of the table saw, and gain knowledge!










Since the shop is a complete wreck, I've found a lot of time lately to sit and chip rocks…an extremely addictive hobby! I learned the basics of flintknapping in 2005 from reading, but luckily I attended a Knap-In in another state after 6 months, where I met a genuine Master who loved to teach. How strange that He lived only 10 minutes from my home! Fate, perhaps? Over the course of 4 months, I learned the finer points of chipping; changing my life since Primitive Technology presented me with fascinating skills to learn.

Fire-making, hide tanning, constructing bows and arrows by hand, burning out bowls and spoons with coals from a fire, making cordage from animal and plant fibers, flintknapping…all simple skills that empowered our ancestors. Those same skills remain important today to those who enjoy being self-sufficient!

You guys think using a 100 year old handplane or hand saw leaves you with a grand sense of being alive? Try shaping a tool from a rock, or weaving strong cordage from deer sinew, and your enjoyment will leap to an unimaginable level! We allow hunters on our land once every few years, in trade for the deer hide, skull, and legs. At first, they cannot believe we want the skull, but after seeing one of my knives using a jaw bone for a handle, they immediately want one! I've even been known to grab the legs off a deer on the roadside since the tendons make excellent cordage. It only takes a little time and skill.

Here are a few flint knives I recently completed…









Each is roughly 6" long, the blade is epoxied into a mortise in the handle, and the joint is wrapped with thin deer rawhide to give an old appearance. The top knife is chipped from Piute Agate (Montana) and features a redwood burl handle…this one is actually in the mail and headed to an LJ buddy as a gift! Next is Dacite (volcanic ash) hafted to Cocobolo, and Novaculite on Claro Walnut. Yep, the Novaculite is the same Arkansas stone that we use for sharpening in the wood shop. Although, the colorful stuff is usually reserved for knapping and lapidary work.

I've also chipped a few decent points this past month…










The one in the middle is a 'Dovetail' knife chipped from Mahogany Obsidian; decent notches on that one considering how little practice I've put in lately! The other points are just lanceolate blades; the left one is Texas Pedernales and the far right is Missouri Keokuk. Both materials have been heat-treated to improve the workability of the stone.










And another knife that didn't make it into the previous photo…Novaculite on Claro Walnut again. Then, two more knife blades. I enjoy making knife blades a little more than specific points since a knife can be asymmetric and pretty much any shape! These blades are from man-made Fulgurite and Keokuk…the former is actually sand that was used to form the Space Shuttle tiles, and was cooked into the gorgeous glassy material from the heat of the tiles! I only have a small stash of this rock, and it gets offered at a premium price. Especially after I add a stabilized handle!

I was FINALLY able to complete a heavy bench knife which is also a gift for an LJ friend. This one took much longer than expected due to life itself…which always seems to get in the way of woodworking! LOL! The blade is shop made from 1/8" thick O1, heat-treated to 57 Hrc, and has handle scales made from East Indian Rosewood and Elk antler. In the mail now…










Just a teaser photo of glue-up…I'll save the finished knife till AFTER my buddy receives the gift!

As soon as I added a few storage shelves to the new wall, I moved the lathe next to my shop's front door, and arranged lathe tooling on the cleats. Then I HAD to turn a bit of wood to prevent withdrawal symptoms from worsening!

Here are two completed bowls…the Purpleheart and Walnut should look familiar from last time…and the other is Spalted Maple with Bubinga added for the rim. I'll continue to play with these layered bowls to use some of the scraps in my shop. And to create taller bowls from my 2-3" thick blanks…










I've also started to rough turn some of the wet bowl blanks in my shop so they can dry quicker. Many of my blanks have been in storage here for 4 years, but are still wet due to the high humidity in my shop! Turning the blanks to 1" thickness should allow them to dry in under a year, and be re-turned into finished bowls.










Above you can see the rough turned blanks; from Maple, Coffee tree, and Walnut, and a couple others floating around somewhere. The bowl on the far right is from Elm and completed except for removing the 'foot' from the base. As I was preparing to turn off the footer, I realized my Cole Jaws aren't large enough to grab this bowl…bummer! So, I'll have to build another set of jaws…

I've also started my build for the current Plane Swap. The most difficult part was deciding on a shape for the plane, then the woods. Somehow, I spent nearly 2 hours just selecting the woods from an assortment of thin stock! And another hour arranging the woods into a pleasing array. Sorry, no photo of the plane till later; don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone!

Enough for this update…hope you guys enjoyed the photos!


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Nice update Terry, keep up the good work.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Terry, I really enjoy these blogs about your farm and shop life. Great stuff here, and I'm amazed at how much you have going on. Your flint knapping skills are something I truly admire. Your work is beautiful. I wish I lived closer so you could teach me.


