Japanese Chisels

I really do not need any more chisels. My inter tool geek is saying "What's need got to do with anything" and she is correct, what's need got to do with anything?

Watch this space,

ken

Dave's Shaves

I've spent my life ridding in the short bus, being late to every party. In other words, every time I make a new discovery everyone else has known it for years. Forgive me if this is old hat but I've recently discovered low angle, bevel up, wood body spokeshaves.

I bought one from The Windsor Workshop in UK several months ago and in a cartoon world the blue birds would be singing and there would be rainbows in the sky. What a difference between it and the bevel down shaves like those made by LN or LV.

Bottom line I've been dealing with Dave's Shaves for a full set of wood body shaves. A full review once they arrive.

ken

Why Everyone Needs a Moravian Bench

Broken record I know but, what's not to love. This bench stays stacked in a corner of the shop where it takes up maybe 3 square feet of floor space. Need a bench somewhere in the yard and it takes one man less than 5 minutes to set up. It is almost as easy as a Workmate. I really think MsBubba could take it out of the corner and do it by herself. Add in rock solid and fast and cheap to build, like I said broken record.

I have a over 400 lb. French bench in my shop, most of my work is done on the full sized Moravian that weights, best guess, slightly more than 200 lbs. and is every bit as stable as the French bench.

ken

Marking The Legs

Tons of honeydoes have pilled up over the last month or so which means under the watchful eye of MsBubba shop time is somewhat limited. I did get the legs knocked home and wedged with no splits the other night. Next up is cutting the legs to length, with careful saw work the chair should set level without rocking. A lot is invested in the word "should" :-).

The contractor is beavering away repairing the retaining wall. Hard to believe it fell in Jan and it has taken this long to find a contractor.

We may get a freeze tonight. The WX gods are just messing with my head, usually by this time in May we have had several weeks of high 90's, low 100's. Strange wet year.

ken

Chair Tools

Well the last month or so has been fun. I'm finally kinda back in the shop. This morning I finished up the seat blank for the chair I started back when. The legs are ready to fit, maybe this afternoon. After fitting the legs I'll decide on seat spindles, arms or not and crest rail. I'm leaning towards just arms.

Just so I'd have a photo to post I made a photo of the "chair" tools I've used in this build.

Clockwise from top left to right is a tenon cutter, it's handy to have three. One for leg tenons, another for spindle tenons, and a third for arm tenons. Next is a 6* reamer, a travisher with a 4 1/2* sweep, a card scrapper shaped for seat saddles, a scorp, and last an adze. You don't need all of 'em to make a chair but each makes the process a little easier.

To saddle a seat you can start with the adze to rough out the shape and follow with a scorp to smooth it out. Then use a travisher for finial smoothing and getting the seat ready for card scrapping and sandpaper if you wish.

ken

Still Alive

Following a wet Winter is a a Spring where the hills are alive with every pollen producer known to man. A long way around to, damn my allergies are bad and are kicking my ass.

The chair is where I left it several weeks ago. About the only thing I've done in the shop other than walk out there and turn on the lights is turning a "French" rolling pin out of Beech.

I know it will end, but damn I'm tired of setting on the couch blowing my nose, hacking big bloody green ones and feeling sorry for myself. I expect MsBubba is tired of it as well.

See you guys on down the rod,

ken