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Dec. 3.

 Part one of how to become a better woodworker on SubStack.

 https://open.substack.com/pub/wilsonburnham/p/how-to-become-a-better-woodworker-c21?r=3hz4in&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

 I guess you can say that a day like I had today is a good thing. I had to go to the VA to give blood for an upcoming urology appt. My right eye was acting up again so I stopped at express care on the way out. Since this eye thing was recurring I was shuttled off to the eye clinic. I got there at 0945 and I left a little after 1300. I got back to barn after 1330 which pretty negated my shop time for monday.

What was wrong with the eye? Neither the resident nor the doctor could say definitively what it was. I got sent home with antibiotic eye drops. If it doesn't clear up in 7-10 days I get to go back again. I'll be thinking happy thoughts for 7-10 days.

before I went to the VA

I thought I would knock out thicknessing the stock for the trim router box. This kicked my arse up the front and down the back and then it went around the block and did it again. The plan was to establish a reference face now and plane it to thickness when I got back from the VA.

can you see it?

I couldn't pick out the repair I did to the bottom shoulder of the center stile. It turned out so much better than I expected it to. I got the 4th coat of shellac on everything again and went back to thicknessing the stock.

yikes

This is the second piece of stock and I checked it for twist because it was rocking on the bench. I wasn't expecting any twist and certainly not 3 lines worth of it. It took 6 plane and checks before the twist went bye - bye. I went back and checked the first board and it had twist almost as bad as this one.

ain't happening boys and girls

The thinnest part on either board was 9/16" so that was my final thickness. I really wanted 5/8" due to the weight of the trim router but Paul Sellers made a tool chest with 9/16" stock so I should be ok.

pencil line

 I didn't get any whiskers during this thicknessing. Instead I planed down to and just removing the pencil lines.

done

They are within 1 to 2 frog hairs of each other. What is more important to me is they are both twist free, flat, and straight. Also, when I laid one on top the other there wasn't any rocking.

time to relax

This turned out to be quite a chore to do. However, I had a good reference face for thicknessing them now.

4 hours

It didn't register with me until I got back to the shop after the VA. Even though I had to wait a lot the time seemed to fly by. I'm sure glad I had my cell phone and hearing aids - listened to xmas carols the entire time.

I hate )@#&%_)#*^$)(^*$#_)(- computers

The shop computer has been acting funny for the past week or so. It has been intermittently dropping the BT audio feed and going berserk. Now it is hanging on the Linux logo - been there for over 20 minutes. I tried to get into the boot menu  to reload Linux and nada. I couldn't access the Boot Menu to change the boot to the USB drive.

I faffed about with it for 30 minutes and got nowhere and then it started working. I even was able to pair my headphones without any hiccups. The remainder of my time in the shop the computer and the audio worked without any hiccups. As I would say in the Navy, WTF?

new home

I wanted these 3 on one of the doors which are directly behind my workbench. I picked the first cabinet on the right.

final coat

I got the fifth coat on the carcass and just the fronts of the drawers. I'll let this cure over night and in the AM I'll rub it down with Howards Feed 'n Wax.

I was multitasking

But not all of them were producing results. I couldn't get the computer to boot off the USB drive. It is acting like there is a virus on the computer?

done

I chopped a shallow mortise for the thumb screw so they wouldn't spin around on the holder.

done

It is a bit of a PITA to remove the square below the marking gauges. I had to remove the left mini tite mark before I could get it out. I don't use it that often so I'll just have to deal with it as is.

almost a yikes....

I drilled the pilot holes for the screws from the front coming out on the inside face. I remembered as I was drilling that I had this book in the holder here. I would have been extremely unhappy if I had drilled a hole through the book and the holder.

I've changed over the years

This is my Lie Nielsen panel gauge. When I first got it many moons ago I used it a lot. I now mark my work differently and I don't even think of using this as an option. I won't sell it because it is something I got when I embraced hand tool woodworking.

big arse maple panel gauge

I tend to go a little nutso at times under the mistaken impression that bigger has to be better. I made this about 10 years and I used it once. If memory serves me right it will mark out to 32".

 

Marples marking gauge

This marking gauge is nothing like the old ones. It is made of beech with a plastic thumb screw. I'm going to turn it into a pencil marking gauge. If it goes south on me it won't upset me.

the only one I had

I threaded the hole for a 6-32 thumb screw. I thought I had some larger ones but I didn't find any. I did find a 1/4-20 thumb screw but that was too large for this.

kind of works

I can had tighten the thumb screw and it will clamp the pencil. What I can't or couldn't do, was loosen it after tightening it. I had to use slip joint pliers to loosen it. This 6-32 is too small to be effective so I'll search for a #8 or #10 thumbscrew. I will also epoxy a nut in the beam so the thumbscrew isn't reliant on the threads cut into the beam to tighten the pencil.

ugly plastic thumb screw

In spite of its ugliness it works surprisingly well. I can't move the head once I tighten the screw. 

too small

Operating the thumbscrew has to be with hand pressure only. Using pliers IMO doesn't make any sense. I think even with a nut recessed and epoxied this thumb screw would still be too small to be effective. 

way past quitting time

I'm going to let the stock for the trim router box hang out until tomorrow. Based on the amount of twist I had I won't be surprised if they both do stupid wood tricks. I'll find out in the AM which face I'll be showing.

accidental woodworker

The holiday season is a wonderful time to catch up with friends and family, who inevitably ask me what kind of woodworking I’ve been doing lately. With some chagrin, I have to say that I’ve been so busy that I’ve barely touched my hand planes and hand saws since this summer. I haven’t been doing any woodworking at all.

