Accidental Woodworker

 Today flew by and before I knew it I was killing the lights in the shop at 1458. I didn't get any major t hings done but I did whack a bunch of little things. I like that time went by so quick I didn't notice. As usual I let my limited attention span drive me down all the side streets today. Thinking my next project will be a desk for Miles. Not looking forward to driving to New Hampshire on a week day. Boston traffic is a PITA and terrifying at the same time. Oh well stercus acidit. 

done

Got the disastrous milk paint frame repainted. Got two coats on the back and front. Tomorrow I will slap 3 coats of shellac on it. Then it will be off to the Frame It Shop. 

sigh....

Shouda, woulda, coulda, but didn't. If I had looked at this frame earlier I could have fixed all the boo boos. I was ready to put shellac on this frame but I found too many hiccups to ignore. Most of it were drips and paint build up on the edges. Scraped the drips, etc and then sanded the frame with 100 grit and repainted it.

hmm.......

Thought of using a sawthooth hanger but nixed it. I would have had to use epoxy to fix it and I didn't have any.  Decided to use screws instead.

it fits

Vertical space of any kind is super tight in the shop. This fits here and there is another space above the thermometer for a sibling. I'll start looking for a couple more of these.

done

I have no idea what you would call these two. Refrigerator magnet art? I bought these somewhere in Maine 10-12 years ago.

this will work

I was going to use a sawtooth hanger when I thought of this instead. I glued the short piece at the top to the back and screwed it to the long bottom piece.

almost ready

I had to file all four screws to shorten them. The two at the top just needed a wee bit and the two in the long bottom piece needed about a 1/8" filed off.

surprise

The screws were solid brass. I was expecting them to be brass plated - that is what I find is prevalent now. Solid brass files easier than the brass plated crap.

hmm......

Happy with how this turned out. Thinking that maybe I should attach a strap or something similar to limit how far the back leg would open. The hinge I used is a stopped hinge that opens to 95°. It is steady as is and when I thumped the bench with a hammer, it stayed in place. I can revisit it if need be so for now it is sans a strap.

two new shadow box frames

Got confused again and plowed the groove before shooting the miters. I should have done the other frames with a groove for the back. 

I like

Dry fit to check the margins and they were spot on. I showed these to my wife and she asked if I was going to mat them. I hadn't considered that at all but I did muse about it for a few. I'll ask Maria about that when I bring the other frames to her. 

glued and cooking

Debating whether or not to paint these two or leave them natural with a shellac finish. Maybe I'll paint one and shellac the other.

Lie Nielsen vise screw

The leg screw was been adopted. I threw in the handle because I don't have any need for it. I don't have anything to fill in the void - I used up all I had shipping out the planes. Bubble wrap at Wally World is $16 and the S/H is going to high enough without adding that to the mix. I'll have to check around the house and see if I can scrounge up some more packing material.

quickie

Whacked a simple shelf before the quitting bell. Made it all with scraps I dug out of the shop shitcan. 

close by now

This is the Stanley depth stop do dad for  auger bits which are right above this. Thinking now that it is done that maybe I should have made it longer R/L?

accidental woodworker

 The storm that threatened my spot in the universe never happened. In the early AM it was cloudy and gray but the sun came out and shined all day long. The snow never came any where near me. The storm went south and than east out to sea. Daughter #2 who lives in North Carolina did get a lot of snow. The grandkids loved it and spent the day sledding. 

back done

Yesterday before I killed the lights I had got one coat of black on the back. This AM I got the 2nd coat on and called it done.

hmm....

Waited until this AM to put on the second coat. The shop temp is steady at 55F/13C so I decided to let the first coat set up overnight. 

hmm.... again

I like the frame/photo on the left. The margins on it are pretty even. The right one is good top/bottom but too wide R/L. I have enough of this small stock to make the right one over. I don't like the uneven margins. These are shadow box frames and the margins, IMO, need to be even all around.

Donna said yes

I made this in May of 2011 after seeing a pic of it. This was my version. I put the boxes I shellaced yesterday in it. I also have a cherry one similar to this - the top drawers are reversed on it. I'm keeping that one for me - hopefully I'll find a hole to hang it over. Donna will be taking this with her when she comes up this way in july.

read the back

This is epoxy but it is a finishing cover like what is used in making epoxy tables. Not sure what the adhesive grip is with it. This was what I was going to use on the next shadow box frame.

checking for square

I eyeballed the margins - the bottom margin is wider than the top. I used marine grade 5 minute epoxy to adhere them to the back. I set it on the radiator in the kitchen to keep it warm while it cures. 

The backs on them are magnetic. I cleaned them with Simple Green, scruffed with 100 grit to give the epoxy a tooth to stick too. Fingers crossed on that and I'll find out in the AM.

accidental woodworker 

 

done

The woodworking at least is done. I had to glue a back on it and then paint it. No shellac for this one.

epoxy failed

The frame fell apart when I took the 45 clamp pads off. The miters were still sticky and none of the miters had cured. The shop temp was 54F/12C and epoxy doesn't like cold so I think that is why it failed. 

3rd glue up coming

Cleaned up the epoxied miters and glued them up with yellow glue this time.

clamped and cooking

This is the second time for yellow glue - the first one failed when I tried to plane the sides. Fingers crossed that it will be better with this time.

warmest spot in the shop

I ended up sticking 3 miniature frames here to keep them warm while they cooked.

5x7 frame

This will be for a holiday pic of the grandsons. That pic is 5 1/4" x 7 1/4" and I made the inside measurements 5 1/2" x 7 1/2".

back to the milk paint

Put the milk paint from the can into the blender up to the max line. I zipped it a couple of minutes and painted the frame again. The coverage is spotty and there are a few areas where the paint just ain't sticking. But it did lay down smoothly.

hmm.....

The paint dried smooth and lump free. The coat I applied appeared to have laid down and stuck. 

hmm.....

I dumped the bullet back into the can and no clumps or lumps. I'm done playing with this batch. It is going to take me a few more dance steps before I get a batch that works.

my original dovetail do dad

This is how the jig works. It sets the height of the stock for sawing. 

Cosman clone

This sets the height of the stock the same as the original jig. However, that is all this one does. The original sets the height and it also is what the tail board rests on. Looks like I wasted time and calories on this one. Maybe I should have set it to a hand plane like Cosman did.

painted

I covered the area where they will go with blue tape. I plan to use epoxy to stick them to the inside of the frame. I'll get the 2nd and final coat on after dinner.

sigh

The areas of bare wood are where the paint didn't stick. It had bubbled and flaked off on one short side when I touched it. I sanded the inside bevel with 240 grit lightly and this is what it sanded off.

rescue time

Sanded the frame with 120 grit and used a hand scraper  to remove lumps and drips. After that I slapped on a coat of shellac as a sealer coat. I'll be painting it with commercial milk paint that isn't really milk paint.

shellac pile

The biggest box I just made. The other three I made over the past 3 years and none of them had a finish on them. I am giving a cabinet I made 15 years ago to my sister Donna and I am putting all these boxes in it to get rid of them.

Getting ready for another winter storm. The prediction is 1-3" of the wonderful white crappola. I don't know when it will start nor when it will stop. Fingers crossed that I'm in a pocket that just gets a lot of wind and no snow.

accidental woodworker 

bare wood showing

There is a definite difference with the paint adhesion between the late and early wood rings. There are two coats on the front of the frame and it is going to need a 3rd one.

needs a second coat

The quirk on both the inside and outside had a couple of holidays. The flat areas of the frame didn't need a second coat. I applied a 2nd coat to whole front anyway.

sigh

Way too much quark in this batch of milk paint. It is way too thick and it has a ton of clumps in it. They were easily flattened and didn't seem to be a hiccup sticking to the wood. I added water to it to thin it but it didn't really work 100%.  

On the back of the frame I painted it two more times. The coverage there was spotty and it wasn't covering entirely. This batch was borderline acceptable. I'll be making a 3rd batch of milk paint but will it be the charm? 

hmm......

In spite of the hiccups with this batch I do like this color. It isn't flat and it isn't shiny but somewhere in between the two. It was hanging out here drying after the third coat. On a positive note the paint, although it is iffy, still seems to be viable.

changed

The pendulum bob (outside the case) is too small for the viewing window. The replacement one is a bigger, shiny brass one which I like a lot. The movement I put in the clock last week is dead with my cell phone time. Now I just have to remember what did I do with the back panel?

hmm.....

Instead of the brass pendulum rod I covered it with a wooden insert. I can't remember where I bought these and a did a fruitless search for them last night. I only have one more left. I waxed it with dark Briwax to match the walnut case.

my version

Rob Cosman recently posted a vid about making a jig for setting stock square in the vise for dovetailing. He made his to match a 5 1/2 hand plane whereas mine will match a dovetail jig I already have and use.

almost done

I used 6mm plywood and a scrap of Philippine mahogany for my version. I rounded over the top on all four sides. 

done

This matches the height of the squaring jig I made a few years back. The new one should be easier to use than the left one.

no more twist

The two mini frames I glued up last week are both twist free now. The smaller one is too small for the photo I wanted to frame in it. The larger one is big enough for a 5x7.

3 days late

Stickers finally came in. They look better up close and personal than on the ETSY website. Still wish I could have found specific Stanley numbered sticker though.

dresses it up a wee bit

Sticker at least identifies the box as holding a Stanley tool.

Yikes

This is the big frame and it fell apart when I tried to plane the first side. Reassembled the frame with epoxy this time.

too small

I like these magnetic stickers. The June Cleaver moms are such a shocking difference from the sayings. I had one more of them but I couldn't find it. I'll have to make another frame because this one is a 1/4" too small.

new frame

Whacked out a new miniature frame. I will glue this one with yellow glue. After it has cooked I will glue a 1/8" plywood back to it. That should hold the miters together and keep them from separating.

grandsons Stanley #2

I rehabbed a bazillion hand planes and this was the only #2 I ever saw offered up for sale. I never saw a another manufacturer's #2 offered neither.  Right out of their toolbox it spit RML shavings.

hmm......

Two sets of RML and two sets of full width and length face shavings. I don't see the big deal with this plane. I think using a blockplane is a better choice. I got this one for the grandkids because of its size. It is a perfect fit for young hands.

it is too small

This plane feels awkward in my hands. It almost disappears when gripping the tote with one hand and the knob with the other.  

the grandson's main tool chest

I put a sticker on the box - it has a Stanley depth stop for auger bits, a counter sink, and a 1/4" driver. There is also a complete set of Stanley planes for them - #2, #3, #4, #5 1/4, #5 1/2, #6, #7, and a #8. Missing is a 4 1/2, 10 1/2, and #1 (which will never happen). Not sure if I'll add two of the missing 3.

accidental woodworker

 

last night

Made another batch of quark. I don't seem to have any hiccups with this part of making milk paint. It is neat to watch how quickly it curdles when the vinegar is added to the milk.

came last night

I have always been fascinated with Mr Wright and his designs. Falling Water is my favorite and his prairie school homes I like more than his earlier ones. But above all I love the stain glass designs that were so prevalent in his designs. I read the whole book in one sitting. 

not in the book

I rinsed the quark and placed in it some cheese cloth and a double mesh strainer to drain any water left in the quark (overnight).

hmm......

I little less than half a cup left in the pan. Water seems to be the enemy in making milk paint from my reading of the book. Seemed like a prudent step IMO.

this sucks

The book says a minimum of 250 grams of quark to make a batch. I'm about 50 grams shy. The quark is hard, much harder than my first batch. I'll had to make another batch of quark.

3rd batch

I used this milk to make the 2nd batch. I used a supermarket generic milk to make the first batch which yielded more than 250 grams. The author wrote that different milk brands yield different results with the quark.

On the 2nd batch I had added a cup and half more than one quart. I thought that would give a wee bit more than the required 250 grams. It didn't and I only got 208 grams.

2nd batch

Rinsed and draining while I went to the VA. I have an appointment at the West Roxbury VA for a PET scan at 0800 on Feb 6th. I checked with transportation and the shuttle from Providence to Roxbury leaves at 0530. After I confirmed that I went to express care for a rash on my left shin. 

I have dry skin and it is a common headache in the winter. Especially so when the weather gets cold like it has been the past week or so. Just another joy to endure in my golden years.

have enough now

Decided to make a big batch. I added 42 grams to the 2nd one to bring it up to 250. I then added another 125 grams to raise the total to 375. 

oops

I didn't notice the max line when I loaded this. The blender was straining to mix it up. I finally got it done but it was slow going. Mixing (even this big batch) was so much better over hand mixing. No lumps or clumps of quark. It was a homogeneous mix that I forgot to add the black pigment to. I had to mix that in by hand. 

kind of black

The black pigment has mica in it which makes it shiny. I think I made a me-steak getting these pigments. I'm going to search for earth pigments next. This paint batch is thick. Thicker than commercial paint not sure how will that effect the coverage? 

the small picture frame

I sanded this with 240 grit before I painted it black. This will house pics of the grandsons.

hmm.....

Two coats on the back. The coverage isn't that bad. There is no washed out look like the miniature chest. The author wrote that milk paint doesn't have a long shelf life. Thankfully this paint did dry quickly - about an hour after the first coat, I was putting on the 2nd one.

After dinner I will get 2 coats on the front of the frame. The paint had thickened between the first and second coats. I had thinned the paint before applying the first coat with 2 tablespoons of water and 5 tablespoons on the second one.

big frame

I'm pretty impressed with the coverage of the first coat on the front of the big frame. I will eyeball it in the AM before I decide whether or not to do a 2nd coat.

thicker

Don't understand why this paint is getting thicker with each use. So far thinning it with water seems to be working. Fingers crossed that I can get two coats on the front before it heads south on me.

accidental woodworker 

 The chest is done and my wife liked it. I am thinking that aliens have cloned her because she rarely likes things I make. She especially liked the color and asked me if I had done it on purpose. I explained that it was the result of my first failed milk paint. In spite of that, I kind of liked the color myself too.

new toys

Surprise. The bullet blender I ordered arrived a little before 2000 yesterday. Got some  spatulas to clean out mixing jars. Went searching for small canning jars and nada. I went to a bazillion stores and I found quart sizes but I wanted the smaller one. I'll be mixing a new batch of milk paint (black) tomorrow.

sweet

This came with 3 different size mixing jars, this is the largest one. The blender only has one speed but I don't see any need for pulse blending.

nope

The white spots are wood putty and the milk paint didn't cover it. Not sure if that was because of the crappy first batch I made or whether a good batch would have covered it.

happy face on

I didn't get any paint bleed through on the tape. All the edges are clean and sharp. The underside of the lid was the same.

last coat

Ended up slapping 5 coats of shellac over the milk paint. The shellac didn't change the paint color in the least. I used a blonde shellac that wasn't 100% clear, so I wasn't sure if it would add a tint of shellac color to the milk paint.

wood poster frame

I picked brown and I like the color. The border on the poster is black and my original color for the frame was black. There wouldn't have been a line in the sand between it and the poster border. Now with the frame being brown and the poster border black, I can pick a matting color that will blend the three together.

4th finger got cropped

I could have stopped here with four but I was in the shop and couldn't do anything else. So I applied a 5th and final coat to kill some time.

from china

14oz canning jars from the Dollar Store that the clerk warned me shouldn't be used for canning due to lead in the glass. I used it to mix 1oz of black pigment. I'll use it to make the milk paint for a picture frame.

glamour pic #1

It isn't so much the color I like, but the washed out look of it is what appeals the most to me.

pic #2

Seeing this pic now I'm thinking that maybe I should have have knocked the height of it down a few inches.

3rd glamour shot

I like the contrast between the bare wood of the lid and inside compared to the milk paint.

final glamour pic

Back looks funny to my eye. It doesn't quite match the washed out look of the sides and front. So in that respect it is good that it is the back.

hmm......

The Union #3 continues to perform well. This is a scrap of wood that I used to close the lid on the shellac can. It had dings and divots in it on both faces that the Union smoothed out lickety split. However, my OCD is in overdrive because the lever adjust is over the right.

ten minute project before the bell

This is a riser for my computer keyboard. The feet on it don't tilt it up high enough for me.

just right

I eyeballed the height and I nailed it dead on. It is 3/8" higher then the feet and it lies in the plane from where my elbows rest on the edge of the desk to my hands on the keyboard. Glad I didn't have to play with it to get the height of the riser correct.

accidental woodworker

 It snowed overnight and I woke up to about an inch plus on the ground. Unbelievable after the ton of crap that fell the day before. At least it is was light and fluffy. There is the possibility that a repeat of the past sunday will happen on this coming sunday. After the last 5-6 years of minimal snow fall I can't really complain. 

not bad but also not welcomed

I was not a happy camper this AM. My arms and shoulders didn't hurt anymore but my back was frantically shaking hands with me. Spent a lot of time today molding my butt cheeks to my desk chair. But that happened after I shoveled the driveway. 

nutso results

About 15 years ago when I decided to go the rabbit hole of hand tool woodworking one of the things I went nutso on was getting replacement irons and chipbreakers. I have at least two sets of iron/chipbreakers for all of my planes except for my #8. I have an extra iron but no chipbreaker. I took out two sets for a #3.

much better

I got a Stanley iron in the Union #3. Cutting smoother and easier than the Union iron. I had a similar problem like this with a Miller Falls iron. Sharpened and honed and nada. It would not make a shaving. I ground the bevel back on my bench grinder and again nada. I couldn't get it to make a shavings. The Union iron cuts good on the right side of the iron and garbage on the left. Couldn't improve it by sharpening it again concentrating on the left side.

what a difference

The shaving from the Union iron was jagged and It wasn't continuous from end to end. And it tore out like crazy around the screw holes. The Stanley shaving was continuous, full width, full length, and the screw holes were intact.. Thinking of offering this up for sale again.

One thing I've found over the years was swapping out sets doesn't always work. What works is swapping just the iron and keeping the original chipbreaker. I don't know why but it was a hard learned lesson.

prepping the chest

I don't want any paint on the underside of the lid or the inside of the chest. If I get any bleed through the tape, I'll paint the underside and the top edge of the box.

hmm......

I lost 12 grams of quark over the past 3 days. I am still going to make my first batch of milk paint regardless. It is all part of the learning curve.

done

I think I made way too much dye for the paint. The author says 1ounce/30 grams and I stopped at 20 grams/1/2 ounce. The paint mixed easy but not completely. There are lumps of quark that no matter how much I stirred,  wouldn't go away.  The color isn't as blue as I would have liked. I really wanted something more like a cobalt blue.

One thing that surprised me was how liquid the paint became. The lime got 4 tablespoons of water and I drained the water that was in the quark container. I couldn't see how mixing the lime quark would become a liquid or even a loose, watery paint. 

It became liquid almost immediately. A bit on the watery side but a paint quality liquid. The author recommends a blender and I now agree with him. I bought a small juicing blender from Amazon. I'm supposed to have it today but I find that doubtful but I'll keep my fingers crossed. If I get it I'll make another batch in the AM.

left over

There is more then enough to color a 2nd batch of milk paint. I would have mixed a 30 gram/1 ounce sample but this jar wasn't big enough.

yikes

I wasn't paying attention when I grabbed the paint can and I tipped it over. Sigh. I am not impressed with the color on the wood. It isn't blue but it looks greenish. I wanted this to be a pale wash that showed the grain but not green and that is working. 

ugly color IMO

Besides the color being off, the coverage wasn't what I expected. I think part of the problem with that is I didn't sand before painting. This paint was applied to a surface that was hand planed. Too smooth and no tooth for the paint to grab.

hmm......

There are bumps and clumps of (quark?) on all the surface. They look like crap. The dark specs.

an hour later

The greenish tint has toned down some and it looks like a pale blue/green color now. It is dry to the touch and I'll be putting on at least one more coat.

clumps

The little dark spots are clumps of quark? They are hard and I couldn't remove them scraping with a finger nail.

worse spot

The coverage here sucks pond scum. 

240 grit

The sandpaper cut and smoothed all the clumps. It also left behind a lot of dust. I'll try to get a 2nd coat on after dinner, hopefully. If not then in the AM. I will also be applying 3-4 coats of shellac.

accidental woodworker

wow

Sunday it started snowing and it came down in small flurries. Those flurries laid down to about 9 inches. Drifts were 2-3 feet high. Snapped this pic from my back door to where I park the truck. It took me 2 hours to clear this area which is a 1/3 of the total needing shoveling. 

Shoveling this white @)%&^&@)%@_) crap wore me out. There was no where to put the snow. I had to walk from the right side to dump the snow on the left . I am fxxked if we get another snow dump like this before this blanket melts.

3 hours to clear

Can't throw more than a few shovel fulls by the bushes. I had to make my own mountain range on the right. I can usually shovel the driveway and the front walk in a couple of hours (3-4 inches). That didn't happen today boys and girls. I got lucky that a neighbor a few doors down came with a snow blower and cleared the end of driveway and the road. That would have taken me more than an hour to shovel.

late in the PM

I found these 4 poor man miter jigs when I cleaned the boneyard. They don't last long - the kerf gets worn and too wide. It doesn't matter because I don't use the miters off the jig. I always clean and smooth the miters with a hand plane on a shooting jig.

clean up

Not necessary but I wanted to put the Union through its paces. Performed adequately but not in the top 3 of my #3 planes. The iron is freshly sharpened/honed but it felt dull. It was dragging a bit rather than sailing over the wood. 

hmm........

I don't do good sawing the 45 slots. The left one I don't have problems with. I usually nail it dead on 45. The right one giggles at me every single time. I don't have any headaches with the top horizontal saw cut. It is the vertical down cut. No matter how much I try it comes out tapered, on the line at the top going out to right at the bottom. A nice tapered, slanted saw cut,

nope

I thought I could saw from the opposite side but it didn't work. It came out better but the taper was still there. Smaller and still not square up/down.

3rd try

A little help with a square was just that, a little help. Still had a tapered vertical kerf. A minor hiccup but I would still like to get dead nuts 45's off this jig.

left one

No light and it is tight and seamless in the square.  This is the first time I remember achieving this. Left or right I always seem to be a wee bit off 45.

pretty good for off the saw

The right miter is wonky. It looked good in the square but there something about it I didn't like.

the problem

The left miter heel is tapered. (the left was sawn on the right miter slot). The other miter is square and parallel. The miter won't close up and form a 90 with the pieces plumb. 

nope again

2nd attempt and the miter heel is tapered. The other miter is square and parallel. The miter won't close up and form a 90 square up/down. 

the best one

I tried correcting this cut because I could see it going OTL (out to lunch). I had also penciled a square line on the backside of the front cut. All of them were better then the front but still tapered.

I wanted to play more with this but my shoulders and left arm were singing arias to me. I'll come back to this in the AM if they are feeling better.

accidental woodworker

 Wanted to make some milk paint today but it didn't happen boys and girls. My kingdom for a horse slapped upside the head instead. I couldn't find a container or any kind in which to mix the paint in. Since it was snowing and had been since around 0700, I wasn't going out to Wally World to buy said container. I'll try to do it tomorrow. Not sure how long the quark is viable - I have in the refrigerator for now.

back to square one

Tried to get RML shavings this AM and nada. It was like I hadn't spit them out yesterday. Found one hiccup with the iron not being square so I started with 80 grit on the runway until the iron was square.

getting closer

I have a bench grinder but I don't like the hollow grind it leaves. Nor do I have the skill to straighten the iron at a 25° angle. I expended a lot of calories on the runway and I eventually got it.

paper change

This runway gets two different grits. This face has 150. I had to change the paper because it wasn't cutting anymore.

60 grit on this face

I usually go with 80 grit but because I had to square the edge, I dropped down to 60 grit. I have a rough diamond stone which I think is 250 grit but it doesn't cut as quickly as 60 or 80 does.

hmm.......

Looks pretty even across the mouth. Yesterday the headache I had was the left side was high and the right was buried. Moving the lever didn't straighten it out entirely. I had to reset the frog as it was too far forward and the mouth was too tight to pass shavings.

ta da

First try I got RML shavings. More importantly for my blood pressure, the lever is centered. 

accidental woodworker 

 

Wow

The temp at 0603 this AM. (The time on the display never got changed on the last fall back. ) An hour later the temp had dropped another degree to 7F.

hmm.....

This is all that is left from 2 quarts of skim milk. I rinsed it until the water ran clear. I ended up with 268 grams of quark. According to the author, 250 grams is the minimum to make milk paint.

the last one

The box underneath holds four, #4 planes, he wanted 5 but the MF #5 had already sold. This is the Union #3 with a corrugated sole. I'm thinking of keeping this one because it got absolutely zero interest.

dropped 5 degrees

This is the biggest drop in the shop temp so far this winter. The temp was hovering at 59F and it is a wee bit on the chilly side now. Definitely will be wearing  long sleeve shirts now.

hmm......

Tried to make RML (right, middle, left) shavings and nada. The iron was slanted at the mouth and I couldn't straighten it out with the lever do hickey thing. It looks like the circular boss that fits in the iron slot and moves it R/L is too big.

hmm......

Getting better. I filed the the round boss a couple of times and each time it improved. The lever was moving sufficiently now and the iron was square to the mouth. Still wasn't able to get RML shavings though. Getting close, but no cigar.

finally

Over an hour later and I got my RML shavings. Full width and length with all three. The downside is the lever has to be fully over to the right in order to get them. That drives me postal but everything I tried did diddly squat with centering it. The plane does work ok now with it there. I'll keep this plane for myself. It is too fiddly to fettle and pass on to someone else.

accidental woodworker 

Most of the planes have gone on to new new homes and parents. A couple of #3s and #4s are all that is left. I'll be doing an evaluation of what my tool herd looks like and what I need and can do without. Keep the eyes open for another possible fire sale in the future.

 

changed   (#3s)

The corrugated plane on the left is a Union and the other two are Stanleys. One of them has been claimed since I snapped this pic. 

five #4s

Far left is a Miller Falls and the other four are Stanleys. The Stanley on the far right has a corrugated sole. As of this typing, two of the Stanleys have been adopted leaving 3 orphans waiting for a new home.

one left

The Miller Falls has been claimed. Just the red headed, stuttering 5 1/4 is homeless. 

The transitionals sold as a set on the same day I posted the fire sale blog.  I'm glad they went as a set - it is a complete and ready to do hand tool woodworking.

hmm.....

Two quarts of skim milk heated to 100 degrees F and 2/3 cup of vinegar to sour the milk. Making my quark to make my own milk paint. I tried finding quark in the local grocery stores, they did have it but no one could tell me if it was made with fat free/skim milk.

wow

About a minute after I put the vinegar in the milk it curdled. I opted to let this sit overnight and maximize how much curd I can get.  Hoping to get the miniature chest painted this weekend.

Still feeling a little bit out of whack. The sore throat is better, 70% of the pain of it has subsided to a tolerable level. Walked to Johnny's Chalet for lunch today. The first stroll I've gone on in a week. A lot of sidewalks are still not shoveled and clear.  A storm is coming on the 25-27 that is supposed to dump 12+ inches of the white stuff. I'm hoping to get my interest back up to normal and make something regardless of the impending doom. 

accidental woodworker 

 Had to share this as I just heard it from the Doctor who did the bronchoscopy. The good news is there were no cancer cells in the lung biopsy or in the lymph nodes. That was unexpected because I had already made my peace with having lung cancer. Everything pointed to it. That was a leading reason for my fire sale too. 

Now that I know I'm not under the Sword of Damocles anymore, maybe I can breathe easier. The flip side of the coin is the doc doesn't know what is causing the enlarged lymph nodes (which didn't have bacteria) nor what is in the infected lung area. 

So I'm out of the woods with the big 'C' but on the fence with the unknown with what is out of whack with my left lung. It isn't slowing me down when I stroll. The doc is hoping something will show up on the PET scan I have scheduled for the 11th of Feb. 

I can get back to long term planning and doing. I'm still going to empty the boneyard because I'm sure that I can fill it again. And I decided to do the wood type poster frame. I'll be hanging it in the wife's 'reading room'. Although I'm thinking now of changing the color of the frame from black to some other color, brown maybe?

accidental woodworker 

 I had a few takers on my plane fire sale and spent most of the day packing them up. I also made a few trips to the computer shop for help with my printer. I tried for several days to get the printer to work and finally said NO MAS. The techie at the shop said it booted up and saw the printer right away. He printed a test page and couple more from the Providence Journal site.

Turned out that I was using the wrong USB port. That is the one thing that I didn't think of to change/check. That was a quick $65 for Tech 911. The printer is working and the  4 extra toner cartridges I bought won't be going to waste.

Going to and back from the computer shop was a PITA. They were doing construction at one of the busiest intersections on Post Road. What should have been a 10 minute road trip turned into a 30 minute journey from hell. And I got to enjoy it 4 times.

better

The iron and chipbreaker on the 4 1/2 had a line of rust on it. Of all of the planes on the bench this was the only plane with rust. Cleaned it up and touched up the iron on the stones.

one down

I couldn't believe the prices on the priority boxes. The cost of them jumped more than $5 since the last time I used one. The smallest box was too small for a #3 and and next size up was too big. I had some boxes that were a little smaller. 

The #5 fit in a priority box and the cost is $22.95. That is $2.05 less then the cost of the plane. Yikes.

Still feeling a little out of sorts due to the anesthesia, but better then yesterday.  The throat is still sore and it doesn't seem like it is healing all that fast neither. Fingers crossed it will be better in the AM. It doesn't bother me to eat but I can feel it - a burning, achy feeling that sucks pond scum.

accidental woodworker  

 I didn't feel 100% today so I took it easy. Anesthesia makes me feel funny for a couple of days. I spent most of the day cleaning and sorting out the boneyard. My wife wants half of the space for a reading room. That will happen after she gets back from going to North Carolina. She is going to keep daughter #2 company while her husband is away on business. 

flattening

This is the frame I glued yesterday. All of the corners were proud. Knocked them flush before doing the merry go round routine with the #4.

survived

Sanded all the sides with 80 and 120 grit and nada. None of the corners whimpered or wiggled in the least. Strong and secure and I'm thinking of using it for a photo.

wee bit of twist

Both the top and bottom had some twist to them. I'll have to think up a way to hold the photo within the frame. I want it to be set in from the front.

boneyard

This is actually cleaned up some. I can the bookcase against the far wall.

hmm......

Forgot I had these molders. If I remember correctly these are Ohio tool molders and the far right one is a 1/8" beader.

another batch

These are 4 match planes that I never got around to playing with. I offered these up to someone  and if he declines I'll send them to whoever expresses an interest in them.

Lie Nielsen leg vise

This is up for sale too and priced to move. $40 plus the dreaded S/H. I couldn't find it on Lie Nielsen's website and I think I paid around a $100 for it. 

last of the scraps

I filled up 1 1/2, 30 gallon shitcans with wood scraps. I got rid of every piece I had in the boneyard. I had the heebie jeebies doing this last pile. I know that I'll regret it in the next couple of days because I could have used it.

xmas gift from 2008

I made this for my wife but the movement never worked properly. The chimes never worked even once. It kept time good until the pendulum stopped moving. Don't understand that because the pendulum is/was independent of time keeping. I put another movement in it (no chime) and I'll let it go for a few days. I was going to give it away to my sister but my wife wants it back.

5 hours later

Except for the clock and the 15 drawer dresser, the rest of the stuff is going to my sister Kam. I'll email her first to see if she if interested. Fingers crossed on that. If she says nay, nay, I'll put it curbside.

blast from the past

I am in the 2nd from the top, on the far left. Hard to believe it has been over 50 years since this pic was snapped.

old delta mortiser

This is going to cost a fortune to ship so local pick up only. It comes with a 1/2" mortise chisel that I think is unused or at least I don't recall ever using it. It is missing the fence and it is no longer available at any of the tool part sites I tried. It would be easy to make a new one - just need a 25mm rod and someway to fix a fence to it at 90 degrees. Free to whoever wants it.

accidental woodworker

 

 I need to move along 12 planes. A few years back I went nutso rehabbing planes for my own use. These 12 are all extras but I did use them.  I have tried to sell them before and this will be my last attempt at that. I think I've priced them to sell quickly too.

All of these planes were used by me in my shop for a couple of months. I didn't have any problems with any of them making shavings. You'll be buying a plane that can be put to work after you fettle it to your way of working.

first lot

Four #3 hand planes. From the left - my personal user for several years. I only replaced it because I rewarded myself with a Lie Nielsen #3. This plane has my initials engraved on the lever cap. If yours are RJB, it is a done deal.

2nd from the left is a Union #3. Every bit as good as any Stanley #3.

3rd&4th from the left are Stanleys. Both of them don't have the frog adjust. 50 years of using planes and I have only used a frog adjust once. IMO they aren't necessary.

2nd lot

Five #4's. The first one on the left is a Miller Falls. Again this was a personal user that got used for about 7 months of work. No complaints with it all. The other four are all Stanleys and all got a work out with no headaches.

3rd lot

First one on the left is a 5 1/4, the second one is Miller Falls #5, and the last one is a Stanley #5. This Stanley jack plane is the only one in all the lots with a frog adjust. The Miller Falls was my first non Stanley jack and it impressed me. It was the first time I had compared another plane against a Stanley. It opened my eyes to start to look for other manufacturers plane's to rehab. I use the MF plane for almost a year.

4th lot

I had to satisfy my curiosity about these. I rehabbed 4 others and sold them, and another I kept because I couldn't find parts for it. From left to right #3, #4 1/2, #5, and a #7. I used these for a short time. They have a different feel and it took me a few to make shavings and get used to them. They are easier to push and worked as well as their metal siblings.

All the planes are for sale for $25 plus actual S/H ( I know S/H sucks pond scum). All the #3's (except the transitional #3) and the #4's will fit in Postal boxes. The rest will need custom boxes. 

I would like to sell the transitionals as a set for a discount at $75. Barring that they go singularly for $25 ea. 

My email is rjboumenot at gmail dot com. The one with the earliest time stamp wins the brass ring.

accidental woodworker

 That is what the pulmonologist said was the time needed to do their procedure - a bronchoscopy and a needle biopsy of my lymph nodes. . Well boys and girls that didn't happened. Three doctors did the procedure starting at 1300 and the they completed it at 1637. I woke up in the PACU (Patient After Care UNIT) at 1655. I felt a used dish rag. Tired, disorientated, and weak as new born babe along with a wicked sore throat. I was able to go home at 1740 with a happy face on.

I debated even posting a blog for today I was feeling so crappy but decided to do it to maintain the streak. I got in a couple of shop hours in the AM. I didn't leave for the VA until 1030. Not much but I got to play woodworker before the procedure just in case.

super glued frame

Absolute toast. I barely twisted it and popped apart effortlessly. Super glued miters are garbage and unreliable. It is good for holding miters together while yellow glue does the actual securing of them.

yellow glue frame

Like night and day against the super glue frame. I twisted all the frame sides and nada. The miters held. I didn't go Cro Magnon on them but I did use a wee bit of force.

hmm........

What to do with this? This is the frame I clamped off the miter box rough and trimmed the miters to fit with a chisel.

cooking

Yellow glue applied. Glued it just see how it will come out. Sized the miters first before applying the 2nd coat of yellow glue. I couldn't get the top left corner to seat flush.

done at 1800 last night

The plywood bottom blends perfectly with the box sides. Four coats of shellac and I'm calling it done. The wife doesn't want it but I do. I like how the inside and the bottom looks. I'll use it at my desk for something?

