Saturday in the Woodshop – How Was Yours?

ByPaul Sellers

 

DSC_0010 The day passed all too quickly as we busied ourselves in the work of the day. I suppose going to a car boot sale can’t be considered work, but then again, neither can making a craftsman-style lamp. I picked up many bits (pun intended) on my way past the booths and car boots. A screwdriver and a steel tube for making ferrules from. A tiny file and a couple of handles. Oh, and a steel and brass plumb bob and line. DSC_0046 As I wandered and chatted with the booth holders I saw a some items I thought might be useful. This very ugly low angle bevel-up plane for instance came in at £1 and the four Ridgeway Jennings pattern brace bits £1 a piece. Believe me when I tell you these bits are just pristine and sharp. It took me about half an hour to make the new wedge in ebony and john spent two hours working the steel into flatness and squareness for me and also fettling the Ward iron. Funny how this week I was working on Bevel-up and bevel-down planes and I come across a a bevel-up, low-angle plane at a car boot sale. by the time we were finished the plane was working like no other. two taps and the wedge locks and the iron is set. DSC_0099 DSC_0089 The shavings just peeled off the wood like an onion peel. I picked up an old Ward firmer 1 1/4” chisel because I needed a ferrule for a new secondhand Marples I bought on ebay this week. It was the exact size I needed to replace a broken one. Then I put a new secondhand chisel handle on the Ward and I ended up with two good chisels.

DSC_0027 The new oak lamp is coming nicely now and soon it will be the series on making via masterclasses.com online broadcast. I’m enjoying making the lamp and you can see how it will come together. DSC_0061 DSC_0063 At least you can see the base. I love stained glass as most of us do, but I especially loved this colour here. It so complements the oak grain and I will be fuming this with ammonia when completed so it will have that deep brown we get through the chemical reaction between the tannic acid in the oak and the ammonia fumes from sudsy household ammonia used in general cleaning products.

I have always liked working with materials other than wood too. Metals and glass, leather wherever I can and of course paints and finishes. There’s still much to do on the lamp as it has a hipped roof type top I have yet to frame in oak and attach, but I would like to introduce some metal work at some point in the future. 

Copper looks lovely with oak, as does wrought iron and brass. The cottage I live in isn’t that old, about 150 years. But the walls are 18” thick stone and the interior has beamed ceilings so whatever i make will go. That’s if we don’t sell it. We are just about to enter our busy season at Penrhyn castle

My Saturday went well. I hope that yours did too.

 

9 Comments

  1. I also had a Sunday outting enjoying several Yard sales. One find I must brag about. I purchase for only $5 an old bench quick set vise. It has a jaw depth of 16″ and a screw of 1″, with a working dog stop!

  2. My Saturday: I discovered the frog on the No. 5 Bailey pattern plane I inherited from my father was broken in two. I found an identical “parts only” rusty plane at a local junk mall. Bought it, put the “new” rusty frog in a washing soda solution with 12 volt dc for a few hours and then cleaned it up. Frog is an exact match for the old plane. Now i have my repaired plane, and a spare blade, body and knob – All for $5.45 and a trip to town. ( The tote was broken in two, but may be repairable).

  3. A good day tool fishing. I just got back from picking up some saws I bought from CraigsList. A couple of Disstons and a Dwyer, All in great condition and even fairly sharp. $30 for the lot. While I was there, the woman showed me some other tools she wanted to sell and I walked away with a Union No. 26 wooden jack plane for $20 and a Stanley No. 78 rabbet plane for $15. The handle is broken on the 78, but still might be able to make it usable. The jack plane is in great condition. Happy day for me!

    The lamp looks great. Looking forward to seeing that project in the class.

  5. Hello Paul,
    That lamp is going to be lovely. I like how you used the same pattern on the bottom stringer that you used on the coffee table. I’m looking forward to seeing how the project progresses!
    As for me, I’m starting my tool chest build; oak with the top panels and drawer fronts of ambrosia maple. Have a wonderful week!

  6. I had a wonderful day too. Sawing, planing and gluing walnut and pine pieces with my 5 year-old son as we build a fire truck together.

    Then later in the day when I was alone, veneering shelves with bubinga in my vacuum press.

    Absolutely exhausted by the end but fulfilled! A good day all round!

  7. i also spent the best part of sunday morning at a couple of boot sales i got myself an old saw for £1 its a bit rusty and has a small kink in but as a practise saw it is worth it i can clean and sharpen and sand without fear of mistakes (which i’m sure there will be a couple ) i also came across a guy selling 1″x1″ and 2″x1″ x 6 foot strips of hardwood for £1 a length but unfortunatly i couldnt find him when i was going back to my car thats the trouble with these big fairs in farmers fields one row looks like the next i’ll have to go back next week now . (thats my excuse and i’m sticking to it)

  8. I spent the day in the shop fixing the boo boos on my tool box. Very nice lantern Paul. I’ve made a couple of lamps for my sister and I never thought about stained glass…I can see the next one in my mind already….

  9. I spent Saturday finishing up a commissioned project then ended up building a saw vise. Now to put it to good use.

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