Norse Woodsmith Blog Feeds

About once a month I get together with a small group of local friends primarily to talk about living in the hinterboonies and all the topics adjacent to homesteading.  Lately the topic of communication has been prominent as we’ve been talking about using small walkie-talkie type tools to keep in touch in the event of the phone or power systems going down (not a crazy paranoia out here where one or the other goes out occasionally).  Last week I talked about my six decades of experience listening.  In that arena I’ve found listening to AM and shortwave to be useful and entertaining.  Here is what I talked about, in part.  I figured there had to be one or two of you interested in this topic.  If I’m wrong?  The sun will still come up tomorrow morning.

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If there are regional power/internet outages -– we have experienced week-long outages in both Maryland and here in Virginia, and getting news was nearly impossible – alternatives for knowing what is going on are useful.  I have found that AM and Shortwave radio listening are really useful for that task.  Most stereo systems have dreadful AM receivers and are not useful tools for AM listening.  Instead I have tried out dozens of units over the decades and hands-down the best performance/best value are the portable radios based on the GE SupeRadio platform.  Obviously GE started the platform as a consumer product but many, many other companies followed suit, either borrowing, licensing, or stealing the design and technology.  I’ve seen many new models on the marketplace that look similar but have not tried them out.  I would suggest looking ebay to find a gently used one or even occasionally a new-old-stock version, prices ranging from $15-75.  I bought mine for about $20 back in the mezozoic era.  They are still so cheap and available I honestly would not bother with anything else.

 

These models have good long internal AM ferrite rod antennae, and analog tuning.

 

A critical additional accessory is an inductive antenna, a/k/a an external tunable loop AM antenna.  These devices are set adjacent to the radio, usually perpendicular to the unit, and increase the sensitivity by up to a hundred-fold by adjusting the potential of the copper wire loop with a rheostat, “tuning” the antenna to the station on the radio.  They operate much like a magnifying glass for visible light, but only in the much longer RF electromagnetic frequencies.  Just as a magnifying glass amplifies and focuses light, the tunable loop antenna focuses radio waves onto the internal antenna of the radio.

 

The loop antenna I showed was one of several I bought from Radio Shack 40-50 years ago for about $20 IIRC.  I have not seen another one like it for at least 30 years.  The only loop antennas I know still on the market are made by Grundig and certainly would work just fine.  I’ve never looked to see how available they are.  The Grundig tunable loop antenna is based on an earlier design called the Terk , a version of which is currently on the Walmart site for $45.  The Cadillac of tunable loop antennas is called the Select-A-Tenna, of which I have two.  I have not seen one of these since forever.  Mine cost about $80 each new, and I still find them from time to time on ebay.

 

I cannot overemphasize the necessity for these inductive tunable loop antennas.  They can make a pocket transistor radio pull in stations from unbelievable distances.  Even at dusk during our meeting I was able to use my $20 radio and $20 antenna to easily pull in signals from St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit.  In the middle of the night you can occasionally get stations from Canada all the way to South America.

 

This is an inexpensive and high-performance way to get information from a great distance away.  The utility of that should be self evident.

 

The other radio platform I used was a shortwave receiver-only unit.  This is where some real money can be spent.  My experience has shown that the best quality/value brands are Sony, Sangean, and Grundig.  They are not cheap, the one I showed you was probably $300 in 1980.  I cannot remember if I brought my Sony 2002 or 7600 model.  The Sangean 909 I showed you was bought at Radio Shack for about $200 way back then.  A long lost treasure was my Sony 2010 monster portable multiband radio.  Its motherboard got fried way back when.  (CME?  Hmmmm.)  A $750 radio down the hole.  It had digital tuning and I could even pick up signals from the eastern slope of the Rockies with that baby combined with a loop antenna.

 

Both the Sony and Sangean portable multiband radios I’ve normally used were digital tuners, many times programmable with station memories.

 

Very good deals on portable shortwave radios, usually referred to as “portable multiband radio” are available at ebay.  I just saw one identical to my Sony 2002 (but in black rather than silver) for about $25 over there.  I see a lot of similar-looking radios on the Walmart website but usually do not recognize the maker.  If you know what to look for high-quality vintage radios are out there in great quantities, hundreds on ebay right now.

 

As with standard AM radios, an antenna accessory is critical to the performance of a portable shortwave.  You gotta, gotta, gotta have a wire reel or spool antenna that can be used in concert with the retractable FM antenna on the unit.  I recall mine being about $7 from Radio Shack.  CCrane radio has them for about $15, Amazon has a Sangean model for about $30.

 

Fix the wire antenna fitting to the extension antenna on the radio, then get the wire as high as you can while running as much as you can horizontally.

 

And don’t forget batteries.  I buy lots of them, they last for a decade or two in cool, dry storage conditions.  Rechargeable batteries are also an excellent option, I’ve found the Energizer brand to be excellent.  You can get 110v plug in chargers but you should also have some off-grid charging capacity.

 

 

a good sigh

First of the make up mortises on the correct side of the rail. I think it is now impossible for me to screw this up again.

hmm.....

Got the banding at the top done all the way around. When I did a sneak peek preview, the bandings were not visible with the top on. There is a one inch overhang of the top past the outside edges of the legs.

bottom shelf

The new bland bottom shelf. I had thought of sizing the bottom shelf so that it extended to outside faces of the legs. Switched lanes and decided on this - the shelf in between the inside edges of the legs. However, I think I made it too tight R/L. I don't have to worry about expansion/contraction this way but I didn't like how tight it was.

hmm......

I think this will look more balanced if there is a slight gap on the ends.

another look

I don't think this looks out of place. The important point is that my me-steak table top clips are covered and hidden. When I chopped the mortises on the correct face I ended up with through mortises. I had chopped them (both sides) about a 1/2" deep and the rail is only 3/4" thick.

hmm.....

