Blogging is a way for me to document what I do. Ideally, I try and write one blog a week. The woodworking gets done and the photos get taken but then uploading the photos and thinking what to write and personal life can slow down the the updates. I am quite back logged. As such, this blog is just an overview of work I've done and finished. Future blogs will have the details of the various projects.
Breadbox
My wife wanted me to make a breadbox. She wanted it to be able to fit both French bread and normal loaf bread at the same time. Technically, its' my own design but it was heavily influenced by a mission style nightstand I had finished a few years ago from a set of plans I purchased. The floating bottom came from a box design I saw online but I don't recall whose it was. It's made out of cherry and maple and finished with shellac (garnet on cherry; blond on maple). I've very happy with it.
Roubo Frame Saw
At some point I really want to purchase a bandsaw, mostly because I dislike resawing wood by hand though I do it if needed. This saw was a stop gap (or maybe it will be enough and I won't get a bandsaw). The saw hardware was from Blackburn tools and was a Christmas gift from my wife two years ago. I used spalted ash for the frame that was basically a four foot long 2 x 8. It took a lot of work to make it by hand but I am very proud with how it turned out. Still need to find an excuse to resaw something with it.
Bench dogs
My workbench has square bench dogs. I purchased three sets when I bought the bench. I don't need any more really but I wanted to fill all the holes. Turned out I had a bunch of small scrap cherry that was destined to be used a BBQ wood. As such, I made the remaining bench dogs. I even made a bench dog and fashioned in onto the end of a magnifying lamp light I had received as a gift a few years ago. Happy with how the bench dogs came out and I was upcycling wood I would have used in a BBQ.
Wooden Spokeshave
A little over two years ago I was at a hand tool show. Ron Hock was there. Very nice gentlemen. Enjoyed talking to him. Fort Bragg is close to where I live and the show was close to him. As such, I bought the bubinga spokeshave kit he sells. Using his plans, as well as looking online for designs, I made a spokeshave. I was quite happy with the way it turned out. It cuts really well. I'm mostly used to working with a Stanley 151 style so this will make a nice addition to my tools. Also, I think there is something special about making your own tools.
Small Father's Day Box
For my dad, I often will make a small box to house the gift. He loves the boxes and it brings me great joy to see him happy. I try and make each box open up differently. For this one, I have the box open on a pivot. The lid didn't work quite like I had imagined (screw should have gone on the end and not in the center; live and learn) it in my mind and I had an ugly gap hence the maple on top. As for the "gift", I found a mini brass anvil that looks to be nickel plated. I've been giving him miniature tools as gifts and he loves them. Box is made from cherry and finished with shellac.
Modification to a new Speak & Jackson Saw
I consider Paul Sellers to be my primary teacher. I have learned so much from him and will be forever grateful for what I learned in his online classes. One of the saws he advocates is the new Speak and Jackson saw that is resharpenable. The saw handle that comes it with it is typical of new saws - ugly and uncomfortable. Paul Sellers has outlined in a few blogs how he modified one of them. Using what he showed, I modified the handle. I am very happy with how it came up.
Speaking of confident. Carefully reading Paul Seller's Essential Handtools book, I resharpened this saw from cross cut to rip cut. Paul did an excellent job of providing the step by step process in the book as well as some simple "jigs" to help beginners. I ended up doing this saw and two others and am starting to feel confident about my personal ability to sharpen my own saw. Thank you Paul for teaching me this skill.
Shaker Chimney Cabinet
Before I even started woodworking, I had been reading Fine Woodworking. I fell in love with Mike Pekovich's rendition of the classic Shaker chimney cupboard cabinet (Fine Woodworking Issue #232, Mar/Apr 2013). I just started cutting the cherry wood to dimension. This will keep me busy for many months. I've very excited to make this. It's my most ambitious project to date.
Limbert Bookcase #355
This one is in the batter box. Planning to order the wood in a month or two (have to save up). Likely will make in mahogany but walnut is another possibility. Leaning towards mahogany as I haven't worked with it so it's an opportunity to try a different wood with my had tools.
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