But that’s not entirely true. In fact, this fall I’ve been working with a lot of wood. It’s just that the wood I’ve been working won’t become fine furniture or even wooden spoons. I’ve been cutting firewood.

Earlier this fall, there was a tree service doing some work next door, and as they were trimming limbs from a mature maple tree, my wife wandered over to ask them if we could take some of the larger limbs for firewood. They were all too happy to let us take them.

Happy with what few logs we could fit into the back of our minivan, we were not prepared for what came next. A few hours later, the foreman knocked at our door and asked if we wanted more. They had taken down couple old honey locust trees, and he had a small trailer full of logs in our driveway. My wife kindly showed him where to pile them up in the back yard. Over the course of the day, they brought over even more wood, until they couldn’t fit any more logs into that corner of the yard.

In the weeks following, I worked away at the pile a little at a time: cutting logs to length here and splitting and stacking them there.

Seen from a distance, cutting and splitting firewood probably looks mind-numbingly repetitious. What could be simpler than standing a section of a log on end and bringing the business-end of an axe down hard on it, over and over again? Well, I think that in practice splitting wood requires the same kind of attention and intelligence that other, finer forms of woodworking require. Much of what I already know about wood and woodworking applies to splitting firewood.

It is rough work, to be sure: the kind of work that exemplifies what David Pye calls the “workmanship of risk,” in which the tool is guided solely by hand and eye. The outcome of each stroke of the tool is not predetermined, nor does it need to be. Cutting firewood is perhaps the roughest kind of woodworking there is. But it is real woodworking, for all that.

For example, all woodworking projects require you to acquire the right kind of stock for the project. Different applications require different lengths and widths, and often different species. As a rule, the denser the wood, the hotter and longer it will burn, so this honey locust should make for some fine midwinter fires. Just like in other woodworking applications, it is easiest to work with stock that is straight and free of knots. Of course that’s not usually the kind of wood one uses for firewood, but it’s nice when you can get it.

Some woods split easier than others. Oaks split very nicely, especially when green. Elm won’t split at all. But whatever species you’re working with, you get to know its characteristics. This honey locust can be tough to split at first, especially if the log is big. You can hardly drive in a splitting wedge. But I’ve learned that once you get the split going, it comes apart pretty quickly and cleanly.

And as always, the best kind of wood to work is whatever you got for free!

As with milling wood for furniture, so with cutting firewood: cut around the big knots! I like to isolate the big knots and the big crooks in very short sections, which will split more easily but may also have to be left thicker or not split at all. Not every workpiece is worth the trouble of salvaging.

When looking over your stock, you have to figure out what lengths you can get out of each piece–what’s too long and what’s too short. Measurements for firewood are approximate, of course, but every fireplace has a maximum length it will accept, so it’s good to know about how long to cut each section. For my fireplace, the ideal length is the distance from my elbow to my fingertips.

Cutting to the maximum allowable length saves time and effort. If, for instance, you have a 3′ log, you could cut it into three 12″ sections, which will split just fine. Or you could cut it into two 18″ sections, which will also split just fine, but with 2/3 the number of strokes. When you’re working your stock by hand, it’s important to economize where you can.

Using well-maintained tools makes all the difference. A sharp chainsaw will sail through even very tough wood. A dull cutting tool is useless–and dangerous. But there are different standards of sharpness for different tools. A splitting maul needs a slightly blunt edge to split the wood well. A rust-free surface helps the head cleave the wood cleanly and makes it less likely to stick. A couple steel wedges and a sledgehammer help with the more recalcitrant logs. I like a smaller, narrow wedge for starting splits and a thicker, taller one for opening them up.

Speaking of wedges, be sure your tool handles are fully secure in the heads of your maul and sledge. Dry weather, such as we get in the Midwest during winter, can cause heads to loosen. If the head wiggles at all, get another steel wedge and drive it into the top. Use a couple if you have to.

And don’t forget the most fundamental tool of all: the work surface. For furniture making, the work surface is probably a workbench. For splitting wood, it’s a chopping block. Like a good workbench, the block needs to be solid and heavy enough to stay put during use. It also needs to sit level so the workpiece doesn’t rock on top of it. And it needs to be the right height. About 12″ is the perfect height for me.

For my chopping block, I decided to use one of those really knotty sections that would be nearly impossible to split anyway.

As with all woodworking, proper technique is always superior to brute force. If the axe or maul won’t split the wood easily, don’t try to force it through. Use a wedge or two. Whichever tool you’re using, employ a good stance, and use your whole body to bring the maul or the sledge up and over in a smooth arc. But don’t bring it down too hard. Let the weight of the tool do most of the work on the way down.

Here’s one helpful tip: as you finish your swing, bend your knees a little. Dropping your whole body as the maul comes down adds just a little more force to the blow with minimal effort.

The best technique is also the safest technique. Do your splitting in an open space where you won’t catch your tools on things like branches, fences, or clothes lines. Keep both hands on the handle so you don’t mash your fingers. Don’t swing toward your shin or foot. It’s a good idea to wear leather gloves, as long as they give you a good grip on the tool handle. Eye protection isn’t a bad idea either. Expect bits of the wood to fly around as you strike it. Keep bystanders out of the line of your swing. And remember that a rolling log can hurt you just as seriously as any woodworking tool can.

Above all, be willing to take the time to do it right. Whether you’re applying finish to a Chippendale highboy or splitting up sections of oak branches for firewood, the project always repays patience and punishes haste.

