Proud of my Wood

caduceus · Sep 15, 2013

After I retired this June I visited a local 4th of July Swap Meet and found a couple of old wooden hand planes that looked promising. The first two pictures are what they were when I bought them. The last three are what they are today. I've worked with wood for longer than I've worked with bicycles.

2door · Sep 15, 2013

Lovely work, sir. Working with wood must be a satisfying past time. It looks as if the wood responds to love and it shows in your work. Thanks for sharing.

Approximately how many hours do you have in those restorations?

Tom

caduceus · Sep 15, 2013

A few more pictures of different woodworking projects I've undertaken in the last year or so. With the Long Winters around Frostbite Falls, I work on wood most of the time. the Hand Plane was one that was left behind in my Grandfather's shop years ago. I made a new handle and repaired the body and refinished it.

The Inlaid Jewelry Box is one of a pair I made in exchange for a large piece of Ebony. The guitar project stopped last spring due to accumulated errors being too great to overcome. This winter I've more time and a lot more knowledge of what not to do. Hopefully, this winter's project will be another guitar.

The guitar body and neck are to be of white oak, sound board of Sitka Spruce and the bindings and overlays of ebony. I want a slotted peghead, but I also would like to have a twelve string. So sometime soon, when the garage cleanout is finished, I'll have to decide.

caduceus · Sep 15, 2013

2door said:
Lovely work, sir. Working with wood must be a satisfying past time. It looks as if the wood responds to love and it shows in your work. Thanks for sharing.

Approximately how many hours do you have in those restorations?

Tom

Thanks for your comment! I got through both of them in two weeks. I'm not sure about the hours.

fasteddy · Sep 16, 2013

Very nice work sir. The jewelry box is especially nice. Marquetry or did you glue up each piece and make a solid top?

When I retired I sold off all my antique wood working hand tools that I had acquired over the years to a chap who had retired and was going to spend his retirement years restoring antique furniture. It was like selling off old friends with who I had covered many miles of lumber but they had found a good home and were going to continue to be used for what I had used them for.

Like yours most came from auctions, yard sales, antique shops and gifts from people who had no use for their grandfathers tools but wanted to send them on to a good home. Most were well used and much loved and took considerable time to get back into working order.

So nice to see someone else restoring tools as well.

Steve.

caduceus · Sep 16, 2013

So few people understand tools. My first career was in Mechanics. And my first real job as a mechanic was an apprenticeship in an ASE certified shop where I made 40% of the labor that I billed, at that time shop rate was $17/hour. So I learned to make money by rebuilding instead of replacing, working on more than one job at a time, working as accurately as possible, and learning how to use and love tools.

There's something about old neglected tools that makes me want to restore them to new, or at least usable condition.

The jewelry box was carefully sawing and edge gluing strips of wood into a sheet, then cross cutting strips from the sheet at 30 degrees, end turning them and edge gluing them again. Then laminate it to a backer.

fasteddy · Sep 16, 2013

I find that so many of the young men today don't have the slightest interest in tools. If it's electronic and has a screen their into it but to repair something or make something, no interest at all. They need to bring work shops back into schools.

In the late 70's when I lived in Ontario I used to go over the border to upstate N.Y. to buy antique furniture. One shop I stopped at had just purchased the entire contents of a boat building company that was over 125 years old. They were on the St Lawrence River.
There were over 3,000 wooden planes of all descriptions. A huge selection of molding planes both single and multi blade. Your choice for $3.50 a piece for the single blades and up to $10 for the multi bladed ones. In the end I had 3 carpenters chests full and a rather large bank loan.

When I was 14 I was working after school for an antique furniture restorer who I'd followed to his house because he was driving a 1937 Ford pick up with a large piece of furniture in it. I was far more interested in the truck and thank Heavens he didn't travel very fast because by the time we got to where he was going I was beat from riding my bike. He talked me into coming to work for him nights and weekends. Odd thing was about a year later my parents bought a house 4 doors away from where he lived and that made things a lot easier. They had no idea that, that was were I worked when they bought the house.

The pay was 35 cents an hour in 1957. Soda pop was 10 cents a bottle and candy was a penny a piece so I made out like a thief in the night with that kind of money.

He retired about the same time that my interests moved on to the girl across the street and cars.

Steve.

caduceus · Sep 16, 2013

Three thousand handplanes for sale anywhere would put me into complete sensory overload, and probably just like you a trip to the bank.

I've been playing around with my CorelCad program drawing up some sash planes I'm thinking about making. Drawing them up on that is easy because I can then rotate the profile to face on to get the exact dimensions for the iron.

In reality, it'll be cheaper and quicker to just buy a couple of new router bits to do the job.

I'm debating with my wife right now about either rebuilding or replacing a bunch of windows in our house. Get the Saws, routers and hand planes out or spend several hundred bucks apiece to replace the entire windows. More on that as the fall progresses!

fasteddy · Sep 17, 2013

caduseus.

