This post is no more than idle chit chat and surmising, but I find it can be fun at times to have a good ponder as to why things have the names they have. When there isn't a brawl in the pub here, this is the kind of nonsense conversations that can come out. With many names the origin is … [Read more...]
Rebate Refurb
I've managed to find some spare minutes this morning so I decided to take a quick look at refurbishing an old wooden shoulder plane which I've had laying around but never used. These rebate planes can often be picked up from car boot sales and flea markets for next to nothing so it's well worth … [Read more...]
Under Rated Tools
I was thinking this morning whilst pluging down on the slightly broken handle of my pillar drill that I am always stood at this machine. It's a tool that I barely take account of and really didn't give any thought to it's quality or durability when I bought it as I'd expected to need it only now and … [Read more...]
Pinch Dogs – The Peasants’ Clamp
It’s often said that a woodworker can never have enough clamps but this isn’t something I‘ve really considered to be true (Unless you build workbenches for a living!) . When it comes to buying clamps I could think of a lot more exciting things to be spending my money on and once they arrive they’re … [Read more...]
Getting the Gist of Wooden Planes
Wooden Hand Planes Might Be Old Tech, But They're Not Outdated I think for many people wooden planes bring nostalgia and a nice sense of tradition but don’t necessarily seem relevant to use today. We get used to a very different tool with metal planes, especially with some of the highly developed … [Read more...]
Tool Storage Solutions
I’ve never been fond of working out of a box, even if it’s a well organized one. Instead my hand tools are stored on the walls around me in a fairly simple but functional layout that keeps everything to hand. I find a tool box is excellent for storing, keeping your tools protected and organized, but … [Read more...]
Veritas PM-V11 Plane Blade
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a new Veritas PM-V11 plane blade last year (the nice chaps at Veritas; Steve and Wally kindly dropped one at my bench at last years European Woodworking Show). That’s a rather technical name and Veritas describe it as an ‘Innovative proprietary alloy’ but … [Read more...]
You May Cringe!
Don’t worry, I haven’t hit myself in the nuts or cut off a finger… but to some of you I’m sure this might seem far worse!For the past 4 or so years I’ve been using this hefty lump hammer as the sole ’mallet’ in my workshop. I always used a wooden mallet prior and my last one lasted long enough … [Read more...]
18th Century Cornice Plane (Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7qGISLyCDs&feature=youtu.beWe had a great time at the recent European Woodworking show and have a few snippets to share with you over the coming weeks. My favourite moment was trying out an antique moulding plane brought along by Richard Arnold. This was my first … [Read more...]