For firewood, the most time-consuming part of the whole project isn’t cutting, splitting, or stacking. It’s waiting for it to season. Burning wet wood produces too much smoke that can be choking indoors, even with a good flue. It will take a year or more for this wood to be ready to burn, so I’m splitting up firewood for next year and probably the year to come. As with any woodworking project, it pays to think ahead.

Dec. 2.

 At least it is done for the time being. All accessories have been quasi french fitted. I am thinking about buying the 1/2" drill guides but that is iffy as I can't think of an instance that I would ever use 1/2" dowels. On the other hand I am curious about the mitering plates. From what I saw on the site they aren't tied to a specific size dowel. 

I put on almost 4 pounds over the thanksgiving holiday which wiped out my losses for the past 3 weeks. Overall it wasn't that bad because I thought I had gained 7 pounds considering what I had shoved in the pie hole from thursday to saturday. Back to being good tomorrow because today I ate the last piece of pumpkin pie that my wife made for me.

one coat of shellac

Rubbed it down with 2-0 steel wool and realized that I hadn't checked the base for twist. Spoiler alert, there wasn't any.

came today

I bought a trim router off Amazon and it came in today. I got a tool only and it has a straight and circular guide included. There is also a vacuum attachment all for $75 delivered.

6 router bits

When I bought this I thought I was just getting the router and the straight guide. What I didn't do was check the collet size. This came from china so it could be metric - 6mm?

I got fooled

I assumed (due to the DeWalt yellow color) that I was buying a DeWalt trim router but I was wrong. The router looks good and appears to be a notch above 1/2 way decent. What made me feel like crap was the lack of a battery - I didn't buy any with it. 

oh what a relief

I didn't need to take any tums because the DeWalt battery is a perfect fit. Another feature I didn't know about this was it is variable speed. I revved it up and down several times and the power felt smooth and constant. No glitches or hesitations ramping it up and down slowly or fast made no difference. This is a 1.5aH battery.

4aH battery

The power ramped up and down just like it did with the 1.5aH battery. The larger capacity didn't feel any different but it should last a lot longer then the smaller capacity one. The important thing to me was the DeWalt batteries fit and work with this trim router. Which was why I bought a tool only.

why I bought it

This is a 1/4" round nose router bit. Note to self - check the collet and determine the size of it. 

where I wanted to use it

I don't have a router table any more. I wanted to use the round nose bit to make the rounded bottom groove for the rod. I didn't want to wait for it to come in (supposed to have come on Dec 5th) so I plowed a square bottom groove.

found a hiccup

The wing nut for the bolt won't thread on it. It looks like crap with the hole in it oval shaped and the threads aren't uniformly spaced. I put this in both a metric and imperial bolt/screw gauge and nada. It could be anything from a 1/4-20 or a M5 or M6. I got nothing definitive checking it. I brought the bolt to ACE and matched a wing nut to it.

found one

Turns out that the carriage bolt is a coarse M5. I don't know how the metric screw sizes work but it fit and it works.

better

Had enough thread to put a flat and lock washer under the wing nut. This gives me a warm and fuzzy that the fence won't move under use.

not bad for $70

This everything that came with the router. I don't know what the smaller wrench is for yet. But when in doubt, read the instruction manual. Which surprising is understandable considering it came from china.

cardboard boxes suck pond scum

Of course this means I'll have to make a storage box for the router and all the trinkets that came with it.

my proposal

I have wanted to make a slanted lid box for a while but haven't. This is the perfect opportunity to try it. I'm using the approximate dimensions of the cardboard box - I rounded up and added an inch or two here and there.

2 sides, a front and a back

I was thinking of running this through the lunchbox planer but I might not. There is a slight cup in the boards and it would be easier to flatten and thickness them in the shop. Besides the arctic express is blowing through town and things are a wee bit on the chilly side.

6mm plywood

I have a 6mm iron that matches this plywood. I plan to use it for the top and bottom of the router box.

hmm........

The offset from the front to the back block is what has been messing up my brain bucket synapses firing correctly. Decided to ignore it and just go for it.

cardboard mortises

Made a dry run with cardboard to check it out. This one was easier to chop than the ones I did for the dowel pins.

not working for me

This router wouldn't take a bite and make a shaving. Didn't think of it at the time but maybe the iron is dull and couldn't get that initial bite?

this one worked

This is an odd looking router but I like it. It doesn't have a depth stop so you have to allow for that. It took a bite without hesitation and leveled both mortises without a whimper.

missed it

Got the mortises chopped for the front and back but I didn't account for this. It is keeping the front and back from sitting down into their mortises.

it fits

The block is bigger than using wood strips to capture the dowel max. There wasn't much wiggle room but I got lucky.

done

I think I have more than enough room to the left of the dowel max for a couple of mitering plates. I think there are two of them but I will check on that.

glued and cooking

Using the weight of the dowel max to 'clamp' the block while the glue sets.

3 coats of shellac

It is starting to show some shine. I will put on at least one and possibly two more coats.

pit stop

I cut my hair and I'm amazed at how much black I still have. My father was all gray by 69 - I wouldn't call it salt and pepper. His was gray with a few specks of black.

 

planing an edge

I sawed the router box stock to rough width and planed the sawn edges smooth.

ready to go

Tomorrow I'll start on flattening and thicknessing this. I'm shooting for a 5/8" thickness. That could go down depending upon how much I have to remove to plane the cup out.

accidental woodworker

Godzilla Advent calendar! Dec. 1.

Stools are fairly simple structures. Legs, aprons, cross braces, and seats. The challenge comes when making them strong and stable, adding angles to joints. The design that Becksvoort developed uses mortise and tenon joints for the aprons and tapered rungs fitted into tenons to provide cross braces. His choice of tapered rungs makes great sense. They are simple to make and using an angled hole is quicker and simpler than using a square mortise. Additionally, the rungs will not show the wear of square braces. Since I don’t have a lathe, I will be making angled mortises and tenons.

