The good, the bad and the...

New Hand Saws

I ordered a couple of new hand saws a few weeks ago from Tools for Working Wood, a great company with a nice web site. I've ordered a few items in the past and have never had an issue, professional across the board. Since relocating here in Toronto, I've been using only hand tools for my work. Great. No worries, until I needed to cut a curve in the base of a small set of night stands I was working on. Oh-how I longed for my band saw, back in my old shop on the coast. It would certainly make quick work of this small project...So what did I do? I ordered the Gramercy Tools 12" Bow Saw; a sweet little saw, made in the USA. "Ah, just the thought of it brings a tear to my glass eye..."
So while I'm at it I decided I also needed another Rip saw. Seeing as my two old antiques are just that, old antiques, I felt it to be a just purchase. ( I'm actually on the waiting list at Wenzloff & Sons for a custom Cross-Cut and Rip saw; I think they'll be ready sometime in the year 2053 but that's a whole other story. )
So in my despair to get a new rip saw I ordered the 28" Pax saw from TFWW. So two saws arrived and I tear into them. If you read my earlier blog on making new tool handles you'll know that I don't particularly care for the Pax saw handles. I find them large for my hand and to be frank, rather unattractive. So I take out the Rip saw and put it aside to get into the Bow saw. A nice little box within it a well made hand tool, nicely wrapped up in green tissue it was like someone had given me a Christmas present. All it needed was a cute little bow on top. So here I am admiring my new saws and decide the first thing in order, to make a new handle for the Pax...and what better tool to use to cut out the shape? Yup, the bow saw.

Cutting out the Shape

So to make a new handle I selected my wood, walnut in this case, and traced the handle from my old Disston. I did a quick read through the instruction booklet that came with the bow saw and after tightening the tension on the blade (which was loosened for shipping) I went at it. What happened next in my mind was really incredible; this fine little saw cut so fast, clean and effortless I wondered why it took me so long to ever get one. Beautifully balanced, no chatter or binding, just gentle strokes through the 4/4 walnut. The entire saw handle took no more than 10 minutes at most. So now here I am, a familiar place where I know the process. I took out my brace and 1" auger bit to complete the curves of the handle. No problems so far. Some filing and shaping, a little sanding and carving, voila! Done except to cut the kerf and drill the screw holes...so again, I turn my attention to the Pax. At this stage I think back when I was making a new handle for my Pax cross cut saw.I simple took the handle, not at all unlike this one, and unscrewed the Pax handle, removed it, lined up the two and with my awl, marked the screw holes...easy right?

Oh Pax...what have you done?

So just to recap and get things clear in my own mind, I'm standing there with my newly made walnut handle, I take hold of my screwdriver and gently start to back out the brass screws. At this point I notice the Medallion on the side of the Pax handle is sitting proud...no big deal I thought, must be something underneath...I'll clean it up when I remove the handle. So first screw, second screw; down through to five all of the screws come out. I squeeze the blade of the saw into my shoulder vise and make my first attempt to remove the handle. No luck..? I get a little more aggressive and try the whole wiggle-waggle-back-and forth approach...still nothing, not even a squeak. I place a wood block on the heel of the blade and gently at first try tapping to loosen the handle. O.k. at this point I'm starting to realise something is not right. Did they glue it on? No, couldn't be. That would be just plain ignorant. Some more prying, some hitting and then on to some down home whacking! Come on, this should come off...what if I just wanted to do a quick tune up, cleaning or sharpening? Saw handles are meant to be relatively easy to remove, no?
Then it happens, you know the blinding white light, ears start ringing, sweaty palms...I grab the biggest, meanest, ugliest chisel my tool box had to offer and split this thing open like a fresh brook trout in August. I didn't like it in the first place, but admittedly didn't want to destroy it either. So there I am, cracking and splintering the shiny new handle off of my nice new Pax rip saw...
(that's Pax right? I did mention it was a Pax right?)
So like Indiana Jones discovering artifacts under the sands I see the problem. It seems this saw, during manufacturing must have assembled the wooden handle onto the blade and then drilled through the whole lot with a dull bit. The metal burned and charred through creating a kind of sleeve that mated into the opposite side of the wood.!@$%^&*(!!!"":{
If you look closely at the pics you can see what I mean...bad, shotty workman ship....that's just the way it is. Now I have to get out some files and flatten out the dimples of burnt metal left behind to irritate me to no end. (At least this was how I felt at the time.)
All calm and clean now, me and the saw that is, ready to trace the screw holes onto my new handle, drill them out and install the screws. No worries, at least the metal is un-damaged and seems to be well sharpened and straight. I breeze through these steps and give the handle a quick coat of oil. I didn't spend too much time on the sanding this time due to the fact that I have work to do! Boards to rip and kids to feed...so perhaps a little rough I'll get to it sometime in the future when I don't have four orders to finish. So here I go, putting things together, first screw, second screw...then I get to the medallion; I had forgotten about the way it had been sitting on the original handle. hmmmm.....crooked as a cats...again, the light starts to come back....I'm having an incredible hulk moment and want to throw the whole thing into a dumpster somewhere. How could this happen? The shiny little medallion, like a signature, carefully placed into the finished saw to say
" made with pride by..." I just don't get it at all. What happened in the two years between saws? My cross cut I purchased from Lee Valley Tools seemed like a nicely made hand tool, other than the handle simply didn't suit my hand...two years later, this poorly made piece of...I digress. I put the handle on and went to work.
It cuts pretty good and my new handle is comfortable. I left the crooked medallion sitting proud of the side to remind me to call Mike Wenzloff again...You really do get what you pay for.
PS.
Hey Schwarz, I guess you're having an 'I told you so' moment right now...Cheers!

