The Maine Man.....

Work on the new smoother infill is coming along well. With the sole sweated on and filed back and a little extra work on the sides it looks very promising. I started milling the frog and insides of the casting but the chuck was binding on the sides. So a longer mill bit is needed to sucessfully finish that. They are amazingly cheap compared to router cutters!
The final table mat has been veneered so am awaiting a warm day to spray the lacquer.
Had a nice little package waiting for me when I got home - some skew chisels from the 'Lil Old Tool Shop in Maine ;) Overkill??? Maybe, but they sure are nice......
I have also had a brainwave for a new project idea. I love it when the brain juices start flowing, very exciting! Expect more details as the design comes together.........
Have a good week,
Philly

Planely Mad

Applied a finish to the wood samples from yesterday - what do you think? I was most impressed with the walnut sapwood board. It looks great! I know how I'll be disguising sap in future.......Didn't like it on cherry but the mahogany looked nice, kinda mature. And the walnut board looked deep and chocolatey. Guess I'll be keeping this dye on the shelf for future use.
Started another plane today. Yes, I couldn't resist it ;) It is a Norris style coffin smoother. I cleaned up the casting on the belt sander (a surprisingly effective method) and milled some other parts. And sweated on a steel sole before coming in from the workshop. There isn't too much metalwork to do with this one due to the shapely casting so hopefully I should have this one finished by Christmas.........
Cheers
Phil

To Dye For....

Hi Folks
Friday at last! The weekend has arrived and it's workshop time!
The table mats I've been making are coming along well. I have veneered four of them (two more to go) and have edge banded the last two. It is taking a surprising amount of time for a relatively simple project. I wanted to add a solid lip of walnut around the edges instead of veneer as it will be stronger. This means gluing on lipping in pairs. And again on the other edges when the first pair are dry. Now multiply that by six and you can see how this is taking some time. Especially as I'm doing only one or two an evening.......
The new vise works great - I'm really pleased with it and wish I'd done it sooner. Oh well ;)
Tonights fun has been making up some dye from Van Dyke crystals. I've never tried them before and to be honest I'm not a big fan of stains and dyes. Van Dyke crystals are made by soaking the husks of walnuts. The dark brown dye thats seeps out is dried and sold in crystal form. To use you dissolve in hot water and apply. This appeals to me as it is a natural product. I also love walnut and would be interested to see what effect it has on the sap wood (especially as most of the Black Walnut I buy has a unhealthy amout of sap - Grrrrr!)
So I made up a jam-jar full tonight and applied it to some samples of timber. Walnut, cherry, mahogany and a board of walnut that is almost total sap wood. Tomorrow I'll apply a finish and show you the results.
I picked up the Feb 2007 issue of "The Woodworker" magazine today. Thankfully my picture has not appeared on the front cover (as threatened) but it does show my tool chest. There is a nice covering it's construction and also another Philly article on making a replacement handle for a saw. Thanks to Mike W for inspiration on that one!
So if you happen to be in a newsagent - beware!
Cheers
Philly
P.s. Before anyone says anything, Yes, I do need a haircut ;)

Vices and Vises....

Hi Folks
Made an upgrade to my workbench last night. It was time for a new vice - the old one has been getting more and more cranky as time goes by. The final stroke was glancing through Axminsters web-site one night (my one vise!) £30 for a 9 inch quick release vice! Needless to say an order was placed and, as usual, it appeared on my doorstep the next day.
The old one unbolted pretty easily but I need to recess the face of the new vice into the front rail of the bench. Bring out the router..........
With that task complete, a little cleanup chopping with the Jap chisels and fine tuning with a block plane it was time to bolt the new one in place. I cut down the front jaw of the old vice and screwed that into place and Voila!
In use the new vice hold small and large pieces very tightly - I feel spoilt! And the quick release mechanism is a dream (reminds me of the bench in my woodwork classes in school). An excellent upgrade to my bench and worth the effort. Just need to clean all the Iroko dust from all over the 'Shop now.........
Oh, and I ordered some Veritas bench pups for use with the pop-up dog on the new vice. That should give me even more "holding ability".
Cheers
Philly

