Post a photo of the last thing you made

[nickds1]

Just found a photo of one of our "Chartwell" benches in situ... at Chartwell!

Note that the National Trust don't generally like oiling the benches we made for them - they get many 1000s of visitors a year, some of whom are definitely gravitationally challenged! Some gardens put them under cover in the winter, some don't, so the life of these very expensive hand-made benches is often harder and shorter than it could be...

The complex design and construction of the back of these benches has been problematic for us, and some have needed remedial work after time in the field. Lessons learned and all that.

 

[TRITON]

Thats a lovely bench nick, i particularly like the back design, though can see thats a lot of laying out to be done there.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Absolutely gorgeous bench, a real shame they don't like them being treated/protected.

 

[REN]

I just finishen this small oak and cotton string bench:

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super fun project - 20% time spent on wood work and 80% on weaving

I like this, very neat…good weaving

 

[REN]

Little project to prop up the iPad. Using off cut cherry left over. Nice to start and finish a job in one day,

 

[Fitzroy]

Collected and stickered some local larch. Mainly to do the facias and soffits on the new outhouse roof, but also aiming to dry some to use to make the door.

 

[Hsmith192]

I don’t normally do this but I made a pillar drill table with some clamps.

 

[cowtown_eric]

it was a b***h to turn with conventional lathe tools. bits of wood would tear out, lay across the edge, and the balsa was so soft, it wouldn;t cut it.

Ended up using a template and a router to rough n shape then using varieties of auto-body rasps and Ariou style rasps to tune it to size. Steady rest will possible, was not applicable, as any vibration would just cause the bearings to severly indent the wood (It did marginally for the maple ones I turned)

Video at


Balsa sands ever so easily so it was easy to smooth.

I found an on-off foot switch (for lathe)greatly aided effeciency.You lift your foot, holding router in one hand, and reaching for calipers with the other.

Eric in the colonies!

 

[kinverkid]

I was having a bit of a clear-out under the lathe and found a worm riddled 150mm x 50mm blank of maple. Thought I might give it a turn.

 

[MarkAW]

Toddler swing from leftover timber. Had a go at splicing too. Frame sized for room to grow

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I was having a bit of a clear-out under the lathe and found a worm riddled 150mm x 50mm blank of maple. Thought I might give it a turn.
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Couldn't you afford a sieve?

 

[Jacob]

Got given a scruffy old cupboard, bottom doors missing, glass missing, heavily painted,

Made a pair of doors which fitted OK but thought I'd better strip it first

Stripping turned into mega job - paint came off easily with hot air but varnish underneath was like thick toffee so hunted down some serious stripper, Nitromors type

Turned out to be very nice pitch pine and worth the effort. Didn't have any for the doors so will paint them. Put new (old) glass in the top doors - reclaimed horticultural from an old conservatory - has a nice ripple like old cylinder glass. Puttied on the inside - much quicker than knocking up beading, and putty is nice and solid, no rattling etc
Linseed oil all over.

It was a school cupboard and full of pin holes and drawing pin points etc so will have to pick out paint bits and fill with wax.
I was really pleased with it as it was touch and go for firewood at the start.
A buggler fitting hinges into hinge pockets which had been worked over lots of times and used up the last of my Baldwin cast iron - which are world's best ever hinges.

 

[Cabinetman]

Got given a scruffy old cupboard, bottom doors missing, glass missing, heavily painted,

View attachment 121323View attachment 121324

Made a pair of doors which fitted OK but thought I'd better strip it first

View attachment 121325View attachment 121326

Stripping turned into mega job - paint came off easily with hot air but varnish underneath was like thick toffee so hunted down some serious stripper, Nitromors type

View attachment 121327View attachment 121328View attachment 121329

Turned out to be very nice pitch pine and worth the effort. Didn't have any for the doors so will paint them. Put new glass in the top doors. Linseed oil all over.

View attachment 121330

It was a school cupboard and full of pin holes and drawing pin points etc so will have to pick out paint bits and fill with wax.
I was really pleased with it as it was touch and go for firewood at the start.
A pipper fitting hinges into hinge pockets which had been worked over lots of times and used up the last of my Baldwin cast iron - which are world's best ever hinges.

Hi Jacob, nice cabinet, that’s beautiful pitch pine, Baldwin cast iron hinges, is that the same Baldwin from the US that did brass foundry, really and I mean really nice bress castings, candle sticks, locks, hinges, etc?
I also need some 3 and 4”cast iron hinges for a job soon what are the chances of getting any pls? Ian

 

[Orraloon]

View attachment 121308
Toddler swing from leftover timber. Had a go at splicing too. Frame sized for room to grow

Sure the kid will love it.
Now to cast my sailor's eye on those splices. Not bad at all for a first go and you got the thimble eyes reasonably tight too. They most definitely will never pull out but you only need 4 tucks per splice. Next time you can save a bit of work.
Regards
John

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, my thoughts as well. They are twice as long as they need be.

 

[Jacob]

Hi Jacob, nice cabinet, that’s beautiful pitch pine, Baldwin cast iron hinges, is that the same Baldwin from the US that did brass foundry, really and I mean really nice bress castings, candle sticks, locks, hinges, etc?
I also need some 3 and 4”cast iron hinges for a job soon what are the chances of getting any pls? Ian

You can get them on Ebay but expensive.
The main thing is to watch out for scrap joinery/furniture. The hinges last forever and are well worth saving. Just drop them in a bucket of caustic and when dry and cleaned off - apply linseed oil.
https://grandvictorian.co.uk/the-baldwin-hinge/

 

[Garno]

Really nice restoration @Jacob looking forward to see it fully finished.

 

[Jacob]

Really nice restoration @Jacob looking forward to see it fully finished.

Thanks. Paint stripping described here Paint stripping
I'll paint the new doors, I've got a tin of this Brick Red
If I come by some matching pitch-pine I could make another pair but somehow think I won't get around to it!

 

[mikej460]

Thanks. Paint stripping described here Paint stripping
I'll paint the new doors, I've got a tin of this Brick Red
If I come by some matching pitch-pine I could make another pair but somehow think I won't get around to it!

Now that's more price-appealing so it will be interesting to see the results Jacob

 

[paulm]

There's a few small birch burrs sitting on the bench in the workshop, a couple of spare hours took care of one of them at least.

Another wee kuksa / whisky noggin for sipping your favourite beverage, ideally around a campfire