My normal glue up would have been two boards of equal width. That would have put the glue joint right on the screw in the bearer. With unequal width boards, the screw wouldn't be on the glue joint line. I am hoping that the shelf will only need one screw on each end to secure it. With one screw I don't have to worry about expansion/extraction.

clearances

There is a 16th of a gap on both ends and a 1/4" on each side of the shelf at the legs. The 1/4" clearance should be sufficient for the shelf to expand and contract. The 16th gap on the ends gives a shadow line.

low angle jack

Giving this a try - planing the end grain to see how smooth it comes out. Did this to avoid having to have to sand them from 100 to 220 grit.

the last bookshelf

I had glue a blowout on the top so I started back on the bookshelf. Checking the ends for twist before planing them down to thickness.

done

I had sawn off the waste fairly close to the knife lines. I didn't have to make a lot of runs with either plane before the the knife lines disappeared.

three times

This chip threw a big hissy fit. The planing on the end grain kind of worked but I still had to sand it. The chip was blown out with a sanding stick. The first two times I glued it, it came off when I pulled the tape off. The third time was the charm for me.

2 coats

I routed a chamfer on the top and shelf, smoothed both with the #3, and followed it up with the RO sander up to 180 grit. I will get the 3rd coat on the bottom of the shelf and top after dinner.

This is almost at the finish line. My tabletop clips are scheduled to arrive on monday but I don't need them to attach the top. The 4 that will be missing I can install after they come. I should be done with this by sunday at the latest.

accidental woodworker

Preventive Maintenance: Don’t start today by doing yesterday’s work.

– Deniece Schofield

Maintaining, transporting and storing handplanes and other handtools is a simple job, but some review might be useful.

High-quality handplanes are not cheap, and when you have a good one in good fettle, the time and effort it takes to maintain it ready to rock and roll immediately is never wasted. Indeed, it’s a solid investment that pays higher dividends than General Electric stock ever will, I promise you, on condition that the maintenance is done right, and your handplanes are stored and transported properly. On this subject as in many others, knowledge is power, so let’s get some.

Maintenance

The quote at the top of this article by Deniece Schofield describes a sound policy, especially when it comes to tool maintenance.

There are several items to consider when maintaining your handplane. We’ve discussed how to set-up and fettle a Japanese hirganna handplane in previous articles, all listed at the end of this article. In this article we’ll examine how to maintain it while we’re using it, and how to store it when we aren’t.

Sharpening

A dull plane may make excellent firewood, but it’s as useful as a screen door in a submarine, so the first step in keeping it useful is sharpening it. The true value of the high-quality-forged blade in your plane is that it’s easily and quickly made extremely sharp, and it will retain that sharp edge a long time, reducing the time, trouble and cost of maintaining it. Does your time have value?

For detailed directions about sharpening, please read the series of 30 articles linked at the end of this article. They will explain the what and why of the blade of a high-quality plane. If you haven’t already, please read and digest these articles.

Maintaining and Storing a Handplane In-use

The following is a list of maintenance items you should consider performing and the specific conditions under which I think they’re applicable. These are suggestions not rules, of course, but unlike most of the woodworking gurus on the internet, I didn’t steal them from noobtube, nor suggest them because they’re good clickbait, or fish them out of my fundament because they smell like lilacs, or because I think they’ll sell tools or books to the gullible. They are simple and they work, but it’s important to understand the conditions detailed for each item.

1. Condition1 – Overnight Storage: The plane is working fine, its blade is still sharp, and you intend to use the plane in the same place for the same jobs tomorrow, but just need to set aside on your workbench for a few hours, perhaps overnight. You may want to take the following actions:
   • Don’t remove the blade and chipbreaker, but simply wipe the body with a clean, dry rag and clear dust and shavings out of the blade opening with a clean, dry brush. Purpose: To prevent wood resin from accumulating and gumming things up (depends on the wood), and to prevent corrosion.
   • Oil the cutting edge using your trusty, ever-faithful oilpot.
2. Condition 2 – Short-term Storage: The plane is working fine and the blade is sharp, but you need to relocate it to another location for a short time. In this case, you may want to take the following actions.
   • Safe the blade by retracting it into the body using your wood, plastic or leather mallet so it doesn’t become damaged, or damage other tools while lounging in the tool box or tool bag during the relocation.
   • Remove dust and shavings from the plane, especially the mouth opening, because they will make the toolbox or tool bag dirty.
3. Condition 3 – Short-term Storage: The plane is working fine, the blade is sharp but we need to store it out of the way short-term.
   • Remove blade and chipbreaker entirely (see previous article)
   • Clean the blade and chipbreaker of sawdust and wood resin. Resin may have accumulated on the blade and chipbreaker which, if not removed in a timely manner, can harden over time increasing friction. Use you oilpot and a clean rag and/or a small stick of wood to scrape-off built-up resin resin. If that doesn’t work, use acetone or lacquer thinner.
   • Clean dust and shavings from blade opening and mouth with brush/rag.
   • Wipe down the plane’s body with a clean rag.
   • If the body is dirty with oil, sharpening stone mud or fingerprints, clean it all over with your oilpot and wipe. If that doesn’t make it clean enought, dampen a clean rag along with drop or two of dishwashing liquid (neutral PH), then wring it out as hard as you can. Scrub the body clean with this nearly-dry rag. Caution: We need the soap and water to remove oil and dirt, but making the body wet may cause it too warp. When you’re done, make absolutely sure the body is perfectly dry.
   • Oil the blade and chipbreaker.
   • Reassemble the plane but leave the blade’s cutting blade up inside the mouth opening. How tight should you fit the blade/chipbreaker? Tight enough to firmly retain blade and chipbreaker so they won’t rattle out, but no more.
4. Condition 4: Long-term Storage:
   • Remove the blade and its chipbreaker entirely.
   • Clean the blade and chipbreaker removing sawdust and all accumulated wood resin as described above.
   • Apply a protective coating of a paraffin wax-based corrosion prevention product such as CRC 3-36. For longer storage under more difficult conditions, CRC SP-350 or CRC SP-400 are even better.
   • After the carrier has evaporated to some degree, wrap the blade and chipbreaker in aluminum foil and store them together with the wooden body so they won’t become separated. Don’t assemble the parts!
   • Clean the wooden body removing all dust and shavings.
   • Place a mothball in the body’s mouth and wrap the body, along with the blade and chipbreaker, in newspaper, or place it in a plane bag. This will be good for a number of years in any condition except underwater.

