And One More For Luck....

Hi Folks
So I had to make another shave. I don't have a problem - I can stop at any time........honest!! ;)

This one was a dinky model, made from Pau Rosa with a 50mm wide iron and smaller handles. Just to see how it would feel. I also used slightly thicker stock (30mm over 25mm) which helps to add a little extra weight. I like a tool to have a good amount of heft - the oak shave, while I love the colour and feel, is much lighter than the other two. And the latest smaller shave is heavier than the Ovangkol one - go figure!

Been playing around with different brass knob designs, too. Looks a little more refined than my workmanlike earlier efforts. See - I do get better as time goes by ;)

Cheers
Philly

Shave MKII

HI Folks
Been in the workshop again and couldn't resist making another spokeshave. This time I used an off-cut of Ovangkol, a tough African exotic. Smells like farmyard when machining it but is very dense and takes a deep polish.
Used a brass wear strip this time - the Ebony doesn't look like it will be the most durable choice. And instead of using screws set under the blade to adjust the depth of cut like the first shave I tapped the body and used grub screws so I could adjust the depth of cut from the top. You'll notice the brass knobs are somewhat more refined on the MKII model - thanks to Wayne A for the tips and inspiration.In use, the shaves are a real pleasure - the toe is bevelled back a small amount (2 degrees or so) to allow the tool to cut on a flat surface. I was particularly impressed with their performance on end grain - the photo above shows a bevel I made on some mahogany. The bevel is about 10mm wide and is perfectly cut - a real "from the tool" sheen!
Next I want to make some smaller versions. Watch this space!
Cheers
Philly

Saw Point?

HI Folks
Yes, me again!
Went to a car boot sale today - saw a huge amount of rubbish with one gem hidden within. A Disston 70 dovetail saw. Had been cleaned up rather more than I would of liked (scrubbed and sanded to an inch of its life.....) but I was happy to pay the list price.
Got it home and had a closer look - the teeth were somewhat "random". Zero set, and looked like it needed a good jointing. So I took a test cut....
Wow! Cut real nicely. Really :)
I have a few premium dovetail saws so I can tell you it cut as well (if not better) than my L-N's. I was staggered!
So I'm revising my concept of what makes a good sharpening job - maybe identical, level teeth aren't the answer?


Oh...what's that? How much??

A pound ;)

Cheers
Philly

P.s. Apologies about the corny blog titles lately. Must be the humidity...... ;)

A Close Shave?

Hi Folks
Spent some time making a spokeshave, today. A tool I've been meaning to make for ages. Have a look.....
Not bad, eh? English Oak with an Ebony wear strip. Made the iron and brass knobs, too. Surprising how different a wooden shave feels to a metal one. Not just the weight, the balance, and the low angle cutter makes a big difference. Works real sweetly - so I'm fired up to make some more.
Cheers
Philly

Hot Stuff

First up - West Dean Hand Tool Show. It was a great weekend - thanks to everyone who dropped by to make shavings and have a chat. It was a pleasure to meet so many of you in person! A fantastic event, many thanks to Mike Hancock for arranging and running such a successful weekend. I can tell next years event will be even better - don't miss it!!!
Meeting Garrett Hack and Brian Boggs was a real high point for me and it was great to chat with Dened Puchalski from Lie-Nielsen - a knowledgeable guy with the best job in the world ;)
I have some photo's of the event here...

Back to reality, I've been beavering away in the workshop. And man, is it hot! Having a fan blowing away makes life a lot easier in this heat - treat yourself if you don't have one :) I also came across some African Blackwood - very excited over this find! A full 3 inch thick plank, it is amazingly weighty. I've broken it down into manageable pieces and set it aside for later. See the picks for a taster.

It was a pleasant surprise to see one of my planes being used in an article in Good Woodworking magazine this month. And I was mentioned in the letters page - kinda made my day. Thanks Mike!

Just finished making a Travisher for a local chairmaker. I was supplied with an iron that was made by a local blacksmith - sadly it was not up to snuff and fell apart. So I made a "Philly replacement" complete with brass locking wheels and it works real sweet. Might have to make a few more of these - a nice change to planemaking!

Stay out of that sun,
Philly