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Norse Woodsmith will be going offline for possibly up to a week during the month of February to attempt a major site upgrade. If it is successful it will return, however it may look wonky for a while while I dial it in. If not successful, well.. then your guess is as good as mine! Thanks in advance for your patience.
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Last pitch for the season, I promise
[The shopping part of this post is copied from my substack blog today – and the log splitting at the end is different in each blog…today’s substack post was getting too long…]
There’s really woodworking in this post – but first one more commercial for our household’s offerings – both spheres. Maureen & Rose have kept adding stuff to their etsy site. Knitting, the last of Rose’s crocheted penguins and Maureen says the eco-prints are on sale. Their site is https://www.etsy.com/shop/MaureensFiberArts



……………………………..
I’ve finally packed the last 2 recent panels and put them in the mail. But that whole flurry of carved panels reminded me I have a panel I carved when I did the Dedham Carvings video – this is a riven panel, from some red oak – the best boards I use. Thickness varies a bit, but around 5/8” to 3/4”. Linseed oil finish. Signed on the back. Email me at PeterFollansbee7@gmail.com if you’d like it. Check or paypal – additional charge for paypal…
Panel #1
8 1/4” x 12”
$500 including shipping in US.
——————–
I’ve spent a couple of half-days getting a new log and starting to split it with my friend Rick McKee – https://www.instagram.com/medullary_rick/?hl=en
Rick & I have known each other for decades, we used to work together in a living history museum. And way back then I used to impose on him to be my chainsaw operator. He’s good at it & I am terrible and don’t want to get good at it. I got out of museum work 10 years ago, he was a year or two ahead of me. And now that we’re both out in the world, he still helps me out with his saw, his wedges, humor and photos. So whenever it’s time for a new log, I get a hold of Rick. As it happened this time, he needed some oak as well.
We’ve been at it a couple of days – with a couple more to go. A big red oak for around here – 28″ x 14′. First thing Rick cut it into halves – once the sawing is done, I’m happy to go inspect.
Rick’s always got his phone/camera at the ready…here’s one of several snippets he shot of the splitting. Notice that as it gets closer to opening, I step down to the end of the log, instead of standing beside it. Watch your shins…
Quick Workbench Update
Jasmin Cottage going deeper
So we know now that there is rot in the timber frame. But how much?
Quite a lot. The sill is badly damaged, the left post/stud bottom is gone and the right post/stud bottom is gone and it's been removed above the sill to accomodate a bigger window than the original.
Support is given to the window and wall while a new section of timber work is made. The rotten timber is removed.
Expanding foam had been used to fill gaps in the lower floor masonry wall. This was part of the problem; not allowing the timber to breathe. Completely inappropriate materials. As much of the foam was dug out and replaced with stones and lime mortar. The new section of timber frame was scarfed into the left post, preserving as much of the historic material as possible. The ends of the sill have been bracketed for now. It is envisaged that the rest of the wall will have the rest of the portland cement render removed and frame repaired when funds allow. That will require full Listed Building Consent. The rest of the new sill can be scarfed in at that time. Now that the window is fully supported, investigation of the cracks further up the sides of the window can commence.
back to the cherry cupboard.......
This cherry cupboard is heavy. It is easily twice the weight of its pine sibling. I don't consider myself a weakling but moving it around is pushes the limits on me. That aside I made good progress on the drawers. Maybe tomorrow I'll get them glued up. After the drawers are done, hinging the door is in the batters box.
half blind at the front |
Laid out and sawed the dovetails for both drawers. I made the tails as large as I could to minimize the amount of end grain showing.
didn't forget |
Planed a small rabbet on the inside front edge. This is the best tip I have seen for half blinds. It is only 3-4 shavings so there is a minimal depth loss.
tails to pins |
The rabbet not only squares the tail board to the pin board, it helps to keep it stationary while I knife the tails unto the pin board.
one down, 11 to go |
I got the left drawer done before lunch. Did the right one after my walk.
came 3 days early |
This is the ring holder insert and it is borderline garbage. I was expecting it to be cloth and preferably satin. This ain't neither but it is plastic. This is disappointing to say the least. This cost me $13 and I should have bought the $6 one. I didn't because I thought it would be crappola.
says it all |
Another cheaply made item coming out of China.
surprised me |
The cushions are glued to a piece of 16th inch thick cardboard. I didn't think I would be able to cut it to size but I survived it. I got a clean cut line on both lines and I didn't rip/tear the cushions on the other side to shreds. I used my marking knife to cut off this piece.
I got lucky |
I wasn't sure if I would get the insert to align with the box. The three fingers are an almost perfect fit from front to back. I am going to buy another one because I can't use this plastic $(^&@$)@%*_@%_@- . Ring inserts have to be cloth and this crappola shouts cheap.
nemesis said hello 3 times |
I was expecting gaps and I got 3 of them on this first one. That is because of how I marked them - I used my marking knife but I didn't knife them by cutting slightly under the end of each tail.
2nd one |
Gaps here but not as bad as the first one. These might swell shut when I glue them.
#4 |
This one and #3 came out the best. I marked these pins by knifing under the tail slightly - kind of like a dado. #3 was too blurry to post. I took it and I couldn't figure out what it was.
patting myself on the back |
I must have ate some brain food for breakfast because I didn't forget to plow the groove for the drawer bottom in the fronts. I missed this step on the first drawers. With the groove in the front I only need two slips now.I didn't lose much depth neither - I placed the groove as close as possible to the bottom of the pin socket.
backs sawn to width |
I was a roll and I didn't forget the 3rd step - sawing the backs to final width (top to bottom).
correct |
I have struggled a bit with the back tail/pin layout. The half pin on the right is/was what was playing havoc with the brain bucket. I had to play with this for a few minutes before I remembered how I did it the last time. Just treat the right half pin like the half pin on a through dovetail layout. Ignore the extra wood to the right of it. Not only did I get it right, the tails/pins look symmetrical.
done |
I got both L/R drawer sides laid out and sawn. I shouldn't have any heartaches with getting the drawers at least dry fitted in the AM.
killed the lights |
Before I killed them I picked up and put away a few tools. Squares and dovetailing doo dads - mostly small, easily misplaced tools. It is a habit I've gotten into over the past few months. I'm tired of running around with my head buried in my ass trying to find said tools in the AM. Lights out at 1513 today.
accidental woodworker
strange day......
It is dec 11th and the temp today hit 59F (15C). However, it rained all day long, heavy at times but nothing flooded (as of this typing). I had an appointment with my cardiologist after lunch so I got zero PM shop time. But he said I am doing very good heart wise and I will see him again in a year rather than 6 months. The drive home was a ROYAL PITA. Visibility was poor due to the downpour and I got stuck behind an accident. Once I got past that I ran into a couple of school buses. More stop and go at a turtles pace. Needless to say it was an ordeal for me driving home. I don't do well in traffic and hold ups but I managed to get home without raising my blood pressure and having/causing an accident.
