Well here they are - the “mystery planes” I have been teasing about.

Here is the deal... in 1941, Norris was commissioned to make a plane to be awarded as the first prize in a furniture making competition. The recipient of the plane kept it in new condition all these years. It was sold at auction in 2006 for over £16,000. Shortly after the auction - I was commissioned to make a reproduction of this plane with one change - infilled with ebony (the original was infilled with Brazilian Rosewood).



It was a fantastic and challenging commission to say the least. The only reference I had was a series of photos and two dimensions - the overall length of 13-5/8" and the width of 2-3/8".



Norris clearly emptied the bag of tricks on this plane. The handle tilts to the left and right just like the Stanley No.10-1/4 - but it also pivots left and right.



I was also excited to try a wedged plane with an adjuster. The screw that passes through the keeper engages a brass insert in the wedge. The mechanics of this is very cool. The brass insert is offset and when the screw is tightened - it acts as a drawbore - driving the wedge tighter into the body of the plane. Very cool indeed!



After studying the photos I agreed to the commission. I also decided I would make a prototype to work out any unforeseen bugs. I did not want to “prototype” the commissioned plane. Infilling the prototype with Brazilian Rosewood seemed like a logical choice.

Everything worked without a hitch for the most part - and keeping the prototype ahead a few steps certainly helped refine the building process.

The mouth was one aspect that I really had to psych myself up for. I use what can only be described as an antiquated method - but it has always worked for me, and I did not see any reason why I should re-invent the wheel now. Here are a series of photos of cutting the mouth.



I still use a hacksaw to cut the mouth on shoulder and rebate planes. The difference with this plane is that it is 2-3/8" wide as opposed to the widest shoulder at 1-1/2". I was a little nervous.

My friend Steve had stopped in a few times as I was working on the pair of planes and he asked how I was going to do the mouth. I handed him the hacksaw. His only comment was “ I gotta see this!” I guess his response freaked me out a little bit more, so I decided to cut and file the mouth on my own (sorry Steve). I was not sure I would be able to handle an audience if I messed it all up!

As it turned out - it worked perfectly and I felt bad for not inviting Steve to be there for it. He was on hand as I was finishing it up though - and I handed him the triangular piece of waste from the sole.

Here are a few detail shots of the mouth being done;





Two of three cuts are done - the last one is the “easiest” :)

Here are some further photos of the two planes.

















I should also mention that I have decided to sell the Brazilian Rosewood filled prototype. This is only the second prototype I have sold - all the others live on my bench. This plane is marked KP30-08 on the bed - KP stands for “Konrad Prototype”. The price is $9,000.00 Cdn.

Hi Folks
Built a second, larger, version of my new shoulder plane. This one is 25mm wide and is in Pau Rosa, a favourite timber of mine. I scaled the dimensions up a little and I'm pretty pleased with the way the two planes have come out. Look forward to giving them some serious use.

Another plane on the bench at the moment is this...........

A Skew Miter plane in African Blackwood. I have to tell you - Blackwood has now moved into my Top 5 Timbers. An amazing wood - very, very heavy, and planes like marble. Plane irons last only a few shacings before the edge begins to break down, but boy, is it worth it. The timber looks amazing! I'll make the iron and wedge and get some more photo's.

Back to the workshop....

Philly

Last Saturday, during a trip to Downes & Reader in Stoughton, MA, I picked up some Freijo at $3/board foot. I selected 5 pieces of 4/4 stock that were roughly quarter sawn. They are 5" wide and about 3 feet long. I know nothing of the wood, but it is beautiful to look at. Wikipedia says it is also called Spannish Elm, Ecuador Laurel, or Salmwood, and as they say: it looks very much like teak. I'm looking forward to working this wood.

In about a week, I'm off to western Massachusetts to retreive some rough sawn oak and planksawn pine. I'm told there is about 150 or 200 board feet, and I'll need a place to put it. I should build a lumber rack soon. Fortunately, my brother-in-law was throwing out some perfectly good 2x6 lumber that he didn't mind me bringing home; so I have the supplies. I just need to build the rack.

