Post a photo of the last thing you made

[BentonTool]

Yet another but more diminutive Draw-Bore Pin form an old English sharpening steel...
More practical for me than the larger ones.

The prior ones for comparison:

 

[BentonTool]

A selection of recently restored UK chisels & gouges:

 

[CrazyMonkey1]

@BentonTool - did a bit more tonight, prepared the end caps for final chiselling / dovetail carving. All went according to plan, though I did find that the beech cap (2 pieces glued in reverse grain orientation) has moved since I prepared it several weeks ago, so will likely have to re-square to ensure a snug fit with main body of bench. I have added an extra mm to the mortice depth to allow for this.

Next step is to cut the dovetail (Pedulla inspired) on the bench stave, then transfer over to the Sapele end cap. This step on last top took about 7 hours - hoping to be faster on this one!

 

[CabinetSage]

A selection of recently restored UK chisels & gouges:

View attachment 198645

they look amazing Benton! really inspired me now to buy cheap chisels and sharpen them then make my own woodturned handle! Any oil that you like to use?

 

[kinverkid]

That’s so realistic I thought the top picture was a reference photo of an actual bird you were working from! Great job

You beat me to it. I thought the same. It truly is an amazing piece.

 

[kinverkid]

Made the MFT bench this weekend just gone. Still to fit an apron on the front with routed out T-track for a light clamping vise. Benchdogs fence with Benchdog rail dogs under the track. I am now a poor Peter Millard imitation.

Made the bike shed over few preceding weeks. Mostly from 2x4 and 2x2 leftovers I had hanging around. The roof panels were made from wardrobe door things free from the bin out the front of Ikea (not even chipboard? some kind of melamine faced mostly empty sort of plastic honey combed cavity stuff). I didn't clad the sides or back, just stretched shed roofing felt as walls instead. Then I broke up pallets and lined the inside with pallet boards so I don't put bike and things through the felt (did this after taking the photo below so you can't see that). So all together the build, if you don't count the timber I had hanging around (that's free in my head lmao), cost me I dunno an additional about £60: some battens, feather board, shed roofing felt.

The pallet ripping thing is worth a mention. Bought a pallet break bar thing for £30, but then saw what was described as a nail puller gun (it's actually more of a nail gun without a magazine) on Amazon for £32, a good £50 cheaper than the more common £80 Air Locker popular brand one. I expect the cheapness will show up if/when I need to replace the piston thing. It's a very scary piece of kit, you can shoot a nail a long way down the garden with it (I had to try) like an airgun. Deadly. Look at my short vid I made using it:

It looks just like mine except my badge says MEX. I've had it for around three years and if memory serves I paid about £50. It wouldn't have been more because I'm tight. I've punched out hundreds of nails and screws with it and it still works great. I made my own 'pallet buster' when I bought my cheap Aldi stick welder. That's got to be four or five years ago, another great boon to pallet repurposing.

 

[Morag Jones]

It looks just like mine except my badge says MEX. I've had it for around three years and if memory serves I paid about £50. It wouldn't have been more because I'm tight. I've punched out hundreds of nails and screws with it and it still works great. I made my own 'pallet buster' when I bought my cheap Aldi stick welder. That's got to be four or five years ago, another great boon to pallet repurposing.

That is a beast, as you say scary indeed. Slab and bucket great solution. Is it attached to a compressor?
Now I’m feeling dissatisfied with the nail bar and hammer.

 

[kinverkid]

That is a beast, as you say scary indeed. Slab and bucket great solution. Is it attached to a compressor?
Now I’m feeling dissatisfied with the nail bar and hammer.

I de-nail over the ash-bucket. The water bucket is a good idea because you can recover the nails more easily with a magnet but our binmen won't allow nails in the recycle bin (??). My tools line up when attacking pallets: Pallet buster, Gorilla crow-bar, body scanner metal detector, nail punch (air compressor), reciprocating saw, 'ommer and good safety glasses.

 

[Croolis]

That is a beast, as you say scary indeed. Slab and bucket great solution. Is it attached to a compressor?
Now I’m feeling dissatisfied with the nail bar and hammer.

Yup compressor. I have a slab you can't see in front of the bucket as well. Between my gonads and eternity.