After dimensioning the legs the apron mortises were cut using my powered mortiser (love this machine) The great thing about Becksvoort’s Apron design is that the apron tenons are angled allowing the mortises to be straight.

Now for the aprons and tenons to fit into these mortises. Angled legs create great challenges and the use of straight mortises means that the Aprons must have angled tenons.

Length was made on the Tablesaw using my mitre sled followed by cutting the tenon by hand. There’s many ways to cut the tenon and as an afterthought probably some more accurate methods, but getting out the hand saw was quick and I need the saw to adjust the width anyway.

Lastly I cut them at a 45 degree angle. It’s a simple pleasure to make the cut.

As a larger challenge the plans called for the angles to be different for each side. Don’t tell anyone but I ignored the two degree difference. I’ll see at the end if this was a mistake.

Self proposed challenges. The little things that didn’t go quite as planned. The precise cutting of the tenons was enhanced by miscutting the length not once but twice. this left the mortises slightly long. Not a big problem just required a small piece to infill the mortise. There was also the problem with the runaway drill. We all do multiple projects and I accidentally used the leg as a backstop for drilling a hole. Since this is a piece for my own use I just plugged the hole and moved on.

 I really thought I would be done with this today but it ain't so boys and girls. I see sawed back and forth on how to do it with several of the ones I got done changing my mind at the last moment. I got everything done with the exception of the dowel max itself. Well maybe tomorrow I'll finally get the check mark. On a brighter note it is the season for xmas carols which is my favorite part of the xmas season.

before I forgot

I drilled a hole for the 1/4" guide before I wandered off into La La Land with something else. I think there is also a 8mm drill guide for this jig. If there is and I buy it there is a spot for it on the right end of the dowel rod.

laid out

I may have to redo this if there is and I buy the 8mm parts. For now this will hold the 1/4" and and 3/8" dowel spacers. FYI - I checked the Dowel Max site and they have a 10, 8, and 6mm dowel max. On the Imperial side they have 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4". Looks like I need to get the 1/2" parts to complete my Dowel Max experience.

1/4" almost

This wasn't any where the nightmare that I thought it would be. I just had to flatten the bed for the 1/4" diameter part to complete that one.

done

There is enough of the 5/8" top to grab and pull it out of the holder.

ditto for the 3/8"

The only difficult part of this was chopping the mortise for the 5/8" diameter heads. They had to be deeper than the for the rod portion. It was a little tricky digging out the waste and flattening the bottom of it.

done

They are both set deep enough that opening and closing the drawer did nothing to disturb them. Glued the block to the bottom with hide glue. I'll use hide glue for everything so I can reverse it if need be.

don't need this box

I can't think of use for this now that I am not using it for the accessories. I'll put it in the black hole with all the other homeless boxes.

what's left

This is where I had intended to use this box but I changed my mind. Instead I will put a bigger open box in here. It will hold the drill collars, allen wrenches, and an extra 1/4" drill guide bushing.

drill bit holders

I slanted one end so I can tip the drill bit end down and have it clear the holder.

glued and cooking

The 1/4" drill is a little hard to push down on the drill bit. My fingers are too fat and don't fit. I can tip it up if I use a pencil but I think that would annoy me having to do that. I might revisit the 1/4" holder if I think of something.

new box

This is going to be a no lid box and it fills up the space. It is oversized but it affords me a place to put other things in it.

glued and cooking

I didn't run a groove for a bottom. I was planning to glue it on the bottom of the box.

no bottom

I had to satisfy my curiosity about no bottom on the box. Instead I could have glued it to the bottom of the drawer on the edges. Nixed that and I will glue the bottom on and then glue that to the drawer bottom.

glued, clamping, and cooking

I let this set up in the clamps while I filled my face and went on my post lunch stroll.

last two

The dowel max is kicking my butt trying to figure out how to secure it. I haven't been able to think of anything simple to do for it yet.

drill guide block

I put a holder on both of the short sides of this drawer. I'm not sure if the 1/2" one is the same size as the 1/4" and 3/8" ones.

branded

I like to brand my projects on a part of it that isn't removable. Like a drawer that can be replaced easily. This is the center stile of the back and a permanent part of the dresser.

new home

Moving the manuals to the dowel drawer. The dividers are set below the top of the drawer - there is enough room for both manuals to sit on top of them.

no lid box

I like the box and I'm sure it will become a catch all. There is only one itty bitty spot left for something below the dowel pin spacer storage block.

first coat of shellac

I didn't shellac the inside of any of the drawers. Hide glue will not stick to shellac but I did shellac the rest of the drawer. 

it fits

The holder is a slip fit but it is tighter than I wanted it to be. It is made of plywood so I shouldn't have to worry about it moving much. I would have been happier with a few more frog hairs worth of wiggle room.

yikes....

It won't fit in the left hand holder. The top corner is too tight and I couldn't push it down into the holder at all.

it fits now

I chiseled and sanded it until the drill block dropped into the holder. Loose fit but tighter than I like. I'll have to keep an eye on this. I might have to remove it anyway if I buy the 1/2" drill guide block and it doesn't fit.

the red headed, stuttering step child

I got nothing so far. I played with it and moved it around and still nada. Maybe something will come to me in my dreams.

accessible

What I like most about this storage is that I don't have to move around a bazillion things to get to the one that I want. So far nothing is obstructing anything else. I have the dowel max to fit somehow next. That will leave roughly half of the available real estate for a couple of accessory plates for mitering.

accidental woodworker

The woodworking community in Australia is rich with talent, and Feedspot has curated a list of the Top 15 Australian Woodworking Blogs to highlight some of the finest creators in the field. I’m thrilled to announce that my blog has been ranked number 4, a recognition that reflects the dedication and effort put into sharing high-quality content about hand tool woodworking, traditional techniques, and creative craftsmanship.