I had recently acquired a barely used planer from Sears. It was one of those deals where the price was right and I couldn’t pass it up.

When I first brought it home, I fired it up and ran a few boards through it. It seemed to work great, but I didn’t need it right away, so I stored it under the bench. Let me say right here that when Sears calls this a “benchtop” planer, that’s an outright lie. This monster is heavy. I’ve got to build a stand for it one of these days. But I’m getting sidetracked.

While I was in the process of building the project mentioned in this previous post (where I injured my thumb on the table saw), I needed to plane some 3/4″ curly maple boards down to 1/2″ thickness. (Yes, it broke my heart to see 1/4″ of those boards go to waste as chips.) As I was planing, I noticed that there was a wide, shallow groove along one edge of the boards along the entire length. Since the two boards I was planing were cut from longer stock, I thought that the boards were rough-planed that way and that’s how I brought them home. A couple of shallow passes later it dawned on me that the groove wasn’t going away. “Great,” I thought. I was going to have to tear down this planer to see what was going on.

Fortunately, this planer is designed to make it fairly easy to get to the cutterhead. A few screws remove the dust shroud to gain access to the knives. As I rotated the cutterhead around, I couldn’t believe what I saw. The gib holding the knife in place was bent outwards and the remaining cavity between it and the knife was crammed full of chips. You can see what I mean in the drawing at right. (I tried to hightlight the area in red.) The item labeled ‘65′ is the gib. Item ‘64′ is the knife. (Item ‘60′ is the cutterhead.) Now, what to do?

Figuring that the worst-case scenario was ordering a new gib, I attempted to straighten it. I clamped the bent area in heavy-duty vise and torqued it as far as I could go. That took care of the majority of the bend. Then some carefully placed taps on the leading edge of the gib with a wood block and hammer took care of the rest. Some minor filing was all it took to get a smooth, straight edge. I re-installed the blade and gib and ran a few boards through it. No sign of a “groove.” I was relieved and glad that I was able to repair it.

But the question remains…what caused the gib to bend in the first place? It’s possible that it was like that when I first bought it. But the mystery remains. When I talk to the other guys in our shop, no one can come up with a plausible explanation. Very strange. If you’ve got any thoughts, leave a comment here.

I sometimes ask myself, what constitutes good design. Is it the aesthetics of the piece, the pleasing proportions, the balance of form and function... or all these characteristics combined? Taking a step back, the aesthetics and pleasing proportions are definitely at the forefront. I'm usually drawn to a piece of furniture that stands out with respect to the "look" of the piece. This one characteristic causes me to stop and further examine the piece by trying to understand what has drawn me to this particular design over another design on the same page. This analysis helps me in my own design process as I better understand what characteristics of a piece of furniture I am drawn to. Of course, we all have different styles of furniture that we are drawn to, but the common theme is good design. I am convinced that even an admirer of period styles of furniture will stop at a well-designed modern piece of furniture to further analyze it.

It’s honeymoon time.. we’re leaving to Sri Lanka / Maldives for two weeks tomorrow. It’s not going to be just relaxing on a beach. We’re going to explore Sri Lanka for a few days first and then we will move to Maldives for 5 days… we used the same travel agency for our Cuba trip (I’m planning to share our photos again so stay tuned).

So this is just a short notice to inform you that I won’t be available until Oct 30th. Hope to see lots of great entries in our Halloween Challenges when I get back ;)

Be nice here and cross your fingers – I’m not a fan of flying ;)

Now back to packing….........

It's the beginning of a new month here at Matt's Basement Workshop, so that means today's Feature Friday is Router Bit of the Month!!  Once again Woodcraft and Whiteside sent us another great router bit to try out and for one of you lucky listeners....well you're getting one too!!

The Whiteside Shaker Style Raised Panel bit is a great addition to anyone's router bit collection who enjoys building Shaker style furniture.  Unlike more ornate raised panel bits, the shaker style stays true to the straight lines and simplicity of it's namesake.

