Working plan: i

Showing posts with label i. Show all posts

Thursday, February 13, 2014

I Know What It Is The Question Is Why Does It Exist

The Mid-Summer Antique Expo at Heritage Park in Milton had its inaugural run today and my wife, our dog and myself attended. It wasn’t the greatest of days for wandering an outdoor antique fair.

Around 11 a.m. the temperatures hit 33°C (in English, that would be 91.5°F). Calculating in the humidity, which weatherman seem to love doing, it hit 41°C (again, in English, that would be 104.8°F). Think about this the next time one of your fellow Americans suggests driving up here in the middle of August to do a bit of skiing.

We lasted about a ⅓ of the way around the grounds before the heat did us in. Out of the three of us, only the dog seemed to be able to withstand the temperatures. Im not surprised, though. Almost every dealer was pushing a bowl of water at her; ignoring the hell out of my wife and I, but they just swooned over the dog. It was so bad, in fact, that she didnt touch the bottles of water we brought for her.

There were a few dealers that we did see that were selling some tools, but most of the offerings consisted of some very good Canadiana furnishings, carvings, signage and knick-knacks. While my wife scoured the tables for china and porcelain, I checked out what few tools I could see. I looked at a gutter plane made by Wallace, who made planes in Montreal, Canada between 1845 and 1858, and in Scotland before then. As was usual back then, Mrs. Wallace took over when Mr. Wallace passed away and she keep the business going until about 1885. Someone had refinished this example of their work, though, so it was worthless. For some reason one dealer I visited had a lot of Casey, Kitchel and Company planes on display, a plane maker I havent seen much of up here. From what I have read, this firm made a lot of planes in New York State between 1847 ad 1858, mostly using “convict labor”, as they were the company that held the contracts for this during that time. Casey and Kitchel eventually parted ways in 1858, with Casey starting the Auburn Tool Company and Kitchel fading away into obscurity. I would bet it was Casey that did the deal with the government for those contracts as it sounds like he was the “mover and shaker” between the two. Now there is a salesman I would like to hire. Imagine walking into the Department of Corrections back then and saying, “We want to contract for convict labor. We want to hand them sharp chisels to fashion wood and give them access to big files to fashion steel”. Man, would I like to have been a fly on the wall during that meeting.

So we left early and all I got for spending a few hours in the boiling sun depleting my bodily fluids was this cutter for use with an auger…

It wasnt what I had in mind going into the show, but I couldn’t think of going home empty handed. As we were heading for the exit I noticed it sitting forlorn and unloved on a dealers table, so I went to it, and when I saw it marked with the princely price of 15 bucks...I scooped it.

Ok, in truth, from a distance I thought it was a Stanley No.47 auger stop, so I moved in for the kill. Getting close enough to see what it was, my mind quickly switched from going in for the kill, to; what the hell is that?

I have seen similar items before, but not quite like this, and not for an auger. It’s maximum circumference is 3-inches, the minimum is 1¼-inches. As you can see from the photos, it pivots around a centre-point, and a cutter rotates around it removing material like a granny’s tooth would handle it, but this has the upright cast to the side of the blade, instead of the back of it.

The radius and depth adjustments are pretty simple, really. Loosen the wing nut and move the blade where you want it, move it, that is, if it doesn’t fall out and onto the floor first. I know that the shape of a wing nut can help to determine a rough manufacturing date, but damned if I can remember what shapes were around for what dates. If your looking for some fun, try researching it. In Google, I entered “timeline of a wing nut” and my biography popped up with a picture of me at birth. Go figure.

The photo above shows the shape of the wing nut and the stamping on the arm. It has the radius values rather crudely stamped, along with what appears to be “RCLF, Newark N.J., which would be the maker’s stamp. I wasnt surprised that I couldnt make out this makers mark. Makers marks are a dead give-away about the tools worth. They are like wine bottle labels. If the wine is good, the label design is brilliant. If it sucks, the label is so busy, it turns you into a jitterbugger before you even drink it. (For those that have lead protected lives, "jitterbugging" is a slang term for predominant shaking brought on by alcohol, or rather, the lack of it.)