well behaved |
I am liking this pine way more that the pine I get at Lowes or Gurney's Sawmill. I don't know what kind it is (sugar pine?) and I'll ask the next time I go to get some more. No stupid wood tricks and it is ready to make into drawer parts.
found the drawer article |
I remembered the sequence. The top and the bottom are the easiest to fit with the end grain ends harder to do.
hmm....... |
This is the sequence that I do my drawers. I can't see what the difference is between the two. Today I did the left one as labeled and the right one this way.
slip fit |
Call me crazy but I don't see the need to make the drawer a jam fit. There will be zero movement R/L so I planed it so I have a 32nd of wiggle room with more to come once the drawer is together. All the movement will be T/B and I tried to get that to fit snug. I'll still make them baggy so the drawers slide in/out easily.
sneaking up on it |
This is the right drawer and the first one I did not do it right on the fit up and I definitely went overboard planing it after it was glued together. This time I fitted this front a frog hair off snug.
much better |
There is almost zero daylight on the four sides. The right side of the drawer isn't square and I'm curious as to how this side will be when I glue up the drawer?
almost an oops.... |
I had to take one more swipe and that dropped the front down into the opening almost flush. I think I just squeaked by on this one - one more and I think I would crying now.
drawer sides |
The backs I didn't saw to width. I'll do that after I plow the groove for the bottom in the drawer front. I need that done before I can saw the back - I'm also using slips on these drawers.
the back |
I have the drawer fronts installed and the sides butting up against them. The sides will go forward by 3/4" for the half blind dovetails so I'll have about 5/8" space at the ends.
done |
Labeled the drawers for dovetailing and I'll start on that in the AM.
closing in on this one |
Drawers and a door are all that need to be done to call this done. Fingers crossed that I do a better job on these drawers.
accidental woodworker
Estate Sale Finds - Part 2
This is the second post about some tools I found at a couple of estate sales back in August. Last week I wrote about the boring tools: brace, bits and an auger bit extension. This post is about the three chisels in the lot.
The tools I got at two estate sales |
Of the three chisels in the picture, the two smaller ones were made by Swedish maker E. A. Berg, the "Eskilstuna" brand. Both are about 7/8" across the edge. Remarkably, they were found at two different estate sales (and on the same day)! You'd think I'd find them together! These made me think of a guy in my tool collectors club, Jeppe Eskilsson, who died unexpectedly during the pandemic. He was an avid collector of, and had tons of knowledge about, Swedish tools. I enjoyed talking to him and wish I had spent more time with him.
I made a handle for the handle-less Berg chisel, just a simple shape. But as I was rehabbing that chisel, I found that the blade had a serious crack in it.
E. A. Berg 7/8" chisel |
The logo |
The crack from the flat face ... |
... and shown on the beveled side |
Handled and sharpened |
Due to the crack, I'll never use this chisel with a hammer or mallet, but it sharpened up nicely and can pare like nobody's business.
Paring end grain with the freshly sharpened Berg chisel |
The second Berg chisel is a much heavier duty square-sided "firmer" chisel. It has the same logo as the bevel-edged Berg chisel. It's got a steel ring at the back end and this chisel has been bashed by hammers many, many times in its life.
E. A. Berg 7/8" firmer chisel |
Unfortunately heavy pitting on the flat side |
A stout steel ring at the back end |
Got a nice mirror finish after flattening and sharpening |
I had to spend a lot of time flattening this one to get down past the pitting. It also required that I remove about 1/8" from the length to get past some unevenness and deeper pitting. And because the chisel was fairly thick, it took quite a while on the hand crank grinder to create a new bevel.
This flat at this tip shows how much I had to grind back from the edge |
The third chisel is a 2" bevel edged chisel with the mark "YALE" on it. I tried to research this, but got conflicting results. I found on eBay a chisel box labelled "C. I. Yale Mfg. Co., successors to G. I. Mix & Co., Yalesville, Conn, USA". But I dead ended there. There is also the Yale Lock Company, who've been around for many decades. The logo on the chisel does not appear to be the same as logos used by the Yale Lock Mfg. Co., which later became the Yale and Towne Mfg. Co. that apparently made (and still makes) fork lifts. But these Yale companies were founded by Linus Yale, so not the same as that C. I. Yale Mfg. Co. Someone suggested that a known manufacturer could have made chisels for Yale Lock and stamped Yale's name and logo on it. I'm guessing that's the case.
Anyway, this chisel had quite a side-to-side belly on it's flat side and it took a LOT of time and effort to flatten it. But eventually it got there and sharpened up nicely. Its handle had been broken off and apparently someone kept using the chisel with the tip of the handle still in the socket. The broken handle had been hammered into the socket so much that not only was it very tough to remove, but also the rim of the socket was seriously deformed. I filed the rim reasonably smooth and made a new handle for it.
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The logo |
As found: tip of handle hopelessly bashed into the socket |
Drilled a hole and put in a screw to try to pull out the handle's tip (to no avail) |
I had to drill out the handle's remains and followed up with a metal pick to pry loose some debris. Filling the socket with water for several hours helped loosen the fibers and eventually I got it cleaned out. But look at the rim of the socket!
Totally deformed from years of pounding from a metal hammer |
And here it is after filing the rim |
I made a new handle with the "London Pattern" from some scrap wood. Fitting the tapered tip into the chisel's socket was fit/pare/fit/pare/fit/pare and repeat. because the interior of the socket was anything but a regular cone shape. I marked the inside of the socket with sharpie to gauge progress and eventually got a good tight fit.
Turning an octagonal blank to the London pattern on the bungee lathe |
Fit the end into the socket to find where it rubs more and file/rasp those marks away |
This is the very tip of the chisel handle: it shows how out-of-round the hole was |
The finished handle before the shellac finish, shown here next to a 1 1/2" chisel |
Handle with shellac, then wax; edge sharpened |
These chisels cleaned up nicely. Aside from the bevel-edged Berg chisel with the big crack in it, they will be nice users. But even that one should be useful for lighter paring work. I shudder to think what might have become of these had I not seen them in a cabinet at those sales. Probably the scrap heap, and that would have been a shame!
Seeking Testers for Suction Controller Prototype
Over the last couple years, I have been developing a product that controls the suction going to two ports. Though the working name has changed over the course of development, I am currently calling it “Suction Controller”.
Primary Purpose
The Suction Controller is designed to be used with a vacuum and two hoses, and its primary purpose is to allow a user to rapidly control suction between the two hoses. This is useful when a single operator is switching between two tools with two different hoses (e.g. saw and sander).
Secondary Purpose
The Suction Controller can also be set to split the suction between both ports in any ratio. This is useful to one user operating a tool with two dust ports (e.g. router with above and below dust shrouds), or two users operating two tools simultaneously that do not require the full force of suction (e.g. sanders). It can also be used to “bleed” excess suction away from the one hose being used if the suction produced by the vacuum is too strong.
Known Compatibility/Non-Compatibility
I have been testing it with my Festool CT 26 dust extractor, which uses 50 millimetre fittings.