----------



## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Nice projects there and thanks for the updates. Snakes have been travelling through my property as well. They come up the hill, go through my wood pile and roam around a bit before going to the other side in the pastures. A 12' black snake was a site to see, but that sucker eats a lot rats and mice. I normally harass the old ones and they know not to make their home around where I live. The young ones tend to be more resistant and need additional encouragement to move on. Love that dog. If you ever have a puppy from him, I'll be interested.
Take care.
Mahdee


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## JR45 (Jan 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Wow! What a life you must enjoy. Those knives are something else. Most envious.
Thanks for sharing.
Jim


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Ive got to say that im a proud recipient of one of Terry's flint knives. Its got a permanent home on my desk in the office. Everyone that comes in looks at it and asks where I had gotten it from and are amazed at how sharp it is. Ive only threatened one person with it so youre not an accessory just yet Terry 

This blog is a really cool insight into your world. I don't think this son of suburbia could hack it. Good stuff Terry.


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## woodcox (Nov 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Very nice work Terry, thanks for sharing. I saw this awhile ago and thought of your craft. 


__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511017888944766770/


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## Iguana (Jun 22, 2011)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Very cool, Terry.


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Man Terry those knives are awesome. Seriously beautiful work. That Novaculite and Walnut one is gorgeous.

I grew up with the farm life, and there are parts that I miss, but there are many parts I do not. I admire your commitment to the "old ways".


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Impressive all around but I really covet those stone knives.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Great to see the Beast again; such a cool pooch.

Nice that you got your wall completed I bet having a starting point to begin the cleaning will help the mindset a bunch.

Spectacular work on the knives, points and bowls (walnut and purple heart is stunning).

I really enjoy your blogs, thank you Terry.


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## putty (Jan 1, 2014)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Terry, you are a man of many talents…I love the knives!


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


I was totally engrossed in reading this blog. How very interesting! I'm pretty sure I would love living off the grid (or at least near the edge) ... but there's no way my wife would! 
.
Question for you on the wet turned bowls. As you leave them to dry, do they tend to warp into an oval shape? The first two things I turned were (very) wet and I set them aside some months ago. Just today I was looking at them and they're both at such an oval shape, I'm not sure I could actually turn them round again.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Like Stef, I'm also a recipient of Terry's artistry. I have one of his flint knives as well as a beautiful basket. They just showed up as a bonus along with some finely turned plane knobs. They all have and will always have a special place in our home.

Terry your blog posts are a joy to read and some day I hope to be passing through Northern Alabama to see things for myself. Thank you.


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## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


TerryR I always find your shop work absolutely fascinating. Your selfteaching fortitude is inspirational. Thanks for the inside look at the shop, always enjoy reading your blog.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


You are "living the life"! Your skills are truly amazing and I heard "self taught" in a comment above? Even more impressive. Love your "beast". Most dogs aren't good snake killers. My Peggy Sue was a snake killing machine but left me at age 19. She is greatly missed and the snakes are getting out of control. Keep up the great works.


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## lightweightladylefty (Mar 27, 2008)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Terry,

It sounds like you could compete with my dad on the grass cutting, but then at 97 he's retired and has plenty of time to mow (which he does two or three times a week when he's not on the treadmill).

You're the ultimate do-it-yourselfer. It's great to see such skills.

L/W


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


There is some great talent there Terry. Thanks for sharing it.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words, everyone. The little knives are quite popular everywhere I roam!

Joe, yes the bowl blanks definitely warp into an oval after drying. No way to prevent that. A general rule of thumb is to leave the wall thickness 1/10 the diameter of the bowl, that way there's enough mass to re-turn the piece to round. No hard science, though…too thick and the blank will crack…too thin and you cannot re-turn to round. 

Honestly, this is my FIRST attempt at working with wet bowl blanks; all my 'knowledge' comes from youTube! LOL.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Nice to be able to put up the heat tent for another year, Terry! Please make a video/audio of Mr. Beast 'singing'! Your knives are beautiful. As is all of your work. I'm still working on that swap item. Thanks for your patience.


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## tyvekboy (Feb 24, 2010)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Enjoyed the blog. Nice dog. Great knives … would like to learn how to do that some day.

Thanks for sharing.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Beautiful work Terry!


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

terryR said:


> *FlintKnapping is my Friend*
> 
> Hi everyone, Spring has suddenly arrived to our place, in fact we've seen daily highs over 80 degrees regularly the past week or so! Since we live in a very fertile floodplain, a small amount of sunshine means the grass is already growing out of control.
> 
> ...


Beautiful knives Terry. That's some horse you have there also!


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

*June 10, 2015*

Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…

Sadly, the major event the past month for us was watching the passing of one of our elderly cats, named Leo.