This ranking is a testament to the growing interest in handmade woodworking and the vibrant community that surrounds it. To explore the full list and discover other talented woodworkers, visit Feedspot’s official page on Australian Woodworking Blogs.

I’m shaping metal, and I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m using a Dremel to cut chunks out of a perfectly good card scraper. I’m not sure this is the right wheel for the job. I’m having a hard time getting the shape I want. Let’s see how it turns out.

Earlier this year I introduced an upcoming tansu commission through a couple of posts about the overall scope, and joinery considerations for the series of cabinets. It’s been many month since those posts, but the past few weeks I’ve finally started work on the project. To quickly recap, I’ll be building three cabinets, one long… Read More »Keyaki Tabi-dansu

The post Keyaki Tabi-dansu appeared first on Big Sand Woodworking.

Back in February, Jon Binzen came to my shop and shot photos as I carved a bowl from a board. It will all be in the next issue (#315) of Fine Woodworking magazine, which should go out in a week … Continue reading →

For most people teaching is just a means to making money but for some it is much more. For Mumbai based woodworking instructor, Merwyn D’Souza, it is a matter of passion, joy and fulfilment.
Years ago, when his old mentor coaxed him to teach two young boys woodworking, he was initially reluctant but then he found himself vastly enjoying the process. “I realised I enjoyed sharing the joys of this craft with others. I felt more people should get the opportunity to experience the creative process”, he recalls. From then on there was no looking back. He began conducting regular woodworking classes in his Mumbai home and built a modest workshop to accommodate small batches of students.
“What started as a side hustle to make money to buy tools or machines, turned into an experience in being humble and an attempt to spread awareness of this craft,” he says. “I teach whosoever is interested, the proceeds mostly go towards buying different tools and learning about them, so that I can teach about the new tool too.”
Merwyn likes to keep things simple. He teaches basic woodworking. At times, he holds group workshops where he teaches how to build a “one-off specific object” like a chair or table. “I am prepared to teach whatever the participant wants as long as that person has passion and time and knows why and what they want to learn,” he adds.
Teaching woodworking, according to him, is also an attempt to keep traditional methods alive. “There are few curious enthusiasts, who want to try this craft but don’t know where to begin,” he explains. “I help them reduce their learning curve. These are the few people who wish to break free and experience life. The problem is when they get into woodworking, they are misled by social media or peers into believing that building wooden objects primarily involves screws and nails. I make them realise that once they experience working with actual wood, they can make good looking and durable articles by joinery alone, and its not just about screws and nails.”


Merwyn gets all kinds of people who want to learn woodworking: from housewives who want to learn how to put up shelves at home to budding entrepreneurs who want to make and launch their product. “There are also the working professionals seeking to bring a change to their sedentary lives and add on a life skill, interior designers, architects seeking to put their theory to practice, students pursuing an education in design, artists experimenting with different mediums, and children whose parents let them try out their desires in different crafts,” he says. A big “fringe benefit” of this process, he says, is the opportunity he gets to interact with different types of vibrant personalities.
Unlike most other woodworking instructors, Merwyn believes that children too can be introduced to woodworking: “As a child I remember losing the chance to learn this craft because the stress was on studies and doing well in school. I believe I would have done better in school, had I been allowed to experience the practicalities of science, math, history, geography through a craft like woodworking,” he explains.


“I believe that children embody the true essence of the creative process. We are born without boundaries and rules, but are groomed to confine our mental outlook as we grow older. Somewhere during this process, we transition from enjoying the environment in its purest colourful form to quantifying it on a colour wheel,” Merwyn expounds. “For a child, on the other hand, everything is possible, they just need to be shown how. The only limitation that I see is the age and motor function; as long as the child is capable of understanding the safety aspect of woodworking, I help them learn. I allow them to use the tools under supervision and let them experience the power, the joy, the grief etc first hand. The sessions I have hosted for children, have seen some wonderful outcomes, they seldom complain about the effort required, and when the piece is ready, the smile on their face is priceless,” he remarks.
Merwyn’s 6-year-old son has been an inspiration. The little boy enjoys helping him with smaller builds, cleaning the workshop and so on. He has yet to warm up to the tools, but enjoys the process of designing and supervises Merwyn while he makes his designs.



Woodworking, instructing and designing today is a way of life for Merwyn. And the astounding part is that he is largely self-taught. Although he came from a family of rather creative people – his mother was exceptional in needlework, crocheting, and knitting, his grandmother was top-notch in patchwork and quilts, while his uncle, a JJ School of Arts alumni and cinematographer was great at sketching - he was constantly reminded to focus on doing better at school, rather than indulging in arts and crafts.
Later, as he became interested in woodworking and other crafts, Merwyn started picking up knowledge from every resource he could lay his hands on. “As there were no formal schools teaching traditional joinery, I would read up on articles from craftsperson, watch YouTube instructional videos, download e-books and practise woodworking,” he recalls. “Implementing my learning into actual builds became a regular affair and I learnt mostly from trial and error.”
Merwyn bought tools on a need only basis from local hardware stores and spent time learning about each tool, the parts they were made of and how to maintain and hone them. Initially, he made small objects for his home, friends and family. “Having limited tools and a very conservative workspace, there was little I could make. But the passion was strong, so implementing the knowledge I had picked up came easy,” he explains. He eventually realised it was best to focus on working with hand tools rather than with expensive power tools.