Plane Storage on the Workbench, Atedai or Planing Beam

There is some disagreement about how to set down one’s handplanes when they aren’t being used. I won’t consider all the possible options, but will simply present the one that I was taught and use.

The old boys who trained me insisted that it is improper set down a plane with its sole touching the workbench, atedai, tatami mat, carpet or ground for any length of time, but one must instead rest it on its side. After many years of using handplanes, I feel this is a good habit to develop for both Japanese and Western handplanes.

Since I’m right handed, this results in the plane resting on its right side with the cutting edge oriented towards towards the left side as shown in the photo below. This position takes up less space on the workbench, and protects the cutting edge and sole of my plane from contacting anything but air.

Is it rude to rest the plane sole-down, or will it damage it? Probably not, but seeing a handplane with it’s blade oriented up or down bothers me like a bug crawling on my neck. OCD?

I also rest my planes on their sides when placing them in boxes, toolboxes or toolbags even for long-term storage.

One can place a plane on any stable surface it’s willing to sit on, and where it won’t be kicked or fall from, even a chair, bench, board, carpet, floor tile, or other flooring material, but never directly on gritty surfaces such as bricks, paving, concrete, or heaven forfend, the naked ground.

Place the plane resting mouth-down only when the plane is actively being used or it’s wrapped in cloth or newspaper.

Do all Japanese craftsmen follow this rule? Heck no. Why do I recommend these habits? Well, first of all, because this habit shows proper respect to my tools, to the craftsmen that made my tools, and to those who taught me how to use them. Second, because these habits help my tools last longer with less damage. Thirdly, because it helps to keep my workplace better organized.

Until we meet again, I have the honor to remain,

YMHOS

Other Articles in the Japanese Handplane Series:

• Handplanes Part 1: East vs. West
• Handplanes Part 2: Blade Adjustment
• Handplanes Part 3: The Blade
• Handplanes Part 4: Fitting Blade and Body
• Handplanes Part 5: The Chipbreaker
• Handplanes Part 6: Setting-up and Maintaining the Sole
• Handplanes Part 7: Bedding the Blade – Correcting Some Common Misunderstandings
• Handplanes Part 8: Operator’s Manual
• Handplanes Part 9: Maintenance & Storage

Links to Articles in the Sharpening Series:

• Sharpening Japanese Woodworking Tools Part 1
• Sharpening Part 2 – The Journey
• Sharpening Part 3 – Philosophy
• Sharpening Part 4 – ‘Nando and the Sword Sharpener
• Sharpening Part 5 – The Sharp Edge
• Sharpening Part 6 – The Mystery of Steel
• Sharpening Part 7 – The Alchemy of Hard Steel 鋼
• Sharpening Part 8 – Soft Iron 地金
• Sharpening Part 9 – Hard Steel & Soft Iron 鍛接
• Sharpening Part 10 – The Ura 浦
• Sharpening Part 11 – Supernatural Bevel Angles
• Sharpening Part 12 – Skewampus Blades, Curved Cutting Edges, and Monkeyshines
• Sharpening Part 13 – Nitty Gritty
• Sharpening Part 14 – Natural Sharpening Stones
• Sharpening Part 15 – The Most Important Stone
• Sharpening Part 16 – Pixie Dust
• Sharpening Part 17 – Gear
• Sharpening Part 18 – The Nagura Stone
• Sharpening Part 19 – Maintaining Sharpening Stones
• Sharpening Part 20 – Flattening and Polishing the Ura
• Sharpening Part 21 – The Bulging Bevel
• Sharpening Part 22 – The Double-bevel Blues
• Sharpening Part 23 – Stance & Grip
• Sharpening Part 24 – Sharpening Direction
• Sharpening Part 25 – Short Strokes
• Sharpening Part 26 – The Taming of the Skew
• Sharpening Part 27 – The Entire Face
• Sharpening Part 28 – The Minuscule Burr
• Sharpening Part 29 – An Example
• Sharpening Part 30 – Uradashi & Uraoshi

...from the IRS or HMRC

But it is about creating a step-down in the corner of wood to receive pictures, glass and a back panel or a door panel or a door into it. I cut all of mine by hand with a rebate or rabbet or a fillister or a filletster plane in my day to day. Anyway, the video on a few different planes used to make or refine rebates is out on my YT channel below. Give me a click and join there if you like it. I'm sure you will!

David Boeff is not the kind of furniture maker you watch casually. His work demands attention, and so do his videos.

He does not walk you through every single step like most modern woodworking channels. You will not find long, drawn out clips of him carving an entire shell from start to finish. Instead, he explains what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and then leaves space for you to meet him halfway. You have to listen. You have to picture it in your mind. In a strange way, that makes you more involved in the process, not less.

There is a level of knowledge behind that approach. It is not aimed at beginners, and it does not pretend to be. It assumes you already understand the basics and builds from there. That is exactly what makes it valuable. No handholding. Just clear, direct insight from someone who has spent serious time at the bench.

The truth is, there is no shortage of woodworking content out there. But most of it leans heavily on presentation rather than substance. There are plenty of people willing to teach, far fewer who actually understand the work. Boeff sits firmly in the second group. He understands the craft in a way that shows through in how he speaks, what he chooses to show, and what he does not feel the need to explain.

When he is at the bench, it is not about performance or proving anything. He picks up a tool and uses it the way it was meant to be used. Just a craftsman who understands his tools and lets them do their job. There is a kind of quiet confidence in that, the kind that only comes from years of doing the work.

