Shop Apron

Over on SMC there is a thread dealing with shop aprons. I never really thought about it much, they are just part of the shop that I use when needed. I have several canvas ones and a couple of leather ones, the photo is of a leather apron I've had for years. I almost always wear it when sharpening iron for several reason, foremost is keeping MsBubba happy but also the leather and a fat belly make a great strop when chasing the burr.

ken

Ray Iles 10 1/2 Cutter

The new Ray Iles iron for the Stanley 10 1/2 was in Saturday's mail. It is a nice looking cutter, ~3mm thick. the OEM is ~2mm thick so while thicker it is not what you would call thick like most new irons.

IIRC, Ray Iles still makes his chisels and plane irons the old fashion way where they harden the iron first and then grind the bevel. I'll be reminded soon, once I start to flatten the back.

I pick MsBubba up at KPHX this afternoon, scheduled to arrive about 1700. It is about a 90 minute drive, all freeway to get home. I expect a tired, wet hen, on the ride home. Over 20 hours of airline terminals, three changes of airplane and all of 'em to ride steerage in the back of a Boeing will do that to you.

Narco VHT3 Superhomer

Bob over at The Valley Woodworker got me to remembering, not hard to do when you are older than dirt. I was working with a very young crew a couple of weeks ago and started to remissness about aviation when I was their age. It is no surprise things have changed but the truth is today's aircraft will not go higher nor faster than those of the late 1960's. Most civilian aircraft today and those of yesterday are limited to flying no higher than the Mid 40,000' MSL nor faster than around 0.80 Mach, not because they can't go higher or faster but those are good efficient speeds and altitudes.

The big changes are in engine technology (range) and avionics.  The first radio I used in an aircraft was a Narco VHT3 Superhomer. It had three crystals so you could transmit on three frequencies, usually the tower, flight service and 121.5, if I remember correctly. It has been a long time. In addition it had whistle stop tuning for the receiver.  You turned a crank until you heard a whistle to tune in the VOR (navigation).

Today, I can flying as the Captain, go anywhere within the range of the aircraft, by pulling on the yoke twice and pushing the autopilot control twice. First pull of the yoke is to rotate the aircraft for takeoff and the first push of the autopilot button is to turn it on, the second push of the autopilot button is to turn it off and the second pull of the yoke is to round out for landing. That's it folks, the F.O. has a little more to do but not much. Of course that's if everything is working, I make my living training 'em for the times everything isn't working.

ken

MsBubba Coming Home Sunday 11/24

I guess Sweet Maggie Dog and I will have to get our act together by Sunday evening. She arrives in KPHX late Sunday afternoon, I'll pick her up so she doesn't have the shuttle ride to Tucson on top of the 24 or so hours in airline terminals and the back of a Boeing.

It will be good to see the old gal, it has been too long. The only problem is she may need to turn right around and go back.

It will be assholes and elbows Saturday to get the pit ready for inspection. I need to figure out how to trash all the empty whisky bottles and takeout containers 👴.

ken

Wagon Vise

The wagon vise arrived in the mail.

There is no room to mount on either bench, I have a couple of options both are kinda good.  I can of course build another bench. The downside of that is no place to put it until one of the other benches is sold or given away. The other option is making a new slab for one of the existing benches. A new slab would mean storing the old slab until I'm ready to build a new bench which wouldn't be too bad because a slab doesn't take much room to store and I'd have a ready made slab for the next bench build whenever it happened.

You can see which way I'm leaning, If it is a new slab then the question is which bench? I'm thinking the old bench but to be decided.

BTW, the end bearing came out of the pillow block during shipping.  A quick glance doesn't revile the keeper and no time to look tonight. It is monkey suit and strap a Sim to my ass for four hours time.

ken

Tool Sale

For the last few years Tucson's local WoodCraft has held a parking lot sale for folks with tools to sell and of course those that would like to buy used tools. This Fall's sale was yesterday 11/16/19 starting early morning.

A photo of my set up:

I had a couple of Veritas planes and a PM v11 chisel set that I do not use. Most of the other tools are chisels that have been rescued and are never used, a few marking gauges, some unused water stones and a brace along with more saws than I can count. The big items were a Moravian bench and a shave horse. I didn't really expect to sell either of them but someone might decide they need a bench after playing on this one. The bench itself is the best sales tool I know, it is such a pleasure to work on. Folks who have not played with a Moravian bench can't conceive of a bench this portable, light, and stable all at the same time. The laws of physics and the Schartz dontchknow.

