Community

Community

I live in a community where it doesn't take long for folks to know what you do. This can be good or bad depending on what you like. My local library has been very supportive of what I do. Local libraries are still a wealth of community information. They know what's going on and they get to know the people and their families.
Yesterday my son and I went to our local library. The lady behind the counter told me that they just received a donation of magazines and wondered if I would like them. They couldn't use them and thought of me.
The magazines are mostly fine home building with some fine woodworking magazines mixed in.

Fantastic' I collect fine woodworking magazines. There's a few I need. I'll pay it forward and donate the others that I don't need or collect. In the past my local library has given me lumber from bookshelves they no longer needed, material from a table. All solid oak that I've re purposed and used in projects.
The internet can't do that'
Community'

As always - Thanks for  following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Vintage Stanley: The Sequel

Vintage Stanley. The sequel

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
I picked up a vintage Stanley # 700 corner clamp yesterday for just a few dollars. I don't need another clamp in the shop but this one was hard to resist. It's a perfect clamp to take to a job site.

Stanley began selling vises in 1911 after it purchased the Philip J. Leavens "Jersey" vise business in Vineland, New Jersey1 The Leavens vises were small, bench vises with jaw widths of 1½ inches to 3 inches. Jersey vises were more of a mechanics-style vise than a woodworker's vise.

In the late 1920s, Stanley saw a need for a small woodworker's vise that was light and portable, allowing a carpenter to carry it from job to job. The Stanley Model Shop was charged with the mission to create such a vise. Christian Bodmer, one of Stanley's mechanical engineers with many tool patents, filed a patent with the United States Patent Office on December 17, 1927, for the woodworker's vise that would become known as the no# 700 series.

My particular vise was made between 1950 - 1967. It has 4 - 5/8" jaws that open and clamp on both sides. The 'L' shape. This vise is made out of cast iron. Later vises were made out of aluminum. The vise works great. There's a little rust but the parts move and function well. I'll clean it up with some rust remover and lubricant. The jaws have hardboard or leather pads on them, it's hard to tell right now.

As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Merry Christmas

I would like to take a moment and wish all of you a very merry Christmas.

I'd like to thank everyone involved in creating the show for their part in making it grow and become more successful.  To the good folks at Rhode Island PBS.  To UCTV for jumping in and producing the show.  To the great musicians who's tracks you hear throughout each episdoe.  To the other makers and artist who inspire my work.  To the people and corporations who have sponsored and generously donated product to the show,  and especially to the folks who watch and follow.
Thank you, and merry Christmas'

Be safe'
Peace
Steve

Vintage Stanley

Yesterday I visited a local antique store where I purchased this beautiful vintage Stanley #81 scraper.  This is a nickel plated and fancier version of the #80.  It has a captive pivoting lever cap that is activated by a thumb screw to secure the blade in place.  The scraper has a rosewood sole screwed to the bottom.  This scraper was produced in the early 1900's and continued through to the 1940's.  The wood bottom was offered for the finest scraping, where wood on wood is thought to be preferable by some.  The tool also has holes in the handle to conveniently hang it out of the way when not in use.  I can't wait to use this on the next project.  For now it has a home in my cabinet next to my #80.

As always - Thanks for following

Be safe and be creative

Steve

That's a wrap

That's a wrap'

Before I build a project I like to draw out the project, as best as I can, full scale. The drawings don't have to be artist quality renderings, just legible enough that they make sense and help me construct the project. When you do a drawing you are mentally building the project in your mind. By doing so you can foresee any problems you might encounter along the way, saving you valuable material costs.

Your drawings don't have to be on architect blueprint paper. I use Kraft paper which is pretty reasonably priced at most stores.
If you happen to live near an IKEA you can get it for free at the checkout'

Another reason I love Christmas is because of the wrapping paper. Well - actually I love the day after Christmas, known as boxing day in my old neck of the woods. It's the day when everything Christmas goes on sale. Especially the wrapping paper. See - on the back of most wrapping paper is a scale grid comprised of inches. This stuff is perfect for drawing full scale projects on. If you do scaled drawings for your projects then buy up the wrapping paper when it's on sale.