 

Drop me a line with your questions, comments and suggestions.  And don't forget that Hendrik is back in May and we're talking about starting a small woodworking business, so get your questions in for Hendrik too.  Just drop us a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.

Also, Hendrik is starting his annual three part finishing seminars: 
Part 1 "Preparing the Surface and Staining" - May 3rd. 
Part 2 "Hand Finishing and Rubbing Out"    - May 10th or 24th.
Part 3"Antique Restoration Techniques"      - May 31st or June 7th.
So if you live in the Toronto area or feel like visiting it, and you want more information about Hendrik's finishing seminars, send an email to info@passionforwood.com

 

Okay, you’ve seen your share of sharpening jigs. And they all seem to work pretty good. Well, I guarantee you’ve never seen anything quite like this before: The Sharpening Box. (At least I never have!)

Last night, I watched Gary Blum, a cabinetmaker and toolmaker from Walnut, IA., demonstrate the jig and I have to say, I was impressed. You can read more about the jig at Gary’s website: Blum Tool Co.

According to information on the site, “…the jig consists of a box made of UHMW plastic that is both a honing surface and a storage box for the stones. It has an adjustable angle block which is set in relation to the top honing surface.”

A couple of features that make it unique:

• The angle for honing is set directly from a scale and is easily changed
• The tool has no jig attached to it
• The tool stays set and the stone is moved - a much easier motion
• The stone can be used laterally and in a circular motion as well as back and forth - therefore, the flatness of the stone is not as critical as a back and forth motion, and the edge can be made sharper and longer lasting
• Much shorter and narrower stones can be used very effectively
• The tool references on its back, which is the widest and flattest side
• Can hone angled edges as easily as straight
• Can sharpen very short cutters as well as short cutter with handles, such as butt chisels or Japanese chisels
• Self-contained and portable-stones store inside of box
• Can sharpen scraper blades at a true 90 degree angle very easily and repeatedly - “filing” is done with a diamond stone
• Jig is entirely waterproof for water-stone sharpening

By the way, Gary also makes some pretty cool hand planes as well.

A while back, in a previous post, I talked about the news that Shopsmith was in financial trouble. The news today confirms it. Robert Folkerth, the president was quoted as saying,

“…the company ’significantly reduced’ its reliance on sales representatives who often travel to shows to sell Shopsmith’s tools and accessories.” 

Wait a minute. Did he say they cut their sales force? What that tells me is that they don’t see much hope for the Shopmith product that we’ve known and loved since the mid-70’s.  Has the competition for lower-priced standalone woodworking machinery pushed the Shopsmith out of the market? Sadly, I think it’s just a matter of time before Shopsmith goes the way of other woodworking machine manufacturers. Soon, the only place you’ll be able to read about them will be on the Old Woodworking Machines web site.

I am excited about the latest DVD as it concentrates on techniques for chisel use.

Chopping and paring ...

The other option of wood for the cabinet base is European beech from the same slabs I used to build the cabinet itself. This would provide a uniform color between the cabinet and base. I need to weigh this uniformity vs. the contrasting wood and color of a mahogany base. Since there is a client involved in this commission, the best thing for me to is defer the decision to the client. In the meantime, I have possibly found just the right slab of beech to be able to accomplish the build of the cabinet base. The cabinet base will be composed of four aprons and four legs. I have a slab of European beech with possibly enough wood to cover these eight components. Another option I have is to have the cabinet floating above the base, this would involve two more components.

In the photo, the beech slab is marked at one end with the divisions of the different components along with a small percentage of waste and dressing for each component. If the decision is made for the beech, this will be somewhat of a challenge for me. There is little margin or error when slicing this slab, with almost no wood to make spare pieces. Forgot to mention, this is the last of the European beech I have in my studio, and would need to source some more if I need it. It is not readily available in my area. Since I love challenges, I'm looking forward to this if the client decides on a beech base.

To be continued...

