MadModder
The Shop => Wood & Stuff => Topic started by: one_rod on November 16, 2009, 05:14:00 PM
-
I don't really like woodwork, and don't consider myself much good at it.
Unfortunately the crumbling, victorian money pit that we call home has needed rather a lot of wood repairs over the years. The budget simply does not stretch to paying someone else to do it, so I've had to learn.
The one upside of this is that old woodworking tools can become a bit of a fascination in their own right. It started with realizing that those tatty old chisels going for pennies on the car boot sale are actually better quality than the modern ones.
I have never paid more than a pound for one and they usually look something like this when I get them.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/4107091170_638c36da37_o.jpg)
But a bit of TLC soon gets them into shape and ready for work.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2594/4107091450_a4d07fe130_o.jpg)
It's what I need really, another hobby. ::) Just don't get me started about old planes....
one_rod.
-
Well one has to ask,
How do you clean them up so well .......... I think we deserve more :whip:
-
Good work - recycling at its best. You can't beat taking something old and grotty and transforming it into good as new condition, or better than new. Very satisfying. So have you a collection of planes as well?
-
Good job there. Marples pre-Irwin are Sheffield more than likely and you should be able to put a "scary sharp" edge on them. Pics of the planes please.
-
Nuthin wrong with that.
Keep a couple of old chisels in my ute for general butchering duties on site. Cant make out who made em, but they look as old as me.
One of them I found in a wall cavity whilst helping out on a mates reno project. Dont care if they get knocked around, just resharpen and go again.
-
If the rust doesn't come off after 10 seconds of scrubbing with steel wool, it was meant to stay there. (Other wise known I'm just lazy) :lol: Nice looking set of chisels. They look brand new now.
-
Well one has to ask,
How do you clean them up so well .......... I think we deserve more :whip:
OK then.
The blades are quite easy. Wet-and-dry paper wrapped around a stick gets the rust off and gives a nice smooth finish on the top of the blade, the underside has to be kept very flat, or the chisel will never sharpen properly. So I draw-file it and then finish on a bench stone. I wet grind the main bevel, hone the secondary bevel on an oil stone, and then strop on leather until it's sharp enough to cleanly shave the hairs on my forearm. (Shaving forearm hair seems to be some kind of universal standard measure of sharpness for edged tools....)
The handles can take a little longer. Scrape the worst of the old paint, filler and general cack off with the back edge of a hacksaw blade. Then scrub the whole of the handle with wire wool to a nice, even, matt finish. Polish with Brasso, then buff hard with a soft, dry cloth. I'm not fanatical about finish, these are working tools after all, but I think it's worth putting a bit of time and effort into getting them looking decent.
.......So have you a collection of planes as well?
Used to have a rather nice collection of Beech wood planes, varying in size from a monster 24" jointer to tiny block planes. Again all from boot sales or junk shops, all nicely restored, and with irons sharp enough to shave with.
As the worlds least enthusiastic woodworker, even I have to admit that a properly tuned, wooden bodied plane is a delight to use, compared to a modern metal one.
I leant the whole lot to a friend to use as props for a photographic project. They were in the back of his car when it got stolen, crashed and set on fire.
He was pretty miffed about losing his Subaru that way. I was absolutely gutted about losing those planes.
one_rod.
-
I was absolutely gutted about losing those planes.
Rightly so :bugeye: ............. nice job on the chisels though, I use a wet grinder too, gives a good finish on the chisels and they end up pretty sharp :med:
I suppose the insurance on the scoobydoo doesn't cover the planes ...... which were probably worth far more than the motor :poke:
CC
-
I'll bet you were gutted Rod,
I once lent a very nice air rifle to a friend which was stolen out of his car .....
-
Very nice!
The guy that sits behind me at work gets these Japanese wood working catalogs.... 1st, WOW, those tools in their own right are works of art. 2nd Damn they are expensive...
Eric