Plane Door Handle

screen shot

  The last day of the holiday, tomorrow, trains and planes and cars.  We travel by train to Frankfurt and then have a stop over in Paris and then home to Person International.  It will be a long time in a small chair.

   Getting home  will mean less wine, less beer, fewer wonderful pastries and....getting back to a real computer.  My suggestion to folks that are looking at netbooks, is to be very aware of their limitations.  The wee computer has kept me us up to  date on email and given good weather reports as well as helped us plan our days here. It has made me very crazy trying to write the blog and load photos.

   The photo above was taken in Winningen, a picture perfect wine village on the Mosel River.  We were riding our bikes through town when I saw this door handle on a garage.  I thought it was clever until I looked closely and saw that it was a complete plane, with blade, that someone had screwed to the door as a handle.  I  suspect that the blade was pretty whipped but the plane looked to be in good shape.

  Over the course of the 10 days here I have looked at a couple of hardware stores but nothing here competes with what we have in Canada and the United States.  I really don't know where one would go to get a good selection of tools, even Bauhaus left me pretty unimpressed in terms of tools.   The is a good German internet company whose store front I visited two years ago in Berlin, maybe that is it for German wood working?

    Remember to look in on my sponsor thetoolstore.ca and the places I visit at the bottom of the blog.

   Friday, back to the real world, and maybe some better photos.

  

Deutches Lahn Muebel (furniture)

  Our holiday in Germany continues and yesterday we cycled from Koblenz to Nassau on the river Lahn, an eastern tributary of  the Rhine.

   Heading up stream along the north side of the river

    As we rode along we stopped for coffee in Bad Ems and then crossed over the river to ride toward Nassau. (that is the town that gave the other towns the name)  This region of the world traces its history back to before the Romans and since the Romans it has been a hot bed of war, politics, and great wine.

   Germany is also know for it functional design:

This lawn furniture we found at one point along the river would appear to be alpha stage prototypes, because I haven't seem anything like it in the stores yet.  It appears sturdy and uses simple manufacturing methods though they may be labour intensive at this time.   I endorse the mixing of wood and stone to produce the rustic style.

www.thetoolstore.ca, the place to look for seasonal work clothes.

  
  

Knife Kit

    As I travel around I often buy a knife as a souvenir,  I have several dozen folding knives from around the world made by, if not local blade makers then at least local companies.

   So by now I have Swedish knives from Sweden, a Spanish knife from Barcelona, not to mention American, Canadian and French knives.  A couple of years ago when I was in Berlin I bought three very, very nice chisels to round out my tool kit instead of a knife.  Needless to say I have several German blades that were bought at home, I think they make wonderful kitchen knives as well as tools.

  As I traveled around Koblenz today I was drawn to the window of Schumacher Messer on Scheiferei Stasse.  The window was filled with dozens of fine knives from many reputable makers, many with which I was familiar but one caught my eye.  

  I did not know the maker and to add to the interest is was a kit.  When I have not made something before I nearly always get a plan or pattern or buy a kit from which to learn a technique and perhaps copy later.

  This kit was especially interesting because it was for a folding knife, I love pocket knives, and seldom go out without at least one in my pocket and often one in my pants pocket and another in my coat pocket.  I actually have a Swiss Army knife from the factory in Switzerland. 

   Anyway this is a kit to make a lock back knife.

   I figured it would make an interesting letter opener, we don't get letters anymore, but we do get lots of bills in envelops and I guess we should open them.

FOOT NOTE:

  check out thetoolstore.ca power tool clearance section, bottom of page one is a really good little Makita router.  RPO900K

Travelling In the Rhine Valley

   I am out of the workshop for a couple of weeks as Eva and I ride our bicycles along the Rhine and Mosel Rivers.  The old tow paths have been converted to paved cycle paths all along the Rhine River. If one had time and energy one could ride from Switzerland in the south where the Rhine begins in the mountains to the North Sea where it empties into the ocean near Rotterdam.

  Being away from the shop does not mean that I am not looking at wood.  The verge of the river features many London Plane Trees as well as towering popular trees.

  We are currently in Koblenz and the old church down town of course has a great door.

   And you got to love an under ground parking garage with wooden doors like these.