Sampling has also indicated that it works with many 2-1/2 inch vacuum fittings, for example, Lee Valley’s 2-1/2 inch EVA Hose and Splice fit very well.

On the other hand, due to the size and shape of its body, the Suction Controller does not fit directly into the older style of Festool CT Midi with a port in the corner.

How to Become a Tester of the Suction Controller
If, after reviewing the above information, you feel that you would be a good tester, please send me an email and I will be in touch with the next steps. You can also write with any questions you have. My email is Chris@Flairwoodworks.com.
Thanks for reading!
Printer Stand 2: Carcase and Pre-oiling panels
I went ahead and finished the panels before working on the rest. Of the four boards making the two panels, one had a lot of tearout. I tried planing with a jointer or smoother, scraping, hand sanding, etc. and had to settle for not getting it all.


Maybe ‘finished’ isn’t the right word. I oiled them. In this case I used some refined linseed oil meant for artists, my first time using it. I applied two coats over a few minutes and then wiped off what little was left 10-15 minutes later. It had several days to cure while I worked on the rest.

I think this will serve the purpose of not having an unfinished line showing as the panel expands and contracts. Later I will spray the entire carcase with shellac or lacquer.
Jumping ahead in time to show the oiled side against the unfinished legs and rails:

Most of the rest of the carcase will be secondary wood. The most important dimension is their thickness which I planed to fit into the already made dados.