An hour ago, the 16th and final drawer was installed. What a feeling. I have been working on the last 4 drawers for a week or so. One of them was a monster at almost 12" deep. Drawer number 13 was pretty significant - it was the first one where all the dovetails fit right off the saw. Drawer No.14 had one corner that needed a bit of paring, but 15 and 16 (the monster drawer) were also off the saw. I took a pile of photos of drawer No.16 being built - it will be the subject of “Some thoughts on dovetails - part II”. The “Red-Robbie” pulls are just temporary until the African Blackwood pulls are done.

Here are a few pics of the three banks of drawers in the kitchen.





I think I can hear Jill blissfully filing Tupperware. Next up on the home reno front - back to the sunroom...

I've begun creating "mini" pencils. 4 1/4" (including eraser) it is quite a bit smaller than the original PaperMate Write Bros pencil.

The mechanical pencil was disassembled and the barrel tossed. Using a very sharp bench chisel and just hand pressure I cut the mechanism down to 2 7/8". This also required shortening the leads by approx 1/4".

The barrel is made from purpleheart. I drilled a 1/4" hole through it and turned it on a standard pen turning mandrel. (1/4" hole fits the mandrels made to be used with 7mm brass tubes.) The barrel is 2 5/8" long.

The mechanism from most click-type mechanical pencils requires a small lip at the tip end of the barrel. I created that lip by gluing a tiny piece of 1/4" brass tubing into the tip. It is around 1/8" long, the longest I could make it and still have the threads of the mechanism protrude enough to catch the plastic tip from the original pencil.

The close up shows the piece of tubing used. Note that I used 1/4" tube NOT the standard 7mm tubing. 7mm tubing isn't narrow enough to stop the mechanism.

The finish on this one is just some CA glue slapped on with a small plastic baggie wrapped around my finger. No effort at properly finishing this pencil was made because I was in a hurry.

So no comments on the poor finish, OK?

The Write Bros pencils make perfect practice parts for experimentation because they are inexpensive and easily modified. They are not terribly durable since they're all plastic, but are still useful. And at approx 30c a piece, if one breaks, or I screw it up, I'm not going to cry.

The one pictured here was given to my 5 year old daughter. She loves it and has been using it heavily since I gave it to her. So far it's holding up well.

The November 2008 Newsletter has been Posted. Go to Club Menu and click on Newsletter.

グリーンウッドワーク協会ではこの秋、アメリカのグリーンウッドワークの第一人者、ドリュー・ランズナー氏を講師に招き、椅子づくり講座を実施します。

岐阜県でとれた生の木を使い、人力の道具を用いて美しい椅子に仕上げます。
制作するのはラダーバック・チェアと呼ばれる欧米の伝統的な椅子です。
Green wood chair making class by American master craftsman Drew Langsner takes place this autumn at Gifu Academy.
We make a traditional ladderback chair out of local green wood, using only hand tools.


ランズナー氏は、３０年以上グリーンウッドワークに取り組んできた、世界的に有名な木工家です。アメリカでCountry Workshopsという工房を主宰し、多数の講座を実施しています。伝統的な椅子づくりについて詳述した「The Chairmaker's Workshop」という本の著者でもあります。
Mr. Langsner is a world's famous woodworker who has been pursueing his career for more than thirty years. He runs various craft courses at his Country Workshops. He is the author of 'The Chairmaker's Workshop'.

講座は前期と後期に分かれています。生木からつくる部材を、しばらく乾燥させるためです。
前期の３日間は、丸太から各部材を木取り、一部を蒸して曲げ、形づくるまで。
後期の３日間は組み立てる部分のホゾ加工から、組み立て、座の編み、仕上げまで。
どちらか一方の参加も可能です。

参加料は前期、後期とも２４０００円を予定しています。
宿泊費、食費が別途必要になります。
受講者数は８名限定で、残りわずかです。
ご希望の方はお早めに、グリーンウッドワーク協会までお申し込みください。

The chair making class consists of part A and B.
On part A we cleave logs to get chair parts, steambend and shape them.
On part B we drill mortises and cut tenons, assemble and weave the seat.
You can book either part A or B, or both.
The tuition is 24,000 yen for each part. Room and board is not included.
We accept eight bookings for each part. Contact Japan Green Woodwork Association.

