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Couldn't agree more, Jim. It's just a matter of how much effort you want to put in, and that often comes down to whether you are a toolmaker or a furniture maker at heart. I am the latter and i suspect you are the former. Jim

The 60s were when it all really started to go wrong for Record and Stanley with the qualty going down the pan, so not an obviously good vintage, although it is probably fair to say it got even worse in the 70s. Jim

Me too. Jim

I suspect it is natural colour coming out of the wood. After all, natural pine of the sort used in old pine worktops is not the colour (almost white) of an old scrubbed pine table top. Jim

Absolutely, a nest of occasional tables in the arts and crafts style from the Edward Barnsley workshop. In design terms, I have since moved on from there, but I still love the tables. I also came very close to buying a piece from Petter Southall...

Ideally, I like to leave it to go rubbery and remove it at that stage which seems to avoid most problems, but that ideal is rarely achieved, so I end up with a cab scraper after it has set. Jim

As ever, it depends what sort of job you would be happy with. I would say that pretty much anyone who is reasonably handy can put down laminate flooring if you are happy to put quadrant round where it butts up to skirtings and architraves. Howver, to me that looks horrible and the alternative...

They have a wooden shooting board with a captive 51. Jim

It doesn't do it for me and it seems there were no suckers out there - at least not at $9.99! Jim

Interestingly, there is a 51/52 combination at Amberley Museum in West Sussex. I was talking to the guys there about it and their response was that the plane is fine but they dislike using the iron shooting board which is unkind to the workpiece and generally unsympathetic. They have a wooden...

Nice collection there, Pete. I have a rather motley collection of cast steel, but not as nice as yours. Isn't it about time we had some pics of Jimi's collection? Jim

I always use Morrells finishing spirit. It is alcohol with a small anount of shellac added. I've never had any problem with it. Jim

So can I, Derek, I've done it several times but it must be nearly a year since I last bought one. Here are is a selection. Everyday. Mainly Japanese. I love the fishtails I think these Suminagashi steel Nomi are stunning and a joy to use. Wide multi-flute Iyorois with boxwood...

The one for which I have themost affection is the prewar (?) Record No 5 that belonged to my father. Fettled and fitted with a Japanese laminated blade. Jim

A Swann Morton scalpel. Jim

That's a hard one, but my Japanese Suminagashi bench chisels are very special; stunning to look at and to use. If I had to choose one chisel that I reach for often and always enjoy using it would be an Iyoroi 18mm fishtail chisel with boxwood handle which, unusually for a Japanese bench chisel...

I haven't tried the latest Aquacote but unless it is a huge improvement on the old it will leave the wood looking pale but uninteresting - lacking both warmth and "life". Polyx is less than perfect in this respect because of its lack of clarity ( I wouldn't use it on fine furniture) but I think...

I would use Osmo Polyx oil in this situation. I have internal oak doors and it has been a success on those. Jim

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Taking out a section is unfortunately not an option because, as sods law dictates, the damage runs across the boards rather than along the line of them. This has also ensured that there are plenty of broken fibres so I don't think steaming will help. I...

I can't really blame the builder - he just happened to be around and offered to give the plumber a hand. The mistake (a rare one) was the plumber's but he is a personal friend of long standing, who is now is now in poor health and struggling to scratch a living on the much reduced hours he is...