Pushing Ink...

New Woodworking Book

I've been writing my Blog here since late February and can say I truly love to write almost as much as I enjoy wood working. Great.
Well it seems my key-board tap-tap-tapping is finally paying off...
I've just signed a contract with Popular Woodworking Books to write a full length book on building furniture using hand tools!
It will feature six new designs I'm working on, from a small side table to a full sideboard. All will feature different design elements complimenting hand cut joinery for hand tool users. Frame and Panel, Mortise and Tenon as well as dovetailing and other hand tool skills will be addressed.
My manuscript will be complete in the early new year with a release date just in time for the following Christmas.
If you enjoy my blogs here, it'll be this times a thousand...Stay tuned for more...
Cheers!

When the city seeps in...

On Design



Three weeks to the day; the time it took for the city to seep in. I recently met a great couple and they asked me to design and build a piece of furniture for their home here in Toronto. The only two guidelines they had for me were to use a darker toned wood and attempt to incorporate some brushed aluminum into the piece. They already have a piece of furniture with an aluminum, decorative inlay and brushed aluminum door pulls. I immediately thought about the aluminum aspect of the piece. As soon as I blended mediums I knew it would have to be more than a simple accent.
Clean straight lines, aluminum and glass, what else says Urban living like this?
I've always been a fan of the more minimalistic approach to design; the modern movements and European influences. The over-all dimensions were a given due to the space requirements where the piece will be living. A kind of sideboard/cabinet with three sliding doors was my first instinct; but once the pencil went to paper things changed. Things always change from those first initial thoughts to design and then on to construction. Pieces evolve in a natural way, an ordinary process coming round full circle. Ideas seem to blend through the realities of joinery. One thing I want to maintain in the piece is a hand crafted look while still reflecting the machining of this metropolitan landscape. The aluminum aspect was decided on. Two 1 1/4" thick pieces of solid aluminum plating, cut and rounded by means of water jet. These two monoliths will make up the stand/ or legs of the unit; while the wooden carcass will fit perfectly inside the two larger cut-outs in the top portion of the plates. The wood at this point is still un-decided although I keep thinking PAU FERRO (Santos Rosewood) a dark bodied hardwood that will compliment the hand cut dovetailed box which will make up the bulk of the piece. The cabinet will be divided with two solid panels, isolating three separate spaces within. The doors are another design/construction reality altogether. I know I wanted to have sliding doors but now feel they'll eat up too much interior real estate. I decided on hinged doors incorporating glass panels. The first obvious choice for the door joinery would be a kind of frame and panel. This of course would be the obvious choice; and who could ever be satisfied with that? What I've come up with is a three sided, 'open~frame' and panel; the inside edge of the frame being only glass while the outside of the door solid wood. Full mortise and tenon joinery on the corners, with a kind of suspended glass panel within. A design challenge indeed, but one that will pay off in the final showcase. The interior will also feature glass shelves, securely sitting on Bronze ,threaded support sleeves. A real nice touch to allow the shelves to be adjustable to suit the contents later on.
Again, the initial impression would be three doors to match the three spaces, but now I'm thinking on off-setting the aluminum legs and making one larger middle space, incorporating two doors for it and then carry on with two slightly narrower side areas flanking this first mid-section. Designs can change, re-arrange and why not let them? Sketches and diagrams will only show so much to the hand caressing softened edges of exotic hardwoods later on. At this stage of the game, anything is possible, never limit yourself before you even leave the starting gates. Design for the impossible, dream the unimaginable and then finally settle on the realistic. Stay tuned...

