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I am in agreement with Jacob. An oilstone and strop is all you need. My dad was a joiner and showed me how to sharpen over 50 years ago and it still works for me. I have had a go at the modern ways and do own a couple of diamond stones and a wet grinder but have always gone back to the oilstone...

A thing to think about is stability as bandsaws can get tipped over so have the 4 feet or wheels a bit larger than the saws footprint. Plenty good advice above and as you see there are a few ways to do it. Regards John

Yes a decent sharp blade is what makes any saw work and a solid fence. Looking at the cut I see saw marks from both directions so that will complicate things. There are a whole lot of things that can affect the cut. A steady feed rate so no stop start and let the saw cut. Dont force it. The face...

This is a very hard one to answer as beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. I would also be happier with a tool that works beautifully than just looks good. Thats not to say I dont admire the look of some tools but the practical side takes first consideration. I also like the look of...

I still have one but its been a long time since it was used. Think I still have 2 of the three bits too. A sad casualty of the march of progress. I did think of those adapters at one stage but it cost more than I paid for the screwdriver. Regards John

Bit more. Working on the neck and had a small glitch. Had a pretty bit of wood for the fretboard but a few days after I planed it up it started to cup so am now using a bit of Mountain ash as its fully quarter sawn and should be more stable. I had already cut the fret slots so just as well I had...

Seeing as it felt hard with the thumbnail test then it's likely mahogany. Regards John

I have had my old makita plane for over 30 years. In the early days I did not have a jointer or thicknesser so it got a workout. It is more suited to stock removal than finishing so mostly you get down almost to the line then finish off with a hand plane. I saw a clip of some old boatbuilder who...

Pretty standard boatbuilding clamps and been around a long long time. Viking boats were built that way. Regards John

Nice. They make life so much easier. Dont know why I spent so long henched over a saw in the bench vice. I have never used one of the metal saw vices but I cant see them being any better than a good wooden one. Regards John

A nice practical looking bench. You should rightly be pleased with with it and the colour is fine too. No holding back on what you can build now. Regards John

The skin is a standard banjo head. Its on a metal rim. On modern banjos a tension rings sits on that and get pulled tight by hook tensioners on the outside of the pot. On this one the head gets pressed down over the cake tin/tone ring by the top bit of wood. Extra tension for final tuning will...

Cheap and cheerful but I find one of these useful in the shed. % LED Outdoor Lighting Camping Night Fishing Cap Baseball Cap Light Cap | eBay Regards John

Closest you will get is finding it in old tool catalogues. My best guess is 1940 to 1960tes. It's a very nice old chisel and in very good condition. I found a couple of catalogues on line so if you have the time you may spot it. Marples Tools : Catalogue No. 15 : 1965 Edition : William Marples...

I avoid Amazon. Last time I bought from them they only sold books. Something about funding a rich git's space adventures while he treats his workers like slaves tends to put me off making him richer. Regards John

Bit more work on the banjo. Compared to something like a guitar a banjo has more variables to contend with. As the head stretches and I assume it will stretch some more I am in guesswork teritory. I have assembled the body but the skin looks to be about at tension without engaging the grub screw...

They are doing the fans a great service by not serving up budweiser. Who picked up the brown envelope when bud got sole rights to serve beer at the event. Regards John

Ok See your point. That's the exception. Like a few of the others are saying bench chisels will be fine for the job. Regards John

I like these guys. Blues on home made instruments. Recycle song video by Recycled String Band - YouTube Regards John

Hi Latest project is a bit of an experiment so hope things work out. Aiming at a Mountain / Appalachian banjo style instrument. Just 4 string and around 20'' scale length. Regards John