   Tomorrow we are headed to the local castle,...I bet, more great wooden doors.  Wooden doors when cared for seem to stand the test of time.  Check out wood care products at thetoolstore.ca, they carry Minwax products and milk paint.

filled from Deutshland on the infernal wee net book.
cheers Ian W

Another Why Wood

http://www.berlin-flyer.com/

Check out this site for the Berlin Flyer, Berlin is in the United States, and wooden toys last for a very long time.

the bessey flooring kit

Two Things You've Got to Check Out!

woodworking music video

Found by fellow blogger Steve at Woodworking for Mere Mortals.

And: a Canadian woodworker, check out the Woodgears.ca link - music man on the right hand column of this blog.

Nail Sets

  The nail set is one of the unsung heroes in the shop.  Much of the time now nails are driven by air power and so often set well below the surface of the wood. (some times too deeply ) But, what do you do if the head of that pesky nails stands a little bit proud of the surface, thereby messy up your beautiful trim?
  The answer, set the nail head below the surface with "A Nail Set", there is a tool for the job.  In fact there are an assortment of tools for the job so check them out.

A  nail set video

You Need to See This, I wouldn't have believed it either!!

   I never would have thought to plane my  UHMW plastic.  Those plastic strips are perfect for quick drawer slides, and what a super way to make a fine adjustment to a piece of UHMW that is supposed to run smoothly in a mitre slot. 

   Check out the blog entry by Adam Cherubini, Planing Plastic.

ABS(Acrylonitrile Butadiene Stryrene) Pipes and Fittings by Carla

     ABS piping was originally developed in the 1950's for use in oil fields and chemical industry.  Nowadays, ABS pipe is used for various plumbing chores.  ABS pipe is made of Thermoplastic Resin, a hard, black plastic called Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, that many of us refer to as ABS for short.

     For several years  ABS pipes have been successfully used in residential and commercial applications, because they offer an outstanding combination of properties. ABS piping tolerate a broad range of temperature variation, from -40 degrees Celsius to 83 degrees Celsius. These pipes do not lose their impact resistance even in these extreme temperatures.
ABS pipes and fittings are a economical choice, less expensive than metal piping and fittings.  As well being an economical choice  ABS pipes have a smooth interior finish; which ensures superior flow in the pipe and are by household chemicals such as drain and toilet bowl cleaners. ABS pipes can be used both in-ground and above ground applications, but ABS is damaged by sunlight and thus is not recommended for use outdoors.

     Properly installed ABS pipes can withstand loads of soil beneath slab foundations without collapsing or cracking. Further properties include durability as well as resistant to breaking, scratching, chipping, and rusting.
Installing ABS pipes is safe and easy primarily because of their lightweight.  The pipes are also very beneficial from and energy standpoint, which is on every one's mind these days.


10 Quick ABS installation tips:

Measure pipe and socket fittings carefully to ensure accuracy.
Cut ABS square to required length using a pipe cutter.
Ream inside and chamfer outside of pipe to eliminate any burrs, and sand lightly.
Clean/Wipe all debris, moisture and grease from pipe and socket fitting using a DRY cloth.
Apply a light coat of ABS solvent cement to inside of socket fitting and outside of pipe.
Insert pipe into socket giving it a quarter turn to ensure it's in all the way.
Hold together until a tight set is attained, wipe excess cement from the pipe.
It's important not to move the system until the joints have fully curred.(see recommendations on solvent cement container.)

You can find and purchase ABS pipes, fittings and supplies in most retail and online retail stores that carry plumbing supplies.

Kieran the Helper

  Regular readers will be used to me talking about my Grandson in typical Opa type glowing terms.  I adore the little guy and his little sister too, Kieran gets onto the blog because he is older and can be in the workshop with me.  She will begin showing up soon, she is a real fire cracker.
  
   I very strongly believe that children love to copy adults and want to please them,especially when they are small.  That is when they need to be brought into the shop and included in the action.  Yesterday Kieran and I cut some boards with a hand saw as well as swept the floor.

    Kieran helped me sweep my shop, and to his credit he hung in there sweeping as long I was sweeping.  He didn't just spend two minutes at, he worked away steadily until the job was done.

and Kieran

Octagon Layout

    Again with Chris Schwartz, won't I ever let up  on this guy?

    No. Not as long as he makes such good quality videos that are so informative.
  
    Laying out an octagonal leg for a piece of furniture can be a real challenge. Chris shows a straight forward method using  basic tools and an easily learned skill.

     Basically all you need is a straight edge, compasses and a pencil

Tips for Butt Hinges

Your Guide to Butt Hinges

 The are many projects that use butt hinges.  This link takes you to a Popular Woodworking blog entry discussing aspects of the butt hinge.  And this link takes you to a selections of hinge templates to ease installation.