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Haven't seen Paul for a number of years now and I assume he's still keeping well. I did notice the other day that he's started to post on Instagram, so I guess he's fine, but I've really lost contact with him, which is a shame - Rob

Jacob, I should have mentioned that Paul Chapman, who used to post regularly here, had a triple laminated mdf top on his bench, but he glued/screwed them all together...no bounce! I used his bench a couple of times a few years ago and it was a rock solid as solid thing :D - Rob

I had a ProEdge and was always worried about the horrendous amount of grinding dust and metal debris generated by a belt sander, all of which is potentially going to get trapped in the 'tubes'. The recently introduced Ax version apparently uses a fire proof (!) hose to extract the grinder...

Agreed. A 35mm top is adequate and ought to allow you to most stuff; what it won't do is to add weight to the overall design and that's one of the most important features of any self-respecting bench. Schwarz mentions in the ATC that once a bench gets to around 130Kgs it's not going anywhere...

Some Tormek stuff for sale, prices include p&p 1. TT 50 Diamond Truing Device Used on my T7 bought a few years ago; plenty of life left in the diamond £38 inc p&p SOLD 2. SG 250 Supergrind wheel The original wheel that came with the T7, now with a diameter of 245mm. £80 inc £15 p&p...

Three Japanese saws from the 'shop which are being upgraded. Prices include p&p. 1. Gyokucho 372 Professional Rip This saw has been used for cutting dovetails over the last few years. The blade has seen some wear, but there's still plenty of life in it; also supplied with new replacement...

The age of the tree is unknown and is only really a guestimate but the dieback is happening very close; our guide estimated that the fungi in the ground was only 60 or 70 metres from the tree; hence there are now elevated walkways and all visitor footwear had to be thoroughly cleaned with some...

Tane Mahuta is one of the oldest surviving trees at around 2000yo but not oldest in the forest, who goes under the Maori name of Te Matua Ngahere or 'Father of the Forest' They reach the crown or canopy and then simply start to get fatter by around a mm (or less) a year! The threat to them...

The logs are pretty wet when they come out of the swamp, but I don't know exactly how wet compared to green timber. You're right though, commercial felling stopped around 1930 when they realised that there was virtually none of original forest left. Landowners can, if fact cut down a standing...

Very nice! My store of wood blanks is decidedly measly compared to your stash, but then I only take to the 'dark side' once in a while, usually when SWIMBO 'asks' me to spin up a bowl for someone...after all, how many bowls do you actually need in a house? I suppose I've got no more than a dozen...

I also heard pretty decent things about the Makita, though I've never used used one. SWIMBO bought me one of the early C2 Lamello machines and although I don't use it much these days, it does on occasion see the light of day in the 'shop. Even so, it's worthwhile having it around and I wouldn't...

I was in NZ before Christmas and the turner I met there had FOUR shipping containers full (this is just one)... ...of fiddleback blanks of ancient or swamp (as the Kiwi's say) Kauri - Rob

Agreed, loads of different ways of doing this sort of thing. For coarse abrasives, I'd suggest wet n'dry paper(s) starting off with say 100g which could be stuck down with spray mount adhesive to a piece of 6mm glass. Using a simple honing guide would enable you to maintain and replicate a...

I tend to be the same, but maybe not quite so extreme. Jeans come from M&S at about £35 a pair, but then they get hammered in the workshop and only last twelve or eighteen months. Shoes aren't bespoke but I have a couple of pairs of heavy duty, leather soled Trickers country brogues which are so...

Thanks chaps, appreciated - Rob

I'm thinking of purchasing a coarse diamond wheel to replace the existing Supergrind wheel on my T7 Tormek. Whilst the 360g coarse wheel will be fine for regrinding plane and chisel bevels, will it be suitable for putting a working edge on turning gouges, even when they're honed inside and out...

I've been giving it a bit of thought and will definitely get hold of coarse wheel, but agreed, at around £220 it doesn't come cheap. On the other hand, it does overcome all the inherent disadvantages of the Supergrind wheel as supplied with the machine. One question that bothers me is the...

Sadly, Pete Newton died in 2013; he was a very good pal and helped me out with a lot of stuff at the time. He had a very impressive career in the MoD, rising to become 'top dog' at Boscombe Down, just off the A303 at Amesbury. Paul Chapman and I attended his funeral; very sadly missed - Rob

Simples works :lol: - Rob

I was always taught to make the half pin at the top and bottom of a box/drawer half the thickness of the timber plus a smidge; so if say it was a box with 10mm thick sides the 'half-pin' would be 6 or even 7mm, but you're correct Jacob, there is no rule set in stone - Rob