Best selling wood projects - Festive Season and Bar Stools How To Repair a Broken Chair Back

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Yes, I know what you are thinking, but no - it wasnt the result of intemperance.  Rather it was the accidental leaning-on-the-kitchen-bench and leaning backwards with the feet by one of the grandkids, that sent the stool crashing to the floor - with tragic consequences for the stool.

The spindles - sometimes known as bannisters - all snapped clean off, level with the seat.
And so ...... off to the workshop, and back to the woodwork.

The obvious solution was to find some matching timber and turn up some new spindles.  The original was made from a light coloured pine-like timber that had been given a golden stain.  Im sure that I can find something to match from the wood cave.

Remaking The Back Of A Chair
First step is to round off the billet down to just a tad thicker than the widest part of the original.

Set the bead width near the middle and create the bead.

Taper from the bead back towards each end, and we are nearly there. Dont turn to final thickness yet in case the hole drilling goes astray and the holes are oversize.

The holes for the spindles are full of broken spindle ends and need cleaning out.

This tool is as ancient as it is useful.  No workshop should be without a hand brace and a set of augers.  No-one wants them anymore, so they are as cheap as chips at Sunday markets and garage/car boot (car trunk for our US cousins) sales.

They come in a variety of widths of the crank - the throw - the double of which is called the sweep.  This one has a small throw of around 3-1/2 to 4 inches.  So the crank, when wound, describes a circle of 7-8 inches - the sweep.  For tougher jobs there are braces with 10, 12 and even 14 inch sweeps.

These days we all use power drills, but there are times when a slow and precise re-drilling is needed

Re-drill the spindle holes in the seat.
I have chosen an auger bit that is slightly under the size of the original holes.  This leaves a small collar of residual timber that can be easily removed with a gouge.  Why not simply drill out all the waste in one hit - well, the auger bit may wander and the hole end up off centre.

The best gouge to use here is an incannel gouge, where the bevel is on the inside of the gouge and the curved back is straight all the way to the cutting edge.  This allows some precision in the gouges use.
These two lovely gouges were made in Tasmania by Titan - one of Australias best known and respected chisel makers from post World War 2.
Above, on the left - Titan incannel gouge, and on the right - Titan outcannel gouge.

Once all the holes in the seat have been cleaned out, it is time to tidy up the cresting rail.

All of the old dried glue has to be removed before the new spindles can be fitted.

The spindles are turned - down to the diameter of the originals - and then cut to length for fitting.

Here they are complete, except for final thicknessing and cutting to length.
The cleaned holes have exhibited some variations in diameter, so the spindles will be custom thicknessed to each hole.

The broken spindles are used as a length guide before final thicknessing and parting off.

I dont part off completely, but finish the job with a small saw.  This is a flush cut saw made by Veritas, but there are others.  It is useful because there is no set of the teeth on the left face of the saw blade, so it doesnt bind when cutting.

Fit the spindles and glue.

A coat of stain and a couple of coats of polyurethane, and we are done.

Voilà

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Best selling wood projects - Ukulele Orchestras And A Cappella

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Yes, I know, not necessarily woodwork but these are shared passions of mine - so bear with me.

It seems an age since my ukulele looked like this:

But it was finished - and is now showing all the signs of a well used instrument.

Sporting the tenor ukulele that I made earlier this year.

Ukulele nights and practice sessions are wonderful, but there is nothing like having to lay it all on the line in a public performance.

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has always been our inspiration.  Here they play one of the favourites of the group:

We wanted to include this number in our concert repertoire.

And so it came to pass last weekend, that the Ukulele Orchestra of Telegraph Point, and the Villages wonderful a-cappella choir, combined forces to present an afternoon concert at the Telegraph Point Village School of Arts.
The concert lasted around an hour and a half, and was well received.

I will admit to butterflies before the event, and a sense of relief and accomplishment afterwards.

It was fun to do, success acclaimed and mistakes laughed at - family and friends can be most forgiving - thank goodness.

It is one of the strengths of any community when we support and encourage each other.  People who know and respect each other are the building blocks for happiness in any society. I am glad that my home is in a living and growing society of friends, where all are valued and our differences celebrated.

