# Our Man Graham....PW Writer Extraordinaire!



## jimi43 (27 Oct 2014)

I don't know if there's another thread about this...I did see a post or two but I thought I would bring it to the top so to speak.

Our man Graham...AKA G S Haydon...has finally made it to the big time with a spot on Practical Woodworking Magazine...







Hello, from an English Joiner!

I have long been thinking...often out loud...that our Graham should get his backside on TV with his most excellent videos...and now his wealth of knowledge and relaxed and enjoyable presentation skills have moved on to the quill...and a global quill at that.

=D> =D> 

So Graham...may I be the first on this thread to congratulate you on your fame and fortune and I trust we mere mortals will be popping by often to give the Brit some encouragement...

Guys?

Jimi


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## Newbie_Neil (27 Oct 2014)

Congratulations Graham, I thought that it only worked the other way, with all of the US authors being published over here.


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## AndyT (27 Oct 2014)

=D> =D> =D> =D> 
Congrats from me too!


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## DTR (27 Oct 2014)

Congrats! =D>


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## G S Haydon (27 Oct 2014)

Thanks Jim,

I must update that photo from FB, it's about 4 years old now. I have less hair and more of it grey! Not sure about the big time Jim :lol: it's just nice to have a chance to write for another location other than my blog. It's only a trial and it might disappear by the end of the year if it's not received well. But that's just fine by me, it's fun to give it a try. 
Thanks Neil DTR & Andy!

G


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## tobytools (27 Oct 2014)

Well done mate, 
Wishing you the best 

TT


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## Mr_P (27 Oct 2014)

Well done Graham,

I really enjoyed your review of the Quangsheng Luban No.92 Shoulder Plane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvD78bc ... N6dlbXU0mw


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## lanemaux (27 Oct 2014)

Way to go GS , this is going to be fun!! I sorta thought it would be Jimi who would beat me to the punch as well. Well spotted sir. As to being well received , I think you can count on us in the Hand Tool Ward to provide a start at a fan base amigo.  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:


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## Fromey (27 Oct 2014)

Popular Woodworking finally gets a touch of class. Congrats.


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## G S Haydon (27 Oct 2014)

Thanks chaps! I have my first proper posting up today http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodw ... tool-chest . I really do appreciate the feedback


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## lanemaux (27 Oct 2014)

Having just read the article above mentioned , I think you are off to a great start amigo. It helps to have a good subject to start with as well , nice chest .


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## jimi43 (27 Oct 2014)

Yup...that was a corker of a choice there Graham....excellent prose...great subject matter and leaves one thinking...questions of history...great stuff indeed!

If you find out more about your Mr Langmaid let me know and I will send it all to "my" Dr Langmaid.....I bet my hat they're related!

Jimi


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## Cheshirechappie (27 Oct 2014)

Excellent stuff Graham, and good luck with the regular posts - now I'll have to add PWW to my regular round of the blogs and websites, and not just an occasional visit.

I enjoyed the toolchest article - it does chime with the zeitgeist, chests being all the rage for tool storage an' all. The constructional details like the lapped dovetails and bead to the till bottoms was interesting - a bit of extra care and pride that says something about Mr Langmaid.


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## G S Haydon (27 Oct 2014)

Thanks for checking in chaps. They do indeed seem very popular CC. It's something than none of the previous three Haydon's had. Both My Great Grandfather and Grandfather had tool bags when they needed to be mobile and tools hung on the wall in the workshop. Typical example below. Perhaps handcarts and leather bags will be the next big thing :lol:






I did some generic internet searches but drew a blank on Mr Langmaid, it would be nice to find out a bit more.


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## jimi43 (27 Oct 2014)

G S Haydon":36vcs9sk said:


> Thanks for checking in chaps. They do indeed seem very popular CC. It's something than none of the previous three Haydon's had. Both My Great Grandfather and Grandfather had tool bags when they needed to be mobile and tools hung on the wall in the workshop. Typical example below. Perhaps handcarts and leather bags will be the next big thing :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> I did some generic internet searches but drew a blank on Mr Langmaid, it would be nice to find out a bit more.



What a superb picture mate! That is so wonderful!

Re Mr Langmaid...I'm sure that THE PROF could track him down...he's pretty amazing at that sort of stuff!

Jimi


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## Self Taught (28 Oct 2014)

Graham, 

Best of luck with the new gig, shall be looking forward to it. Jamey


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## J_SAMa (28 Oct 2014)

Congrats Graham!!
Wish I could have my hobby as a job when I'm that age

Sam


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## G S Haydon (28 Oct 2014)

Thanks Chaps. My hobby is the fun stuff in my spare time. I can assure you that during the day there are all the normal headaches #-o and happiness  you get in any walk of life.


