June « 2019 « From the Workshop

June 17, 2019

Possible new project

Filed under: New Projects — Tags: finger planes, precision, traditional, violin planes — admin @ 11:46 am

Unable to sleep last night as often happens, memories were going round my head. I have been asked by violin makers if I would make a set of finger planes. I have said yes several times, but it has just gone in the pile of promises. It is interesting to know if there is enough interest in these planes. The one photographed here would serve as a template, allowing for design adjustments for size. It would be my idea to start small and work my way up the scale over a period of time to allow for people to recover from the price. There are plenty of these planes out there but I haven’t seen any quality ones. This ESE captured my attention.

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June 7, 2019

Workshop Blog 26 – No 985

Filed under: No 985,Window to my workshop — Tags: hand made wood working tools, precision hand tools, rosewood — admin @ 4:35 pm

dalbergia stevensonii better known as Honduran Rosewood

Over the years using various selected rosewoods this one has captivated me the most. It is not a bling wood, but it has an attraction of its own. It is very tough and business like. The contrast does not fade like many of the others. It takes an oil very well. No matter how plain it may look there is a hidden beauty that reveals itself quite quickly once you start shaping and fine finishing. This is an area where I find a lot of satisfaction and reward for all the effort that goes into the work. There is one downside to all rosewoods – I have an allergy to it. This Honduran one used to be the least offensive but after many hours of work it has turned on me.

This handle represents the end of the bunch and where only hand finishing counts.

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June 3, 2019

Workshop Blog 25 – No 985

Filed under: No 985,Window to my workshop — Tags: No 985, non-adjuster precision smoother, precision smoother, precision stainless steel smoother — admin @ 5:24 pm

Still plodding along.

The first picture is to try and give you some idea of the work that goes into these planes. The picture should be self explanatory. It shows some of the metal (stainless) work and handles. From this you can see it includes spines that are threaded and keyed ready for cementing with epoxy into the handles. This gives the kind of strength and rigidity which would surpass what is normally found on a closed handle.

It is this kind of work that makes me one of life’s misfits.

Now I am on to the handle shaping which is basic hand work. My CNC machine doesn’t seem to have a button for this job. I find pleasure in the wood taking shape and interesting contrasts come to life.

Here the chosen wood is a Honduras Rosewood – Dalbergia stevensonii – still lots of work to be done. The price of the plane goes up and up with the pain of the work.

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