Busy Bee

Hi Folks
The carpentry job went well in Wales, two satisfied customers. Which is good, as they are my Mum and Dad!
The weekend saw me working with that horrible (but cheap) material, MDF. We needed some custom shelves for my daughters room and, hey, you get in that workshop and make some. Yes, the Wife actually wanted me to go into the workshop ;) I used a can of spraypaint to finish them which left the workshop with a slightly pink tinge (don't ask) but they turned out well and there goes another satisfied customer.
Thought I'd better give the workshop another good clean-up and it didn't take long. That's the advantage of not letting it descend into total chaos, I guess ;) I had a spare 15 minutes so decided to search for something quiet (and not MDF related) to do. Ended making some drawer dividers for one of the toolchest drawers.
Took an offcut of cherry, planed it smooth (using my new/old woodie jointer-what a great plane!!), cleaned up one end on the shooting board (which is now permanently mounted on the end of the long bench with the #9 ready to go), marked off the width with a knife, sawed to length, cleaned up on the shooting board and chamfered with a block plane. Simple hand skills, peaceful work and a delightful push fit. Made a couple more dividers, added some cork sheet into the drawer bottom to stop things rattling around-job done!
It was a real pleasure to spend a few minutes doing this. Near silence, the swoosh of the plane. No need to think about which tool to use or how to use it. Just doing something that felt natural. It is the little things sometime that mean so much.
You'll never get me to part with my power thicknesser, though ;)
Cheers
Philly

A New Year

Hi Folks
Hope you all had a great holiday ? Raring to go??
Decided enough was enough-yup, the dreaded "Workshop Clean-up" time had arrived. After an hour and a half the place looked a LOT better-and felt more, what's the word, professional? No, wrong word. Positive-that's it. A place where I can get things done. So off I go.......
The Thumb Plane is finished. You've seen some pics and there are more here...
I'm pretty pleased with the plane-it looks good and works well. I learned a lot of stuff whilst making it and feel confident about making another. Maybe ;)
The bathroom is finally complete (mostly!) The final touches are the Missus department so I reckon that's me done. It sure is nice to put jobs behind you.
Here's a picture of something I'm working on. A coat of oil has just been applied-any ideas what it is?
I also aim to finish the shop stool. That was my first project when I set up my new workshop and (shamefully) I've not completed it. The steambending episode was too much for me and it got shelved.
Managed to pop by Pennyfarthing Tools in Salisbury yesterday. A great little shop, there's always something there to excite. Came away with three woodies.....jointer, jack rebate and another beading moulder to fill out the ranks. (And yes, I know I should be making moulding planes......) £18 for the three......couldn't leave them there for that;)
Off to Wales tomorrow to do some carpentry-see you Friday,
Philly

Last Blog Of The Year

So as another year draws to a close I just wanted to say a big "Thank You" to all my readers for popping by and reading my rantings. 2006 has been a great year-moving house, my daughter starting school, the "Big Bash" and numerous highs and lows.
I feel I could be a lot more productive and there has been a certain amount of frustration on my part-my day job has changed to a more physical, hands-on role which has left me physically and metally tired at the end of the day. But I have achieved a lot and when I sit back and consider my roles as Father, Husband, Woodworker, Band Member, Businessman, etc. it is a wonder I got anything done at all ;)
So-here's to 2007! Enjoy a glass of your favorite tipple on me!
And watch out-I aim to be "Mr. Organised" for 2007........
Best regards
Philly

Merry Christmas To You All!

Hi Folks,
Yup, it's Christmas Eve and the Big Day is just hours away. My little girl is very excited (going to a long time getting her off to sleep tonight!) the wine is flowing and bad Christmas music is playing on the radio. So a Merry Christmas to all my fellow woodies, and thank you for popping by.
Best regards
Philly

Woodworking Competition

Hi Folks
Meant to mention this one earlier (not keeping it myself so I have a better chance of winning, honest!) Lumberjocks are holding a woodworking competition. If you've not taken a look at the Lumberjocks site yet do have a look, its a great place to share your projects!
All you have to do to enter the contest is to post one of your projects-simple! And there is no judge, as such-the winner is chosen by the most votes it receives from fellow members. There are prizes too!! Take a look here for details.
Good luck,
Phily

Brrr......

Brrrrrrrrr! All of a sudden the Great British Winter is here! Overnight the temperature has dropped below zero(ish) and it really FEELS like Winter. Why is it such a shock? It is the end of December, isn't it? ;)
Ventured out into the workshop. Checked thermometer, double checked thermometer and then checked the heater to find out why it was so flipping cold. Unplugged...........that explains a lot!!! So not a lot got done in the workshop. And I truly must replace the garage door ASAP-all the heat goes straight out through it. A project for after Xmas, though.
Some new tools have arrived (thank you Axminster sale!!!) A chop saw is not something I realy have much ise for but it will come in very handy at work. And it can live in the workshop when it isn't needed. Induction motor and a brake make for a very pleasant experience. Managed to sneak in some L-N card scrapers, too. Mine are a bit on the rusty side and they were conveniently priced.......;)
Meant to glue up some picture frames I made for a friend. Glue bottle says not below 10 degrees you won't. Maybe tomorrow-or I'll bring them into the house.
I've done a little updating of my website, hopefully it is getting better?
So a weekend of Xmas panic awaits before the big day. Enjoy,
Philly

Xmas is coming.....