“Machines are good for mass production; they help reduce the time to make something. But that comes with a cost,” he feels. “Also, in a metro city, the lack of space, absence of proper service centres, the noise involved, make power tools a poor choice. Hand tools on the other hand are a joyful experience. The swish of the hand plane, the rhythm of a nice saw cutting through wood are therapeutic, it transforms one’s state of mind. The pure joy of using one's limited skills, tools, and time to make something may not be easy and does require a fair amount of skill development, but it is a hugely satisfying and humbling experience!”
People like Merwyn D’Souza bridge an acute gap in our rapidly changing society. Merwyn is conscious of that trend: “Craftmanship in India is slowly dying its natural death. In my humble opinion, our society is the reason. We as consumers want our pieces to be prepared as quickly and as cheaply as possible. The traditional craftsman cannot compete. Most workers prefer earning a quick buck by cutting corners. They trade off skill and knowledge for machine-made, mass-produced items, which fail in comparison to handmade pieces with traditional joinery. My belief is that there may be only a handful of traditional craftsmen left in India.”
This sad decline is one of the things that motivates him to teach traditional woodworking and design. He believes that Indians are naturally creative but need to start making things to bring their latent talents to fruition. “We Indians are traditional craftsmen, and artists and we are creative and frugal,” he believes, adding: “In the rat race we have signed up for, we have forgotten how to make, fix, and use our hands for purposes other than working in offices. We need to step up and learn how to fix a switch, paint our homes, fix a leaky tap, make a small bookshelf, make clay, bake, stargaze, etc. Over time, we have traded all that for a life in a cubical and two sightseeing vacations in a year. That has to change.”

Merwyn D’Souza can be contacted though Instagram - "https://www.instagram.com/merwyn_in/" - and his website www.Liamskyedesigns.com

Indranil Banerjie
November 2024

Suffice to say, it’s been a very long year. I lived through some serious renovations on the house, moved my workshop to another room in the house, and generally just had so much going on professionally and socially I did far less woodworking this year than I would have hoped. But even with all that, […]

 I am delaying doing the shellac on the dresser until I am done fitting the accessories for the dowel max. I felt like a girl trying to pick out which shoes to wear with how to do it. I must have changed my mind a bazillion times. By the time 1500 rolled around I only had 3 accessories done. I still have 7 more to go along with fitting out the dowel max itself. I was surprised by how little I accomplished in spite of time flying by today. 

I squeezed in a walk today. It has been almost a week since I strolled after lunch. I could have walked yesterday but I didn't. I think I'm finally getting over all the bending down and kneeling I did to remove the (&@^$%)*%_)@Q^&%)@_Q)_U(# ivy. No trouble walking up the hills and when I came back my legs felt a bit sore but it slowly went away as I got back to working in the shop.

these are history

The 3 marking gauges on the back rail I really liked a lot. They are deluxe marking gauges sold by Lee Valley. They don't work - the heads will not lock down and not move on the beam. There was no way after I had set them that they held it as I used them. I checked them today and they still don't lock down and I noticed another hiccup with them. 

The head is too loose on the beam as in it is cocked. It isn't square to the beam so there is no way it can be accurate. It is shame because I went nutso buying them. I bought each individual one along with extra knives, points, and other doo dads. Totally useless now.

The gauges on the front rail I do use occasionally. I have other gauges in a holder attached to the back edge of my workbench that use mostly. The Drake marking gauges I use a lot and I'll have to find a new home for them. The gauges on the front rail I'll put in my grandson's toolchest, not too sure about the deluxe gauges new home.

Glen Drake wheel marking gauges

The smaller gauges I use more than the big boy one. However, replacement wheels for it are hard to come by now. I got two replacement wheels from Glen Drake himself. Of the two one is toast already - the wheel is chipped in several spots.

new home

I don't have to be concerned about the gas meter. I am getting a new gas line and the new meter will be on the outside of the house. This meter will be going bye-bye.

it will fit

Spent a large part of the AM session making this box to hold the spacers. This was the 3rd option I came up with for them. The idea was make the box and then saw it in two. I could then use one half for this and the other for some other accessory.

changed my mind

I had already shifted lanes on this before I even glued it up. Didn't make any sense to use this after I started to think about placing it in the drawer.

hmm.......

I glued the dowel rod at the back. I can live with the empty space at both ends. The other accessories I spent what seemed liked hours arranging and moving around trying to make sense of the best placement for them. 

this is done

I glued the walls around the spacers so I wouldn't second guess myself about it again. I used hide glue and I will use that for the rest of the accessories too.

sigh

This was working and I almost down to depth when this end suffered a blowout. This was going to be the holder for the 1/4" drill block spacer. This is going in front of the spacer block holder.

done

This is the way I should have done this on the first go around. It was much easier chopping and routing this one to depth. No worries about not having enough meat at the ends to prevent blowing them out.

almost done

Drilled a hole for the two screws that are needed to attach the spacer to the dowel max. I also chiseled a finger grabbie thing to help getting it out of the holder.

3 done, 7 to go

As I was typing this I thought of a better spot to put the 1/4" dowel rod spacer then between the 1/4" and 3/8" metal dowels. I'm doing to drill a hole for it on one of  the empty spots on either end of the dowel rod. That will free up some real estate on the drawer bottom. I might need that for any future accessory purchases.

blonde shellac

I have a little less than 1/2 can left. That should be enough to get 4 coats on the dresser. I will take a good look at it later and I'll mix up a new batch if needed.

accidental woodworker

 I wasn't thinking about the blog being a day behind the rest of the world. I hope everyone had an enjoyable turkey day and no weird relatives showed up. This is a link to Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation here. Lincoln is hands down my favorite present and this proclamation is only a couple of paragraphs. For a self taught man his grasp of the english language was remarkable. It changed my view and understanding of what turkey day is all about.

hmm......