Happy wrapping and happy drawing
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Finish

I put a coat of oil on the table top today. I couldn't bring myself to sanding and removing the chatter marks on the table top left by the scraper. My son did the hard work of scraping the top level.

The marks are now part of the history of the table.

I love how the old finish and the oil blended together to create a fantastic color/patina. The boards are poplar. I think I'll eventually paint the base white, which will be a nice contrast to the caramel colored top. I'll give the top a day to dry completely from the oil and then buff in a thin coat of wax.

I'll be making a e top chest for the next episode.

As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Round and around

Round and around'

My young apprentice never knows when to call it quits.
Here he is in his pajamas working late on the table.
My son Quinn was using an old Stanley #80 scraper to take the finish off of the top.
I think I might have to increase his allowance if he keeps up with this work ethic.

We are removing the top coat on the table top and then adding a coat of oil and wax on it.

I'm making a coopered top small chest for the next project of the show.

As always - thanks for following
Be safe and be creative.
Best
Steve

Get real'

Hey check this out'

The Real Gone, a surf rock band based out of Chicago has a new album out. Check out the first song on it. ' The Garage '
The band wrote the song for the show and we should have it edited into a new episode soon. The guys have been great to work with, and I really appreciate their efforts. Give a listen to the song and the others on their new album. I'm proud to include them in the show. So far they are in good company with the Psycho Devilles and The Ventures. My heart felt thanks goes out to the band.

As always - Thanks for watching and following - And Listening''
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

http://therealgone.bandcamp.com/

The Real Gone, by

In the can'

Well - We finished shooting another episode today.
We wrapped up the cafe table so, as they say - another one in the can. This was a fun project too make. I made a simple circle cutting jig for the router and cut the table top out of the glued up poplar shelves. I think I'll paint the base white and scuff sand the top and then give it a coat of oil.

As always - Thanks for
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

following

'Oh The Circle.... Is '

Almost complete.' All that is left to do to complete the cafe table is to cut out the round table top. I glued together the shelves from the bookcase I got from the local library to form a solid plank. I turned the board over and attached a home made circle cutting jig for the router. You can buy circle cutting jigs but it's easy to make your own. All you have to do is cut a piece of plywood ( I used 1/2" thick ply ), drill a hole for the router bit to fit through, and attach the router base.

In my case I'm using my Bosch plunge router, but you can use any router, plunge or fixed. You simply measure the center of the bit and then measure the distance away from it. I am cutting a 26" inch circle so I measured half of that distance, 13 inches.
I drilled a small hole at that point and attached a screw. I screwed the circle jig in the center of my boards and then I'll rotate the router around the screw point. Increase the depth of the bit each turn until you cut through your boards. It doesn't get any easier.

As always - Thanks for
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

following.

Uxbridge First night

On Saturday it  was my towns Santa parade and first night festival.
It's a fun event for us. After the parade the kids ( and parents ) line up at the fire house waiting to visit Santa. The first night committee painted and decorated the toy box I donated. It came out really well, but I apologize for the shaky image. It was difficult to get a clear shot of it.

Also - We walked past Lynch's package store. they had decorated it for the festival, even the planter boxes I made for them. Lynch's commissioned me to replace the old boxes on the building. I used the planter box as a project for the show. It was nice to see them being used this time of year.

As always - Thanks for  following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Fine furnishings

On Sunday morning we went to the fine furnishings show in Pawtucket, RI.

The fine furnishings show is an annual show showcasing American made handcrafted furniture and accessories.
I love going to this show. I get very inspired by the pieces I see.

Some are more traditional than others and some are very funky.
For the artists and craftspeople involved it gives them a chance to sell their work and maybe get a commission. It also gives them a chance to see and talk to like minded people. Most artisans work alone in their workshops or studios so the show offers them a chance to see what others are doing and creating.