New Digs

Movin' to the City...

Do you remember the story about the city mouse and the country mouse? Seems these days I'm feeling like one of their offspring. So here it is, my new shop; my new 'hand tool shop' to be specific. It's a small space in the 11' by 11' range, in the basement of my new home here in Toronto, Ontario. My wife and I with our two young children have relocated to the largest city in Canada. Why? Well, why not? That's not the point here anyway. What is the point is that my old, Cape Breton shop, with it's ample space, sun drenched bench room, machine room and loads of wood rack space is 3000 kilometers away and I'm here with this dark, slightly damp, a little better than 100 square foot shop space to call my own. Sounds like a nightmare, no? No. Change is good. Change is healthy. This small space, smack dab in the heart of the city, with it's urban decay lingering just outside my door; will be a place to create. A space to design and delight, to sharpen and saw. My workbench, most importantly made the great trek. My tool chest, full of my most prized possessions came too. All is well in a world of un-predictable circumstances. My future here in the city is unsure but my work shop is getting ready for a marathon of activity. As well as my workbench and tool cabinet I have my slow speed, wet grinder, my saw bench and my array of clamps. Some glue and some oil, a sharpening station ready to fly. I also have just outside of this photo's gaze is about 1000 board feet of lumber, rough milled and dimensioned, all waiting to be hand planed and joints cut, assembled into some new shape and design. Cherry, Ash, Walnut and Maple; Angelique, Poplar, Butternut and Birch. All of these species like my extended family making the plunge into this grey and unclear area of our life. I've been designing new pieces that will become a reality here in this small space. Side tables and book shelves, showcase cabinets and side boards. All to be transformed into tangible objects, ready for a new home somewhere in the not so distant future. My new digs....Welcome, watch and wait.

"I saw the future today..."

White Oak ~ Quercus alba

"A man who plants a tree, is a man with foresight"
Someone once said that to me and I've always remembered it. This is a shot of a little White Oak I planted last year. I've already started planning what I'm going to build with it too. Some nice quarter sawn stock for an Arts and Crafts style Rocking Chair. Why not right? I'll be about 150 years old when it's time to start milling!

Making them your Own

A fun and easy way to customise your hand tools

Alright,you've been waiting weeks for that brand new panel saw you ordered to arrive and finally, today is the day. You tear open the crisp new box and unwrap your shiny new hand tool. Smelling the fresh wood, varnish and steel. Now quick, take the handle off and make a new one...? Yeah sure, why not? Customising your hand tools is not only a fun project for any woodworker, but it gives your favourite tools a custom feel and look all of your own. Now don't get me wrong here, remember, if it's not broke then don't fix it. Here's a few examples of some of my own tools that didn't quite seem to fit my hand. You know, as much as you'd love to keep things original for the great-grand children to bring them into Antique Road Show in 150 years they won't be able to say, "Now, if it only had the original handle..." To keep things copacetic for future generations, carefully remove what it is you want to change or customise and put it safely away somewhere for future profit. Now you can go ahead and make your own custom handles.

