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Workshop and fixit stuff

Started by Dave, July 10, 2017, 07:26:50 PM

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Dave

Don't they have "Men in Sheds" in America? I think it started in Australia, bunch of people get together, hire some space and turn it into a communal workshop.

Is the American trend not part of the "pioneer spirit", people sloughing off the burden of bad or oppressive governance to go to wild places where it was "adapt or die"? No handy fixit guy, they heeded a full skillset very quickly.

I often wonder what the mortality rate was amongst the less able and how much this influenced the tradition of "neighborliness", skill sharing. Did  America  suffer a sort of evolution, that led to the modern "maker" ethos, because of this.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dave

Quote from: jumbojak on February 23, 2018, 01:05:33 AM
Candy propellant you say? I have a feeling that'd attract the authority's attention around here. Reminds me of a friend who was taking apart fireworks to make one BIG one. He was pretty drunk and had sorted the different metal flakes and propellant using a bunch of ashtrays on his coffee table. He had all of those ashtrays because he was a chain smoker. The flash was incredible when he stuffed a butt in the wrong one. PHOOM!

When I was in the RAF, around Guy Fawkes night, the occupants of another room played a trick on ys just as we were getting ready to go out for a night's drinking and woman chasing (yeah, this was well before PC, or maturity!). They put a firecracker ("banger" as we Brits say) in an adh tray, piled a heap of ash and butts on it, lit it jyst outside our door the opened the door and pushed it in. Then they went for a shower.

We had been doing some cave photography and had a heap of magnesium powder left (this was also before affordable electronic flash). It was the work of a moment to put this in an ashtrsy and added a fuse. Setting this off in a shower area entirely tiled in white resulted in a bunch of guys stumbling around because they could hardly see anything!

They gave us the bang but we supplied them with the flash!

Took ages to get ourselves and the room clean and, relatively, sweet smelling again though.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Tank

Quote from: jumbojak on February 22, 2018, 02:14:43 AM
I'm about to have a roof AND walls I can work under. Well, not under the walls but you know what I mean. The family barn is almost weather tight. Putting the flashing and Ridge cap on today was scary. The tin roof was slick and the wind was really blowing. Got it done though.


Very impressive!
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

jumbojak

To keep busy today I decided to get this hand plane back into shape. It started this morning coated solidly in rust and none of the adjustments were working.

I wish I had before photos but this is the after.



Nice, papery chips. I have the handles but no screws so I'll have to find some. Hopefully it's a modern thread form and not some oddball that's no longer in use. The plane is a Stanley from their Defiance line that ceased production in 1953. It was their lower tier of hand tools but the only difference I can see between it and my Bailey is the absence of a frog adjustment screw.

I still have to flatten the sole but this will make a nice addition and much longer than my Winchester and Bailey planes.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

jumbojak


"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Dave

Quote from: jumbojak on February 25, 2018, 09:46:11 PM


That looks good! Neighbour gave me a big Record plane, still need to fihish sharpening it, blade is wider than my oilstone or diamond boards but fits in the roller jig.. Will try fine emery paper and wet-n-dry on a sheet of toughened glass (kitchen cutting board). When it gets a bit warmer in the attic!

I have a screwdriver just like that as well! (Currently jammed in behind a water pipe to stop it knocking when the washing machine fills!)
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Tank

That's a lovely bit of work jj!
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

jumbojak

Quote from: Dave on February 25, 2018, 09:53:27 PM
Quote from: jumbojak on February 25, 2018, 09:46:11 PM


That looks good! Neighbour gave me a big Record plane, still need to fihish sharpening it, blade is wider than my oilstone or diamond boards but fits in the roller jig.. Will try fine emery paper and wet-n-dry on a sheet of toughened glass (kitchen cutting board). When it gets a bit warmer in the attic!

I have a screwdriver just like that as well! (Currently jammed in behind a water pipe to stop it knocking when the washing machine fills!)