I enjoyed talking to fellow furniture makers. I couldn't wait to get home and make'. I've attached some images of work from the show

As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative.
Best
Steve

WAM

Yesterday was a fun creative day. I'm ambivalent about big box stores. I'm neither for or against them. I do prefer to give my business and money to a local, neighborhood mom and pop store. However - because of the volume of business a big box store does enables them to offer some things a smaller business can't.

Each first Saturday of the month the Home Depot offers kids workshops for free. The kids get an apron, a badge with an image of the workshop project on it, a certificate of completion, and a finished project.
Yesterday we headed off to the workshop at 9 AM. It only takes an hour to complete the project but what a great way to spend some quality time with your child. And - it's free. These workshops occur at every Home Depot in the nation at the same time. We purposely went to a Home Depot further from our house so we could enjoy a country road drive.
Yesterday my son made a military style jet in honor of veterans day. It came with decals from each service.

After the workshop we drove the country roads and headed to the Worcester Art Museum. Each first Saturday of the month the Worcester Art Museum has free admission. Not bad considering that the regular adult ticket is $14. If you've never been to the WAM you should go. It's a first rate museum. My son loves the collection of armor they have. The knights exhibit even has the real Batman dark knight costume. I always look at the collection in the Americana exhibit. The period furniture is so well crafted and beautiful, I'm in awe at what was achieved.

There's an exhibit by a Moroccan artist that I fell in love with. His recreation of a vernacular Moroccan salon is fantastic. I love high end furniture like the pieces in the Americana exhibit but I also love pieces that are simple and made out of necessity. There's a different beauty to them. The ordinary is made extraordinary.
As is the case in the salon. Flour bags are made into beautiful pillows that sit on coca-cola crates, creating a sofa. Paint cans and buckets are made into beautiful stools and seats, adorned with cushions of Moroccan patterns. I could feel the sense of pride the maker must have had when he finished. He had to be resourceful due to economy and finances and yet he created a beautiful place for his family.

After our trip to the museum we went out for lunch. Our creative venture started at 9 AM with a visit to our local library. We finally got back home sometime past 2 PM. What a great day we had. We all had fun. The drive was like a Sunday dinner at the dining table. It allowed us to talk to each other and catch up. I - like the salon artist at the museum had a great sense of pride. Because of economy we have to be resourceful, we created a fantastic day for ourselves, and all for free.

As always - Thanks for  following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

A new home

One of the Shaker benches I made for the show has a new home.
My good friend Glenn and his family wanted it so I delivered it to his house in Providence, RI today.
The bench is unfinished. I'm not sure if Glenn will paint it or just put a urethane topcoat on it.
The bench will stay on the back porch. I took this picture and sent it to Glenn when I got home. He had no idea I was delivering it today. He informed me that the cooler on the porch was full of beer. Timing is everything''
Oh well - next time'
As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve

Planes and mallets

I'm making a mallet and a hand plane. The mallet is pretty straight forward too make. The wooden hand plane is modeled after the type cabinet maker James Krenov made popular in his book 'A Cabinet Makers Notebook'

The plane is made by cutting a block like a sandwich on the band saw. You then take out the center piece and cut two sections. One section is cut at 45 degrees and the other is cut at 62 degrees. The center piece is used to make a wedge that will hold the plane blade in place. Before we glue the sides back onto the center pieces you have to drill holes to allow for the dowel rod we'll use. The rod holds the wedge in place, which then holds the blade in place. The 45 degree wedge gets a slot cut into to accommodate the cap screw of the metal chip breaker that attaches to the blade.

This is a quick explanation I know, there's a little more to it but all in all it's not that difficult to make your own hand plane. I then use the mallet I made to adjust the plane. This style hand plane is adjusted by tapping the back of the plane to loosen and retract the blade, and by tapping the top front of the plane to move the blade forward.
I love using a tool I made with my own hands, and then use it to make a piece of furniture.
Awesome'

As always - Thanks for following
Be safe and be creative
Best
Steve