1900

I had to come to the shop to get the camera so why not? Unclamped the frame and twisted the sides 2 at time. I didn't feel like Cro Magnon man so the twist was on the weak side, but all the sides held. The miters look decent with no gaps and I'll clean the smooth them in the AM with a plane.

accidental woodworker 

 Saturday was supposed to rain and turn to snow. That didn't happen but sunday around dinner time the snow came. It looked like fluffy stuff and when I peeked outside in the AM about 4 inches had fallen. I had gotten up early to shovel the driveway so I could go for my monday breakfast. When I got back from breakfast I finished shoveling the driveway and the front walk. That wiped me slick and I didn't get to the shop until after lunch.

winter wonder land

The snow I had to shovel is what we call in these parts here about, heart attack snow. It was heavy, wet, and packed together. Every other shovel half of it would stick. Made shoveling a royal PITA.

wee bit of twist

Both the top and bottom had some twist I planed away. This is the taped miter experiment I started yesterday.

hmm......

I didn't like the uneven stick out on both ends. I made this end the same as the other end - 3/8".

bottom on

I need another box like I need a third eye in the middle of my forehead. I'll ask the wife if she needs it and if not, I'll toss it into the boneyard.

2nd part of yesterday's experiment

I'm using the extra stock I made for the bead moldings. 3/4" x 5/16" which is way smaller then experiment #1 stock. 

pit stop

I had to sharpen the iron in the LN 51 because the iron was chipped. This is an O1 iron which I prefer over A2. This one I can sharpen on my diamond stones.

hmm......

Gluing the second one. On the first one when I rolled it up the tape wasn't fully secured to each piece. On the 2nd one I pressed the tape down on each piece to ensure it was fully adhered.

better

Happy with how well the blue tape closed up the miters. Much better then how the blue tape did on the super glued miters.

not bad

This is the super glued miters and they look pretty good. No gaps to speak of and the frame is square.

super glue sucks

When I removed the tape on the super glued frame, it came apart like it wasn't glued at all. I hadn't sized the miters before applying the super glue. Glued it back together with super glue and taped it shut again.

done

The miters looked about the same as the first set. However, this is why I don't like super glue for joinery. It can not handle any stress to the joints. I have tried several different types of super glues and all of them failed the same way. 

got curious

I sawed a new 45 on my Poor Man's miter box and clamped it up off the saw. Not pretty but it also isn't ugly. The miters are open (to varying degrees) on all four miters. This is something I should have done yesterday but didn't. I don't think this would survive being glued with yellow glue.

hmm......

Used the chisel, shaving the miters a wee bit, and checking the fit. The bottom right miter improved as did the other three.

happy with this

It took 4 trim and checks before I got to this. I find this acceptable - the miters are decent looking without any glaring gaps.

super glued frame

The tape didn't pull the miters apart as I removed it. The miters feel secure and they survived the shake test.

hmm....

This miter is flexing on this side. It is tight on the opposite face. It took nothing to twist the miter apart.

needed help

I don't know why I'm wasting so much time trying to glue this frame with super glue. This is the final time I'll be gluing it - the next failure will be free flying lessons right into the shop shitcan.

shellac work

Got four coats on the bottom of the cleat and I'll get 3 on the top of it. Two coats on the new box with one more to go. I plan on returning after dinner to finish this two.

Did more searching for a Stanley #59 decal and nada. Instead I bought 5 Stanley Tools decals from ETSY.  Bought five because one was $2.15 and S/H was $2.99. Same S/H for five decals.

accidental woodworker

 Yesterday I thought was done, complete. nothing left to do with the Stanley #59 box. I was wrong. Last night after dinner I had  got the last coat of shellac on. This AM when I inspected the box and lid I saw some boo boos I had to address.

loaded up is next

The last shellac coat was dry. No stickiness but before I loaded it up and found a hole to stick it in, I eyeballed it one last time.

sigh

All the corners on the lid and bottom had waterfall drips. They were visible in raking light and set off my OCD alarm. Steel wool didn't touch them - it just smoothed them. I used a small card scraper to remove them and slapped another coat of shellac on the box.

now it's done (one hour later)

Now it is 100% complete. I double, triple eyeballed the corners and declared them all drip free. BTW that is not a gap between the lid and the bottom.

chamfers

I planed a small chamfer on the lid and bottom. There was (still there) a small defect in one of the plywood edges on the bottom. The chamfer hid it and the two unify the joint line between the lid and bottom.

japanese toolbox

I took inventory in the boneyard because I'm thinning the herd and bringing the excess to my sister Kam. I don't like the look of the locking cleat.

yikes

I don't remember this being this askew. It is in an inch at the top and it sticks out at the bottom over 2 inches. I don't remember this being this much out of whack when I finished it a few months back.

sigh

Made a replacement cleat but I got the angle wrong. The cleat is tapered and angled top to bottom and it is also handed. Unfortunately for me, I made it for the wrong hand.

done

When I made the 2nd one I kept eyeballing the original to make sure I did the taper and angle correctly.

hmm......

The cleat extends about the same on both ends. Unsure about whether or not to flush them. It doesn't look to bad to me and it gives something to whack to set or remove the cleat. I've got time to think about it while I apply shellac to it.

step one

Decided to try an experiment to satisfy my curiosity. First step is mitering four pieces of pine.  The pine is too tall for my poor man's miter box so I sawed them this way.

love seeing this string

I started with 1/2" thick stock but a one board was thicker than the other one. Ran a knife line and planed the two boards down to them. I had to redo the boards to  3/8" because I planed a taper on one of the boards. Didn't expect to be this rusty planing the boards to thickness.

finishing the miters

The miters don't look that bad off the saw. I am getting better but I still need a ways to go yet. I saw Paul Sellers saw 45's at the Springfield woodworking show and they were a perfect 90 when put together. That is a goal of mine that I hope to reach someday.

hmm......