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## CStanford (28 Oct 2014)

Congratulations.... well-written piece, Graham.


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## G S Haydon (28 Oct 2014)

Thank you Charles!


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## n0legs (28 Oct 2014)

Well done that man. Congratulations.


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## John15 (29 Oct 2014)

Well done Graham


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## iNewbie (29 Oct 2014)

Congratulations Graham - I hope the pages will be in Clifton Green.


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (31 Oct 2014)

Hi Graham

Good article!

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Peter Sefton (31 Oct 2014)

Great news Graham only just spotted this, I will try and read the article over the weekend.

Cheers Peter


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## G S Haydon (31 Oct 2014)

Derek, David & Peter thanks for the kind words .


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## Jacob (2 Nov 2014)

Nice one Graham. I like the tool chest article. For some reason I tend to find ordinary functional stuff (warts n all if there are any) more interesting than the posh stuff we are supposed to admire.
What happened to the bickering about thous? I was hoping to join in!


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## G S Haydon (2 Nov 2014)

Cheers Jacob,

I guess I'm kinda similar in that respect, I admire the skill and the design of the "posh" :lol: stuff but I'm not sure if I would want it surrounding me.


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## Peter Sefton (2 Nov 2014)

Graham I realy enjoyed the article, the tool chests were often apprentice pieces and a real source of pride for young craftsmen. You have done them justice!

I fully understand what you are saying Jacob but I do like to stretch my design and making skills, although below is an example of when this doesn't workout. 

I made Sarah an eight seater dining table as a wedding present. 
It was made from Sycamore with a veneered 32 piece bleached Birds eye maple segmented top. It was stunning even if I say so myself, but we sold it after a few years and I replaced it with a solid Pippy Oak table following the same overall design.
It's far more practical and really is part of the family. 

Cheers Peter


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## jimi43 (2 Nov 2014)

Can't transfer the link from FACEBOOK to UKW tonight for some reason but the article on handmade linseed paint that's just been published is fascinating...

Post a link for me mate?

Jimi


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## Peter Sefton (2 Nov 2014)

jimi43":lnr7xakh said:


> Can't transfer the link from FACEBOOK to UKW tonight for some reason but the article on handmade linseed paint that's just been published is fascinating...
> 
> Post a link for me mate?
> 
> Jimi




Is this it Jim?
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodw ... -oil-paint


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## jimi43 (2 Nov 2014)

Peter Sefton":2rsic0wq said:


> jimi43":2rsic0wq said:
> 
> 
> > Can't transfer the link from FACEBOOK to UKW tonight for some reason but the article on handmade linseed paint that's just been published is fascinating...
> ...



Spot on Peter.... as they say in the paint fraternity! :mrgreen: 

Cheers my friend!

Jim


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## G S Haydon (2 Nov 2014)

That table sound super Peter. I find it good to surprise folks with gifts. If I tell 'em I'm going to do something it can take years for it to be done!
Glad you like the linseed oil paint article Jim.


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## Jacob (2 Nov 2014)

Linseed oil paint is brilliant stuff for external joinery. I haven't used anything else since I discovered it (Holkham Hall paints). I wish I'd found it sooner and am embarrassed about the rubbish shortlived modern paints I used on all my earlier joinery work


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## Corneel (2 Nov 2014)

At the moment I am experimenting with milk paint, but that linseed stuff seems to be worth a try too!

Great writing, really like it.


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## G S Haydon (2 Nov 2014)

I'm a fan of the Holkam stuff Jacob. My main issues with it are client's being patient on drying times. People seem less patient these days.

Thanks Corneel, I think you'd like linseed oil paint. When I trawled through any older text (nicholson in the blog but there are others) you don't find anyone using casein paints. Linseed oil paint is perhaps the most authentic woodwork paint.


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## Corneel (3 Nov 2014)

Indeed milk paint seems to be a 19th century thing, originating in France during the French Revolution when oil was scarce. Have you read this document? http://www.historicnewengland.org/preservation/your-older-or-historic-home/articles/pdf153.pdf. It is very interesting, it also has some paint recipes. Funny to see that they added oil to the milkpaint, which now often is just milk, lime and pigment.

Another interesting bit of information is here: http://www.milkpaint.com/about_history.html. They state that they reintroduced milk paint in 1974 to make a paint that was ecologic and because it is a good reproduction of the faded and weathered look of antigue painted furniture, even if that furniture had been painted with oilpaint originally.

Another interesting paint recipe used before the 19th century was "glue paint". Pigments dissolved in hide glue. The quality of this paint was very low, it easilly rubbed of.