He was 18 years old, and finally succumbed to end stage renal failure. Leo was an awesome friend who lived a sedentary life, sleeping on the couch most of His time. He weighed close to 20 pounds most of His adult life, but was scared of His own tail!  If we had company, Leo would hide for nearly a day…in fact, He took years to get accustomed to living with me!

In the end, I built him a pine box, and we buried him on the mountainside behind our home. I'm pretty sure Leo is still nearby.










----------------------------

Since my wife has been travelling so much this past month for work, I've made extra time for the shop to occupy my mind. After more hard core cleaning, I'm preparing to build another 12' wall on the opposite side of the shop as earlier this year. I've also added more sheathing and white paint to the wall which will be between the two new walls, directly behind my bench. The plan is for more french cleats all the way around!

Still adding cleats and tools to the first wall…










My lathe has essentially taken over this area of the shop near the doors, and claimed quite a bit of space on the wall. It's amazing how such a small lathe can require so many tools and accessories! But each is important during some phase of turning.

Some of the hand tools already hanging will probably be moved closer to my bench soon. And, I'll continue to add more finished artwork…gourds for example.

Speaking of crafty art…I spent a fair amount of time coiling pine needle baskets recently. Maybe it's the summer heat, but making baskets is a great way to spend the time inside near the A/C!

I don't think I've shown them much on LJ's, so maybe I should explain what they are? I take long leaf needles and form them into a 3/8" diameter coil, then stitch that coil to itself as it winds around the center. Extremely simple…and very time consuming! Yet the finished product it so unique and earthy that many people are drawn to the baskets! I've sold dozens of them to men and women; spanning every age group. And I find them very relaxing to make.










That's probably the nicest basket I've made in a while; spalted Maple for a center and walnut slices from our property form the handles. I use wax-coated nylon and linen for the stitching since it's very strong and abrasion resistant. Also a finish coat of melted beeswax adds stiffness to the baskets as well as protection from moisture and use. Yes, these are intended for use!

The above basket is already in Boston…a gift for my wife's parents.

Next, I shaped a couple of smaller baskets…










The guy on the left has a stamped leather center, and the other is from Maple Burl. These are quick, little baskets…taking a mere 8-10 hours to complete!

A basket with this much stitching takes closer to 14 hours:










Spalted Apple highlights the colorful stitching above…

In addition to the many hours of coiling, this form of basketry also demands time for preparing the materials! The pine needles must be washed and rinsed, then the wooden ends are removed as carefully as possible in order to keep the needles in bundles. Plus, slicing walnuts isn't quick by any means. I use the bandsaw to get two slices from each nut, then the belt sander to pretty the faces up after removing the meat.

However, if you price out walnut slices, you'll find them at close to a dollar each! That makes this small pile worth the same as a Lie Nielsen socket chisel:










So, it's certainly worth my time to process them!

In the above photo, you can also see a small coiling gauge I turned from a pen blank this month. As I shape the baskets, I insert needles into this gauge to help manage the loose pine needles, and the inner diameter keeps the coils roughly the same size.

While dealing with baskets this past month, I also learned how difficult it was for me to build a simple folding easel…










My first attempt was just stupid since I decided to cut the bevel LAST on the scroll saw, and clean it up with a disc sander. Somehow, I lost all squareness using that process! Of course, using the table saw to cut that back bevel first was the solution, but I forgot to flip my pattern, so ended up with 2 right legs! Bollocks!

Eventually, I got it right. But soon discovered all my hinges are way too large. A quick trip to the Borg provided me with smaller hinges and some crappy screws that disintegrated when I applied torque with my smallest screwdriver…in a pre-drilled hole! So, an online order for hinges and screws gives me more time to consider this build. I just don't want $3 easels from China to display my work, so i'll keep trying to build them.

I suppose you guys noticed the new till on the french cleat photo?










I needed to get my chisels OFF the lathe table a long time ago, but have put off a till for an unknown reason. This one is fairly ugly up close, but works great! Since my chisels vary so much in length, I came up with this layout to save space. The small shelf helps hold jam chucks and a few wooden blanks…which threaten to take over my shop.

The carcase is built from 1/2" Oak ply, rabbeted together, but the Oak trim is just scabbed on with glue and finish nails. Man, I wish I had a brad nailer now that I have a small air compressor in the shop. I'm actually pretty good at driving framing nails and fencing staples; but have never learned the skill of using finish nails.

While on the subject of lathes…here are a handful of rough turned bowls from the past few weeks…










I'm beginning to get a routine for roughing out green wood into bowls. That helps speed the process greatly; in fact, I turned FIVE of these in a single day! Now that we have unlimited high-speed internet, I've been studying woodturning on youTube quite a bit. Luckily, some of the knowledge is starting to make it's way to my shop.