I love this place.

If this kid keeps practicing, he might be as good as the Village Uke Group - ha ha.
Enjoy some more Yestyn Griffith ...

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Best selling wood projects - Happy Anniversary Day

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We call it Australia Day now - but according to Wiki...............

In 1888, all colonial capitals except Adelaide celebrated Anniversary Day. In 1910, South Australia adopted Australia Day,^[10] followed by Victoria in 1931.^[13] By 1935, all states of Australia were celebrating 26 January as Australia Day (although it was still known as Anniversary Day in New South Wales).^[10]

Whatever we call it - it is our 4th of July, our Bastille Day, our national day to celebrate our one-ness as the nation of Australia.  So happy Australia Day to all!

http://api.ning.com/files/0f615wLw7mk-g2V8jipuCmhOglNhnaZVUMDrhgNkVezNdZhEmHEJUE62Iz-Twel0mSC64Ex5UO4SbyROZv0mg2SvymkeyBya/GW_Australia_Day_Flag_Map.jpg

Twelve months ago, I highlighted the debt that we owe to past Australian tool manufacturers and the heritage that they have left us. See Oz Day 2012 

I thought that this year I would focus on one of our current woodworking tool manufacturers, and look a little more closely at his contribution to our craft.

HNT Gordon - Planemaker

Terry Gordon has been making planes in his Alstonville NSW workshop since the early 1990s and commenced trading in 1995.

He has always set for himself the highest of standards, and outlines these in his business principles:

Any plane we  make will be able to plane or scrape any wood without tearout 

We will only use high quality materials with a simple appropriate design to offer customers affordable quality in tools that will make your woodwork better. 

We have done considerable development work to learn how to harvest, dry and stabilise Australian hardwoods (in particular gidgee) to give give us a superior quality wood for plane making that has ever been used before.  In conjunction with this we have learnt how to combine this wood with brass using modern glues to enhance the function and life of some wooden planes.   As a consequence of this work we offer an unconditional guarantee on workmanship and materials without hesitation.

I have been using Terrys planes for many years, and have a fondness for them when using Australian hardwoods especially.

They are well suited to controlling tearout in these timbers, and leave an excellent finish.

Here is an HNT Gordon Trying plane - which is superb on a shooting board and excellent for board jointing.  I prefer it on shorter boards, but on very long boards I still reach for my Stanley Number 8.

Terry makes a range of Block, Jack and Smoothing Planes.  I have found that his work is so exact, that these planes all present with very fine mouths and take the finest of shavings.  To me, this makes them different varieties of smoothing planes, but of differing lengths.

Here is The HNT Gordon A55 Smoothing plane, and traditional Smoothing Plane.  Both are excellent - with wonderful blades and tight mouths to produce the whispiest of gossamer shavings.

This is Terrys Aussie Jack Plane, and it too is beautifully built.  It, too, takes the whispiest of fine shavings, and leaves a smooth finish.  It is, in my eyes, another smoother.  I use jack planes for thick shavings from an open mouth - so that the timber is removed quickly.  My Australian-made Carter number 5 is a great example of this, and far more useful as a Jack plane to me.

It is Terrys Shoulder Planes that really shine.  Here, the precise construction and fine engineering again give consummate control in relieving the shoulders of tenons and truing their faces.

From left to right - 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, 1 inch and 1-1/4 inches wide shoulder planes.  These are different examples of the same timber - Macassar Ebony.  Below, a side view.

The range of handplanes made by HNT Gordon is extensive, and these have been but a sampling.  All are works of the toolmakers art and are a pleasure to use.  Here is a broader  illustration of part of the range available from the planemakers own website:

http://www.hntgordon.com.au/africanblackwoodset.htm

And in Snakewood:

snakewoodsetno5.jpg

HNT Gordon also manufacture a variety of specialty planes suited to the cabinetmaker and to the master craftsman.

HNT Gordon Dado planes are a work of art, and contain an adjustable nicker that is as beautiful as it is effective

Add to these, hollows and rounds, snipe bill planes and side rebate planes, and the field is well covered.  Terry is also producing both male and female dovetail planes - coming soon.

