End of November, wrap up.

   So I finished my version of the Eldris knife.  I really like the handle, it is very smooth and comfortable with a wax finish. The blade is 85% fully sharpened and will shortly be razor sharp.  It turns out that I am glad that I didn't spend money on the real thing.  This is sort of a knife solution looking for a problem to solve.  It will sit on a shelf  with lots of other knives but at this time I can not see a special use for it.

  I have a project coming up that will require a bunch of dowels.  I have plenty of 3/8 dowel rod in my shop.  If you buy dowels for assembly they are usually fluted, the flutes give the glue someplace to go when you are setting the dowels.  

  I made my own 3/8 dowel fluting jig.  I drive the dowel through the hole, the points of the screws cut into the dowel and 

  end up cutting fluting for the glue.

   This little fellow has hung around awaiting the cast for his arm for at least two seasons. While waiting for glue to dry the other day  I finally remembered to make the repair. I can't remember were this flower pot ornament came from, but that is not reason enough to just throw it away.  This is the sort of cute thing that Grand children love.  And cute little things remind me of my cute little grand children.

   My wife was trying to make a Christmas video for our church yesterday.  I went into the shop and made a cell phone holder using a 1/4-20 nut and some wood scraps. It is nice having a shop and tools.  This holder is one of those things that may get used once a year.  I saved the cost of a shopping trip and the purchase. When the phone size changes this holder will not be discarded with the hundreds of tonnes of other quick, easy, cheap imported plastic junk. It can be  easily modified to fit the next  phone or used to light the BBQ either way, bonus.

 This is the big job on my bench now.  Our wheel barrow needs some serious restoration. The wooden parts are weathered to death.  I am gluing some hardwood boards together to make the handles. (that is were the dowels are going to be used). I suspect all the nuts and bolts will have to be cut off and replaced and the barrel needs to be sanded and painted. (maybe even patched in a couple of places.)

  Why restore this thing?  It has given years of service and is not anything special. Why not spend $100.00 and get a new and probably better wheel barrow?  Mostly I fix things because I can.  Also I really condemn our throw-away culture. We have the money to replace this but I have the time to repair it and it will probably last us the rest of our gardening lives once repaired. I would rather not add this to the local landfill site. 

cheers ianw

My Woodworking Shop Space

  Since I got my shop space cleaned up pretty well,  I thought I would share a view of my  space with my readers.  This shop is down stairs and shares space with the furnace and air filter/circulation system.

the space is 30 x 10 sort of.

 This rough drawing is not to scale, of course.  The following photographs are taken my me from the spot marked "me" on the floor plan.

  The is the long view from the back corner to the front.  On the left, a wood rack, sliding mitre saw, floor drill press and work bench. On the end wall I have two tool cabinets, over the work bench there are shelves for planes and chisels. In the far right is a shelving unit filled with finishing products and behind it another wood rack. On the immediate right is a KREG clamping table and a Jess Em router table. ( and a pillar and a furnace)

 

Behind my back in the corner is a band saw, shelving/storage as well as an old desk made into a sanding scroll saw work station. Also along that back wall is more storage .

  Turning to the right I have my joiner and table saw. Behind the table saw are double doors that enable me to rip long boards without have to move the saw around much.  My dust collector is through the wall in our pantry cellar.

 Under the stairs is my mobile lathe and another band saw.  Behind the lathe is stuff relating to tiling, grout, boxes of left over tiles etc.

  Needless to say all the wall space is filled with shelves containing wood, small tools and all the everyday stuff that one needs to make a shop work.

  I am very lucky to have this much space and this many tools.  The abundance of tools does reflect my decade of working in the woodworking tool business.  An ordinary shop probably wouldn't have so much stuff.  Less stuff and more room might well be the better way to go.

  This wood shop journey began about 20 years ago when I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and got a CPAP machine to help me sleep.  It took two nights to get used to the CPAP machine. I began to sleep properly, was no longer falling asleep in the chair after supper and suddenly had four or five extra hours a day    to do things.  I bought a scroll saw, long worn out, and never looked back on my woodworking journey.

  Now it is make Christmas gifts season. 

Stay safe, care for others and make some saw dust.

cheers, ianw