アメリカの第一人者に学ぶ〜グリーンウッドワークの椅子づくり
講師　ドリュー・ランズナー
会場　岐阜県立森林文化アカデミー　森の工房


前期　９月２７（土）〜２９（月）
後期　１０月１８（土）〜２０（月）
いずれも９：００〜１８：００

Green wood chair making class by American master craftsman
Instructor: Drew Langsner
Venue: Forest Workshop, Gifu Academy of Forest Science and Culture

Part A 27-29th September 2008
Part B 18-20th October 2008
9:00-18:00

Here’s something you’ll want to put on your calendar. PBS will be airing a show entitled, “Craft in America: A Journey to the Artists, Origins, and Techniques of American Craft.” It will air in three episodes beginning on May 30. The most notable artist to be featured—as far as woodworkers are concerned—is Sam Maloof. You can see a list of other artists to be featured here. The web site has a cool virtual exhibit that will show you some of the work of the artisans.

To find out when Craft in America airs in your local area, click here.

Many of my projects use shellac in at least some part of the finish. It was the first finish I was able to apply well, it's a natural and renewable product (at least, when mixed yourself... Off the shelf stuff may not be fully natural), and it looks great.

The only downsides are low abrasion resistance and low liquid resistance. That's it. Not so good for table tops, great for pens!

The pencil shown in the photo at right is made from kingwood finished with several coats of 1# shellac. This was my first penturning attempt and I still use it every day. The finish is still great.

Shellac.net has some good info on shellac. Their "Why Shellac" article is good:

Shellac is a good choice for
furniture, smal craft, and wood instruments because it is ..

And they missed one of the most important reasons: It's a renewable resource and fully natural!

Shellac is made from secretions of the Lac bug. It is sold either prepared or in flake form that you mix yourself with denatured alcohol. Shellac is used for more than just wood finishes. It can be found in medicines as a pill coating and packaged foods to add a shine to glazes or candies. It's completely edible when cured and safe around children.

If you haven't tried shellac yet, get a small can of prepared shellac and play with it. If you like it, buy some flakes and alcohol and start mixin' yer own.

Today we're talking Wood Science 101 with Hendrik Varju.  All of us have been, or should be at sometime concerned with what wood movement can do to our finished projects.  So understanding how and why wood moves is crucial to designing and building pieces that will last through the years.  So check out today's show, which is the first half of a two part discussion on one of the most crucial topics in woodworking.

I'd really like to thank Hendrik for agreeing to come back and talk with us again.  If you're interested in learning more about Hendrik or to order a copy of his DVD "Jointer and Planer Secrets" stop by his website at www.passionforwood.com .  

If you're interested in meeting Hendrik, he'll be making an appearance at the Kitchener-Waterloo Woodworking Show this weekend March 14-16, 2008.  For more information on the show head over to Wood Shows for dates, times and so much more.

Coming up next month we're talking about dealing with twist, cup, bow and other wood problems.  So if you have questions drop us a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com and that's also where you can enter for the free schwag drawings too!!

 

Click here to download latest episode

Status Report: Marc goes into a bit more detail on his Gadget Station: grain direction and acclimation. Matt is making his new bench out ofâââ.(drum roll)âââ.PLYWOOD!

Around the Web:
If you arenât on Twitter, you are missing out on the fun! We also review Charles Neils website, AntiquesBuiltDaily.com. Charles has a great collection of incredible videos and DVDs on all kinds of topics. We can all learn something from Charlesâ years of experience.

Safety reminder - Tablesaw injuries to remind us of what we learned during safety week.

Review of Final Cut Saw Blade and more info.

News:
Woodworking in America hands-on classes sell like hotcakes!!
Fine Woodworking starting to sell ebook versions of popular titles. Currently you can buy individual chapters downloadable as PDFs for $2 or buy the whole book (ebook version) for $15.

Hot Deals:
Pop WWâing 50% off back issues
Bessey K-Body Clamps 25% Off
Simple Green Cleaning towels (pop up container) almost 40% off.