Here are a couple of boxes I turned recently…










That one is about 3×4" and turned from Claro Walnut and Holly. The oil finish really darkened the Walnut…I may try spray shellac next time to prevent the dark oil from hiding the yellows and reds?

Oh, that phallic thing on the right is a new handle which locks down the tailstock with greater ease than the stock one. Looks funny, I know, but after seeing dozens on youTube I can now attest to what a great addition it really is! I'll try to keep it out of photos when possible…










And a simple box from Tamboti around 3×5".

A weird shot after turning some Osage Orange:










And, as last minute entertainment, I started back on my bench's endcaps…For too long now, the left end of my bench has looked like this:










I cut out those finger joints and tongue in the Pine months ago, but dropped the project. Just a few days ago, I cut a chunk of Black Walnut slightly oversized, and resumed work. The massive finger joints were all cut by hand, as well as the tongue and groove joint which will serve as a breadboard. Pinned with 3/8" beech.

I would rather have DT's, but they weren't practical since the aprons have been assembled long ago…plus an end vise will cover the opposite end soon. Next bench gets DT's facing the front!










Eight hours of mallet, chisel, and saw time…and roughly 30 dry fits gave me the results I was looking for! The gaps appear larger in the photo since the Walnut is still oversized. Here, I trimmed it within 1/16", but was too exhausted to perform nice work, so quit for the night.

A cool logo shot during the day:










Till next time…


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## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


It may have been 5 weeks, but that's a lot go get done! Nice work Terry


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


I'm always pleased to read your posts, Terry. Sorry about, Leo.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Terry, I had no idea those baskets took so much work. I love the one you sent. Sorry about Leo, the last of our pets passed a few years ago. Keep the posts coming, really like reading them.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Terry you are a true artist. Your work is amazing, and how you get so many projects done along with all the farm work is a mystery. Your artsy, earthy side really resonates with me. Keep up the great work, and the blogs.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Thanks, gents!
remember I'm retarded, I mean retired, so lots of free time. 

Kevin, hard to call them work…sitting on me duff in the cool air!

Hey, Bob, you need to help me design a basket that your wife would love…


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## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Terry the baskets, bowls and boxes are all great! Just starting to play with my lathe and I'm seriuosly jealous of your skills.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Bob's right Terry. You are an incredible artist. I love your work man and always look forward to seeing what you've been up to. I've done a big fat zero in the last five weeks because work has been absolutely manic. Still I'm on holiday for 3 weeks in July. We're doing the west coast of the US in an RV. Something that has always been on my wife's bucket list. I can't wait!


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## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Sorry to hijack your blog Terry, but … Brit's gonna be in the US? Sounds like a LJ meet somewhere on the west coast is in order! lol


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Yep. Lock up your daughters. LOL.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Terry, as long as it has blue in it, my wife would love it.

Andy, Montana isn't that far from the west coast, and the Rocky Mountains are a must see. I hope you'll stop by for a visit.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Bob believe me when I say that if it was up to me, I would make the detour even if it meant driving through the night, but the problem is that your great land is packed with things that are 'a must see' and SWMBO has every day mapped out. LOL.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Okay, but you'll be missing out on this. ;-)


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Bob, as a consolation prize I'm trying to get to Glacier in the next year or two, I'll bring some beers and dull saws 

Andy, you may be traveling through WayneC's area, he's in Northern California. Also don't miss Fort Bragg in CA, the College of the Redwoods is there.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Looking forward to it Kevin.

Sorry we've hijacked your thread Terry. Again, you do awesome work!


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Wow Terry you do good work. The baskets are very unique, I still can't figure out where the pine needles are.


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## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Terry your blog series is one of the best to read, it's always amazing to see what all you're working on in the shop. Really like the giant pile of Hedgeapple dust! You've got so much going on its amazing!


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Too bad a Brit Tour Party isn't happening! LOL!

Glad ya'll like the blog…digging up the septic system soon!


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## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Another great blog Terry. Your patience and skill certainly is admirable.


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## RPhillips (May 16, 2013)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear of the passing of your kitty.

Nice read and amazing work… look to the next installment.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


nice reading Terry. Lots of very nice work there for 5 weeks.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Amazing amount of production and artistic talent demonstrated. Wonderful stuff.

My condolences about Leo, true heartsick when a pet passes. I'm sorry.

Thanks for sharing Terry.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

terryR said:


> *June 10, 2015*
> 
> Hello everyone, I cannot believe it's been over 5 weeks since the last update, but you know how life goes…
> 
> ...


Thanks again guys.

It's hard to believe how attached you can get to a cat that lives that long! And, we still have one that is also 18. Trying to enjoy every day with her!


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