I had a sharp draw knife there so folks could play on the shave horse (with very close supervision) and I think it was a big hit. I also had my personal sharpening set up there to entertain me when things were slow and touch up chisels sold if asked and a couple of folks did.  My personal stones are a Norton Med India, a Pike Lilly White Washita, and a Surgical Black Ark. I'll die clutching the Washita and the Surgical Ark in my cold dead hands. I think the 2nd. Amendment applies to sharpening stones, if it doesn't it should.  

I didn’t sell any of the “big” stuff but moved a good number of chisels, stones, marking gauges, and saws. It was a beautiful day with temps in the low 80’s and I visited with a bunch of folks, some old friends.

BTW, I'm still blown away (60's lingo for amazed) how easy it is to take the Moravian bench apart and then set it back up.

ken





 

New To Me 10 1/2 Stanley

I'd been looking for awhile. I really wanted a 10 1/4 but they are really rare.

Cutter wasn't too bad, about 10 minutes on the stones and it is reasonably sharp. No cracks that I can find. While I don't know these planes well enough to type them my guess is a pre-1930 plane.

MsBubba had a flight home booked for Friday. Over the last couple of days her Dad has fallen a couple of times and just in general is going downhill quickly. She decided to stay a couple more weeks, I hope it is that short but I have my doubts. I kinda miss the old gal, but what ever you do don't tell her.

ken

Moravian Tail Vise

I'm not a fan of tail vises, wagon vises, end vises, or what have you. I think for the most part they are too much trouble to install and too little used once installed. Now for the eating crow part. I've been looking at the wagon vise Will Myers has developed for his Moravian workbenches and I may change my mind. I've ordered one for the next build.

Here is a link: Will Myers wagon vise

ken

Dave's Shaves Dogbone

I made the shave cutter sharpening jig because the Dog Bone jig from Dave's' Shaves was on back order with no projected delivery date. I got it today and it is much nicer than the one I made.

Here it is with a shave cutter installed:

After sharpening, a quick shave to see how it works. Couldn't be better.

Works in the Tormek and I expect any of the side clamping jigs. I put it in the Tormek just to see if it would work. I expect for day to day sharpening I'll use the jig to hold the cutter for working on the back and light work on the bevel using either stones or paddles.

ken

Misc. Stuff

Will Myers is giving a talk about Moravian workbenches to the Triangle Woodworkers Association in Cary, NC on the 19th of this month. Wish I could be there.

The boss comes home Friday, it will be good to have her home. Sweet Maggie Dog and I have missed having the old gal around telling us what to do. Among other things 😇. The kitchen is ready for inspection, office and bath to go.

Had a bite on the bench the other day, my enthusiasm about Moravian benches may have put him off. I think he thought I was trying to sell him a bench 😲. And yes, I would like to sell this bench so I can start another but it wasn't a sell job. The Moravian design is that good and this bench is a really good example. Of course the next one will be better because I've got a couple of small changes to make.

My sinuses have been blocked for a couple of weeks with the attendant headaches and blowing bloody boogers.  MsBubba told me to get some colloidal Silver spray and spray it up my nose. I was a little hesitant because of blue skin from Silver poisoning but in this form that is not a problem, in fact I checked with my Doc a couple of days ago and she gave it a thumbs up.  Bottom line after the first spray the sinuses opened up and no more bloody boogers.

Retirement is hanging over me. I'm not sure how I will handle it, When not in school, I've worked full time since I was 16 and even in school I had a part time job. Going to work is part of who I am.

I have one year to figure it out. If there is a good side, I still like my job, I like passing on my knowledge to pilots without my experience. I feel I'm paying back an industry that was very good to me. It allowed a dumb old West Texas farm boy to see the world, fly 10's of million dollar airplanes, eat and drink in some of the best places in the world, and get paid a good living for doing it. It doesn't get much better. The only down side was I shed a couple of really good women who could not handle the life.

Just received a text from MsBubba. She has made it back to the UK from Morocco. 

ken

Two More Weeks; This post is photo heavy

MsBubba left Sweet Maggie Dog and myself without adult supervision for a couple of months. She returns from gallivanting around the world Friday week. The first part of the trip was to the UK to see her folks then on to Morocco for a couple of weeks walking in the Atlas Mountains. Today she has returned to the coast for a few days before going back to Scotland. Then home next Friday.

Here are some photos of her adventure:

 

Hotel:

Atlas Mountains:

 Hotel Pool:

Market:

More Market:

 Desert:

 Hotel and pool:

She has had a great time, I expect the best part were the Mountain hikes. A couple days on the coast and then back to the cold and rain of Scotland.

ken