These pieces are dominoed and glued to make U-shaped pieces. The front ends are trapped in the stopped dados and will only be glued. The backends will be glued and screwed to the leg. The curve is made to allow using shorter screws.

I marked the legs to taper to 1/2 their thickness at the bottom. The bulk was removed with the bandsaw.


At this point I decided to fill the grooves on the sides housing the panels. I knew they would be present and thought that with the taper of the legs and the angle you’re looking at the piece they wouldn’t be noticeable. But I decided it was better to fill them now than regret not filling them later.

So I found some strips of walnut, planed them to fit, and glued them in place. I could have saved a step or two and done this before bandsawing the feet in the first place.

After this I cleaned up the feet by planing to the line and cleaning up any tearout with a card scraper.

With the feet made, I glued up the sides with the panels first. This wouldn’t interfere with any fitting of the drawer guides and rails.
With the drawer supports made I had four more rails to fit. Top and bottom front rails will be visible and made of walnut. Two back rails are scrap butternut. Joinery for these rails are either pocket screws or dominos, whatever worked out easiest.
In the following picture you can see the bottom rail is a strip of walnut glued to the front of the lowest drawer divider:

I glued up with titebond liquid hide glue. I fastened all the screws loosely and then tightened them after clamping. Here we are glued and clamped:

The front is pointed toward the ceiling. You can see how the walnut top and bottom rails extend out about 3/4″ past the poplar guides. The goal is to have the guides hidden and have only drawer fronts visible between the top and bottom rail.
It’s hard to assess how square everything is with all of the clamps in the way. If anything is seriously out of square I can soften the joints and wrench it into shape later. For now the front where the drawers goes seems ok. I put the top on to make sure it fits and see how much overhang I have to work with:

The next steps are to make the drawers one at a time. The drawer sides may be basswood or poplar and the bottoms will probably be plywood. I have butternut drawer fronts ready.

The Private Townhouses of Brooklyn's Sunset Park

The New York City of popular fame is a mix of skyscrapers, big apartments, and slums. But the reality is that New York City has a lot of residents - well over the combined population of Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix and Miami - and these residents live in all sorts of housing. Manhattan housing is indeed mostly apartment buildings but does include private brownstones. Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island however have miles and miles of all sorts of private houses.
Many people are aware of the big push to build suburban housing after World War II, but NYC had significant growth between the Civil War and WWII. Brooklyn especially had explosive growth after 1883, when the Brooklyn Bridge was completed. Sunset Park is a neighborhood adjacent to the neighborhood in which TFWW is located. In these pictures, most of the housing dates from the last 20 years of the 19th century. There are blocks and blocks of townhouses. You can see in the pictures that you have a group of a half a dozen that are identical, and then another group that are almost identical but obviously built as a different development.
The townhouses around 46th Street and 7th Avenue in Brooklyn (not to be confused with 46th St. and 7th Avenue near Times Square in Manhattan) are generally two story buildings with a residential basement floor. They were built as single family attached homes, although a century later you'll find many, perhaps most, made into two-family or three-family homes. The avenues tend to be commercial, but those avenues that are largely residential (like 6th Avenue) have larger townhouses. As you get closer to the East River, the houses become a little fancier, although once you cross 4th Avenue the stock turns mostly industrial (albeit with some unfancy townhouses mixed in). As you go north, towards Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, through Greenwood cemetery you head toward Park Slope, which contains plenty of very ritzy brownstones. It's important to note that in the era before World War I but even before World War II, people either walked to work or took public transportation. So if you lived in Sunset Park there's an excellent possibility you walked to work 5 or 10 blocks or so - westward to where the docks, factories, and the jobs were.
Today Sunset Park has seen some new construction, but it is uneven. The commercial stores all along the avenues are still pretty much fully occupied, with restaurants, food markets, and very few chain stores. My guess would be the most residents have a car, though I'd be surprised if residents had more than one per household. (As an aside, New York's the schedule of "alternate side of the street" parking rules for street cleaning has made generations of New Yorkers extremely knowledgeable about the major and minor religious holidays of many different religions.) But between ready access to parks, public pools, good shopping, and a phenomenal public transit system a car isn't particularly necessary.
By the way, go a little west within Sunset Park and you'll encounter one of New York's major Chinese enclaves (along with "Chinatown" in Lower Manhattan; Flushing, the largest Chinese neighborhood outside of Asia; Elmhurst, etc.).
N.B. Most of these pictures were taken on 46th street between 7th and 4th Avenue. I wasn't looking for the prettiest block, or the most historically important building. What I was looking for, and found, was blocks of middle class, well maintained, well used, much appreciated, and elegant, late Victorian housing that defines a neighborhood. As the Sunset Park Historic District Council describes it, "Sunset Park contains one of the earliest and most extensive concentrations of two-family masonry rowhouses in the city. Mostly built between 1885 and 1912, these stunning blocks are accented by commercial thoroughfares and institutional and religious buildings mostly completed by the early 1930s."
New York is actually filled with these kinds of neighborhoods that defy many people's expectation of New York life. If you come here on a tourist or business visit, you may find it very worthwhile to stray from the main path.
In other news:
We have recently seen a bunch of websites offering brand new tools at supposed sale discount prices that are actually artificially inflated prices that are then supposedly discounted. Nothing wrong with the discount but before you think youre saving money, check competitors and you will probably end up with some savings.







