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When cutting mortices I will, when I can, clamp a piece of wood outside of, but on, the side line. This serves two purposes. It's quicker and more precise to just butt the chisel up to the wood and if it's an inch or two high it helps keep the chisel vertical. Hope this makes sense.

Try slow run. Even better. Edit: sloe rum is better still! Blinking non-predictive text.

Incredible, that's the only way I can describe this. 50+ hours? I'm not surprised. Well done. Martin

I still have exactly the same model bought to drill into concrete lintels in my first house so 48 years old. Think I've had my moneys worth. Still used occasionally. Yes my hammer action broke too. Mended myself care of Cambridge Instruments model shop circa 1976. So

No wonder it's a FAT Llama 😀

Wow! Seven years in the skip. That survived well. 😂😂😂

Evening all! Wots your name then? Dixon of Dock Green? 😂😂😂😂 Anyway welcome. Have fun and remember that you really only learn from your mistakes, just like wot I have done. Martin

@NickDReed Looks good though I don't quite understand how it works. Does the top rail pull out to disclose some devious welly holders? Martin

The first call trick to see if the piece of kit you had just designed needed masses of rfi suppression was to put a radio by it, particularly an AM radio. If turning the device on blotted out the radio then it was generating a lot of rfi. Similarly try making a mobile phone call, then...

Is there a similar trick for router planes like a '71'? FleeceBay prices are shockingly fantastic. (Sorry to divert thread)

Well found. Can you give a link please 'cos 546 691 doesn't show a file! :dunno:

I see it is rated to 3120 Watts that is 14A at 220VAC. Yep I'm up for a couple. Thanks. Martin

I agree with most of the other's comments especially it's a great first effort. I encourage you to keep going. It'll get better and easier. I always make my pins and tails a bit longer than needed (only half to one mm) so I can trim them back flush with the sides. Makes it much neater. One...

A hand router is brilliant for the tenon but the mortice? And fleabay??? I bought a serviceable #71 several years ago for about £40 (in OK but not good condition) but have you seen the prices these days? Ow! You'll be lucky to get any change from £100 and more likely be paying £120 for a good...

I upcycling a pair of bench ends three or four years ago using kiln dried oak for the new woodwork. I carefully and slowly varnished them with yatch varnish: it looked great. But now the varnish has cracked and the oak is going grey around each split so it doesn't look so good anymore. I guess...

I had my Abrafile so long ago that I can't really remember why I bought it but as I was mildly into getting the best out of my cars & motorbikes I'd guess I used it to clean & smooth the inside of the induction & exhaust ports within the head casting. I didn't have an electric drill back then...

@Chris Dancer I guess this is what you are after and you are correct: it is an Abrafile. I've not used this for many a year but useful occasionally. I still don't know where to get one though or even if they are still manufactured. All the best . Martin

An abrafile to my mind is a straight round blade held in a hacksaw frame with an abrasive coating as you describe. I don't know what the yellow handled jobby is called though I may have one. If I still have one I'll see if it has a brand name on it and post again later. Martin Edited...

Three suggestions: make the jaw longer back towards the clamp handle so it cannot tip as much; make the jaw Tee shaped in cross section so it fits snugly in the slot under the bench top and angle the jaw face from left to right (as in your pictures) as the face descends so the contact point...

Slightly off topic though with strong connotations. Using screws which are self drilling causes some users grief because they don't clamp the two parts being joined up tight. The screw cuts it's own thread into both parts so they cannot be pulled together. So either clamp tightly before...