This last photo also shows the “teeth” that hold the blade in position, or what is left of them. Seeing how badly they were beaten up in the dealers tent blew me away because I didn’t think this thing would have been used enough to incur any damage like this. Without a spur on the outer edge of the blade, how does this thing cut wood without tearing it? My first thought was that something was missing. Either it fit into something like a holesaw, or had another attachment that pre-cut a circle ahead of the horizontal blade digging in, but there isn’t any way to attach these things to it, so I figured it must be complete.

One day, when I have a scrap clamped to the table I’ll give this thing a whirl. To be honest, my expectations of it working are slim to none.

Until then, for the grandiose investment of 15 bucks, I’ll keep it on the shelf so it can remind me that junk for woodworkers has been around long before Pierre Omidyar wrote his first line of code for what became eBay.

Peace,

Mitchell

Updated Monday, July 25...
I Might Be Wrong...

Because Stephen has suggested in the comments that this little tool is for another purpose, I have created a line drawing of it to try and make its appearance clearing to everyone. I have set it off to Stephen to see if he still thinks it is a leather washer cutter. That one scares me because, with the cutting edge configuration, the only way I can think it would cut leather washers is if the hide is still on the cow.

Ill update again once I hear back from him.

Peace,

Mitchell

Updated Wednesday, July 27...

Stephen Shepherds reply...
Stephen Shepherd replied about the line-drawing stating he was more confused than ever. He thought it was a leather washer cutter, but realized that to work it, you would have to turn it in a counter-clockwise direction, so he wasnt sure about it.

Jim Bode of Jim Bode Tools...
Jim Bode also offered his opinion on this one, stating he thought it was a washer cutter that had been converted to chamfer the ends of dowels or posts, possibly to prep them for a hollow auger. He also said it, "wouldnt work for a hill of beans".

I did sharpen the blade and tried to take it for a test drive...Jims right...it sucks!

Peace,

Mitchell

Monday, February 10, 2014

Final Flooring Challenges Part I

So I decided it was time to really finish the bamboo floor. The floor itself has been down for a while, and we love it, but we have been living without transitions. Well, there was a transition from the hall to the bathroom, but it was a strip of blue painters tape. Not exactly "finished".

I used the manufacturers bamboo t-strip for the transition from the dining room to the kitchen. That went fine, especially when I switched from the electric cordless drill to a Yankee brace. Plenty of torque, loads of control, great "feel" and no split bamboo. Why did I try the Makita in the first place? Dope Slap number one!

The bathroom transition was more of a challenge. The bamboo in the hallway, and the vinyl in the bathroom were not level. The vinyl was 3/16th lower. If the t-strip does not sit level, evenly supported on both sides of the "t", it splits when you step on it. Hmm. My first thought was to plane the hall side down by 3/16th. But that would weaken the already thin top and also make the curved top asymmetrical. Hmm. I could shim the bath side, but it would be visible along the edge. And what did I have that was 3/16th thick? I actually started digging around for some thin birch ply...Dope Slap number two! I could just make what I needed.

I got out the resaw and cut what was basically some extra thick veneer from a piece of clear fir. Here it is laying on the bench cut side down:

The other side, with raking light, and you can clearly see the saw tracks. I flip the piece edge-for-edge as I resaw, allowing the existing kerf to guide the saw on the side away from me. Half-way down I flip the board end-for-end, and cut down until I reach the kerf coming in from the other end. This photo shows the middle of the stock, where my two cuts met. The small, raised triangle at the bottom was the last part to separate. It never got cut - it split off due to lateral pressure from the saw blade. As you can see from the tracks in the upper right, I was starting to wander off and when I twisted slightly to correct, the blade just popped the remaining connection.

After planing the strip smooth and to final thickness, I needed to glue it to the t-strip. The curved, slippery surface made this a bit of a challenge, but heres what I finally came up with. Its times like this that I am glad I built my bench without a front apron.

While waiting impatiently for the glue to dry, I took some "artsy" shots around the shop. Later, I had some fun turning them into computer "watercolor paintings". Geek Fun! (Youll probably need to click on these to get the full effect.)