more box build.......
I went dead in the water again today awaiting parts. I ordered the ring insert holder and fingers crossed on it. I'm hoping that I'll be able to cut it down to fit the box. The only problem I see with that, other than the initial fit, are will the ring rolls lay out proportionally for my box? I remember seeing a you tube video on this being done but can't remember/find it now.
Turing the small box into a ring holder made me pause and think of its larger sibling. Can I purpose that for a jewelry related box of some kind. So far I haven't thought of anything. I have time because the ring thing ain't coming until sunday.
it survived |
I tried my best to pull the miters apart and failed. I didn't whack them with a mallet but I pulled on them with all my strength. They held, even the two that weren't glued together with epoxy.
new use |
Thanx to the LAP xmas gift list I made another purchase based on it. This time it was the #2 & #4 brushes. What sold me was Chris saying they last forever and can be run through the dishwasher. I don't have a dishwasher but I like 'they last for a long time'. I bought 10 each of both sizes.
#4 on the left, #2 on the right |
I haven't used either of these yet but I think I'll get more use out of the #2 brushes. That is subject to change once I start slathering glue with them.
drawer sides and backs times two |
I decided to go ahead and thickness the drawer stock now. Each board will give up 2 sides and a back. Both sides of this pine is rough with one side being rougher than the other. I'm making the less rough face the reference one.
hmm..... |
This is the right side of the lid (ring box). Yesterday there was a slight gap that showed the white of the lid under the veneer. I wasn't expecting this - the gap is gone. If I had thought this through I would have glued the veneer down first and than put in the side pieces. That way the sides would have been atop the veneer hiding any potential gaps between it and the sides.
problem |
I got small screws - these hinges can use a #3, but preferably a #4. The headache for me is the box walls are only 6mm. The shortest screw I have is 3/8". I made a road trip to ACE and I couldn't find any #3 or #4 wood screws 1/4" long.
I am thinking now about using super glue to attach the hinges to the box and drill pilot holes for a #3 screw. Take a #3 screw, clip it back to a 1/4", and epoxy the screws in the holes. I hope it will work because I do have some teeny hinges that I don't want to use. They are tissue paper thin and the screws are the teeniest I've ever seen.
back to the drawers |
I didn't want to install the hinges or apply any finish to the boxes. I will wait until I get the ring holder insert before I do that. It didn't take long at all to plane these to thickness.
breaking it down further |
I checked the boards for twist and both had some. Decided to saw the back off and keep the sides together to thickness.
chamfers first |
I planed a chamfer 360 and I use that to guide me with removing the waste. The bottom of the chamfer is just above the gauge line.
25 minutes |
It was lunch time and I had the backs and one set of sides done.
done |
The sides are pretty much flush and the backs are a few frog hairs off. There is no need to go nutso and get everything within +/- an atom of thickness. As long as I pay attention to my references and mark everything off each piece all will be well in Disneyland.
putting them aside |
Put the little box in the bigger one and set it on the sharpening bench. I thought I would get the feet glued on the big box but I nixed everything with it. I just thought of putting a tray in it and making it into a miniature earring and ring jewelry box. Haven't thought of way to stow earrings yet.
new toy |
I can't afford a domino mortiser(small or large) but this was within my means. It was supposed to come on thursday but showed up after lunch. I've been curious about the domino mortiser for a long time. I'm hoping that this will be an adequate substitute for it.
3 size bits |
It comes with a 6mm bit and I bought the 8 and 10mm ones.
17 years old |
This is toolbox from when I worked on blood chemistry analyzers. I could almost take apart the entire main machine with the 6 tools in the lid. I dug it out to use the imperial ball drivers. The Kreg tool came with L allen wrenches but ball drivers are quicker and easier to use to assemble it.
wicked sharp |
The bits have what is basically an end mill in the end of the bit holder. A drill is used to provide the rotation for the bit to plow out its mortise.
no guessing |
All of the bits have a depth marking on them that matches the tenon biscuits. Set the collar and whiz the drill away. Looks like it is almost foolproof.
done with assembly |
The assembly consisted of attaching the wooden table, the vacuum hose connector, and the handle. All this took about five minutes including the time it took to dig out my old tool box.
not much to it |
The notches in the table are for clamps - they hold down the stock and the table to whatever you put the jig on. The handle moves R/L and increments a 1/8" inward after each stroke. The stop collar on the bit is the depth stop.
center lines and depth measurements |
Not only is the jig good looking it is solid and exudes quality. Even the plywood table is top notch - it is a multi ply and should last for the long haul. There are a lot of You Tube vids on this (search for Kreg mini mortiser) and it is where I first became aware of it. I don't see myself using this often but it should be handy for the small, odd, or awkward mortise/tenon situations.
I would have road tested it today but I couldn't. I ordered this from ACME tools (on sale) and it is coming in 3 shipments. First one was the bits, 2nd was the mortiser, and the last one is the biscuits or tenons. I wonder if the domino biscuits are interchangeable with this?
remember this |
Flipped this up/down and 180 a couple of time and decided on this orientation. To me it seems that the grain is flowing from the left to the right.
getting closer |
I think I remember the way to fit drawers - it is in one of the Woodworker books by Hayward. I think the sequence is the bottom first, followed by the sides with the top being last. I'll dig through the books tonight and verify before I start fitting these two.
accidental woodworker
Project Phoenix: IV
Time to get the neck joint sorted out and think about what happened to the old one!
a ring box?........
I finished the slant lid box I was playing with yesterday. As I was looking at it I thought it would could be a ring box. It was nice to come up with a purpose for it. I searched on line for ring insert holders and I found a ton of them - fairly cheap too. What I couldn't find is one that is adaptable - i.e. could I cut it down to fit my box? I think I'll just buy one and found out for myself and solve the mystery.
sides done |
I used super glue for securing all the mahogany strips on the box. The super glue should hold up and stay at home as it won't be subjected to any stress.
top done |
IMO this was worth the extra calories to do. The side pieces aren't visible looking down on the top of the box. I thought of doing butt joints (it would have been much easier) but nixed it. I couldn't abide with the end grain showing - and which one do you pick to show?
not flush |
One headache with using super glue is you don't have a like of time and zero attempts to reposition. I tried my best to align the top inside edge with the inside of the sides pieces. I chiseled, sanded, and scraped them flush after I was done.
bottom |
I didn't do side pieces on the bottom. I didn't see the need because besides me or another woodworker, no one will pick it up and look at it.
hmm...... |
Used the walnut to cover the underside of the top and top of the bottom. I had plenty of mahogany but I decided to use the walnut for contrast.
loss track of time |
I looked at the clock and it was 1115 which was almost lunch time for me. I didn't think that I had spent this much time working on the box. I stayed in the shop long enough to finish the underside of the lids.
sigh |
Lost my internet connection to the shop computer. I still haven't run a hard line from the router upstairs to the computer. I spent over an hour trying to reestablish the WiFi. I had 3 WiFi antennas and none of them would connect. The WiFi router is only about 12-14 feet from the computer with just the floor between the two. After the billionth time I restarted the computer it connected and started working again. It didn't give any more grief for the rest of the PM session.
I would have just turned on the radio but that was not happening. My wife was doing a dead peoples conference call and I can't play the radio during them. Her office is directly over where the radio is. I'll have to pony it up and run the cat6 wire directly from the router to the shop computer. My wife ran a hard line from the router to her computer because the WiFi dropped/slowed down a couple of times on her.
done |
Got all the woodworking done on the box. I have some shellac left and I have some of the oil I bought to try out. I will flip a coin and pick which one to use.
good, better, and best |
This mahogany veneer is almost a dead on match for the mahogany banding. I had to fuss a bit with the right side before I got it to drop in and fit. I like that top isn't the bland white color anymore.
yellow glue |
Used this stick to rub the veneer to help it adhere to the lid. I got a good fit but the right side has a teeny gap. Haven't decided how I'll cover that one up yet. I'll sleep on it and figure it out tomorrow.
too big |
I have two of these veneer things (couldn't remember what they are called). I used yellow glue and these are for hot hide glue. They press the veneer down and cool the hide glue.
epoxy |
I opened up the two miters and covered them with epoxy. Before I did that I went Cro Magnon on the two closed miters. I couldn't break them and I really tried too. They will probably fail after these two set up.
I thought I would get the new drawer fronts fitted today but that didn't happen. The weather forecast calls for rain for a couple of days so I can't use the lunchbox planer. I need some 1/2" thick stock for the drawer sides and back. Instead I'll finish the work on this box and finish another box I started and stopped a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully there will be a break in the weather and I can plane some pine. If not I'll thickness the stock I need by hand.
accidental woodworker
Dec. 10. Another flat kaiju.