There is a flow to it, something almost musical. He is not fighting the material, and he is not forcing the outcome. He is guiding it.

That is where the romance sits. He works with the material, listening to the wood as it speaks to him, working in harmony with nature rather than against it. He does not rely on brute force except when removing the bulk of the material, but even then there is control and intent. Every pass is guided by attention to the grain and every sudden shift within it. There is a confidence in that, the kind that only comes from years of doing the work.

Furniture built in the eighteenth century is made up of complex designs that draw on a wide range of woodworking techniques. These include intricate hand carved details such as shell carvings and acanthus leaf motifs, refined mouldings, sweeping curves, serpentine and bombe forms, cabriole legs, and flowing swan neck style elements often seen in period furniture. It is a language of form and proportion that relies heavily on both technical ability and an understanding of style.

An eighteenth century reproduction build therefore requires a tremendous amount of know how and skill. It demands patience, study, and a willingness to work through unfamiliar techniques. But that should not deter anyone from attempting such work. The knowledge and skill gained by taking on a project of that scale far outweighs the fear of starting it in the first place.

For modern woodworkers, especially those drawn to hand tools and historical methods, Boeff’s work offers both inspiration and a benchmark. It challenges the idea that traditional craftsmanship is outdated or impractical. Instead, it shows that there is enduring value in doing things the right way, even when that way is slower and more demanding.

This approach is not the easiest path. It requires time, discipline, and an acceptance that efficiency is not the goal. Yet it is precisely this commitment that gives his work its character. The subtle irregularities of handwork are not flaws. They are evidence of the human hand and mind at work. They give life to a piece in a way that no machine can replicate.

While I completely remove the bulk of the waste with only hand tools, it is not an efficient way to work wood, especially thicknessing a board entirely by hand. But at the end of the day, as night falls and your body aches and you look at your progress, there is a sense of achievement that is hard to describe and, for me at least, only comes from working by hand.

Spend enough time looking, and a pattern emerges. The largest channels tend to prioritise entertainment. The smaller ones are often where the deeper knowledge lives quieter, more focused, and far more useful to anyone serious about the craft.

Boeff falls into that group. There is no hype around what he does. It is just solid work, done properly. If you are interested in traditional furniture making, especially eighteenth century work, he is the kind of maker worth following. Not because he is popular, but because he knows what he is doing.

My local tool collectors group, PAST, got together on April 18th.  As always, it was great fun talking to the folks and checking out the tools.  I wasn't planning to purchase anything this time (though I did bring extra cash just in case ...).  But I saw these two auger bits that were in pristine - I mean, absolutely shiny and sharp - condition for $3 each.  And when I talked to the seller about them, he said "I'll give you both for $3".  Mind you, I don't really need more auger bits.  But I have a partial set that goes from 1/4" to 5/8" and these two were 11/16" and 3/4" - perfect!  I flipped him a 10-spot and said keep the change.

In the original cardboard tubes

The labels on the tubes read:

I have another bit that is from the same company, but I always thought it said Taylor-Guede (stamped on a worn shank).  It's good to get it right, but I wonder how I'm supposed to pronounce Gjede.

These bits are the type with a single cutting spur.  I generally prefer bits with two spurs, but these spurs are plenty long to score the entire perimeter of the hole before the cutting lips engage.  I didn't have to touch them up at all - they're nice and sharp and the hole they cut has an incredibly smooth wall.

Here's the two bits next to the holes they just bored

The tool show had a guest speaker this time - James Wright of the "Wood By Wright" YouTube channel.  James flew out here on his own dime to speak about scrapers.  He brought along a bunch of different types of scrapers - card scrapers, cabinet scrapers, scraper planes, paint scrapers, etc.  And he gave a nice presentation, answering lots of questions from our members.

James with a table full of different scrapers

James is involved with the Midwest Tool Collectors Association (MWTCA) - I think he has something to do with their membership, but he certainly is doing a lot for outreach.  We can't thank him enough for coming out to our meeting.

In alignment with James' presentation and as part of our tool show, one of our members displayed his extensive collection of scrapers.  This was unbelievable!  I'm really trying not to be a collector, but I can see I'd never match up to some of our members.  I usually only ever see the stuff they bring to the tool meets to try to sell.  I'm realizing now that some of these guys (and gals) have much more extensive collections than I ever realized.

Here is the display of his scrapers.  It's four pictures!  One picture would not have been sufficient.

Scraper planes and shaves of many types - some with patent info

Spokeshave-type scrapers

More spokeshave-type scrapers

Paint and/or floor scrapers

These scrapers ran the gamut from user-made to manufactured, but all were interesting.  What a collection!

first one

This looks a lot neater than the first six. For whatever reason, I thought you couldn't chisel the outline a 1/8" wide mortise (too narrow?). I was wrong and this looks almost as good as the routed mortises.

done

These will probably never be seen again but at least I know how well they looked.

yikes

My 18" Starrett holder gave up the ghost. I pulled it out and the pine doo hickeys broke off. Made a pit stop to repair it because it is something I use every time I'm in the shop.

long rails

This glue up went off without a hiccup. I let this cook for a few hours. I wasn't having any issues with the lung biopsy, but I still took it easy today. No pain, soreness, or shortness of breath, still working but at a more leisurely place. 

sigh

I'm beginning to see a pattern here. I chopped these 3 table clip mortises on the wrong side. I hadn't checked before I chopped them that I was on the right face. I have made a rash of avoidable me-steaks on Miles's desk and now on this small table. Note to self - take your head out of your ass and look and verify before jumping.

the fix

There is no way to 'fix' this screw up quick and easy. The first thought in the brain bucket was to fill them in with shims. That didn't appeal to me because this is a show face and the filled in mortises would be visible.

Union #3

Gave up on getting this plane to make RML shavings. All I could do was to get shavings to spit out on the left side. The problem is the left side flat frog seat. It is chowdered up for about halt of it and it is lower than the right one. 