Not there yet but this is close. I should have but didn't, try clamping it with a band clamp to see how it looked. 

cleaned up

Miters, cleaned up and smoothed.

the experiment

I have seen miters glued and clamped up this way on YouTube for years. Two inch wide tape and the stock is 1 7/8" wide. I sized the miters before I applied the final glue and taped it shut.

the experiment failed

I pulled the tape as hard as I could. It was square, I checked each corner both ways and all were square. However, there were gaps in the miters. None of the corners, top or bottoms, were tight. I had to clamp it to fully close the miters.

Maybe this experiment was too ambitious so I'll try it again. Although I have seen bigger tape jobs than mine on YouTube. I'll try it again with smaller and thinner width pieces. Might do two of them because along with yellow glue I have seen  super glue used too.

accidental woodworker 

 

bushing block

I determined the height of the block by how little would stick out and I could still grab and remove any of the bushings. I ripped the block to that and glued on a piece of 1/8" plywood to the bottom.

I waited

I had gone back to the shop after dinner and I resisted the urge to unclamp it. I was a good boy and waited until now.

done

Ripped the lid off with my rip carcass saw. I had one little glitch that bit me on the arse later. Wandered off the cut line and I had to plane the lid to flatten and straighten it out.

sigh

The jig and the bushing block don't fit side by side. I need the width to be 3/4" wider to account for the thumbscrew on the left.

depth stop

At least where I planned to put the depth stop had plenty of real estate. 

keepers

At this point the plan was to finish this box and make a new, wider one for the #59. These keepers will be glued to the inside of the lid.

serendipity

It fits this way. I had put the jig back in the box to set it aside and found this. The thumb screw extends a wee bit into the bushing block, but it fits. I had thought of removing the thumbscrew but that would have meant having two more things to stow in the box along with the jig body.

hmm.......

I'm ignoring the thumbscrew intrusion and instead focusing on the depth stop. I had space for it in the corner but not enough for a 1/2" dowel to put it over on. I notched a block to hold the jig secure and then a half round (7/8") to secure the depth stop. I like this, it is compact and all parts are secure. Nothing is rattling around. 

dry fit

I mitered the keepers in place. I found out that mitered corners work better then butt joints. One corner had a gap due to a short length keeper. I glued a piece of veneer in the gap closing it.

done except for the shellac

Got the lid to fit in both orientations. I had to sand the outside face of the keepers to loosen up the fit. It was too snug before I did that.

shut out

Does anyone know of where I could get a decal or tag like the one on the box? Doesn't have to be an exact match to the color and the lettering and numbers. I'm open to a rework of the label as long as it has Stanley, #59, and Dowel Jig. And I'll pay in US dollars.

doesn't fit

The instructions didn't fit in the new box no matter which way I tried. I think the use of the jig is intuitive and doesn't need instructions. I'll keep them in the original cardboard box.

still working

The Bim Bam movement is still counting out the hours and the time keeping matches the shop's digital clock. The hour count is still sounding with the minute hand at 6 o'clock. I'll get back to this next week. I wanted to plane the cherry today but there was rain and snow in the forecast for today and tomorrow.  As I'm typing this no rain or snow has fallen yet. Should have done it.

99% done

Got four coats of shellac on the box but it still isn't shiny. I'll go back to the shop after dinner and get the 5th and final coat, shine or not. It is just a shop box and 5 will be the charm.

accidental woodworker 

 I am not somebody who gives a rat's ass about original boxes tools came in. I have the original box for my Stanley #59 along with the instructions for it. Today I made a new, wooden box for it. I'll put the original instructions in the new wooden box and I'll save the original box. I've seen Stanley boxes for sale on eBay for high prices that seem to sell real quick. I just hope who ever gets my workshop doesn't shit can the empty boxes I have - a mix of Stanley and Lie Nielsen.

final prep

Sanded the poster frame, first the wood putty on the nails, and then the frame itself on both sides.

done

Ready for milk paint. A little hesitant about making it. There are a lot of variables with milk according to the author. Before I go pissing away $$$ on milk I'll do a wee bit more research.

hmm....

My wife wants this corner of the boneyard for a reading room. I'm thinking of taking down the beach painting and putting the wood post frame there. The bigger headache is where am I going to put all the crappola I have in the boneyard?

wee bit off

Using 6mm plywood to make the box for the Stanley #59. The miters don't line up at the toes - one is a wee bit longer than the other.

shop computer is back

Got it up and running. Ubuntu is different then Linux Mint but I am slowly working my way around the OS. It is going to be a few days before I get used to having this one to look at. Here I'm watching the Wrist Watch Revival YouTube channel. 

correct sequence

Miter the corners first and then do the groove for the top and bottom. No blowout on the grooves or the exit. I made the bottom groove a few frog hairs higher than than the top groove is down. Concerned about the weight of the #59 bearing on a thin web of plywood.

checking

Making sure that there is sufficient room for the jig. Nothing will ruin your day quicker than being a frog hair too short. That over sight has bit me on arse more than once.

double, triple checking

I think I dodged the big one, but not by much. I accounted for the top and bottom panels but not for the lid separation. I think I'm ok but my spatial ability lives in a shit can.

glued and cooking

The top and bottom panels were snug fitting and they could have kept the box together while the glue cooked. But to be safe, I used the band clamps top and bottom.

bit of a pain

In the Stanley cardboard box all the bushings were tossed in to roll around loose. Don't like that so I made this block to hold them. It was difficult to find the correct size drill bit to drill for each bushing. I used two metric drills, one for the 1/2" bushing and the other for the 3/8" one. Used imperial drill bits for the others. I was shooting for a 64th over the OD for each one.

hmm......

This is the depth stop and the id is a 1/2". I have a few ideas for securing this one but I need the box done first. I need see how much room there is in the corner I'm thinking of using for this.

hmm......

It has been over an hour since I glued this up but I'm not going to unclamp it now. It is mitered and I want them to stay clamped for a wee bit longer - till the AM at the earliest. I'll probably saw the lid off by hand because that will have the smallest kerf. The table saw kerf is a 1/8" and I don't trust the bandsaw to saw plumb

accidental woodworker