Oven Mitt Hanger, whittling project

  We've had a busy weekend with the fair and the grandchildren and family and all so it was nice to get back into my workshop yesterday for a while.  All the activity mixed with a bunch of sitting, eating and drinking means that my back is a bit sore and my temper a bit short.

  When my back hurts I like a small project that is a distraction without be a serious challenge.  If I am too tired or sore I am not up to the challenge of making a new design or working on a long drawn out project.

  So yesterday I experimented with my Kreg Rip Cut jig, I am impressed with its accuracy and consistency, a pleasing addition to my tools. 

  I also spent some time cleaning paint brushes, sharpening tools and generally cleaning the place up.  There had been a series of quick little jobs, toy repair etc. that left a level of chaos that needed attention.

 Once I got things put away I started on a silly little scrap wood project.  This is a project that serves as a distraction, can be worked on standing up or sitting down and gets done quickly enough to provide immediate satisfaction for guy that whines about back pain. 

 A couple of weeks ago the hooks on the side of the fridge that hold the oven mitts started letting go.  The metal hooks are attached with super duper two sided tape, but even that goes weary with time. I tried replacing the tape but I didn't get the back of the hook clean enough for the new tape to stick, it appears as though it would be an ugly solvent job.  My shop is in our basement and so I have a limited supple of nasty solvents and glue dissolving potions. 

 I decided to hold the hooks on with rare earth magnets. So opted to whittle a hook from wood and put an strong magnet inside.

  The last of the metal, tape type hooks on the 

fridge beside my first wooden hook.

                                                         

  Up close this hook is no beauty but I like the design enough to refine it and make three more. I wasn't sure that it would hold the oven mitt securely until I got it made and put to use.  I used a pretty big magnet in the body of the hook but it was still only a buck or so.  The whittling was done with a Bessey utility knife.  The knife is too heavy to be an everyday carry knife but it makes a great shop knife and one that I have used to shape, carve and whittle in my shop by the hour.

  I originally got this knife years ago to cut card board boxes apart at wood shows but soon promoted it to shop knife. I slash at boxes with something much cheaper and more nasty now.  If I working on a project like this from scrap wood I don't like to risk a good carving knife but I hate dull tools so this knife is the solution.

cheers, ianw

Now that's a knife!