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I got fed up trying to get the giant pencil sharpener to work - I will have a go at the more traditional bevel-down design in the pics Andy shared at some point, but for now this project is on hold as I need to use the spare scaffold board for my new bench! Read all about it here...

oh no! Another workbench build thread! I am having a go at what has become known as an 'English' style bench - I'm not sure why this term became popular, possibly it is down to Chris Schwartz in his (rather good) Workbench book where he identifies three broad traditions in bench design: French...

me too, but I suspect that this will be true for many Brits, just because Records are so plentiful. I realize this may be just unconscious bias on my part, but I am convinced there are more vintage Record bench planes available in the UK than Stanley. Does anyone know who sold the most?

thanks all - I got my first effort to work after a fashion (putting a camber on one side of the blade helped - thanks Andy), but I managed to muck it up while making 'fine adjustments' so it no longer cuts. There does seem to be an optimum point where the iron meets the the top of the taper...

I finished the mark II reamer over the weekend - it took a while, but the majority of the time was taken trying to find my el-cheapo Irwin japanese saw with which to cut the slot for the blade. I turned the shed upside down trying to find it, only to discover it on the very shelf that I...

this is a very important point Corneel - my Uncle Dick showed me a top tip, which is to make a toasted cheese and onion sandwich on the BBQ a couple of hours after the main heat has dissipated. It is the best cheese and onion sandwich you will ever eat, guaranteed! PS if you are worried about...

Not entirely relevant, but I am reading Samuel Pepys' diaries (online at http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1660/01/) and as you know he went on to become an important administrator in the British navy. I'd always thought the 'broad arrow' was a stamp to identify naval equipment, and this post...

... cont. the blade is pretty hard and I could not get the burr to curl over with my 'burnisher' (a pin punch), so in the end I just filed and honed the edges at 45 degrees. It did work, but I think the dusty shavings that resulted indicate I have a bit of work to do on the sharpening side...

thanks all xy I did finish shaping the reamer holding it by hand, but it did not occur to me to use the vice to create an end stop (doh!). In the end it was straightforward to mark the slot, per Pete there was enough left at the square end to mark the midpoint after which I clamped the square...

following the spectacular success of my first saw bench build (see projects section) I am making another one! This time I will be needing a tapered reamer and tenon cutter, which I will endeavor to make. I have some questions about how to make the tools, so please chip in with info and enjoy...

... very wise - in addition, the amount of equipment you can run at any one time will be constrained by the size of the electrical connection to your workshop and the length of the cable run between it and the point the mains supply enters your house. It is straightforward to calculate the...

don't be put off! it is not difficult, and if you are patient you will be able to get an old plane for so little money that in the (unlikely) event you made it worse, you will not be too gutted. having said that, I think it is a good idea to follow your plan and get a decent one first, as that...

sorry, I should have read the OPs post more carefully - The small festool vacs are not intended to handle the dust and chips coming from a table saw, so ignore my post!

what do you count as 'affordable'? Oneida dust deputy II and Festool CT 26 is a compact and mobile solution, but IMO is a lot of money I don't even have room for that, so I got the tiny - but not as powerful - Festool CTL sys mobile. Since the dust collector means I rarely need access to the...

re. 'pendejo' , you may be interested in this pubic hair factoid: it is possible to get pube-toupees, and they are called a 'merkins'. The historically minded amongst us will no doubt be doubly interested to know that they date back to the 1400s! no need to thank me!

many people (me included) have learned the basics by watching the various free videos on bench planes by Paul Sellers and doing what he says. There are plenty of other approaches (c.f info the internet and books at nauseam), but he presents clear and easy to follow techniques that will allow...

yes, that is good advice BB - my step ladder is not only too small but lacks the high handrail that yours has, and this means that when I am at my most pecarious I am also trying to brace my full body weight against my shins. Not really ideal!

hedge trimming, one of those activities that should be fun, but is marred by the non-fun necessities of going up and down ladders, tidying up, disposing of cuttings etc. And TO CAP IT ALL those of us with wired trimmers are expected to spend HOURS fannying around with extension leads. It is...

a historical footnote, Bailey did not design his planes with an adjustable frog (well, unless you count the fact that it is a separate part as meaning it is 'adjustable') In fact the dubious honour of inventing the feature that allows you to adjust the position of the frog ( and thus the mouth...

cheers memzey - will pm you my email.