Dec. 10. Another flat kaiju.
Actually, when I opened the flap for Dec. 10, the compartment was empty, as well as the compartment for Dec. 11. I opened the box, and slid out the tray to see what was going on. Here’s what I found.

All the rest of the days were flat kaiju, and the strings indicate that they are to be used as ornaments. Because they were flat, they had migrated out of the compartments.
This is fun and all, but not what I expected based on the photos on the website that I ordered it from. I thought this was going to be a month’s worth of Godzilla miniature figures.
I’m asking for a refund. Boo.
Apple Butter, Episode 2
My recent post about apple butter making was an account of a “public” event at our friends Pat and Valerie’s place a month ago. A couple weeks ago we learned that there was going to be a second episode of apple butter making, this time pretty much restricted to a close circle of friends. We are, fortunately, part of that circle.
The appointed day for the apple butter rendering was a brutal cold, raw, windy and rainy day. In response Pat and Valerie set up the cauldron inside their boiling hearth, normally holding the sugar water boiling pan for making maple syrup. Being a creative guy, Pat removed the pan and rigged up his cauldron with a propane burner to cook the apple chips. Or maybe it was Valerie’s idea, I don’t rightly remember.
This made the entire event even more charming and cozy.
So there we were in this homey setting, stirring and adding apple chips to the bubbling cauldron until after several hours it was time to add the spices. Normally sugar would also be added but this batch of apples was so sweet naturally none was needed.
The spices were stirred in for another half hour.
At the proper time the canning began with a well-honed assembly line. Once again my task was to take away the full cases loaded with the still-hot apple butter.
Out came the fresh biscuits, made with loving excellence by Pat’s sister. The scrumptious biscuits were used to clean out the cauldron. Yummmmm.
Another day well spent.
Dec. 9. Wasn’t expecting a flat kaiju.