I thought of trying shims to raise it up but that would be a PITA. The sensible fix IMO is to braze/weld up the left seat and then mill all three seats parallel/flat to the sole of the plane. For a plane that I paid $25(?) for, a repair like that isn't warranted. I'll put it back together and put it on a shelf to collect dust.

sneak peek

The bottom shelf is history. I am giving this to daughter #2 and she doesn't share my love for grain (she didn't like the pic I sent her). I will reuse this top on a miniature chest. I've wanted to make one out of cherry for a long time. Which means that I'll have to make a new bottom shelf.

new bottom shelf

I used my Stanley doweling jig to put in three dowels to help with the glue up. Didn't have to, but I'm experimenting and getting used to using it. Killed the lights here and let the shelf stay and cook overnight.

accidental woodworker

There is a new star in my growing collection of marking knives.Timo made this wonderful knife with exchangeable cutters for me.

… here’s a place to scratch it.

My friend JimM alerted me to this recent listing on ebay, for those of you with a hankerin’ to own a Studley-era piano maker’s workbench with two wheel vises.

It’s remarkably similar to the one I own.  Someday I will restore mine fully and pass it down to the next generation.

The lung biopsy today at the West Roxbury VA went well. No hiccups and after almost 6 hours in the PACU, I was allowed to go home. I had instructions to not operate any equipment nor engage in any stressful activity. Tomorrow I am cleared to resume my normal ADLs  (activities of daily living). Which for me means I can work in the shop.

No results on the tissue they took from lung though. All I now for sure is that  the lab said the tissue was ok to analyze. I'm hoping that they have something for me in a few days.

Before I left for the Providence VA at oh dark thirty five, I sprayed one coat of shellac on the end panel slats. After that I looked around the shop for a few and killed the lights. Headed out to catch the shuttle to West Roxbury.

back home and hmm.....

It can't be all that stressful to remove the clamps from the bottom shelf.

side by side

The top (right) and bottom (left) can't be confused with being from the same tree. I'm going with this side for the bottom shelf too. I like it too much and I believe it adds a lot of visual interest to the table. 

the other side comparison

These two are very similar in graining but not so much in color. However, once shellac is on it that should blend and agree more. Moot point as it will be facing the floor.

before I hit the rack

I got three more coats on this before I went to bed. Spraying the slats beats the snot of brushing them. No matter how careful I am, I always have drips and runs to deal with. 

I had to scrape one slat because it had 2 glue drops that I missed seeing on the first two coats but caught on the 3rd one. Shellac will stick to the glue but it will not hide it.

hmm......

After seeing (and liking) how the mortises for the table top clips looked like off the router I am trying something different with the make up mortises for the end panels. I knifed them all the way around. They should come out a lot cleaner looking then the first errant ones I chopped.

I would have chopped them after dinner but I declined. The doc said to take it easy and I didn't want to push the issue. I can whack these out in the AM lickety split.

accidental woodworker

Continuing from the last two posts, let’s now look at gripping an even longer piece of wood by the front vice and extending it to the right, even fully across the length of the bench. We will use a griper easily installed into the tail vice. The tail vise will hold a T-track set into […]

After the relative stillness of winter, everything seems to be in motion now. The spring rains have encouraged the creek to dance to the white-throated sparrow’s tune. Emerging leaves are being introduced to wind. Even when the air is still, … Continue reading →

I’ll see your Roubo Plate 331 folding book stand and raise you about 1000%.  Gotta see it to believe it.

Here it is.

 

Here are four bullnose infill planes from the late 19th to the early 20th century: the oldest on the left is by Holtzapffel & Co (1828-1922); the two in the middle are by Norris (1872-1943); and the one on the right is by Arthur Price (1924-1967). All three companies were London makers. Bullnose planes are not that useful in a shop, so all of these planes show very little wear. The Holtzapffel plane does not have a steel sole for wear (planes without steel soles are less common that ones with steel soles). The two Norris planes are essentially identical, with the only real difference is the width - 1 1/8 vs. 1 1/4 - and wedges - one has a rosewood wedge and the other one has an ebony wedge. The plane with the rosewood wedge has never been ground and has just been honed a few times.

Who Made These Planes?

We know what brands the planes are stamped with. We also know that Norris didn't have a foundry. At the very least, someone else did their castings. Or did they buy castings from one of the various vendors that sold infill castings and simply finished them? Or did they outsource all their small cast planes like these bullnose planes in their entirety to a special maker that only made cast planes like Slater or Price? Norris and Holtzapffel planes are quite collectible, so we know a lot more about them. But there were many retail sellers of infill planes. For example, in Rd. Melhuishs 1912 catalog, a complete range of infill planes are shown with their own brand. However, while there are "Meluish" planes that survive, I don't know if the catalog branding extended to stamping the actual tool too.

I admit that these questions may not be that interesting to most plane collectors. But for someone like me who is fascinated by the process of manufacturing, these technical questions are very interesting indeed.

First let's take a look at the castings. All of these planes share the same DNA. The castings are essentially the same, but they are not from the same pattern. There are slight differences in proportion in the Arthur Price plane versus the Norris. The Holtzapffel plane is a little smaller. This difference can be attributed to one of three reasons: Each company had its own patterns that they had cast via third party foundries when they needed to make bullnose planes, all derived from the same original design; they all used the same castings from the same vendors and the differences reflect the fact that these planes are made over a period of about 90 years. They also might have purchased casting from one of the various retailers that sold plane castings. The last solution is certainly the easiest. All these makers were capable of filing a casting to clean them up. The hand filed decoration details by the different makers are quite different.