Managed to spend a little more quality time in the shop. Had to steal it, though! Xmas is a stressful time and the Wife is not the calmest of people ;) The thought of me in the workshop "playing" is disturbing to the Missus when there are pressies to be wrapped (and a million other things) . Luckily I have a mission-the "gift" project!
So I have been busy dovetailing a small box. And what fun it has been. Pretty much straightforward-a shock, I can tell you. It has been a while since I cut some dovetail but they came out well. Accurate layout and preperation is the key (and a little bit of luck). I also used a block of wood as a guide when chopping the baselines, a new one for me. I have seen this in Krenov's books and thought it a bit silly. But no, it certainly prevents the chisel pushing back through the line.
Another mate popped by for me to make some picture frames. Me and my big mouth ;) But two frames later, a happy mate! Somewhere in between I managed to stain the panels for the bathroom cabinet doors (remember that?) and a bit of sharpening. A nice pile of sharp planes and chisels. Definitely worth 15 minutes of your time.
Merry Christmas,
Philly

Fun, fun, fun...

Watch out! Another Philly blog! Just when you thought it was safe to switch on your computer...;)
Had a productive little afternoon yesterday. Veneered up a couple of panels to complete the doors of the bathroom cabinet. The end is in sight (Thank goodness!) I do enjoy using my Airpress-such an amazingly simple and effective tool.
Also had a go at making a scratchawl. Came out well, and I had a couple of visitors at just the right time. Tony and Bill (Bean) had popped in after raiding Yandles woodmill of all their quality timbers. Bill was kind enough to demonstate his grinding method and made a cracking job on finishing off the tip of the awl. Cheers Bill! As a reward I let him rip down a board of Bubinga on the bandsaw-and boy, that was some tough timber!
Tony (as usual) went straight for the #9. Caught drooling on the shooting board again........It was interesting to compare notes on my prototype skew shooting plane. The grip thing just doesn't work and most people revert to the usual grip position. Back to the drawing board on that one, then ;)
Sadly the hours dissapeared and I had to kick them out of the workshop (the trip to Leicester is not a small one!) Thanks for coming by, Gents, let's do it again!
Cheers
Philly

Sweat Over

Apologies for the delay-my camera socket has snapped off so I have been unable to download pics. And you want pictures, eh?
The sole sweating went well-doesn't look too pretty in the picture but a tight clean joint was made. I've filed off the excess material and it looks pukka. I'll be making some serious progress on this one over the next few days so hold tight for more pics.
Rob (Woodbloke) from the UK Workshop forum popped by Sunday afternoon. We had a lot of fun nattering and drinking tea. Thankfully he is as mad about woodworking (and handplanes!!) as me as we spent the hours trying out various tools. Thanks for bringing your Infill down, it was interesting to give it a whirl. I know have a few ideas for my future infill project ;)
I also have an other couple of mates popping by this afternoon as they pass by following a visit to Yandles. Looking forward to that!
Cheers
Phil

Sweating....

First up, please welcome back to the world of woodworking..........ME!

Managed to get a wee bit done today. The bathroom is nearly done, just two doors to finish. And I've run out of 6mm MDF to make the veneered panels so that can wait til tomorrow.

So I've been doing some work on the thumb plane.

Texts read like this. "Sweat the steel sole onto the casting." Easy then? Just sweat it on?

So what the heck does that mean??

Cue me, a spare hour, some solder and a Mapp gun.

After a few tries I have succesfully soldered the steel sole onto the bronze casting. It wasn't particular difficult it was just getting the right approach. Tin both pieces then heat and apply solder. Then put the sole onto the body and apply heat. Solder starts to melt, great. Except you really need to apply pressure to ensure a minimal film of solder. Oh, and to make sure the sole stays where it should be.

So a little filing remains to clean up the sole and then we can move onto nicer stuff.

Tomorrow on eof the UK Workshop members is popping by the workshop for the first time. Wish him well :)

Cheers
Philly

Friday Feeling

Nooo..Another week has gone by without blogging. Bumped into a Mate in B+Q yesterday and he said "you given up blogging? I keep checking and you haven't updated it".
So another embarressed apology. I have been busy and there have been some interesting developments this week.
First up, the bathroom. No it's not finished-but I'm darn close! This weekend will see it complete. And about time.....
Next, I had a visit from a certain woodwork magazine in the week. Expect my ugly mug on the cover if the January issue. And a certain tool chest, too ;)
I've given the workshop a major cleaning session and it look real good in there. Surprising how a tidy up seems to double the size of the place. I'm about to take some photo's of the 'shop so expect a little "Shop Tour" soon.
And thank goodness it's Friday!!!
Cheers
Phil

Update.......