I was the cook today so almost zero time in the shop. I kind of got pulled in a couple of different directions not finishing anything. Started playing around with the storage of the dowel max and its accessories. The 3/8" dowels I had were a wee bit too fat for the dowel max spacers. Chucked them in a drill and ran sand paper up/down it until it was a slip fit. I have a few thoughts on how to use the dowels to hold the spacers that I'll flesh out later.

lamb's tongue spokeshave screws

These threads are in real sad shape. The points of the threads are rounded over and especially so at the bottom lead in. I soaked them in Simple Green over night to clean out the crud in the threads. For the little wear on the spokeshave I'm surprised by how bad the screws are.

the sibling

The lead in thread at the bottom is rounded over is almost occluding the first lead in thread. The internal threading on the spokeshave doesn't look bad but it is hard to get a good look see at them.

6mm is not a 1/4"

I thought 6mm was wider than a 1/4" but it ain't boys and girls. I had to open up the groove with my Lie Nielsen 98 and 99 side rabbet planes. They aren't something I use a lot but at the time they were something I had to have.

LN 98 side rabbet plane

These are tricky to use and even trickier to set up. At least for me they are but that could just be not using them enough. I got the groove opened up and the rod is a slip fit now. 

done?

Not sure I'm liking this. It is the empty 1/4" grooves on either end that bug me but I do like that it extends across the whole width. 

not needed

Changed my mind on using the dowels. They just add another step to the storage of them that isn't necessary. A simple, small, half height box will suffice for these.

 

the rest of the goodies

These are the remainder of the accessories to fit out in the top drawer.

it is gone

Changed my mind on keeping the other doweling jig in here. There are some dowel max 45 mitering accessories that I think I would like to get that are currently out of stock. Doesn't this guy know about black friday?

Tomorrow I'll start on the shellac and I should be able to put a dent in it. I also figured out where to keep the dresser. I'm losing an older storage rack for marking gauges but having a home for the dresser is more important to me. Besides I don't use the marking gauges stowed there.

accidental woodworker

giantcypress:

Happy Thanksgiving from giant Cypress.

 Well it is almost done. All the woodworking is done but I still have to apply the finish and make some holding things for the Dowel Max and its accessories. Overall I'm happy with how it turned out. The hardest part of the build is finding a home for it somewhere in the shop.

dust shield

I am only putting a dust shield on the bottom of the dresser. I never intended to put them between the drawers.

glued and cooking

Just gluing it, no screws. Glued it to the bearers only.

can you see it?

The center stile wasn't supposed to be this wide. It is because I didn't rip it to width before I did the grooves in it. It turned out better than I expected it. The width of it is almost a dead on match with the panels. It looks symmetric to the eye though.

2 foot view

I tried to match the color and I think I did good on that. It doesn't jump out at you and slap you upside the head.

last drawer

Decided to put the knobs on the drawers. It really doesn't make any difference whether you apply the finish with them on or off.

crest rail

Glued and cooking. There wasn't any way to add screws so glue will have to do.

remember this?

I didn't know that I had fitted the door already. I checked and I have the latch, the bin pulls, and the hinges for this. I'll jump back to this next week maybe?

#3 drill

I thought I might have been able to drill this out for a 1/4-20 but it ain't happening. The #3 drill for a 1/4-20 tap was too small for the existing hole. I'll have to do some research for the drill size for a 5/16 screw as that is next size up (I think).

worth the trip

Right after lunch I went to Home Depot on Rte 2. That turned out to be a drive into hell and back. A 20-25 minute normal drive took an hour and 15 minutes. Traffic on Rte 2 was horrendous and I didn't hit one light change going or coming. It was still worth it because I got four 4 foot lengths of 3/8" quarter round (thought the quarter round was smaller?) and the same in cove moldings. The quarter round is dead on even with the bottom rail. I wanted to use this molding but I used the cove molding instead.

cove molding

This one is few frog hairs shy of the bottom rail.

two cove moldings

The bigger one at the back comes from Lowes and the smaller one in the front I got from Home Depot.

secured

Finally got the carcass screwed to the base. The first attempt didn't work because one corner wasn't inset and I didn't catch it. The 2nd attempt I had it seated but I didn't have the back up tight against the base. I had to unscrew it and drill new holes for it. The 3rd attempt was the charm, again.

two glues

Used yellow and super glue to attach the moldings. I did the front and sides first. The back long molding was done last.

back molding

I had to do this twice. The first one, while I thought it was long, turned out to be a 1/4" shy. Got it glued and cooking with the 2nd one.

not perfect

The moldings appear to be stuck ok but the miters were slightly open to varying degrees. On the dry fit the miters closed up nicely but with the glue they decided to go nutso on me. I filled in the gaps with pine putty.

first pretty shot

No finish on it so this doesn't count as a glamour shot. 

side pretty shot

I can't wait to see how the shellac makes this pop.

back pretty shot

I like this back assembly a lot. I think it looks better than either a plywood or multiple board back. I should be able to do it better on my next one now that I have one under my belt.

good feeling

The dowel max still fits. I was sure that it would but it is nice to have confirmation.

top drawer

The manuals and the accessories will be kept here.

bottom drawer

I forgot that I have one more woodworking step. I have to make a 4 compartment divider for the dowels.

hmm.....