Topics:
We discuss a recent article by Bob Flexner in the August issue of Popular Woodworking, titled â7 Myths of Polyurethaneâ

if you have a question or comment, you can email us at woodtalkonline@gmail.com or leave us a message at 623-242-2450.

 

If you have the time, please take the new listener survey at Matt's Basement Workshop and possibly win an iPod Touch.  Head over to the website to learn all about it.

Safety Week is coming to a close and here's the last installment from Matt's Basement Workshop.  Eye protection is vital in the woodshop, with sawdust, chips, splinters, and even finishing chemicals flying around keeping our eyes safe is crucial.

We have plenty of options for all the various jobs we do in the woodshop, so it's just a matter of choosing the right one for ourselves.

Whichever one you choose, just wear them!!

A couple of good links to visit include OSHA's Woodworking eTool, Prevent Blindness America and also this 2002 report on eye related injuries from the Dept. of Labor.

Oh by the way...I'm giving you one more day to enter for the big Safety Week Schwag drawings.  Saturday I'll be drawing the names of the winners and posting a special video.  So check back to find out if your a winner of free stuff!!

If you have the time, please take the new listener survey.  And don't forget to drop me a line with your questions, comments and suggestions, especially since Hendrik is back in May and we're talking about starting a small woodworking business.  Just drop us a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.

Also, Hendrik is starting his annual three part finishing seminars: 
Part 2 "Hand Finishing and Rubbing Out"    - May 10th or 24th.
Part 3"Antique Restoration Techniques"      - May 31st or June 7th.
So if you live in the Toronto area or feel like visiting it, and you want more information about Hendrik's finishing seminars, send an email to info@passionforwood.com

Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below

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The Teak is incorruptible. It hold its own against all that life throws at it.
See more here Teak Wood Ring

There is one variation of usage which has struck me forcibly after many years of reading American magazines and Reviews.

Larry Williams' wooden moulding ...

Trend doesn't seem to sell this any more. It's the "RoutaSketch" and I picked one up on clearance at Rockler for $25.

It was when they had the coupons 50% off any clearance item. They had two of these RoutaSketches, original price $99, clearance price $50, with my coupon $25.

I figured for $25 it was worth checking out. I was intrigued by the concept, that's for sure.

Inboxed, it's clear the thing was made as cheaply as possible. All plastic except for a pair of brass thread inserts in the base and the steel bars to hold up the template and the tracing stylus.

I assembled according to the directions. The steel bars were a REALLY tight fit in the plastic bases. Tight enough I feared I'd break the plastic before even getting to try it. But they survived. The plastic may be tougher than I initially thought!

After assembling the stands I looked at the instructions to determine which holes in the base to use for my Porter Cable router. But, alas, there were no PCs listed in the table!

No Porter Cable support? How can this be?!?!?!

I suspect that maybe PC isn't as big in Europe as it is here in the US. Trend seems to be based in the UK. That might explain it.

I tried to line up the holes in my PC with the myriad holes in the base of the Routa Sketch. No luck. None at all. Bleh.

I decided to grab the Harbor Freight plunge router that's been pretty much setting on the shelf. Sure enough, the template holder screws were a match. In fact, Trend was nice enough to include long screws that fit! A good thing since the ones that came with the router were far too short to mount the RoutaSketch base with.

After some dry runs making sure I had the motions down and was comfortable controlling the router with this big thing attached (really it isn't that bad, things moved quite smoothly) I picked one of the designs that came with the RoutaSketch.

The RoutaSketch comes with a good assortment of line art to use. Oddly enough (or maybe not), at least a few of those are public domain line art. My wife saw one of them at the local library for the kiddies to color!

With the paper on the tracing platform, my plunge router dialed in to make a very light cut, and my daughter and I wearing goggles, I started cutting.

The reason I wanted to use the PC router is I hate plunge routers. I understand the need for them, which is why I own one, but I prefer a straightforward simple router without the plunge feature. During this trial, the biggest reason I hate plunge routers showed itself. If I concentrate on the work, I'll relax my arms, causing the router to "de-plunge". The router keeps making the right motions, but the bit is no longer cutting. Grr...

