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Not at all. I was merely pointing out that there is what I consider to be a better solution. I wasn't asking why you use vandyke crystals in preference to anything else, but why you think it necessary to use any sort of stain. I also use them on the very rare occasions when I do stain; at my...

You may struggle to find an insurer who will do what you want as part of your normal household policy, as I did. They tend not to like lots of valuables srored in what they regard as an outbuilding. I had to settle for cover of much less than the true value, even though my workshop was a...

Not a finish I would use, for several reasons. First, why the Vandyke crystals? I prefer to let the wood speak for itself rather than colouring it to represent something it is not. If you are doing a repair to an antique, OK but otherwise, I can't see the point. Second, a coat of wax will...

If anyone needed a clincher for the view that it is a matter of personal taste and that there is no substitute for getting a feel for the tool in your hand, this is it. I have pretty average hands but am happy with the length of the DX/NX but prefer the extra width of the Stanley over the LN...

For me, the small LN is too small, but it depends on your taste and the size of your hands. I had the LN 60 1/2 but never quite took to it, can't really put my finger on the reason. I now have the Veritas NX60 which, as Alf says is the blingy version of the DX60 and love it. It has the...

Thanks, Mark, I've sent you a PM. Jim

If I may, I would like to muscle in on this thread with a slightly different question. I am an experienced furniture maker but have done only a very small amount of turning and don't have a lathe of my own. I am now booked onto a wind instrument making course at West Dean in the summer, to...

I can just imagine the reception that suggestion would get in my household! Jim

I'm in West Sussex and use either W L West at Selham near Petworth or English Woodlands at Cocking near Midhurst. A bit of a trek for you, but doable. Others may be able to suggest somewhere closer. Wests are a bit more expensive and probably have a greater range tham EW. Wests expect you to...

Forget poplar and find a supplier geared to the furniture business. Sycamore is as pale as it gets and also nice to work with, but you do need a reputable supplier who has kilned it properly or it may have grey streaks. If you give some clue as to the area you live, people will be glad to...

As i said in an earlier post, this is clearly a low wear piece and shellac requires no maintenance. Plastic Coating is fine in its place -high wear applications, but why mess about with something like that in a job like this which cries out for a minimalist aqpproach? Jim

I'm with those who favour a minimal approach to finishing it. Given what you are are going to do with it, you have no need for a finish which is wear resistant. I think I would try to leave the bark and voids looking as natural as possible i.e. no finish, as shiny bark looks particularly naff...

Sounds like it has been over-hardened to me which has made it brittle. Jim

Sounds good, Mike, but I would go with the thickest Celotex I could accommodate. You will never regret extra insulation, but you may well curse skimping it. Jim

Celotex or similar for inside too. Jim

Hi Tornup, I completely agree with Benchwayze. I would add that you should also insulate between the floor joists. The highest insulation valur fro any given thickness is given by Celotex (or one of the other rigid expanded celulose boards). It's a bit more expensive than fibreglass but...

I think I would be in some difficulty trying to smuggle that lot into the workshop. Jim

Yes, I did. I think I'll stick :D to normal UF. Jim

Just Googled Aerolite and see that it is available from Axminster. They quote setting time as 25 minutes to 3 hours depending on temp. but nothing about open time. Jim

Don't know about Aerolite, but one way to speed up curing with Cascamite is to add heat, when it can be very fast I believe . Never tried it myself - a bit tricky to arrange on a big glue up. Jim