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I have one and it's pretty good for initial stage of lapping etc. but personally I wouldn't grind bevels with it (except maybe on small carving tools or something) - would take for ever surely? Any kind of grinder (corded or hand cranked) would be better.

Agree with Cheshirechappie that being aware of rushing is key. And when you find that rushing mindset coming on, don't just try and slow down. Stop. Have a cup of tea and reflect how nice it is to have a fully working set of limbs and digits. Also remember that every machine, even the most...

NFU +1

Makes sense....

According to Wikipedea.... Personally I think that the thing about salt/fresh water is a bit of a red herring. Its not like if you were building a plywood boat for freshwater you would make the hull out WBP! If I was using ply on any exterior part of boat I would definitely grit my teeth...

As far as I know (someone correct me?) both marine and wbp are glued with urea formaldehyde. The difference lies in the quality/durability of timber and quality control in laying up the laminates. Marine ply should have no voids at all in it, as water can wick through to them and rot can...

I would have thought all things been equal it would be better in salt water as salt water is wood's friend — the salt is quite a good preservative which is why timbers on seagoing boats tend to last a lot longer before rotting than freshwater ones.... It's the topsides of boats (where rain is...

I do it by eye, I put some flakes in a jar then fill with meths till the total height in jar is four times the height of the flakes. No idea what cut that makes technically! For finishing spirit I just dilute with more meths until its a very pale yellow. Not very scientific I'm afraid! RE...

Its a few years since I lived in Yorkshire, and a little bit of a drive from you, but John Boddy (web address above) was quite good at this sort of thing. They used to have a big warehouse with bins of sawn timber in various sizes - really wide selection of exotics and native. If you're only...

Yes, it's quite speedy! I was taught that way and was a bit suspicious at first because it seemed so straightforward and quick compared to other approaches I'd read about. I've never detected any problem with it though, so I'm happy with it. It feels like a bit of magic every time I do it...

My comment about real french polish was more about the process than the product. It was based on the premise that the most beautiful shellac finishes work on the principle that shellac will take a very high gloss even when applied in an incredibly thin layer, and that it is the (potential)...

Mike, it very much depends on the piece. I suppose the easy answer if you want it to look as authentic as possible is to use the finishes that would have been used on that type of piece, ie 1) French Polish (the only way to get the full depth of a real French polish finish is to do real...

Hi Mike, I mix the soda and van **** together; be aware when doing test pieces that it can take overnight before the soda has had the full darkening effect it's going to. This mixture can make a very nice colour if you get most of the darkening from the soda and add just a little Van ****...

Because he specifically said he was looking for an aged look and didn't want a varnish or lacquer.

I would use danish oil (at least three coats) with wax on top once the oil has had a couple of days to go off properly. It should last better than wax over sanding sealer... Trick with getting a good finish with Danish oil is to immediately wipe it off very throughly as soon as you apply it...

2mm final thickness would probably be about right. I would cut a test piece at 2mm on the bandsaw just to see how it beds. At that thickness it should go round the radius you need fairly easily.

Had a look at the cello and I think that laminating would be the way to go - more controllable, stronger, and more in fitting with the contemporary look of the instrument....

I bought a tin of Treatex recently to try out assuming it would be the same as Osmo (it was a bit cheaper), and didn't like it. It is much thicker and stickier than Osmo — almost varnish like — and didn't seem to soak into the timber as well as Osmo. Also it has much more 'solventy' smell and...

What are you making?

Oil and wax would look good. If you go this route, no need for sanding sealer. By the way, don't know if you know this trick but adding some washing soda to the van **** mix makes a lovely and more natural colour. It's a chemical reaction with the tanin in the oak. I tend to get most of...