Freehand the plane iron with the iron held at an angle so the stone covers the edge. Basically on a diagonal.

That's my favorite screwdriver handle aside from the older snap on hard handles. The only problem is that the vinyl wrap gets chewed up very easily working on machinery. The vinyl doesn't like shop chemicals and hydraulic fluid. If Klein or Stanley sold the vinyl wraps for replacement I'd probably have a lot more of them.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

jumbojak

Quote from: Tank on February 25, 2018, 09:58:48 PM
That's a lovely bit of work jj!

I still have one to go through but it might be time for a new wire wheel. I've been pushing it hard and the frequency of bits of wire flying off and sticking me has increased enough to justify a $6 purchase for personal comfort and luxury. I have several Disston hand saws that need sharpening too. Might have to rig up a set measuring aparatus with a dial indicator. Or... just buy a saw setter...

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Dave

Quote from: jumbojak on February 25, 2018, 10:14:29 PM
Quote from: Tank on February 25, 2018, 09:58:48 PM
That's a lovely bit of work jj!

I still have one to go through but it might be time for a new wire wheel. I've been pushing it hard and the frequency of bits of wire flying off and sticking me has increased enough to justify a $6 purchase for personal comfort and luxury. I have several Disston hand saws that need sharpening too. Might have to rig up a set measuring aparatus with a dial indicator. Or... just buy a saw setter...

On big saws (ie not tennon) my father, a blacksmith, used to set saws with a clamp/bending-bar in a vice, a "triangular" punch that he made for the job and a hammer. He rarely mis-set a tooth. If you rested the punch on the bar the working end sloped the right angle for the set.

I go for hardened teeth ones these days. At the rate I use them they last years.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Icarus

Ah yes, I was this afternoon caressing my number 9 Shelton and also my number 6 Stanley low angle plane.   I also took pride in using my Japanese water stone and the angle jig to sharpen the irons. What a delight it is to have a razor sharp iron in a good frame. The delicate peels are a joy to behold.....

I was replacing the arms of a chair that needed some help, according to my wife.  The chair is a Norwegian Korsness brand. It is leather upholstered and part of the arms had become ragged. Friend wife could not live with such a disgraceful chair.  It is my favorite chair and I did not give  a damn that the leather on the arms had become somewhat damaged. It is a comfortable chair even if the arms were getting shabby.

Wife consulted the local agent who sells that brand here in the US. Oh yes we can get new arms in the exact color of leather of your chair.  How much for the replacements? Only $699.  No shit batman.

I had some teak lumber left over from some of my numerous boat building projects. Six hundred ninety nine dollars in a pigs ass !!!!!!   I will build arms from teak.  The body of the chair is teak so it will match or nearly match the wooden parts of the chair.  That is how the band saw and the planes came into play. The lovely gossamer chips from the freshly sharpened planes, almost but not quite, gave me an orgasm.....well not even close to being orgasmic to be honest....,. not at this age....anyway a nice plane is a marvelous tool. I am confident that you guys know the drill and the delight of making beautiful wood chips...... too bad that the shop vac swallows those chips so uncerimoniously.

In a perfect world, Dave, JJ ,and me, along with many of you other guys, girls too, who are by virtue of the gods impelled to make things or fix things, could all assemble in a builders heaven.  We'd build boats to navigate the River Styxx or other needs to assuage our creative instincts.

jumbojak

Quote from: Dave on February 25, 2018, 10:26:09 PM
Quote from: jumbojak on February 25, 2018, 10:14:29 PM
Quote from: Tank on February 25, 2018, 09:58:48 PM
That's a lovely bit of work jj!

I still have one to go through but it might be time for a new wire wheel. I've been pushing it hard and the frequency of bits of wire flying off and sticking me has increased enough to justify a $6 purchase for personal comfort and luxury. I have several Disston hand saws that need sharpening too. Might have to rig up a set measuring aparatus with a dial indicator. Or... just buy a saw setter...