The doweling jig on the left I think is a General but I'm not sure. I bought this when I was 21 or 22. I bought other doweling jigs but this is the only one I held on to. Thinking of keeping the two of them in this drawer. If not the only occupant will be the dowel max.

too much

Only the middle and bottom drawer are inserted this amount. If the top drawer had been the same I would have left it as I like the inserted look. I had to come up with a way to stop the drawers flush with the front.

the drawer stop(s)

I used screws to be the depth stop - 3 of them - one at each end and one in the middle that will stop against the back center stile.

almost perfect

I didn't have to adjust the screws for the bottom drawer.

done

I had to fuss a bit with the middle and top drawer. All 3 drawers are now flush with the front.

dowel dividers

I used offcut cherry scraps from the panels for the cherry cupboard.

sigh

Got the height of the half lap correct but I missed the notch on the long one by almost an 1/8".

secured with super glue

I used super glue on the bottom of the dividers and I then wicked it into the ends on both the long and short dividers.

half of the total load out

Both of these dowels are 1 1/2" long and the 2" long dowels are out of stock. They didn't give a time for them to be back in stock.

a key?

I planed a piece of 1/8" thick plywood until it fit in the space. I think if I hadn't done this the dividers might have broken their bond.

it ain't coming loose

I wicked super glue into every edge that I could on the key. I don't think the dividers will loosen. They aren't or shouldn't be subjected any stresses and certainly not from the dowels in each compartment.

accidental woodworker

I spoke too soon yesterday. Today is when all the muscles I strained are saying hello. It was a miserable day whenever I walked and moved around. My thighs and calves were screaming at me and bending over was impossible. Of course today I also had the dropsies. Bending over has never been easy the older I get but today I dreaded it. The last time I dropped something I said the the hell with it and killed the lights. Even sitting didn't feel too good but it felt better than walking up stairs or trying to pick something off the deck.

this will work

I glued on strips with super glue and accelerator. 

done

This doesn't look that terrible. I had to plane it a couple of times to get dialed in. This is on the back and won't be visible. It fixed the immediate problem and you have to look twice to notice it.

panels fitted

Changed my mind on how I am going to secure the panel assembly. I glued all the tenons and I will glue the assembly in the rabbets on the back of the dresser.

glued and cooking

Took a break here and let this set up for a while. FYI - it sucks to get old.

hmm.....

Out of the clamps and I got a snug fit. However, the top left corner has a tapered gap that runs for about 3-4". I had to fix this because it will be visible.  I planed the top right end until it was parallel to the top edge.

yikes

The bottom was a little short of the bottom and I knew that. This is from me planing the top edge.

not a problem

Even without the molding, the gap at the bottom is hidden. The dresser sits down far enough into the base to cover the gap.

this hurt

Glued and clamped the back assembly in place. Picking it up and placing against the sharpening bench was something I don't want to do again. I felt like a little girl doing this one simple task. It is the fault of that _)@*&%^)&@%_()@_%(&*$@!_+) ivy.

gaps filled

There were some minute gaps around the tails and pin sockets that I filled in with super glue and cherry sawdust. I don't think anyone else would have noticed them but my nemesis is gaps.

did the same here

I did the same super glue and cherry sawdust on the tails here at the top and the bottom (last week). It is difficult to see that was done and I'm a bit anxious to see how it will look with shellac.

holes for the knobs

I like to set my knobs on a ratio of 5. I step off 5 from one end to the other. I then step in one from each end and that is where I drill the hole for the knob. I stepped off on the bottom so I wouldn't leave pin holes in the drawer face.

finding the center

I use dividers to find the center of the drawer front.

just shy

I like to place my knobs just below the center of the height. Using dividers makes it super easy and almost eliminates the possibility of making a measuring me-steak.

knobs prepped

I don't just glue my knobs in a drilled hole. Firstly the tenon never is a consistent diameter and is usually too loose or too tight for a 3/8" hole - the supposed diameter of the tenons. I drill a small hole near the base and a saw kerf for a wedge.

new to me

This is a Preston lambs tongue spokeshave. I got it from Timeless Tools and Treasures. I got to look over their offerings a day late  and I couldn't believe that no one else had snapped this up.

sole

This doesn't appear to have that much mileage on it. The soles are in great condition. Nice looking mirror images of a lambs tongue profile.

some life left in them

The right iron has been used a lot more than the left one. Its profile doesn't match well on the flat or the rounded parts.

???????

The threads on both of the screws are munged up a bit. They definitely need to have the threads chased. I couldn't get a match with my imperial or metric screw pitch gauges. This Whitworth gauge seems to be a match but I'm clueless on them. This thread is close to a 7-32 and I might rethread the spokeshave and the screws to it. Depends on whether or not I can sort this out as is.

I had to try it

The irons are a match for the sole. The right one is better the left one (as you look at it). I couldn't get anything to show other than initially getting some shavings and then clogging the mouth shut. It is going to take a few laps around the pond to figure this out. The first thing will be to sharpen the irons because they are dull.

5/8 on the left underside

I assume this is the size (width) of the lambs tongue. 

the other handle

Using this type of spokeshave is something that I haven't seen written about or demonstrated anywhere. It is going to be a learn as I go to get a lambs tongue on a board. Which face would that be?

poplar

I don't like using pine to make wedges because I think it is too soft. The knobs are maple and the wedges will be poplar.

done

I wasn't going to make the wedges today but I stayed in the shop long enough to knock them out. I am not sure if I'll do the knobs now or wait until after the finish is on. Either way it was time to kill the lights for the day. And I won't be returning until the AM.

accidental woodworker