The original holder was #1, the first replacement was #2 (still usable), and the replacement for #2 is #3. I think I'm done making holders although I had my doubts about #3. After I got flushed it wasn't until I got it ready to apply finish that I got a warm and fuzzy about it. I didn't get to the epoxy finish but it is in the on deck circle for tomorrow. not looking good boys and girls (#2)The toes of... Read more

Following some suggestions on the previous blog entry from Sylvain and Paul, I worked on the shape of the cutter.  But first, I changed the angle on the front end and played with some other things.I had the angle at just under 10° (Roy's book suggested about 10°)Filed it to somewhere closer to 25°Screw blank was still contacting the cutter midway on the lower bevelAfter moving the cutter back 1/8" (by cutting that amount off the back end), I actually... Read more

After much agonizing over the pile of compelling applications we received, we have whittled it down to the two final grant recipients. Our first recipient is Agnes Chang, who will be partnering with woodworking instructor Adan Jhan in documenting the last professional handplane makers in Taiwan. Traditional Taiwanese handplanes (which resemble Japanese tools but are pushed rather than pulled, at standing benches) are an amalgamation of Chinese, Japanese, and Western influences, and the modifications and adaptations made to these styles... Read more

In 1905, Bittner, Hunsicker & Co., a Pennsylvania clothing company, had a truly excellent logo as their letterhead. It’s a skep – an early beehive – with the slogan: “Never Despair: Nothing Without Labour.” (FYI, bees and skeps were early symbols used by tradespeople. It’s not a Masonic, Mormon or cult thing. It’s bees, people....... Read more

Compass, divider, and calliper are basically instruments that have two legs pivoted to each other at the top and are concerned with small-distance measurement or transfer. The compass and divider have straight legs; the calliper… More... Read more

I never really liked the idea of making anything with chip-board (particle-board), although having said that it does exist in my home in the guise of kitchen cabinet carcasses, and IKEA closets. I also have some vintage mid-century modern furniture where uses it as a base for veneer. I mean from a sustainability point of … Continue reading Why MDF is just horrible... Read more

A few days ago I finished this cherry bowl for a local fundraiser. It features a relatively narrow side panel below the edge of the rim that makes an ideal spot for some chip carving. I took a few shots … Continue reading →... Read more

 I have no idea why, but this year my Blog readership really exploded.  And with increased readership comes closer scrutiny and being taken to tasks.  I understand and am more than happy to gives credit where credit is due, but this is first and foremost my own personal blog.It is not a monetized or commercial for profit Blog, it is MY blog and it shall remains so.It used to take some times to reach about 300 views on some of my... Read more

All of them.... Read more

This ones going to be short as there’s not much to add with the exception for two crucial procedures to have a valid glue. As I’ve experimented with various teaspoons of canning salt and adding… More... Read more

Derek Taylor was a good source of information for Ken Hawley. Ken said that Derek trained as a saw maker at Slack Sellars after WW2, and learned all aspects of the saw trade there. He… More... Read more

When “The Stick Chair Book” finally evolved from a vague notion into an outline, I knew instantly what I wanted to put on the book’s cover: a carving of a stick chair made by artist, fellow chairmaker and friend Rudy Everts. Rudy made the carving last year, and it’s one of my most prized possessions....... Read more

... Read more

Albert Bock, who retired in 1966, was the last wooden bench plane maker at William Marples & Son Ltd in Sheffield. Filmed at William Marples’ Hibernia Works, Westfield Terrace, Sheffield the year before he retired.… More... Read more

Last week I worked on a how-to booklet written and unpublished from a decade and a half ago. Reworking the work took me back to those days when I began to use my first digital camera two decades back now. Digitals irreversibly changed the dimension of photography, but in the beginning, a camera now costing … A New week of flexing begins Read More » Read the full post A New week of flexing begins on Paul Sellers' Blog.... Read more