So, to put paints on a (rough) timelime. Milkpaint was know allready in antiquity. Then in the late middle ages oil paint replaced much of the milk paint uses. Probably for cheap stuff they also used glue paint at that time. Early 19th century, milkpaint has a comeback as a wood finish. Then with the invention of the paintcan in 1868, paint didn't need to be prepared on the job anymore, you could buy a tin of paint in the shop. This was always an oilpaint, with increasingly complex chemical structures. Then finally in the hippy age, milkpaint comes back again.

Always fun to delve around a bit in the history of things.


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## G S Haydon (3 Nov 2014)

Corneel,

Thanks for this and nice to hear you're finding out stuff about Milk Paint. I did a bit of lightweight digging on line when I painted my tool chest but had not found out how the French were pioneers on woodwork. I can see how a bit of oil would help milk paint work better. My biggest issue with the milk is how to do neat work, however that might be more to do with my approach rather than the medium.


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## jimi43 (3 Nov 2014)

I have to say here Graham..that since you have started writing for PW...the quality of the articles has been exceptional.

I think your contributions so far have been a landmark in their content towards the traditional and broken many borders.

I look forward to each one with huge interest...they have all so far kindled fires of research into things that are right up my street!

Cheers mate

Jimi


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## Cheshirechappie (3 Nov 2014)

Graham - I'm sure you've found this out already, but years ago I read about the paint specifications used for coachpainting in the big railway workshops. One of the ingredients they mentioned was 'terebene dryers' (or 'terebine' - I've seen both spellings). A bit of googling reveals that they could be added to speed the drying of linseed oil paints, especially during humid or cool weather. There is a slight downside in that they can reduce the service life of the finished paint film, but I suppose if it's a choice between getting it dry or getting it washed off by the rain, it's a no-brainer! 

They're still available - there's an example here with a bit of background information, including the quantities to add - http://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewp ... NE_DRIERS/

By the way, the railway specs stipulated several coats of varnish to finish. Up to ten coats on the 'best' coaches and locomotives, but the latter in particular were (still are!) a very harsh environment for paint finishes!


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## G S Haydon (3 Nov 2014)

Cheers Jim, I hope I can keep it going  

Excellent stuff CC. I was not aware of those details. As with Corneel's post the more links and info the better! Fortunately for me drying times can take as long as they want but outside.....


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## Jacob (3 Nov 2014)

G S Haydon":32egvl7l said:


> Cheers Jim, I hope I can keep it going
> 
> Excellent stuff CC. I was not aware of those details. As with Corneel's post the more links and info the better! Fortunately for me drying times can take as long as they want but outside.....


Drying times with Holkham Hall paints aren't too bad - you just have to plan your work around it. Also dries well in cold weather - it doesn't depend on evaporation but oxidises instead.


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## G S Haydon (3 Nov 2014)

"The ‘drying’ or one can say ‘hardening’, of linseed oil is actually passing through two processes; oxidation and polymerization"

http://www.academia.edu/6032726/The_Dry ... aint_Films

In my opinion it's worth waiting for Jacob, but waiting and appreciating aren't always at the forefront for many folks.


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## Corneel (4 Nov 2014)

White lead was used almost universally as a drying agent. Very toxic stuff. Something to be aware off when rubbing down old finishes.


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## Fromey (4 Nov 2014)

Thanks for that article Graham. Having studied organic chemistry at university and with a degree in biochemistry, it was a nice, if predictable, read. It makes me wonder if an alkyne fatty acid might make a more robust finish. But probably doesn't make the cost benefit equation.

How did you get hold of a copy of Shephard's book? Classic Handtools aren't going to stock it and it costs more for postage than the book itself. I couldn't justify the expense.


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## G S Haydon (5 Nov 2014)

Hi Fromey,

I bought he book direct from Stephen http://www.fullchisel.com/blog/?page_id ... ry=1576107 . It is a little expensive thanks to buying from the US but I enjoyed the read and bearing in mind many of my books are had for £3 to £4 pounds it levels itself out.


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## Jacob (5 Nov 2014)

Looks a goodun. "For instance did you know you can wash oil paint and oil resin varnish from your brush with soap and water?" well yes I did know that and it's one of the good reasons for using linseed oil paint - no solvents or cleaning materials needed beyond soap and warm water. Better still you can leave your brushes suspended in oil but covered to prevent oxidation. A year later they will still be good enough to use straight from the oil - and you could use the same oil itself as a primer. No wastage at all.


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## AndyT (6 Nov 2014)

jimi43":3ckmpdyp said:


> G S Haydon":3ckmpdyp said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for checking in chaps. They do indeed seem very popular CC. It's something than none of the previous three Haydon's had. Both My Great Grandfather and Grandfather had tool bags when they needed to be mobile and tools hung on the wall in the workshop. Typical example below. Perhaps handcarts and leather bags will be the next big thing :lol:
> ...