But I think the real answer is that Norris and other companies went to makers such as Arthur Price for small cast planes. The number of surviving Norris cast planes is quite high. The number of early Arthur Price planes is quite low, but the number of Arthur Price planes that date from the 1950s - after Norris closed - is actually high. Normally you would assume that a tool maker like Arthur Price, which stayed in business for a good stretch, would have more surviving planes. Unless the company dramatically altered either the number of planes produced or the method of production, their earlier planes should not be so scarce. This makes me think Arthur Price's early plane-making was devoted to planes sold under other brands. It also makes absolutely no sense for Norris to spend time making the cast planes when they have the special expertise for dovetailing steel planes. Outsourcing was incredibly common. Norris itself made planes for other brands. Robert Towell, the early 19th century plane maker pioneer, made planes under his own brand but also made many planes under other people's brands. As far as I know, Holtzapffel made very little outside their lathes. In general, the practical maker assesses their capabilities and resources and outsources everything for which they don't have a unique advantage. That having been said, we dont have any real evidence one way or another, so my theories are just theories.

I enjoy the premise that planes' commonality of design, and the efficiency of outsourcing, point to a London community of tool makers that supported each other.

I would love to find some documentation about how the hardware manufacturing business worked in London in the 19th century.

House brand infill planes in the Rd. Melhuish 1912 catalog

Machined casting ready for stuffing from the Rd. Melhuish 1912 catalog

Not much shop time today. I rolled out of the rack late and I had an appointment at the VA. No complete glue up but I at least got the ends cooking. I had to do the vampire act also. The doc put an order in for blood work and they drained me to fill 11 vials. Never had that many with any previous blood work.  

Tomorrow will be a zero shop time day probably. I have a lung biopsy at the West Roxbury VA at 0900. I expect to get home late - after 1800 so I'll only get to go to shop and look around and fondle whatever tools I have on the workbench.

sanded

Last night after dinner I had done some sanding. I finished that up first thing this AM.

hmm......

I'm a wee bit short on these clips. I need four more of them. Ordered a 100 of them from Lee Valley last night. Woodcraft sells them too but the last ones I got from them were stamped and they were thin. I like these because they are thicker and stiffer. I haven't deformed any screwing them down like the thinner Woodcraft ones did. (I've since shitcanned them)

before I glue up

Wanted to chop the mortises for the table top clips now before the legs are attached.

glued and cooking

Made good progress. I wasn't sure I would get these done before I left for my appointment.

shelf

Squeezed in gluing up the shelf. It will be roughly 12-13 inches wide and about 28 inches long. One board will be 9" and the other about 5". I didn't do equal width boards for the shelf. I didn't want the screw through the bearer to screw into the glue joint between the boards.

wow

I like the grain pattern on this side. Black gum streaks, soaring cathedral point, and a sliver of sapwood are all like eye candy for me.

stress free glue up

I got an almost dead flush glue joint on both faces. The only hiccup were these two clamps needed a helping hand laying flat on the top.

the front runner

I like this a lot but I am not sure others will share that opinion. At this point it is the leading contender for being the up face.

opposite face

This face grain is a lot tamer. On the glue joint there are matching black gum streaks that make this look like it is one wide board. Both sides IMO are a winner but I'm still leaning towards the one above.

just noticed this

I have done a lot of bone headed, brain fart induced me-steaks but this has got to be the leading contender for the #1 spot. How could I chop 6 of these mortises and not see that I was all by myself out in La La Land? I'll have to chop six more on the correct edge.

last 8 mortises

Did these with the plunge router and a carbide 1/8" router bit. A lot cleaner looking than the hand chopped ones.

shim stock

I don't think these slots will visible but I am going to fill them in anyways. I was hoping to bring these out to the driveway and spray shellac on the slats. I might be able to squeeze that in after dinner.

last three

This filled up the mortises better than I had hoped for. The mortises weren't that clean and smooth but the shims filled them in good.

accidental woodworker

I’ve just returned from a two-week trip to England with my wife Morgan.  Bath, London, the Lake District. Almost nothing had to do with my work….except a day in High Wycombe.

I’ve heard about High Wycombe since I started chairmaking.  When I was 16, working at Drew Langsner’s shop in Marshall, NC, I first saw the book The History of Chairmaking in High Wycombe, which includes one of the best descriptions of traditional chairmaking I’ve ever read.  Then, a year later, I watched Jennie Alexander’s old VHS tape of chair turners at work when I was working with her in Baltimore.

At the turn of the 20th century, chairs were still being made entirely by hand in and around High Wycombe. Pole lathes were still in (spare) use there in mid-century. High Wycombe, in short, is the closest link we have to traditional Windsor chairmaking.

Upon arrival in High Wycombe, we went straight from the train station to the Wycombe Museum:

Where they have an old bodger’s pole lathe:

I’ve been excited to see this lathe for awhile.  The two popits (headstocks) look ancient  –  I wonder if they predate the rest of the lathe.  A piece of leather fills the worn screw hole:

The two wedges are the fanciest parts of the lathe:

But the treadle was the most interesting part to me:

The treadle is hinged far behind the bed of the lathe – so far back, in fact, that the turner would have to stand in the gap between the treadle’s two lateral boards as he worked.  At 27″ long, the treadle is also far shorter than mine.  The tip of barely extends half a foot beyond the lathe bed when the treadle is flat on the floor. My experimenting suggests that this combination would limit the number of revolutions the work makes on each treadle stroke, slowing the work down. But, assuming the treadle was made by a professional (and I think it was, but I’d like to ask someone who knows for sure), it must work well.  High Wycombe was a center of chairmaking and anyone using an inefficient late would have gone broke in a hurry. Besides being laughed out of town.  I’m itching to try out this treadle arrangement sometime soon.

Next to the lathe was a bodger’s shaving horse: 

With the meanest bite I’ve ever seen:

In another room was a chair framer’s bench:

The bench had a post vice mounted on it, with one of what used to be a pair of wooden vice pads in place:

A notch in the pad rests on the vice screw and the pads just kind of sit there.  I’ll soon be making some to try them out. I’ve been using pads on my vice that are held in place with magnets, but this is a much simpler solution. Wonderful.

