Book Press Restoration #2

Posted on May 26, 2022 by admin

This is my second one.

I’ve finished restoring this old book press. When I picked it up at an auction it was rusted and seized up like a brick. When I removed all of the rust a couple pieces were broken. Looked like a challenge!

I taught myself to TIG weld and fixed the broken hand wheel and remade the broken flange that bolts onto the upper flat press using a pipe flange welded to a large bolt. Then bought a metal lathe to turn it into the same shape as the original.

Bondo and paint to make it pretty. Most of the threaded things had to be re-threaded and tapped. I learned what ACME thread was and Witworth British thread is.

This book press took many hours and new tools for the learning experience.
For sale for one million dollars.

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Pattern Maker’s vise for 60 bucks !

Posted on May 25, 2022 by admin

I was looking through auctions recently and I saw some tools that were piled on a table top and advertised as “Clamps”. It was a crappy red vise and something else. I looked closer and it said “Veritas”. Could it be a Lee Valley Veritas Tucker pattern makers vise? It sort of looked like it might be a vise. I clicked on other pictures for angles…It was.
I bid on it, and was prepared to go high. My winning bid ended up being $60. If only one other person knew what this was I knew it would go above $1000.

This is a discontinued limited run Lee Valley did based on the Emmert Pattern Makers vise that are no longer made (1880-1970). A Pattern Makers vise can rotate around to move your work, turn 180 to use the other type jaws, flip up, the jaws can rack to hold odd shapes etc. Rough shape vises by Emmert go from $400-1000 if you can find one. I’ve seen these Veritas Tucker vises go for $2000-3000.

I picked it up today, expecting some parts missing, like the stanchion bar holder that mounts underside or the bench clamp mount.
Nope, the cardboard in the picture was the original box clamped in the jaws holding all unopened unused parts, foot spring, hex keys and all.

I’ve been looking for a patternmakers vise since I’ve started the hobby, not I have a brand new Tucker vise nontheless.
Now to make some bench mods to accept it.

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Wing Chun Dummy Build Part 1

Posted on April 26, 2022 by admin

I’ve started to build a wing chun dummy.

“The Wing Chun wooden dummy (aka  Wing Chun dummy or Ip Man wooden dummy) is a solo training device used in Wing Chun Kung Fu and other Chinese martial arts. The Wing Chun dummy is designed for to teach a Wing Chun student things such as range (distance), proper positioning (hands, body and footwork), fluidity from move to move and to refine the precision of Wing Chun movements.“

It’s a 9″ diameter 5 foot tall round wooden base with 2 angled offset arms, a lower middle arm and a lower leg at specific lengths, spacing and angles. One would normally get an appropriate log and make angled square holes to accept the limbs. As a woodworker I’m not about to chisel out 1.5″ square holes in a 9″ thick ash wood blank, I wanted to find a better way.

I’ve decided to make a test version out of pine for now, the real ones will be with ash. I’m making it in two halves, cut square dado’s with the tablesaw and then glue the two halves together. The only issue was the arm holes, they needed to be not only angled but angled in a way so that the arm ends meet exactly at 8.5″ apart. After drawing it out and playing with templates I made this tablesaw ramp/sled that would cut the dado’s at 14 degree slopes. It’s more complicated than that but I’ll leave that there for now. Possibly a video to come later. With these jigs I hope to make more in a production like process.

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Japanese chisel

Posted on March 8, 2022 by admin

A while ago I bought a chisel for delicate paring of wood that I saw other woodworkers use. I have a hood set of Veritas PMV-11 type so this was just to see how an authentic Japanese chisel would compare.

Nothing too special, I find the edge isn’t indestructible and doesn’t cut any better than my other ones. But it definitely looks cool.

This is a Fujihiro bench chisel, multiple hollow, with a red oak handle. 12mm (1/2”). I got it from hidatool.com. It’s hand forged by Chutaro Imai, a blacksmith who has been making chisels almost 50 years and is located in Sanjo City, Niigata prefecture, Japan. These bench chisels are forged with white steel laminated to soft iron.

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Small turned box (salt cellar)

Posted on January 7, 2022 by admin

If you’ve ever wanted a pinch or teaspoon of salt and dislike pouring from a box this is useful to have near your prep area. This small box was made from maple, texturized with a dremel and painted with black india ink. The finish was friction rubbed Shellawax Cream.

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3D End Grain Cutting Board

Posted on December 23, 2021 by admin

I finished another 3D end grain cutting board. Maple and walnut. 12.5” x 12.5” x 1.5” thick.

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Another pen. Pen no.5

Posted on December 8, 2021 by admin
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Pen #3

Posted on December 7, 2021 by admin

Almost done with these pens, I’m not sure what kind of wood this is. Any ideas? Babinga?

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Pen #2

Posted on December 4, 2021 by admin

This pen is a little too dark, the blank looked promising. The second time around went much quicker. I can see how small projects on the lathe is pretty much instant gratification, instant product in your hands.

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Turning a pen (pencil)

Posted on December 1, 2021 by admin

Here’s the result of my first pen – a pencil in this case. I was tired of moving the ziploc bag of pen supplies I was given years ago around my shop so I thought I’d just go ahead and make one. It’s actually pretty rewarding holding it. The wood is Bocote.

I tried a CA finish but it didn’t turn out well, maybe I sanded it off too much. So I put on Shellawax Cream.

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