Heres the finished t-strip. End view:

Side view (overhead angle):

And in place:

I really like it, and you have to get pretty close to see it, even when you know its there.

Next up, the border around the wood stove rock platform...

Making a Countertop Part I

Im making a countertop for an apartment makeover, and thought this would be a good opportunity for a how-to. There are two pieces to this - a peninsula and an L shaped section.

I start by rough trimming some laminate using laminate sheers. They are kind of a pain, but they cut safely with little tear to the laminate.

Ive started with the peninsula. I am using 3/4" particle board for the substrate. I cut the overall top piece, and add 3" wide strips on the underside. The strips give the top rigidity, and also build up the edges to 1 1/2" where we want it.
I want to start with all the finished edges first, so Ive trimmed out some oversized strips to apply. I will finish trim them later. I apply a layer of Wilsonart adhesive to the particle board, and also to the strip being applied, and let it dry completely. Note: I apply two coats to the edges, because the edges are more porous. The first coat, once dried, will put the second coat where I want it - on the surface and ready to hold the laminate in place!
Adhesive has to dry completely to work! You will know its dry when it is no longer a milky color.

The laminate Im using is a lighter color, but here it is applied to the end and trimmed.

Here is a closer look. I leave the edge strips overhanging, and will trim them flush with a trim router...

Here is the peninsula with all sides completed....

Now for the L shaped piece. Ive cut the top, and have applied the 3" build up strips on the underside. At this point, I would normally take this to the jobsite and scribe the wall side of the top to the wall itself, but in this case, I plan to make a 3/4" backsplash which will be installed on top of this countertop, hiding where it meets the wall, so there is no need to scribe. You can see that I leave the 3" strips on the wall side of the top about 1/2" from the edge - this would make scribing easier.

Applying the edges first...

Now I have cut the top piece of laminate, making it oversized also.

Here is a pic of the trim router in action. Note: the trim bit should be set just deep enough to cut to top laminate. If the bit is extended to far, it can chew into your side pieces. Trust me, you wont be happy when that happens!

Making progress on trimming the inside corner...

And here is the finished L shaped section! After the trimming is done, I use a power sander with 220 grit paper to smooth all the edges - just a quick pass will do it, and its a nice edge all around. Total time to make just this section was a little over 4 hours.

Coming up - the backsplashes and the installation.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

I have a question about proper terminology

I made a little vinyl logo for my sons lego case saying "handcrafted by Donald LeBlanc". I posted a video on Keek about it and another user brought up a good question. I used power tools to make the case and a vinyl cutting machine for the lettering. Is it really considered hand crafted? If that is not the proper term then what is? I am leaning towards "custom made".

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Finally I cut a piece of wood

I guess this is where the rubber hits the road, so-to-speak. I have spent some serious time and used up a lot of space explaining where Im headed so I guess it is time to start to deal with how I am getting there.

As I mentioned before, I chopped up the lengths of walnut at the hardwood yard into 37" pieces as this is the longest material I will need to build the frames and racks. I knew there is going to be some waste, but trying to haul a bunch of 8 long pieces of lumber in the back of a Mini just wasnt going to work. I got all the stock milled up using - ahem - power tools and I was ready to rock.

The first step on the agenda was to cut all the pieces to length for the framework for the left door. For this I used a Stanley 150 miter box and a disgusting 1980s vintage Disston 14" backsaw.

I know I have spoken quite a bit about my old man in this blog, but when you are working with tools that your father made his living with over his lifetime they take on some serious sentimental value. This old Stanley miter box wasnt his, but there is a connection.

When I was a kid around 10 or 12, I built what we called, hotrods. I built them out of scrap lumber I found, cutting up the pieces and nailing them together. I used lengths of pipe and cold rolled steel as axles held to the cross pieces with bent-over nails. A piece of 2x4 mounted to the so-called body by any bolt I could find served as steering and a rope and my feet served as controls. I used an old lawn mower engine mounted on the back which drove the rear live axle using a belt. Because the thing didnt have brakes, nor could I afford a clutch, I would set it up so the belt would slip if there was any serious resistance to forward motion. Putting my feet to the ground, pulling back on the rope and putting as much pressure on the ground as I could muster seemed to always get the thing stopped - eventually. Usually they didnt last long as they would shake apart in a matter of a day or two.