Bill Anderson is one of my longest-held woodworking friends.  And one of my closest friends, period.  We met dancing squares and contras, and became fast friends.  We taught together at the John C. Campbell Folk School for a number of years. We made travishers together.  Then, in 2010, Roy Underhill opened his school near us in Pittsboro and Bill became the most prolific teacher there, besides Roy himself. 

Now, 15 years later, Roy’s school is closed and Bill has begun teaching one-on-one classes at his shop in Chapel Hill. You’ll never find a teacher who packs more into a class than Bill.  Or puts more into helping you learn the material. Hand tool basics, table making, plane-making and restoring, bit-brace making, work-bench fixtures, the list goes on and on. You can find more info here.

 

The post Travels to High Wycombe (and classes by Bill Anderson) first appeared on Elia Bizzarri - Hand Tool Woodworking.

 Almost got the table glued up but it didn't happen boys and girls. No life alternating glitches or brain farts stopped it, just the work flow didn't go as fast as I thought it would. Maybe tomorrow I'll get it glued and cooking. All I have to do besides some mind numbing sanding is to glue up the bottom shelf.

Miller Dowels

Put two dowels into the shelf from each end. I didn't put any in the back slats. The bottom shelf will keep the bookshelf together. The back slats were fitted snug into the mortises with glue. I doubt that they will ever give up the ship.

epoxy clean up

This isn't 100% cleaned up but close. It looks good with no bubbles and the color is uniform through out.

table top epoxy fill

The epoxy shaves off easily even with a dull iron. 

the opposite face

There is a void on this side. Debating whether or not to fill it in. This is the underside and will never be seen. hmm.......

sigh.....

I was planing the burn marks off and both stretchers bowed on me. The left one you can see. The right one bowed up. Both of these are toast so I'll have to come up with another plan for securing the bottom shelf.

bottom shelf bearer

Three times is the charm for me. That is how many attempts before I got it right. I'll have to fill in a few holes after this is done. I screwed the bearer to the bottom rail dry, no glue.

chopping mortises

The depth of the bottom mortises are 3/8" deep and I chopped the top ones 1/2" deep.

fitting the slats

I purposely made the slats oversized in the width and thickness. Planed each one to fit their respective mortises.

not a me-steak

I forgot to saw the slats to length. Not a boo-boo but a work slow down. 

another boo-boo

One tight fitting dowel threw  hissy fit. It broke off flush with the top of the hole when I tried to pull it out with pliers. I had to drill it out again with the doweling jig. I left it on the bench just in case I ran into this again. Measured for the length of the slats with the end dry clamped.

left side

I like this. IMO it better than not having any slats at all. 

done

Got both ends dry clamped and two of the slats have gaps. All the slats fit snug and I don't need to glue them. The two gaps are at the ends that I will fill in with wedges.

hmm......

I don't like this look. The miter heels should be facing down and not up. The miters will be partially visible and will look better that way.

super glue

This rail has a bazillion little cracks that I filled with super glue. I don't know exactly what they are but I filled them mostly so they won't show when the shellac goes on.

Weather has gone screwy lately. Last week it was unseasonably hot for a couple of days. Now the temps have dropped and the overnight temps will be close to freezing (0C) for a while. I was going to shut the heat off but that won't be happening for a while yet.

accidental woodworker 

Making the Gauge Stem

A sharp plough plane can tackle this groove making in twenty to thirty or so strokes. But you might not have such a tool. Here's a link to a short blog and a video on creating a groove without owing or relying on a plough plane or machine.

The steps to making are not complicated. Instead of making the five sided configuration of the gauge stem, we begin with the square edge of the stem material. I recommend making two or four stems from a 21" (53.4cm) length of a hardwood like beech, 2 9/16" (65mm) by 1 3/16" (30mm). The stems will end up around 3/4" (19mm) by 3/4" (19mm) by the size you want. Most marking gauges are between 8" (203mm)and 10" (254mm) long. In my case, I have settled on 9 3/8" (238mm).

Plane your stem wood to the finished parallel width of 1 3/16" (30mm). The edge you are about to plough the groove into should be dead square, as all of the subsequent layout tools will be registered to this edge and the faces either side.

The brass I will be inserting into this groove is 1/4" (6.35mm) by 3/16" (4.76mm). I set my plough plane with a 1/4" (6.35mm) wide cutter and the depth stop on the side of the plane to bottom out at what in the US we'd call a strong 3/16"(4.76mm), meaning slightly more but immeasurably so or unnecessary to be measured. The groove is centred in the edge.

Tips:

1: I often use a mortise gauge to delineate the parallel lines the plough plane is set to. This cuts the surface fibres and minimises the risk of surface tearing.

2: Run a sharp, pointed knife into the gauge lines to send the sidewalls a little deeper.

3: Consider sawing down the two sidewalls of the groove.

4: If you are making more than one gauge from longer and larger stock, run the plough plane on the opposite edge before you do any cutting to width or length.

With the ploughed groove done, you can now lay out for the 45ºbevel each side of the groove.

Working from the brass strip recess corners on the end grain, work around the end with your combination gauge, using these two reference points where the lines intersect on the edges as show.

Use the combination square set to the bottom corner of your end grain angle intersection. This is quick, efficient and delineates everything clearly. This gives you the cut line to saw to.

Saw down the line all the way. I leave my line in and make my stem a little fat. I am making my two gauges here.

I use my finger (I call it my finger gauge) against the corner of the stem wood to run two lines on adjacent faces to guide my sawing.

Saw down, and it is best to work from each face to ensure you are working to both lines close in and accurately.

Plane the saw work to the two lines, striving for good 45º bevels by checking with the combination square as you go.

You can either plane or saw down the adjacent angles to the lines. In the video, I show planing the wood in a clamp held securely in the vise for planing.

Adjacent faces should always be square to one another. Take your time and work to that end. You will be thankful when you come to chop your hole through.

Keep checking for square.

Plane up as you go.

Check for consistent parallelity both ways.