Jim has now helpfully reminded me of this little challenge, so I have had a go, and bearing in mind that this is all speculation, I have found a family who fit the story rather well.

Graham, I started by assuming that your antique viewing was done in Devon, and with Langmaid being a rare name, searched there. One person jumped out of the records.

*Henry Langmaid* was born in 1820 in Polruan, Cornwall. His father, William was a journeyman shipwright.

At the age of 20, he shows up in the 1841 census, living in Polruan, where he too is recorded as a *journeyman shipwright*. (His 15 year old younger brother William was an apprentice shipwright - there were plenty of ships round there.)

By 1851, the next census shows him living in 7 Nym Street, Stoke Damerel, Devon. Stoke Damerel became part of Devonport, which has since been absorbed into Plymouth. He is still working as a shipwright. He has married but his wife has died, leaving him with a daughter aged 15 and a son, Henry aged 2. His unmarried sister is living with the family as a housekeeper.

In 1852 he gets married again, to a Devonport girl, Rebecca, and the 1862 census shows them still in the same house, now with an extra daughter. Henry's occupation is recorded, even more clearly than before as "Shipwright, HM Dockyard".

If you read along the census records, most of the street seems to have worked at the Dockyard - the neighbours included joiners, shipwrights, a 'superannuated sawyer,' a ropemaker and some seamen. 

Henry died in 1878. His son, Henry, did not follow his father's and grandfather's trade - but he shows up in 1881, aged 32, living in Sheffield and working as a schoolmaster. By 1891 he was back in the south west, 'living on his own means' in Liskeard. He was still there in 1901, presumably with his father's chest safe and sound, waiting to show up over a century later!

So, if my wild guesswork is right, and this was Henry's chest, he is likely to have made it early in his career, maybe around 1840. I think it's lasted rather well :lol:


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## jimi43 (6 Nov 2014)

Andy...you truly ARE...THE PROF!!!

Wonderful stuff...I bet you enjoyed that once you found the link!?

Now all I need to do...armed with this ammunition...is to ask my friend Dr Paul Langmaid if he is related...and we have the six degrees of separation!

Superb Watson!!! The game is afoot....! 8) 

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> 

Jimi


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## G S Haydon (6 Nov 2014)

Bravo Andy, Jim warned me you were part of MI 6, NSA, KGB :lol: . I like the story a great deal. My only thought is that I think there is an "A" before the Langmaid so I'm thinking the owner had a name beginning with A? Having said that the A does also look like an H so perhaps you are spot on! Thanks for taking the time to look


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## AndyT (6 Nov 2014)

G S Haydon":16ewqyln said:


> Bravo Andy, Jim warned me you were part of MI 6, NSA, KGB :lol: . I like the story a great deal. My only thought is that I think there is an "A" before the Langmaid so I'm thinking the owner had a name beginning with A? Having said that the A does also look like an H so perhaps you are spot on! Thanks for taking the time to look



Hmm, well I took it to be an "H" but it could be an "A" couldn't it? That would possibly match with *Archibald *Langmaid, born in Liskeard in 1863, listed in the 1881 census as a "builder", but in the 1901 census as a "retired joiner" although aged only 38, living at 1 Albert Road, Devonport.

It's all speculation really, and all we can be sure of is that when the Devonport Dockyard was in its heyday, the streets of Plymouth must have been full of men who had their chests of tools and knew how to use them!


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## G S Haydon (6 Nov 2014)

Now I am worried Andy, it took literally moments for you to get that knowledge =D> ! I know where to come when I need detective work 8) . How on earth to do find it so fast?


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## AndyT (6 Nov 2014)

It's not that difficult really. We have a subscription to one of the online family history sites, and it doesn't take long to revisit a search for H Langmaid and change it to A Langmaid. ;-)


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## G S Haydon (6 Nov 2014)

You could of spun a good yarn there Andy . Perhaps you're throwing us of the scent of your true connections . I've only dug through the census records for Haydon but it was fun dipping my toe into the past.


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## jimi43 (15 Nov 2014)

Well...the plot thickens!!

I got a reply back from my friend, Dr Langmaid...and it's reproduced in full below....




> Hi Jimi,
> 
> This is very intersesting as my Great Grandfather and ? Great Great Grandfather came from Polruan to Cardiff in the later 19th centrury, called Richard, he ran a boat buildong and repair business, associated with the coal trade in Collingdon Road, Docks, Cardiff.
> 
> ...



So we shall see what information we get back from his brother-in-law!

Cheers

Jimi


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## G S Haydon (15 Nov 2014)

Wow Jim! You have been busy! Very interested to see how this turns out


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## terrymck (2 Dec 2014)

Needless to say I'm enjoying your post Graham.


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## G S Haydon (2 Dec 2014)

Cheers Terry


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