Dec. 9. Wasn’t expecting a flat kaiju.
glamour pics......
It was a nice day here with the temp topping out at 50F (10C). The past week the daytime temps were in the mid 30sF range. The temp today allowed a comfortable post lunch stroll. I have been adding to the stroll because what was taking me 70-75 minutes to walk is now down to less than 60. Today it took me 82 minutes. I'll be adding to this in another week or so.
I think the walking is paying off with the weight loss too. I loss 4.6 lbs this week when I thought I would gain or stay even (ate a lot of candy on friday). It doesn't sound right to me because I think the weigh in last sunday might have been off. The weigh loss/gain between the two was 8.2 lbs. I'm going to start to search for a different scale.
the before pic |
It has four coats of shellac and I'm not going to obsess about it needing more. I didn't shellac the interior - just the bottom edges of the top and the top edges of the bottom.
lid storage glamour pic |
Nothing gets in the way of anything else. And more importantly I don't have to move something else to get to what I want.
bottom storage glamour pic |
Ditto for the bottom. Nothing will throw me into a tizzy fit quicker than if I have to move something to get to something else.
front glamour pic |
The left front is a few frog hairs shy of the bottom front. I can flush it by pushing on the back of the lid. I'll have to take into account the hinge slop when I use them again.
last glamour pic |
I did think to match the patch for color and grain. As this is on the back and it won't readily be seen.
didn't make it |
One of the corners I glued yesterday broke along with a new corner. After I took the clamps off I tried to pry the corners apart. After 3 attempts they were holding but these two let go on the '...just one more.....'. Not sure what I'll do now with it. The bottom panel is glued in the bottom groove 360 and that is helping it stay together. The next attempt will involve epoxy.
I found another box (like this one) I think I made at the same time as this one. It was glued up with the same glue but it survived 4 attempts to break the miters. And I did my best Cro Magnon on it too.
practice time |
Decided to saw off the lid on this box at an angle rather than straights around 360. I started on this side, sawed the front, the opposite side, and finished on the back. My concerns were with the angled cuts on the front and the back. There were only square 90 saw cuts on the sides. The front/back angles would match the slant of the sides.
the back cut |
The saw kerf extended partially into the back from both side cuts. I used that kerf, resting the saw in it, as I sawed from one end to the other. The results weren't anywhere near the nightmare I had envisioned before sawing this.
wow |
Both parts of the box are clean. There aren't any divots or saw cuts that wandered off into La La Land. The two parts mated and sat well.
better fit |
I used the blockplane and ran it 360 on both edges just smoothing them. I didn't try to even them at all. I was happy with the fit of the lid to the bottom. It isn't a seamless joint but more than acceptable as is. This is coming from a gap monster killer.
got lucky |
I didn't check that I would have something to screw the hinges too before I sawed it. These are 90 degree stop hinges - perfect size for this small box.
improved it |
Spent about 10 minutes sanding the lid and the bottom on some 120 grit. The front and sides are seamless now, the back ain't but I'm leaving it as is.
finally did it |
I think I made this computer desk over a year ago and today I moved it from the sharpening bench to here. It was a little odd feeling looking straight across the workbench to view it. I am so used to looking to my left to see the screen. I'm sure I'll get used to the new viewing angle.
that is walnut |
I had a 1/4" thick piece of walnut that I bandsawed into strips so I could cover the edges of the box. One bad thing about walnut is that it lightens as it ages and it doesn't look like walnut now.
hmm...... |
Change of plan upcoming. The strips fit perfectly on the edges but I now want to put walnut here too.
not wide enough |
I can fit the top piece so that it would butt against the side one. They are wide enough for that but I don't like that look. Instead I want the top one to cover the side but I don't have any walnut strips wide enough for that.
starting over |
I have 4 of these pieces of mahogany left over from a table I got on Facebook Marketplace. I can get enough mahogany from this to do a dozen boxes.
off the bandsaw |
The smallest one could probably do this box. I use this banding a lot so none of this will go to waste. On the other side of the coin I have lots of extra for lots of brain farts.
side pieces |
I am going to do the bottom the same as I do the top. I won't have to miter the side pieces so I'll do them first. Killed the lights early and spent the PM session xmas shopping with my wife.
accidental woodworker
10 degrees warmer.......
The temp for my post lunch stroll was a lot better than yesterday. Than it was only 34F and the wind was blowing cold and right through me. I barely made it through the whole route. I wanted to cut it short so many times but I hung in there and finished it. One tidbit from it is I couldn't find a men's scarf at Wally World. I asked my wife for a non girlie girl looking one but she refused me. I'll have to search Amazon because that wind is a killer and the really cold months haven't even rolled around yet.
prepping for shellac |
Planed the box smooth with the #3. I have tried applying shellac directly after planing and sanding it 220-240 grit. I couldn't see any difference in laying down shellac between the two. I couldn't see or feel any difference between them weeks/months later. Today I applied the shellac after planing - no sanding.
even and square (ish) |
Problems I've noted in the past with planing is I end up with the corners out of square. Some worse than others and sometimes it can be seen just by looking at it. I planed today making sure that I went evenly R to L trying to get the same shaving on each run. It paid off and the front ended up close to dead flush (the bottom front was proud of the lid) and square (ish). A couple of the corners were rounded a wee bit in a few spots and out of square 2-3 frog hairs.
sigh |
There is too much slop in the hinges. The left side of the lid is short of the bottom. Saw this when I was doing the final check before applying shellac. I'll have to wait and see if the clasp pulls it forward and flush.
looks good |
No stupid wood tricks and I wasn't expecting any. This cherry so far has behaved nicely.
down to thickness |
This cherry is planing like a dream. I didn't have any squirrely grain to deal with and I was getting full width/length shavings. I had to pay attention because the gauge lines weren't even - the opposite kitty corners were hi/low from each other. I knocked them down first evening it as much as I could.
resting again |
I am going to let this relax until tomorrow. I'll cut out and fit the new drawer fronts then.
shop clean up |
I spent the rest of the shop time basically removing crappola from one horizontal storage surface to another one. In my defense I did toss into the shitcan a lot of said crappola. Snapped this pic after I almost done cleaning out these two spots.
dozuki saws |
I bought these saws a bazillion years ago because at that time I was trying to learn how to do hand dovetails. These were dovetail saws and I thought I had the inside track to doing them with these. I was wrong as my sawing skills sucked and I declared these defective to do dovetails. I ended up using them mostly as cutoff saws after that. I bought a 2nd one because I broke a lot teeth on the first one.
steel wool rub down |
After the first coat has dried I rub it down with 2-0 steel wool. After each subsequent coat of shellac I use 4-0. The goal was to get all 4 coats on today and I got #4 on before I killed the lights.
how long? |
Found a few more things I didn't remember were hidden here. I am betting that within a week this will be covered with a new layer of crappola.
another glue failure |
I glued this box with the white glue that went south on me. I have other things that I used this glue on but so far this is the only failure I've found in the shop. I glued it back together with yellow tite bond and I'll check it in the AM.
surprised myself |
I got these from Woodcraft and replacement saw blades were $39 the last time I checked - a new saw costs $49 - you do the math on that. Today I checked on them and they now cost $19 so I bought two. That led me to saw a half lap. The last sawing experience I can recall doing this same joint was horrible. I over cut the shoulder badly and out of square with the cheek being wavy and slanted. What a difference a few years makes.
I still over cut the shoulder on the far side (slightly vs deeply) but it was square this time. The cheek was square also and I sawed dead on the gauge lines. I now want to try and saw dovetails again with this saw. I can do that when they come in next week.
fragile teeth |
The first time I noticed missing teeth was when I sawed through dried glue. The saw didn't like that. Along with missing teeth, most of the pointy tips are missing and rounded on a majority of the ones left. The other saw was in better shape but I still shit canned it. I think what attracts me to this saw is the thinness of the kerf. It will be interesting to me to see how well I can use it now to do dovetails.
had to try it |
Found out what the small wrench is for. This is the first time I have seen two different sized collet wrenches. I used it do a round over on some scraps of pine. One thing I like about this trim router is the noise level. It isn't a screaming demon at all. It is loud but maybe less than a 1/3 of my 1 1/2 HP router.
No problems routing the round over. I didn't feel like I didn't have sufficient power from the battery. Which is another thing to like - no electric cord to get in the way. One other thing to like is the instant shut off. Hit the off switch and within a sec the bit instantly stops with a slight jerk of the router. I can get used that instead of it winding down like it does with my other routers.
accidental woodworker
Jasmin Cottage timber frame repair
Jasmin Cottage, Totnes. Early 19th century grade 2 listed with later extensions. Masonry ground floor and timber frame first floor. Investigation of cracks in external, portland, cement render below and around upper left window.
In a meeting with the lime renderer, it is discussed that it would be better to plan for removing an 8'/2.4m strip of cement render, around the window and down to the overhang above the downstairs window. This should facilitate examination and repair of the timber frame and subsequent re-rendering in lime. Obviously, it would be better to be re-rendering the whole elevation in lime, but there are financial constraints for the owners. Making some of this wall more breathable is taking this building in the right direction. A conversation with South Hams Conservation agrees this course of action.
It would seem sensible to go slowly with removing the render, as we really have no idea what lies beneath. A heat sensitive camera has been used but that has revealed nothing about the timber frame; there are no differences in surface temperature, across the wall.
The cracks.
Keyhole surgery.
It becomes clearer why the heat camera is showing us nothing. There is render, EML expanded metal lath (badly corroded), then tar paper/sarking then battens, then the frame with tightly packed fibreglass insulation in between. Gypsum plasterboard on the inside; perfect conditionsto rot the frame. That's a 3" screwdriver up to the hilt.
Oh dear, oh dear! Fortunate that Rivers Joinery are here.
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