Preparing for the diagonal positioning of the pin so it goes as near as possible corner to corner. I should say that this is not essential at all, being off even by a few millimetres makes little if any difference to functionality, but it is always good to have a goal to shoot for.

I like my pins close to the end, and a half inch (12mm) works fine for most work. That said, I have one gauge that's just 3/16" (4.76mm) from the end. Very useful for hinge layout and guide lines in rebated recesses.

I use an awl to give me a start point on both opposite corners and drill from both sides, meeting then in the mid-section which lines up the hole if there is any minor discrepancy.

It's not obvious, but my pin stock is behind the drill bit, and you can just see it either side of the twist drill. This undersized drill hole means that the steel pin will have plenty of friction retention to hold the pin.

You really want your pin to be perpendicular to the stem on both sides, so drill as carefully as you can; otherwise the gauge will not be usable close to the stock, which we often need.

File your pin to a four-sided point. The corners of this point will enlarge the hole to a perfect friction fit that holds perfectly well.

Cut your pin to around 1 3/4" long. That's plenty of length, and you can always change the length if you want a shorter pin.

Insert the pin into your drill driver and send it into the existing hole. It will follow the path of least resistance and yet retain good retention in use.

To remove the pin, insert it back into the drill driver and rotate either way, pulling firmly as it rotates, or use pliers and rotate as you pull.

With the bit secure in the drill driver, file the point to a cone or chisel point. Both work, but the cone point needs no aligning with the stem and stock. For the cone point, rotate the drill and move the file into the cone as it rotates.

I used a 650-grit diamond file to refine the filing further, rotating the pin in the drill and applying firm and consistent pressure and. . .

. . . then did the same using 1500 grit abrasive, using a backer block for support and resistance.

Tap the brass strip into the groove evenly along the length. When done, ensure it is seated evenly by clamping in the vise.

Starting 5/8" (16 mm) in from both ends, mark the position of the screw holes centred in the strip and then dived the remaining distance between these two points by three to give three equal divisions and four screw points to drill out.

Pop on the cross-hair lines with a centre punch. This gives a non-slip start dimple for the drill bit.

I used two bit sizes. A smaller one to drill though both the brass and into the wood. That leaves wood in the wall of the hole for the crew threads to self-tap into. Then I drilled a hole through the brass, only to take the hole shank of the crew. Take care that the twist drill in action does not pull the drill in and drill out the wood.

The 2nd drill size should take the screw shank but do not drill into the wood.

Countersink the holes to take the screw head. Check for sizing. The screw should be flush or slightly recessed; otherwise the stock will snag in use.

Set the screws. I used vintage flat-head brass screws sized 1/2" (12mm) #4s. A #4 screw is about 3mm in diameter. The link below takes you to part three of the three-part series.

Making the Paul Sellers' Marking Gauge Part III

We’re now in the middle of asparagus season.  Yummmmm.

That is all.

PS  My favorite asparagus treat” freshly picked asparagus, steamed and still hot, laid over a spread of Gulden’s mustard on a piece of still-warm sourdough bread toast, topped with a slice of muenster cheese melted over the asparagus.

My Mondays all start the same way, pretty much, anyway. The week's wholly brand new and untouched, unsullied and bright for me to invest life into. I open my workshop door, hold back for a whole second, maybe two, and glimpse into the darkness; it's a personal thing, waiting for the light from the doorway, the way it floods in to my future, contrasts in the focal point of my bench, and sets my brain's recall of what I left in wait. Every past event of work is recorded within my four walls. There is no influence from elsewhere here. What exists there, currently unmoving, reaches into my future; I am about to link past to present and future. Isn't that ordinarily unique!

The light switch breaks into the darkness, brings the floodlight to even out the pockets of contrast in dark against light, even the darkest corners reveal the currency of brightness. The leaning wood, stacks brightly too, as if reflecting the brilliance of wood.

The stacks take up occupation here and there, isolated pockets in my processing modes. It's organised but may not look it, to others, highly and systematically organised. There's no symmetry to much of it. Not really.

I cut my last dovetail on Saturday evening before retiring. It was around 5 PM, I think. Sealing every aspect of the carcass by that finalising glue up brought an indescribable peace most will never understand. With six joints anchoring the wood to an immovable point, I know at this minute, that wood can no longer ever move from its flatness.

Had I left it through the Sunday until this morning, the chances are the wood would have moved, and I would have needed to use all my efforts to get the joints back in. Better, had I not glued, to leave the joinery together and dry than to leave the flat wood to move and distort. Joinery brings harmony because the root word of joinery is harmos, from which we derive the word harmony. Hence, "What God hath joined together let no man separate." Strange comparison, but nonetheless.

Walking to the bench, my head turns on its axis as if without my thought on anything to take in the influence everything plays out as if actors on a stage. With every turn, I remember the former steps from two or three days past. The wood prepped for the doors over there, the wood for the drawers nearby too. The shavings on the floor, the chips and blocks on the bench, remnants from dovetails, rebates, fitting this and that remain to form shadows contrasting the negative of waste at one point and then the cabinet held by the positive of unionised parts now married irrevocably.

The scents of pine translates me back in time, as it does faithfully every time, to 1965, that first of my apprenticeship when I walked into the workshop of my apprenticeship for the first time. It's this kind of faithfulness that reminds me of my irrevocable calling to become a woodworker: my anchor never faltered and this, this alone, always held me in the hard times when bills were due, and I had no clue where the income would come from, when people elsewhere said I couldn't make it, wouldn't make it, but I did, I have, and I always did.

So here I am, seeing and knowing faithfulness in that when a man is 'called' and favours the calling with diligence and perseverance, when he's made up his mind, he will become what he believed he was called to be and not what others said in the silliness of saying you can be anything you want to be but something so much deeper and meaningful. Such is the realness of an irrevocable calling for those who seek, listen, and become. It's now sixty-one years of daily woodworking six days a week with two weeks off a year on average and with no regrets.

It's already a brilliant week, and it's only 8.45, Monday 20th April 2026.