 

[BentonTool]

they look amazing Benton! really inspired me now to buy cheap chisels and sharpen them then make my own woodturned handle! Any oil that you like to use?

Hello CS,

Thank you for the kind words. A lengthy answer below.

Personally, I have found that the vintage chisels are just as good, or better, than the new production chisels, and far more attractive (IMHO). I keep them sharp by stropping during use.

Lately, I have been making my own turning squares from local "firewood" billets resawn on my bandsaw. That opens-up a whole new world for me.
I have been using local Ash (we have dead-standing Ash here in abundance), Red Oak, White Oak, Hop Hornbeam (the local "Ironwood"), Dogwood (a favorite when I can find it), Birch, Maple, and two of my favorites: Black Locust and Cherry. I have also started using Honeysuckle and Grape vine trunks when large, but they are both very prone to checking. Just about any dense wood makes good handles.
I also occasionally use construction lumber (often White Pine, Spruce, or Yellow Pine if they have tight growth rings) for file handles and the more utilitarian handles.
Lastly, exotics are wonderful for tool handles, but obviously more expensive. I have been lucky, and have found exotics on some imported pallets and decking/flooring scraps (often Jatoba or other). Look and you may also find some in your area!

All that being said, the finish I use depends on the wood turned.
For darker woods that I want to seal, I use Clear Lacquer.
For lighter woods that I want to seal, I use Amber Shellac.
Oil for darker woods; Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil.

My new favorite "oil" concoction (found on the net) for lighter woods applied directly whilst turning is the mix below using Amber Shellac and Watco Danish/Tung Oil that comes tinted with a walnut stain:
LATHE FRICTION POLISH:
1/3 (AMBER or CLEAR) SHELLAC.
1/3 BOILED LINSEED OIL, DANISH OIL, TUNG OIL; CLEAR OR DARK-TINTED.
1/3 DENATURED ALCOHOL.
******************************************
SAND TO FINE FINISH, 240 to 800 GRIT (240 below).
THE HIGHER THE GRIT, THE GREATER THE SHINE.
SHAKE WELL. BEST PLACED IN DISPENSER BOTTLE.
USE PAPER TOWEL, NEVER COTTON OR A RAG.
APPLY TO PART WITH LATHE OFF, THEN RE-APPLY WITH LATHE AT SLOW SPEED TO START. MODERATE PRESSURE. GET IT WARM. MAY THEN USE FASTER SPEEDS.
"WAXY" BUILDUP ON PAPER IS INDICATOR OF PROPER APPLICATION.
MAY REPEAT COATS.
******************************************
ASH with friction polish:

RED OAK with friction polish:

CHERRY with friction polish:

BLACK LOCUST with friction polish and Amber Shellac:

 

[Doug71]

A window for a cellar, it's more or less a copy of what's left of the original, made of Sapele and a bit of 16mm square steel bar!

Reused some of the original ironmongery which is a bit quirky, waiting for a bolt but you get the idea.

 

[CabinetSage]

Hello CS,

Thank you for the kind words. A lengthy answer below.

Personally, I have found that the vintage chisels are just as good, or better, than the new production chisels, and far more attractive (IMHO). I keep them sharp by stropping during use.

Lately, I have been making my own turning squares from local "firewood" billets resawn on my bandsaw. That opens-up a whole new world for me.
I have been using local Ash (we have dead-standing Ash here in abundance), Red Oak, White Oak, Hop Hornbeam (the local "Ironwood"), Dogwood (a favorite when I can find it), Birch, Maple, and two of my favorites: Black Locust and Cherry. I have also started using Honeysuckle and Grape vine trunks when large, but they are both very prone to checking. Just about any dense wood makes good handles.
I also occasionally use construction lumber (often White Pine, Spruce, or Yellow Pine if they have tight growth rings) for file handles and the more utilitarian handles.
Lastly, exotics are wonderful for tool handles, but obviously more expensive. I have been lucky, and have found exotics on some imported pallets and decking/flooring scraps (often Jatoba or other). Look and you may also find some in your area!

All that being said, the finish I use depends on the wood turned.
For darker woods that I want to seal, I use Clear Lacquer.
For lighter woods that I want to seal, I use Amber Shellac.
Oil for darker woods; Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil.

My new favorite "oil" concoction (found on the net) for lighter woods applied directly whilst turning is the mix below using Amber Shellac and Watco Danish/Tung Oil that comes tinted with a walnut stain:
LATHE FRICTION POLISH:
1/3 (AMBER or CLEAR) SHELLAC.
1/3 BOILED LINSEED OIL, DANISH OIL, TUNG OIL; CLEAR OR DARK-TINTED.
1/3 DENATURED ALCOHOL.
******************************************
SAND TO FINE FINISH, 240 to 800 GRIT (240 below).
THE HIGHER THE GRIT, THE GREATER THE SHINE.
SHAKE WELL. BEST PLACED IN DISPENSER BOTTLE.
USE PAPER TOWEL, NEVER COTTON OR A RAG.
APPLY TO PART WITH LATHE OFF, THEN RE-APPLY WITH LATHE AT SLOW SPEED TO START. MODERATE PRESSURE. GET IT WARM. MAY THEN USE FASTER SPEEDS.
"WAXY" BUILDUP ON PAPER IS INDICATOR OF PROPER APPLICATION.
MAY REPEAT COATS.
******************************************
ASH with friction polish:
View attachment 198682

RED OAK with friction polish:
View attachment 198683

CHERRY with friction polish:
View attachment 198684

BLACK LOCUST with friction polish and Amber Shellac:
View attachment 198685

Benton, you Sir are a true Craftsman. My hats off to you, respect!

Thank you for the detailed instruction, I have been making bowls with the lathe but now I have more uses for it making handles! I have never heard of the term strobbing before so you have taught me a lot today. Do you use any type of leather, or does it need to be a specific type? (I don't know anything about leather)

 

[BentonTool]

Benton, you Sir are a true Craftsman. My hats off to you, respect!

Thank you for the detailed instruction, I have been making bowls with the lathe but now I have more uses for it making handles! I have never heard of the term strobbing before so you have taught me a lot today. Do you use any type of leather, or does it need to be a specific type? (I don't know anything about leather)

Hello CS,
Thank you (again) for the kind (if not exaggerated ) words...

Making chisel handles is something I very much enjoy, and it is a necessity, given the vast number of chisel tangs that I have in my collection.

I will say that there is a plethora of data on the net regarding strops and stropping...
most of it appears to be good/usable advice. Strops are a simple tool.

I have strops laying around all over my shop; different sizes and shapes, large/small, flat, round, V-shaped, whatever shape is required for the tool at hand. They are an absolute necessity for carving tools. I will post a pic of my various strops if you wish.

I have used all manner of stropping compounds, from emery, to rouge, to zam, to the ubiquitous "green" chromium oxide compounds, to the white compounds for stainless steel. They all seem to work well. Some require more stropping than others to get an edge.
Perhaps that is simply a measure of how little I know about this topic, or how unsophisticated I am. Frankly (some may consider it crude), but I think I like emery and rouge best. They seem to cut fast, and leave a good, sharp edge.

I have made strops from vegetable-tan cowhide leather (probably best), but oil-tan leather is also very good. You can use the smooth or rough side, or make both to see which you prefer. There are arguments for the use of both. The leather need not be too thick; I have found 4-8 ounce leather best. Some seem to prefer thinner, and thinner is easier to form around curves when making a strop that is other than flat.
In my personal experience, I have found that pig-lamb-goatskin leathers do not work as well.

I will close in saying that stropping has totally transformed my woodworking and sharpening.
Stropping allows you to get your tools sharp very quickly, and keep them sharp during use. You can delay going back to the sharpening stone for a very long time, and your tools will be more sharp during use as well.
Although I sharpen my plane irons and chisels to 8,000 grit when I require a very sharp edge, more often than not I have lately gone directly from a 1,000 grit diamond stone to the strop and back to working wood. That seems to be adequate for most applications.

I am sure there are many on this site that have good advice on this topic...
Best wishes...

 

[BentonTool]

they look amazing Benton! really inspired me now to buy cheap chisels and sharpen them then make my own woodturned handle! Any oil that you like to use?

P.S. I forgot to mention Carnuba Wax, which I tend to use on very dense native and exotic hardwoods that have a tight grain with little or no appreciable pores. I find it leaves the most attractive finish.

 

[Eshmiel]

I have strops laying around all over my shop; different sizes and shapes, large/small, flat, round, V-shaped, whatever shape is required for the tool at hand. They are an absolute necessity for carving tools. I will post a pic of my various strops if you wish.

I have used all manner of stropping compounds, from emery, to rouge, to zam, to the ubiquitous "green" chromium oxide compounds, to the white compounds for stainless steel. They all seem to work well. Some require more stropping than others to get an edge.
Perhaps that is simply a measure of how little I know about this topic, or how unsophisticated I am. Frankly (some may consider it crude), but I think I like emery and rouge best. They seem to cut fast, and leaves a good, sharp edge.

I have made strops from vegetable-tan cowhide leather (probably best), but oil-tan leather is also very good. You can use the smooth or rough side, or make both to see which you prefer. There are arguments for the use of both. The leather need not be too thick; I have found 4-8 ounce leather best. Some seem to prefer thinner, and thinner is easier to form around curves when making a strop that is other than flat.
In my personal experience, I have found that pig-lamb-goatskin leathers do not work as well.

I will close in saying that stropping has totally transformed my woodworking and sharpening.
Stropping allows you to get your tools sharp very quickly, and keep them sharp during use. You can delay going back to the sharpening stone for a very long time, and your tools will be more sharp during use as well.
Although I sharpen my plane irons and chisels to 8,000 grit when I require a very sharp edge, more often than not I have lately gone directly from a 1,000 grit diamond stone to the strop and back to working wood. That seems to be adequate for most applications.

I am sure there are many on this site that have good advice on this topic...
Best wishes...

Just now I be fascinated with stropping.

I've made a series of wooden slips (flat pieces of various hardwoods with the two long edges rounded to give a diameter equal to the thickness of the slip and wrapped in various fine grades of "sandpaper" from 360 - 2500 grit. I'd like to complement these with similar stropping slips to go up (or is it down) to the 6 - 1 micron level. I'd really like to see your strops pictured and to hear of your experience of using them, especially on carving gouges (i.e. tools with curved edges).

Would compound on a bare hardwood slip work; or is some form of leather - on the wood or just by itself - a more effective substrate? Diamond paste on an MDF wheel in a drill seems to work well but rather quickly. Maybe MDF slips would work in the same way but with more control, especially with the curved edges? I'm wary of the dubbing effects of using leather, which effects don't seem to occur (so far, at least) when using MDF - presumably because MDF has no significant squish.

More details of your honing process and experiences would be very welcome, especially the business of going to the honing straight from a 1000 grit shaping/sharpening process.

 

[BentonTool]

I've made a series of wooden slips (flat pieces of various hardwoods with the two long edges rounded to give a diameter equal to the thickness of the slip and wrapped in various fine grades of "sandpaper" from 360 - 2500 grit. I'd like to complement these with similar stropping slips to go up (or is it down) to the 6 - 1 micron level. I'd really like to see your strops pictured and to hear of your experience of using them, especially on carving gouges (i.e. tools with curved edges).

Would compound on a bare hardwood slip work; or is some form of leather - on the wood or just by itself - a more effective substrate? Diamond paste on an MDF wheel in a drill seems to work well but rather quickly. Maybe MDF slips would work in the same way but with more control, especially with the curved edges? I'm wary of the dubbing effects of using leather, which effects don't seem to occur (so far, at least) when using MDF - presumably because MDF has no significant squish.

More details of your honing process and experiences would be very welcome, especially the business of going to the honing straight from a 1000 grit shaping/sharpening process.

Hello Eshmiel,

Yes, that is a common argument... the "squish" factor. That is why many prefer MDF, wood, or even the smooth side of leather on strops. Many use the compound directly on wood, although I think most use a softwood such as pine.

I have not found a problem with "dubbing" on my tools, and in fact, some seem to suggest it may be a good thing (see "Unicorn Sharpening Method" link below).

I will take some pics and post tomorrow.
Alex.

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/the-unicorn-sharpening-method/

 

[Steliz]

In an effort to use up some of the small bits of wood that collect in my workshop and to build up some stock for an upcoming craft fair here are a few knick knacks.