This type of miter box was exactly the same as what my dad used to cut trim work for the houses he built. Being a fuss-busket, I used it once to get all my cuts square on one of these hotrods I was building at the time. The build day was cut short on the account of rain and while I seemed to have stored everything else away properly, I guess, in an ADHD moment, I forgot to put the miter box away, leaving it out in the rain. I dont remember all of the particulars of the event but I sure do remember my father coming in one night after work holding a very ruined miter box in one hand and waving a fist at me with the other. Man, did I catch it, not only the day he found it with the wood base all twisted and some serious rust going on, but also the day he threw it in the trash, announcing that it was beyond saving. The funny thing is, I dont ever remember him replacing it so I have no idea what he used after that. He must have, but I never saw what he replaced it with. I guess he was afraid I would mess that one up too, so he hid it from me and over the years he forgot where he hid it.

Anyway, one day I was cruising eBay and came across the exact same miter box. Man, did that bring back memories. Of course I bought it, paying $15.00 for it, and if I remember right, $25.00 to get it shipped, but I didnt care. When it arrived and I unpacked it, I felt good. Not only was it the exact same article, it was in even better shape than I remembered his to be, this one being new/old stock with the hardware stores $15.75 price still marked on the base with a grease pencil. It took me almost 50 years, but I finally made that mistake right.

Back to the cabinet. I am cutting a 1/8" bead around each of the rack frames just to give a shadow line and give some definition. Once I got all the pieces cut to size I then ran the bead with my Ohio Tool beading plane. While I love this tool, I did make a huge mistake with it, but in my defense, it was the first one I ever held in my hands, let alone used.

When it arrived (another purchase from eBay), I took it apart and cleaned it using turpentine, rubbing it down with #0000 steelwool. I can hear the collectors groan as I write this but I will make no apologies. I cant see any craftsman worth his weight letting his tools get in the condition of some I have seen collectors drool over. To me, a tool is only worth anything if it is usable and to be usable it has to be clean, polished and sharp. Anyhow, the mistake I made was once I got it clean I gave it a couple of serious coats of wax, wedge and all. Trust me, I shant make that mistake again. I have tried cleaning the wedge with solvents a few times but when I wax something, I guess I really wax it. The tool works fine for a while but eventually the wax wins and the wedge looses its grip. Eventually, I hope to get it so it stays but for now, I have to live with my mistake.

With all the pieces that require a bead completed, I then brought the flat down level with the bottom of the bead using a #78 Stanley, another tool from my dads kit. To ensure that I dont damage the bead I used the plane to cut a rabbet along the length of a piece of scrap poplar the depth of the bead. I then clamp this to the walnut so it hides the bead and can be used as a guide to ensure the shoulder is square. This lightens up the look of the wood considerably and gives a clean line around the tool display, much like a frame.

I guess you have figured out that Im big on the aesthetics, no matter what I am building. This is one of the reasons I love old tools so much - they truly are pleasing to the eye. I wish I could afford British made tools because they had the look of a tool down to a fine art. In reality, I guess I could afford British tools, but its the shipping to get them over here that would break the bank. I wonder why that is, though - not the expensive shipping but the fact that their tools are so much prettier than ours.

I finished up all of the bead work, gave everything a good sanding with 80 grit, then 120 grit sandpaper, and now I am ready to cut all the dovetails to get this thing together.

I know some of you will look at these photos and think to yourselves, "What the devil is he working on?" Actually, it is some other companys answer to the Black and Decker WorkMate. Its junk, but remember, my shop is on my balcony and with patio furniture, barbecue and your wifes flower pots taking up a lot of room out there, you have to have something that is collapsable and storable so you get to work another day.

One other point before I close off. One of the main reasons for posting this blog is to get feedback from other woodworks. If you see something that I am doing wrong or just know a better way of doing it, I would greatly appreciate the help. It is only criticism if you dont offer up a better way of doing something so I hope you will be free with your comments.

Peace,

Mitchell