Next Two Planes

 

This photograph shows my wooded plane. This blog is about the two biggest. The longer of the planes is 26 inches and the shorter is 21 inches long.

The shorter of the planes had two issues with which I'd not bothered. The handle was a little loose and the top of the tote had been broken off, long before I bought the plane.  This plane and its big brother came from a local antique store where they were seen as decor items, dirty and therefore cheap. 

  

  Part of the fix was easy.  I flooded the space where the handle was set into the body with CA glue and let it set.  The handle is no longer loose. The broken part was just as easily solved using modern chemical technology.  First I drilled a couple of holes and glued in fine dowels.

Next, I created an over sized knob from two part putty.  Once the putty dries and sets (about 24 hours) it is very hard and workable.  It also adheres really well to wood, the pins were probably not necessary. 

  I spent a few minutes sanding/shaping the knob and the handle and all that remains is to re-stain it.  Occasionally I have used this plane in the past so it has been sharpened though I seldom need a plane this size. It is very large and awkward to handle, I am thinking of putting a knob on the front for my left hand to hold while planing.

  The second plane is the monster plane of my collection. It is 26 inches long, 3 1/2 inches square, sharp and usable, I just never do anything that needs that much plane.  It would be something used to flatten a table or bench top I guess.  

 It was a stained and greasy mess when I bought it years ago so I scraped and sanded it long before I ever tried to use it.  It  has been sharpened and it will work, it is just TOO big for my shop, it is nearly too big for me to manage it.  I have thought of making it into an edge jointing/squaring plane by adding a fence.  Any thoughts from you folks out there?

  I am now working on some small projects that seem to need more sanding than anything else. I will share them next time.

cheers,ianw

 

Trellis for a Rose

  Wood and glue, two part epoxy glues to everything.  The plastic handle broke, after ten years which is okay and now its fixed.

  I actually set out today to build a heavy duty trellis for the rose bush seem below.   Last year I made a trellis/frame to try and control this rose bush, my effort failed.   This old 'wild' rose was then cut down to six inches from the ground as we try again to bring it under control. 

it is vigorous and colourful so we want to keep it,
just not have it take over the whole garden.

  My plan is to build a square frame to enclose the bulk of the bush.  Since it is going to be in the weather I assembled the frame with pocket holes and then filled the holes with plugs so the screws will take longer to rust .

KREG -1.25 inch screws and paint grade plugs 

  Assembling a frame like this is done most easily with KREG right angle clamps.

frame completed and stained green

   I have a few pieces of rough framing timber that I am using to make legs and the bulk of the trellis frame.

 The frame is 1 1/2 wood square lumber and
 the rope threaded though is hemp.

  The trellis is held together mostly with Miller Dowels. I like using these dowels anywhere that steel fasteners would rust and I've used them assembling my work surfaces to protect saw and plane blades from mishap.

  In the process I chose to remove and replace the blades in my table saw and sliding mitre saw.  As a rule I have both blades sharpen every year or so depending on how heavily I have worked them.  Quality blades pay for themselves because they can be sharpened 4, 5 or 6 times and perform well before needing replacement.

  Once the stain is dry I can put the whole thing together in the garden and see if it controls the rose this season.

cheers, ianw

A Morning of Repairs

  Eva and I sneaked away for a couple of days to our cottage on Georgian Bay. It is nice to 

summer scenes are nicer that what we have now.
 but... it will look this good again shortly.

get away from home to relax for a while.  

    
  We watched Pay-Per-View movies ate great baked goods, did jig saw puzzles and a small maintenance job.  When you own a property there is always a small maintenance job.  The diverters on the bath tube facets needed to be changed.  An easy job you say, well it is when you have a decent product with which to work.  Initially we went to the local hardware store with the helpful people and bought a new diverter, after careful installation as demonstrated by You Tube it leaked.  I am not an experienced plumber  so I assumed I had done something wrong and re-installed the diverter and it still leaked.  Eva took it back to the hardware store with the helpful people and brought two new diverters made by a well known and respected plumbing supply company instead of a generic company and... after following the same instructions the diverters worked perfectly. I guess the lesson is buy things from well known and respected suppliers, their  quality control standards are higher. 

  This morning I went down stairs to my work shop and had to begin by clearing up the mess.  There were a couple of things that needed paint, or varnish and several things that needed repair. 

  I had a tray to re-glue, a fish to varnish, a table top to varnish, a facial tissue box to re-glue etc. etc. etc.

  

  With a piece of glass to cover this piece it would make a very distinctive serving tray.  I will continue to put on coats of varnish.  There is no question, water based varnish is easy to apply and it is easy to clean your brushes too.  Easy enough that extra coats aren't a problem.

  Last spring I made some nice boxes to cover our facial tissue and one of the boxes came unglued.  Rather the inner tube used to hold the cardboard box in place came unglued. 

 No fooling around this time, two part epoxy and proper clamp time. 

  One of the odder projects from this morning, a morning that included cutting and bleaching deer antler, (the band saw cuts the antler easily, and javex bleaches it fine) another job was using that two part epoxy to glue a foot onto a folding tablet stand: was reshaping a little tin box that I use as a pencil case.

  The tin recently got rather badly bent.  I don't know how, I guess I sat something heavy on the bag it was in.  This box is nothing special expect for its history.  Thirty five years ago my late friend Steve and I smoked those small cigars and he gave me the tin. Steve is gone, though I think about him often and wouldn't part with the pencil case for worlds.  It was a small scale twist and hammer job and the result is adequate. 

  I also did some painting:

Our yard will have 'one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish' this summer.  A finishing note: Varathane  water based varnish softens and lifts milk paint. 

  Captain will be as good as new so he can float in our garden's water feature again this year.  The frogs like sunning themselves on his deck.  Kieran and I made Captain years ago, I renew the wee boat each spring 'cause I have sentimental attachments to somethings.

  There is more house cleaning to do later this afternoon, but right now I am going to put on a bunch of warm clothes and go for a bike ride.

cheers, ianw