Hi Folks
Apologies for the absence-I'll save the lame excuses for another day ;)
So, first things first. I've solved my long running FTP problem with my website. Now updated and with (at last!!) the step-by-step pics for the tool chest. Remember that?? Pop on over to Philsville
for a look.
The bathroom saga is almost over. It has taken a month of my time, a major project. But it is looking good, so worth it. The cabinet is the final item and I am applying a finish as we speak. Kinda ;)
What else, you ask?
Metal. Yup, I have been influenced by the Dark Side and have invested in a metalwork lathe. And very interesting that has been too! So a fair bit of my spare time (and that hasn't been much!) has been spent learning my about my new toy.
Now I know what you are going to say-"He'll be making planes next". Yes, ahh, yes. Well the thumb plane is sat there looking at me with "that" look. I will be getting on with it real soon. Honest!
And I kid you not, I even started work on the "vintage" project, the "Shop Stool" yesterday! Do you remember the stool? It was my first project in my new workshop. And I got stumped over the steam bending, laminating hoop thing. Well, I'm going to finish it. If it kills me!!!!
As we move ever closer to the Xmas holidays and the end of another year I need to get myself back on track. Ready for a new year of making some cool projects.
And maybe buying the odd tool ;)
Be good
Philly

A Little Bit....

Got a couple of hours 'shop time last night. The Missus has decided that the bathroom cabinet is two inches too wide (even though I mocked up the cabinet from ply and she was very pleased with the dimensions before........) so as I haven't actually glued the cabinet together yet I thought it a good time to chop certain components down a bit. With that sorted I then went to do some ripping on the bandsaw.....
Now the power lead on my bandsaw is pretty short, about five foot long. One of my "to-do" items had been to replace it with a suitably longer cable. Also the saw has an electric brake on the motor to bring the blade to a standstill quickly. I've been meaning to adjust the "brake-time" to a slightly quicker one since I've had the thing so last night was "The Time"!!!
Quite an eye-opener stripping down expensive machinery. I was rather scared of messing up but the more I dissembled the more I enjoyed it. The saw now has huge amounts of suitable cable allowing me to move it to the other side of the shop if so desired. And the brake now stops the machine a couple of seconds earlier (althoug it still makes that annoying noise!!!)
You certainly can't beat doing some 'Shop Maintenance. You feel so much better after ,although I didn't get much actual work done;)
Cheers
Philly

And More Work....

Hi Folks
Another week goes by.....
The bathroom is coming along well, the only tasks remaining are the flooring and the toilet/basin to install. Then the various finishing off bits....... I also managed to install an outside tap and power point so I can wash the cars down with the pressure cleaner without running a hose and power from right around the back of the house.
Woodwork has been slowish :( I have made a little progress on the bathroom cabinet (and yes that curly maple looks fantastic!) but the thumb plane has been sat there. I will make progress this week, honest! I did manage to veneer up some panels for the bathroom cabinet, though. I do like using the vacuum bag-simple and it works!
Other news-I have purchased a small metal lathe. Axminster supplied one of theirs and it is a beauty. Quite surprised by how easy it is to use, pics once I've actually made something ;)
Have a good week,
Philly

Work, Work, Work.

I've been a bit of a busy boy these last weeks, sadly not on the woodworking side of things:(
But I've still managed to do a little. First, the plane. Finished milling the bed and opened the mouth slightly. A little file work to sort out the curved surfaces and it looks good. Next job is to sweat on a steel sole.
The bathroom re-build is coming along. The walls have been plastered and painted and tiles purchased ready to be fitted. That looks like tomorrows job.......
I've also started making a cabinet for the bathroom. We have bought a "sit-on" handwash basin and the Boss has seen a design she likes in a magazine. Enter Philly, stage left. Maple is the timber of choice (I just happen to have a large pile of it in the 'shop) so last weekend saw the rumble of the thicknesser as I machined the roughsawn baords into something a little flatter. Found some beautiful curly/quilted boards amongst them so have to choose carefully where I use them.
Axminster Tools are holding a tool demo day this weekend but sadly I have been denied access by SWMBO. "Worried I might buy something" was the reason given ;)
Be good
Philly

Castings

Hi Folks
Had a parcel arrive recently with some goodies. They are gunmetal plane castings. I bought a thumb plane, mitre plane and coffin smoother (Norris style). So you can tell what I've been doing.......
I've started work on the thumb plane to get me "into" it. The mill machine has seen some serious work and things are coming along well.
I'll post more pics as the plane progresses.

Cheers, Phil