Buying good tools at old prices There are many ways you can buy hand tools and related equipment, new or secondhand, and end up with really good results that will equal the best at a fraction of the cost. My blogs have alluded to this over the past year or two, and here are the…
The engineer’s combination square Today I begin with talking about my square. I have more than one for practical reasons, but the one I reach for the most is a standard engineer’s combination square. As the name implies, this tools was designed for the high demands of the engineer.You will likely add more types and…
I think all too often we want a one-size-fits-all tool we can suit to every task without compromise. I confess that’s how I see certain tools, for the main part anyway. Every so often I discover a new tool, use it for a while, even fall in love with it for reasons known and unknown,…
With reference to buying via eBay. One thing that comes with age is the ability to look retrospectively at changes in culture. Someone walking along the street tapping their palm and staring into it didn’t happen anywhere in the world two decades and less ago. I think you might find everyone stopped and staring at…
On plough planes briefly. Someone mentioned out-of-parallel fences on plough planes. This can be a problem and happens often on old plough planes that were new decades ago but left unused and therefore unchanged but old. I actually haven’t had that happen with the 043 or the 044 but I have had it happen with…
I just fettled a couple of the newly bought eBay plough planes and wanted to show the steps and progress I made to and on them. The main body of this plane was generally excellent and so too all of the components, but the cutting iron bevels were indeed a sad and sorry bunch with…
Marking gauges of different types There are many different types of marking gauges used by woodworkers all of which comprise a stock and and a stem or beam and some kind of pointed marker or cutting blade. The stock and beam of most 99% of gauges are made from wood, whereas with more modern types…
The simplest marking gauge is obviously the single pin gauge and of course it doesn’t take much to adapt this to mark out mortises, just a little imagination. I have bought these gauges for 20 pence here in the UK on a regular basis. On the internet new and packaged marking gauges seem to sell…
Marking gauges – getting to the point As with the single pin marking gauge, the twin pin mortise gauge still proves the most practical gauge for me and one I would buy first over any other bar none. Mortise gauges come in different shapes but size varies only minimally. Asia has its own models that…
Hand planes are the source of great debate these days. I can’t imagine such a silly thing really. The internet has connected many debaters with little good fruit, but some, a little, maybe. I have been giving some serious thought to many things I have said or say or do or don’t do with planes….