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Cheap task lighting can be had with an IKEA angle poise. It’s less ideal than a well thought out and installed ‘proper’ lighting setup but it does the job and acts as a good backlight for checking gaps.

I've only ever used countersunk screws (no washers) since running out of the 'proper' ones that came in my Kreg kit about 10 years ago. Never split anything yet? Not having thread all the way to the head does help pull it tight but you can always clamp the parts first to hold them in place.

I get the impression (from who the judges are) that this could be more about the design and the fluffy spiel that can be spouted, than it will be about the actual work, the wood or the skills. As soon as anyone mentions 'design culture' or the like I think of that pile of breeze blocks at the...

You could grind the 3/16" cutter down a touch to get a perfect fit then label it for future use? EDIT: Beat me to it!!

The wiki entry for the 'King of Wood' says exactly what kind of rubbish this will be... 'In an aim to make design culture more public and less elitist...'

I popped along to their open evening in the summer - it looked good but I lost the paperwork and life (kids) got in the way!! I may well come back in one night.

I've dropped in and out over the past 10-15 years - always surprised at the old names that are still here, and those that are missing. I also keep seeing reference to 'the other place' and wondering what I missed in my time away!!

As he says, glue them up first as aligned as you can but without overly stressing it. When the bench is done mark across with a straight edge and cut it off in one go. Chances are you’ll never get them laminated perfectly lined up anyway

Local meetups would be a great idea but I'm not sure my 'back half of the garage' workshop could accommodate many!

I'm in Blyth these days - think our new member might be as well?

Nice to see another member from up this way - not many of us in Northumberland/NE.

I’ve got a pair of these - no complaints

This should be saved somewhere - most advice on carving woods is US-centric and it's good to get a view on which UK woods are good to use.

I've just started learning to carve myself using a Chris Pye book and the free videos from Chris and Mary May also. I perhaps went a bit against the advice and bought a set (Ashley Iles York Set). After watching a few videos and reading books, I had a list of tools that I wanted to have to hand...

Bandsaw and thicknesser would be my suggestion. Flattening a face or edge by hand isnt hard - getting the other side perfectly parallel is! As for the bandsaw, long rip cuts are unpleasant at best and I'll not mention resawing by hand!!

That's another misrepresented/understood 'fact'. The human body digests sweetcorn just fine but has no way to break down the outer cellulose cells - so if you swallow it whole it may well reappear at the other end, but as long as you chew your food, the body digests it just fine and gains...

I recently returned a Kirschen gouge - didn't like the handle and they felt/looked quite bulky and less refined. It cut well enough but I knew I would end up replacing it. All of my carving gouges are Ashley Iles which I much prefer, plus their after sales service is very good (had a handle...

Part 7 - Almost Done With a working, albeit very narrow, bench I shifted my attention to the vice. The QR has always been temperamental - the half nut climbing the threads when trying to open the jaws - so I took the chance to strip and clean it. No pictures but it’s well documented on this...

I don’t appear to have a surplus of much other than paste wax! I do have half a tin (maybe 200-250ml) of Colron Finishing Oil which I’ve had for about 10 years. I can stop by Axminster in the morning and pick something up if I decide what.

What finish do people recommend for a workbench top made from pine? I considered giving Osmo PolyX a go but it’s not cheap. Could go with BLO or Finishing Oil? I’m not a fan of the orangey look if I can avoid.