The images above courtesy of HNT Gordon

So Happy Australia Day Terry, and on behalf of the woodworking community, thank you for what you have contributed to the world of woodworking, and to Australian woodworking in particular, where you are best known.

For the rest of us there is the singular pleasure of using HNT Gordon planes and other hand tools that enhance our chosen craft.

Happy Australia Day to all................

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Best selling wood projects - Repairing Broken Saw Handle Spurs

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Hand saws today are most commonly provided with a plastic handle, and a blade with hardened and non re-sharpenable teeth.  As a bonus, they are comparatively cheap, and have become a disposable commodity, to be discarded after they go blunt in use.  Their replacement is often just another throw-away saw to be discarded in its turn.

The handles are generally designed for a four finger grip, with the thumb on the opposing side.  These are ergonomically primitive, and can be a chore to use.  They lack the point-ability of the older three fingered grip - that allowed the forefinger to be placed beside the handle to create stability in the direction of the saws cut.

Occasionally, a company decides to take the issue of handle ergonomics seriously, and a contoured handle is produced to follow the curves and shapes of the operators hand.

Here is Bahcos effort in this regard, that has a detachable handle and interchangeable blades.  The handles, of necessity in this design, are dedicated right or left handed.  It is impossible for a left handed person to use the right handed version, and vice versa.   They are essentially a mirror image of each other.  With a solid  aluminium core, they are padded with a soft rubber compound for comfort in operation.
 Unless they are a sale item, however, they are expensive and even when on sale, they are not cheap.  Compared to a  traditional wooden handled saw, they are also heavy, but - in spite of this - they are still well balanced.
The handle is still a four fingered grip, and even though Im sure I could get used to it, this is not my preferred way of holding a saw handle.  Old habits die hard.

From time to time, a perfectly serviceable old-time handsaw comes along, that has had handle damage.  This is particularly true of older wooden handled saws from the golden age of hand tool manufacture.  They hold decided advantages over their modern equivalents in terms of price - and also because they are re-sharpenable.  They can be used with either left or right hand, and are an ergonomic delight.

The top and bottom spurs are essential for the accurate use of handsaws.  The bottom spur cushions the heel of the palm, and allows an easier sawing action by directing the thrust of the cut from the whole arm and shoulder.  Without a bottom spur, there is too much pressure placed on the hand grip, and fatigue sets in quickly.  The top spur cushions the web of the palm between thumb and fore-finger, and prevents the fingers from sliding up the grip and becoming cramped into the top of the handle.

I have always found it to be important to try saws for the fit to the hand, before deciding to buy.  The handles are a bit like gloves, they fit your hand - or they dont.  And a saw, without one or both of its spurs, is near unusable for any length of time.

This is the handle from an old Disston that has presented with a broken top spur.   Originally made from apple wood, the grip is as smooth as silk, and its position on the saw blade is exceptionally well balanced in use.  I dont have any apple wood, so a piece of Mackay Cedar was selected as a timber with suitable similar density and closeness of grain.  After cutting out the broken spur to create a squared surface, the block is glued in place with two part epoxy.  I have taken care to align the grain direction of the block with that of the handle.

Once the glued block has dried, it is time to sketch a suitable upper horn.  I tried two, and opted for the lower of them.  A quick rough cut on the bandsaw, and I am ready to start shaping with chisel, files and sandpaper.

The finished shaping now only awaits some stain - to help match the new timber with the old patina.

Of course, the finished saw is a joy to use, and cuts like a dream.  There is a warmth to old wooden handled tools that plastics simply cannot capture.  There is also the knowledge that other hands have held this saw, and that in some small tactile way we are sharing in the last 100 years of this saws history, and the lives of the men who have used it.

Pretty cool when you think about it - thats why I love using old tools.

“Things men have made with wakened hands, and put soft life into
are awake through years with transferred touch, and go on glowing
for long years.
And for this reason, some old things are lovely
warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them.”

See reference

............... and happy woodworking to all .................
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