Another thing that was irritating me was the stylus would grab the paper causing the paper to move. Well this screws up the pattern being cut into the wood. It turns out that the package came with a sheet of acetate to lay over the paper so the stylus moves more smoothly.

Whoops!

Even so, I thought it came out pretty decent!

I just carved into the mini-bench top. Don't worry, I'm not damaging my work surface. I had enough damage to it already that I need to resurface it with my jack plane.

I didn't carve any of the details. This was more a test of the tool. It's not a project. The outline looks good, but you can see where the aper shifted. it shoved the sea horse's forehead into it's ears. The acetate should prevent that from happening next time.

Yes. There is going to be a next time...

いよいよ来週２７日から、「アメリカの第一人者に学ぶ〜グリーンウッドワークの椅子づくり」の講座が始まります。２年前にグリーンウッドワークの活動を始めてから、いちばん大きな行事です。
全長２メートル、直径２５センチのクリの丸太が５本、飛騨から届きました。
この丸太を割るところから始め、すべて人力で、６日間かけて椅子をつくります。

The green wood chair making class will take place from 27th Sep at Gifu Academy. It is going to be the biggest event for us since we started our green woodwork activity two years ago.
The material, five chestnut logs of two meters in length and 250 mm in dia, arrived from Hida.
Every student starts from riving this log to finish a chair, all by human power.



こちらの道具は、何だか分かりますか？
手前は、椅子を組み立てるときの角度を測る定規。講師のドリュー・ランズナーさんは、これを通称「おまる」と呼んでいます。
奥は、後脚を蒸して曲げるときの型です。型の両側に２本の後脚をはめて固定します。
講座まで、あとわずかです。

These jigs are for the chair class, too.
The front one is for checking the angles of rungs. The instructor Drew Langsner call it ' potty seat' in his book.
The forms at the back are for bending the rear legs.
The class is coming soon!

A friend of the family approached me about building a custom bookcase for his daughter.  Who am I to say no to the opportunity to build anything?  So as promised I documented the build, the good, the bad and the ugly.  This is Part 1 of a multi-part series, and I'll be posting new episodes on Wednesdays from this point out, enjoy!!

REMEMBER!  If you have any comments, questions, suggestions or you want to enter for some free schwag drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com or you can always leave a voicemail at 231 354-2338.

Hendrik is back this month and we're talking about "Why we woodwork".  We'd love your feedback on why it is that you woodwork also, so call or write in to the show.

Don't forget too that Hendrik is wrapping up his annual finishing seminar:  Part 3"Antique Restoration Techniques" - June 7th.  Also, coming up on June 14th, Hendrik is conducting a seminar based on his book "Starting and Running a Woodworking Business"at his Acton, Ontario Workshop.  If you'd like to attend or just get more information about these seminars contact Hendrik at info@passionforwood.com.

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ABOUT US

Okecrafts is a company specializing in making handicrafts made from natural materials such as bamboo, wood, stone, terracotta, stone, etc.

We are also production and export of Table Lamps, Wooden Photo Frames, Wooden Mirror Frames, Natural Stone, Candle Holder and decorative Bowls and modern-living pine wood furniture.

All products are purely handcrafted, making them unique and have artistic value. Since they are made of natural materials, they are environmentally friendly.

To be used by Hobby & do-it yourselfers to display their Mesquite and other fine wood projects.


Check out this fist entry From Ronald Hesketh ... It's about Time ...


Read this heartwarming story about two Men and a Very Special Clock ! ...           >>>>>> Click on "more " >>>>>>>> 

I have a half dozen different squares in my shop. My framing square isn’t accurate enough for fine woodworking. A good try square is plenty accurate, but its uses are limited. The combination square, on the other hand, is one of the most versatile layout and measuring tools in my shop. That’s why it tops the list of my “10 Essential Hand Tools for Your Shop.”

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the items I mention in this Woodsmith Woodworking Podcast, be sure to check out the Woodsmith Podcast Store. You’ll find links to many of the items listed there.