Search results

I don't know the rights or wrongs, but it seems a pity that a great source of local timber might be forced to close. It's ironic that Grown in Britain Week starts tomorrow. Let's hope, one way or another, Mike's business is able to continue. We have too few mills processing local trees, and...

The chairmaker, Alison Ospina, has entered a European eco-competition, and needs the votes of woodworkers. She produces greenwood chairs from local wood, often just sticks and branches. Woodworkers have already taken her from 80th place to 50th. Let's see how much higher we can take her. Please...

I agree. Never understood it. Just gets in the way of many other uses of the 'open' end of the bench in small workshops. I can't be alone in only having good access to the right-hand end of the bench. Last thing I want is some silly handle and mechanism getting in the way. I've tried numerous...

I have a BS350, and haven't experienced that (running the same sort of blades). I'd call Record Power, who have good technical support. Likely to be wheels or guides I would have thought. Nick

We tested one not long ago. Excellent, though I seem to recall it has a tendency to tip off the edge of the table if your saw isn't large enough.

Or effective dust extraction for chopsaws/mitresaws! Horrible things.

Great technique. I share Richard's frustration with end vices, and have made my own version of his wagon vice. However, I don't understand why both Richard's version and the Veritas Inset Vice you can just see in the clip don't have removable handles. That's what I've done with mine, and it...

I hadn't considered blade changing, and extra use from a wide blade. Love the idea of three workshops. I am planning a Workshop Special later in the year, and perhaps we could do something for that. Any volunteers? Nick

Very interesting. You see, I'm thinking of buying a small planer for squaring stuff up, and keeping my Delta thicknesser and building them into some clever sort of station. Most squaring operations are less than 6in wide, as you suggest, and the most time-consuming thicknessing operations are...

I have had one 18v LXT die (from six) and one 36v Makita battery die. The rest have been fine, and I think the system is fantastic. I have a 18v circular saw, 36v chainsaw (which takes two 18v batteries on an adapter) and 36v strimmer/pruner/hedgetrimmer. They are all amazing, though I like the...

How interesting. I've done exactly the same thing. I am writing a book for Haynes about making your own furniture, so am setting up a standard single garage workshop as an experiment in what one does and does not need. I'm not going to use a tablesaw, except for one project, I think, when I'll...

636. I lent my old Elektra Beckum to a friend on permanent loan because I hated the changeover, then a friend offered me the Kity on permanent loan because he wasn't using it. Now I think I know why!

Love the criteria. Speed and economy are most important for me. I am in the workshop quite often, but not really pushing the machines, and space is an issue too. Really important I don't have to mess around with changeover, perhaps because I was brought up as a lad in a furniture factory so got...

Any thoughts anyone on the planer/thicknesser with easiest changeover from planing to thicknessing? Is there one out there that doesn't need the table moving to thickness, or can be customised to do so? I'm fed up of the Kity I have that takes so much time to change from one operation to the...

Did anyone watch The Apprentice last night? I was thinking about doing a flat-pack innovation challenge in the mag. Cheers Nick

Isn't it amazing how much one can sense from the photo of a piece of wood. I'd say it's exotic and probably iroko, but ask me how to clarify that and I'd be stumped. You can feel it to be so!!! Nick

Thanks from here too. I learnt a very neat trick from Richard Arnold, and will be trying it out soon, using a hollow bevel on chisel and plane irons so that you don't need a honing guide on a waterstone. Thanks to everyone, particularly Dodge and Chris. I hope Andy King got to see the Cup...

Good work. I have an Alaskan mill, which fantastic for the price for milling this sort of log, bit you need a big chainsaw. Nick

It is a fabulous species, creamy, stable and easy to use. But I think it is now on The Cites list, and not commercially. available. It was used inappropriately like many other exotics, and we're the worse off for its exploitation. If only we could resist the temptation to use up the world's more...

This is ever so sad. I met Tim a few times, and visited his workshop. Woodwork is such an important therapy for many people, but being a carer with small children must also be so difficult. Best wishes to all concerned. If only there was more the rest of us could do to help. Nick