Panel Saw
New Cherry handle on cross-cut saw, original Pax shown on the right
I ordered a Pax Panel Saw a few years ago and when it finally arrived I began to use it. Every chance I had I reached for my new cross cut saw and tried to do what my fore fathers did before me. The only problem was the handle was too darn big; I don't think I have abnormally small hands or anything, it just seemed like the handle for this saw was huge. Perhaps people in England, (where these fine tools are manufactured) have gigantic hands I assumed...no, couldn't be. Was it me? I didn't think so but after some great debating and inner turmoil, I decided I was going to carve myself a new handle. First things first, I removed the original and traced in onto a piece of 1/8" backer-board. Next I carefully wrapped up the handle and put it away. Now with the original safely away I could focus on the project at hand. I went to my off-cut pile and found a great piece of Black Cherry wood that was too small for anything but perfect for this application. I jointed and planned the stock piece now before I started to shape anything, much easier now with the piece still square.
The slot or groove for the blade is also much easier to do at this stage, I had a very fine kerf table saw blade I used for this task. I made up a small cradle out of some plywood off-cuts that held the still square blank at the appropriate angle for the cut. This is the most crucial step I think in the entire operation so reference off of the original handle and match it up exactly. I now reference all of the other important locations onto the blank, ie. screw holes, saw blade shoulder shape etc... I referenced back to the original as well as a beautiful old Disston I have and came up with a shape I liked. On the tight inside curves and finger hole I added, I matched the radius with a few Forster Style bits and on my Drill Press I bore out the waste. Then onto the Band saw I roughed out the shape being careful to meet up with the drill holes from the previous operation. With the rough shape cut out I hold it in hand to get a general idea of the size and shape. I trim a little off here and there, bringing it closer to my own hand size. When I get it to the shape I like it's time to start fine tuning the handle. With a medium coarse rasp I started bevelling the chamfers on the pistol grip area of the handle. Then onto the outer shape and finally the finger hole. Keep in mind to check your progress as you go, holding the grip and analyzing the shape, where it works and where it doesn't. Take off a little at a time; it's easier to remove a little than it is to put some back on. Progress to a file and onto sand paper, 120 to 220and finally finish off at 400 grit. Drill out the screw holes making sure again to reference off of the original and try it for size. I rubbed on a oil and wax finish that seemed perfect for the cherry wood. It's been a little over a year and this saw has become an extension of my arm. It's a perfect fit for my hand and every time I look at it or pick it up to use it I know I had a small part of making this great tool even better; at least it is for my hand.

Scrub Plane
New Scrub plane tote (on top) compared to an original Veritas Jointer plane tote.
A few months after the challenge of making a custom handle for the Panel Saw, I finally bought myself a Scrub Plane. I ordered the Veritas model manufactured here in Canada. When it arrived I was very impressed by the quality, heft and over-all feel of the plane. All was well in my Scrub plane world until one fine afternoon I was challenged with a 19" wide, rough piece of Mahogany I needed to get ready for finishing. I started with my trusted Scrub plane after which I planned on following with my Jointer then on to my Smoothing plane. The process I've become familiar with when I mill by hand any rough stock I have around the shop. However, on this day the wood won the battle, sweating away for a half hour, (the piece was huge) I began having cramps in my hand. It was at this moment I decided the fate of the original handle that came with my Scrub plane. The next morning I was backing out the long screws of the rear tote and wrapping up the original. In my head I was thinking about the steps I'd taken when I replaced the handle on my trusted Panel Saw. I imagined the process and searched for any flaws in my projected procedure. I traced the original for reference and found a suitable blank again from my off-cut pile in Cherry. I laid out the shape and realized the long machine screws that hold the tote to the plane body are not only drilled down at an angle, I didn't actually have a bit to carry out the operation. My plans foiled, I was back to the drawing board and thinking about my hand cramps. I suppose I could wait and purchase the obviously special-order item I'd surely need to carry out the drilling procedure or....then it hit me, I'd simply re-shape the existing tote. It was already drilled and a perfect size for shaping. I grabbed the tote and with Rasp in hand I started filing, shaping, sanding and sweating. A little off of here, a bit off of there, some sand paper here, a little oiling there. I re-attached the tote and pushed the plane across a rough piece of stock on my work bench. It felt great, finely shaped to suit my hand I looked forward to the next challenge of rough milling some huge piece of lumber off of my wood rack.

Why Stop There?

Making your own handles, totes or knobs is a fun way to customise your hand tools and the worst thing that can happen? You need to re-use the original or simply try again on a new blank from the off-cut pile. This is a great way to use up those odd sized pieces destined for the wood stove, it will enhance your tools and save your hands. This process can be used all around the tool cabinet as well; I had a great sliding bevel gauge but it came with a hard plactic handle that made me cringe every time I saw it hanging there next to my rosewood handled Square or my Cocobolo handled scribing knife. So again, I removed the original plastic handle and using it as a template, I replaced it with a nice piece of Walnut. Now it looks like a fine custom tool I special ordered from one of those fancy tool catalogues.

Apple Blossom Time

Apple Tree next to my Shop
















"Fame is but a fruit tree
So very unsound.
It can never flourish
Till its stock is in the ground.
So men of fame
Can never find a way
Till time has flown
Far from their dying day.

Fruit tree, fruit tree
No-one knows you but the rain and the air.
Don't you worry
They'll stand and stare when you're gone."

From a song by Nick Drake...Fruit Tree