On big saws (ie not tennon) my father, a blacksmith, used to set saws with a clamp/bending-bar in a vice, a "triangular" punch that he made for the job and a hammer. He rarely mis-set a tooth. If you rested the punch on the bar the working end sloped the right angle for the set.

I go for hardened teeth ones these days. At the rate I use them they last years.

It's tough to find a saw that doesnt have hardened teeth these days but even new, they don't cut particularly well. The blade itself isn't ground and the tooth profiles are either a general purpose blade that doesn't rip or crosscut well but can do either acceptably for rough work or are designed to cut MDF and OSB.

I like having a few saws setup for different cuts. It's faster and neater to grab the right hand saw than to get out the circ saw, extension cord, appropriate blade and then put it all together unless you're making a lot of cuts. I do like a power miter saw though. The plastic miter boxes never do very well and the wooden ones I find are all distorted. Could make on I suppose...

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

hermes2015

Quote from: Icarus on February 26, 2018, 03:10:39 AM
Ah yes, I was this afternoon caressing my number 9 Shelton and also my number 6 Stanley low angle plane.   I also took pride in using my Japanese water stone and the angle jig to sharpen the irons. What a delight it is to have a razor sharp iron in a good frame. The delicate peels are a joy to behold.....

I was replacing the arms of a chair that needed some help, according to my wife.  The chair is a Norwegian Korsness brand. It is leather upholstered and part of the arms had become ragged. Friend wife could not live with such a disgraceful chair.  It is my favorite chair and I did not give  a damn that the leather on the arms had become somewhat damaged. It is a comfortable chair even if the arms were getting shabby.

Wife consulted the local agent who sells that brand here in the US. Oh yes we can get new arms in the exact color of leather of your chair.  How much for the replacements? Only $699.  No shit batman.

I had some teak lumber left over from some of my numerous boat building projects. Six hundred ninety nine dollars in a pigs ass !!!!!!   I will build arms from teak.  The body of the chair is teak so it will match or nearly match the wooden parts of the chair.  That is how the band saw and the planes came into play. The lovely gossamer chips from the freshly sharpened planes, almost but not quite, gave me an orgasm.....well not even close to being orgasmic to be honest....,. not at this age....anyway a nice plane is a marvelous tool. I am confident that you guys know the drill and the delight of making beautiful wood chips...... too bad that the shop vac swallows those chips so uncerimoniously.

In a perfect world, Dave, JJ ,and me, along with many of you other guys, girls too, who are by virtue of the gods impelled to make things or fix things, could all assemble in a builders heaven.  We'd build boats to navigate the River Styxx or other needs to assuage our creative instincts.

Nicely written, Icarus. How about some photos of your handiwork?

I can refer you to a forum I lurk in that that deals with furniture repair questions, usually of modern classics:

http://www.designaddict.com/forum/active?taxonomy_forums_tid=445

Many of the discussions are concerned with Scandinavian furniture.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

Dave

Like that design forum, Hermes, pity it is only furniture - but "design" has so many aspects it might take a good slice of the web to cover it! I would want to push it beyond appreciation to technique, even the maths . . .

JJ, I have an angle cutting jig that is a cast aluminium base, four guide pillars for the saw and holes for pegs to create about 8 different angles. Restricted a bit in depth though, maybe 1.5"
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

Quote from: Dave on February 26, 2018, 06:27:32 AM
Like that design forum, Hermes, pity it is only furniture - but "design" has so many aspects it might take a good slice of the web to cover it! I would want to push it beyond appreciation to technique, even the maths . . .

If I could live my life again, I would choose a career in one of the design fields. I admire people like Charles Eames, Eileen Gray, and Phillipe Starck, among many other design heroes.

Here are three more design-oriented sites I visit regularly:

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/category/design/
http://just-good-design.com/
https://bauhaus-movement.tumblr.com/
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames