Remake of Preston scratch stock

[Jelly]

My order arrived today, not had a chance to take a look yet.

 

[D_W]

The weird bit for me was the UPS Express shipping (takes 1 week) was cheaper than the USPS Surface Mail rate (takes 8 weeks)... Win-Win really, but you wouldn't think it would be so.

I believe UPS might have changed something in their shipping to take some market on international shipping.

When I ordered a set of 8 side beads a month ago, I got them basically in two days from the UK to western Pennsylvania, for a price far less than any royal mail services would be. $45 or something for a 4KG box.

I then ordered a full half set and received them in two days again for $67 shipping.

I guess it's possible that the seller ate some of the charges, but they couldn't have eaten too much. One of the worst things for english sellers has been the abandonment of reasonable shipping to the US by royal mail, and we've not got many good options internationally here, either. If UPS is going to get into that market segment for a reasonable price, it would be very good.

 

[JimB]

Arrived here this morning. Very fast.

 

[Jelly]

Just had a chance to look in my little box of tricks, impressed by the standard of manufacturing (superb), everything fits just so, what actually impressed me most however was the packaging, it's well designed and made to a standard way beyond that required to get it safely to me, indeed the temptation is to ditch the plastic sleeve it comes in and build a little wooden box round the ABS insert it came on (replete with box to fit all the extra cutters, indeed keeping the cutters with the stock is my only reason to build a box for it at all).

I've yet to try it, as my other half promptly looked at me examining the new aquisition and informed me that the chopping board doesn't require any decorative reeding round the edges, even though it's clearly the right thickness for it.

There was also a little inset plane in my box, I ordered it with a clever idea for using it and have subsequently forgotten my clever idea

 

[bugbear]

I've yet to try it, as my other half promptly looked at me examining the new aquisition and informed me that the chopping board doesn't require any decorative reeding round the edges, even though it's clearly the right thickness for it.

Have you tried it yet?

BugBear

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi BB, your question reminded me to write a few observations. I have posted them in a new thread.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[custard]

There's no one design of scratch stock that does everything perfectly, so woodworkers often end up making themselves several different types to handle different jobs, from cutting long straight inlay grooves to putting a moulding on a curved table edge.

A few years ago I learnt about this style of scratch stock,

http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/v ... stock.aspx

I made up a few, some big, some small, and for straight work in particular I like it a lot.

A scratch stock is a bit like a spoke shave, in that the hardest part of the job is the first inch and the last inch, the bit in the middle is generally pretty straightforward. Where this design of spoke shave scores is that you can angle the tool to get a really easy start and end cut. That makes it very straightforward to establish the cut without the cutter digging in or snatching, something that's tricky with the Preston style scratch stocks as the design largely precludes angling the cutter.