I used to buy a lot of furniture that needed repairs that no one else would touch and a lot of the dealers looked after me if I wanted something. This dealer came out of one of the buildings when I pulled in and called me over saying that he had something to show me. There was shelf after shelf of these planes in seemingly endless rows from the floor to eye level. There were tables full of the bigger planes and when he had no more room there were boxes of planes on the floor under the tables.
I spent most of the day picking out what I wanted and then he gave me a lot price and we carried the boxes over to his workshop and he kept them until I got a loan to pay for them.
For a wood worker trying to match old molding or make new ones it was a once in a life time chance and I was the first one to see them. It was mind numbing to see all of them in one place at one time. they didn't last long and within a month even the dregs were gone.

On par with the mint 1932 roadster that you happened across in a barn and being told it was your if you wanted it for $500 and they would wait until you found the money.

Two hundred dollars a window isn't cheap and then there is the immense pleasure of casually mentioning that you built the windows yourself, by hand. Of course making the planes to do the job usually makes their eyes dance around in their socket like two marbles in a cake tin. Priceless!

Steve.

caduceus · Sep 17, 2013

fasteddy said:
caduseus.

I used to buy a lot of furniture that needed repairs that no one else would touch and a lot of the dealers looked after me if I wanted something. This dealer came out of one of the buildings when I pulled in and called me over saying that he had something to show me. There was shelf after shelf of these planes in seemingly endless rows from the floor to eye level. There were tables full of the bigger planes and when he had no more room there were boxes of planes on the floor under the tables.
I spent most of the day picking out what I wanted and then he gave me a lot price and we carried the boxes over to his workshop and he kept them until I got a loan to pay for them.
For a wood worker trying to match old molding or make new ones it was a once in a life time chance and I was the first one to see them. It was mind numbing to see all of them in one place at one time. they didn't last long and within a month even the dregs were gone.

On par with the mint 1932 roadster that you happened across in a barn and being told it was your if you wanted it for $500 and they would wait until you found the money.

Two hundred dollars a window isn't cheap and then there is the immense pleasure of casually mentioning that you built the windows yourself, by hand. Of course making the planes to do the job usually makes their eyes dance around in their socket like two marbles in a cake tin. Priceless!

Steve.

That's the truth! Like when I park the Auffenauger anywhere and some guy comes up and asks where I got the neat antique bike. There's cool, then there's I made it myself cool.

Allen_Wrench · Sep 17, 2013

caduceus said:
The guitar body and neck are to be of white oak, sound board of Sitka Spruce and the bindings and overlays of ebony...

I have a fondness for handmade guitars. When finished, could you maybe find a way to post a recording of it being played? I will listen.

And I know how you feel about tools. Nearly half of mine I inherited from my grandfather. Some, like the brace and bits, are nearly a hundred years old (they were HIS dad's). They stay clean; they stay oiled; they don't rest much. I have a very controversial opinion: museums are for either worn-out old things, or broken old things. If the '35 Duesenberg runs and operates safely, why let it sit and rot? Same with tools, I think. My hand drills work great. Sure, I have a lithium-ion drill, but sometimes I have to charge it. Sometimes it feels heavy. Sometimes I just FEEL like using a good hand-tool. I've also got antique knives you can shave with.

buba · Sep 18, 2013

caduseus

love the old wood working tools as well---
guitars--
for more than six strings check out www.harpguitars.net
players say once you play more than six strings you never want to go back listen to some of the players music from the harp guitar gatherings -- you will never want to listen to anything else!!!!

kind of like your first china girl??? --what changes come next???

caduceus · Sep 18, 2013

buba said:
caduseus

love the old wood working tools as well---
guitars--
for more than six strings check out www.harpguitars.net
players say once you play more than six strings you never want to go back listen to some of the players music from the harp guitar gatherings -- you will never want to listen to anything else!!!!

kind of like your first china girl??? --what changes come next???

The reason I'm thinking 12 strings is because I watched a video of Roger Mcguinn playing the old Byrds hit Turn Turn Turn. The twelve string made his riffs and flourishes stand out in a way that's impossible with six strings. Also, I've got five guitars in the house already (and a cheapie knock-around in the garage) so I don't really need another six-string unless I make a baritone guitar or an 8-string. I'll have to check out the harp guitars, but the group I'm with right now just needs someone to play six-string acoustic to back their coming Christmas CD.

caduceus · Oct 30, 2013

More wood projects, my daughter talked me into making some little presentation boxes for a craft sale next weekend. I had a lot of cut-off ends of various hardwoods and have come up with a dozen boxes so far. I've two more that ought to be ready by the sale time. Any money made I plan to set aside for the eventual purchase of a metal lathe.

Intrepid Wheelwoman · Oct 30, 2013

Those boxes are beautiful caduceus. My own woodwork skills are only basic at best unfortunately

silverbear · Oct 30, 2013

One of my grandfathers was a cabinet maker and put himself through medical school that way. I inherited a couple of his toolboxes which were loaded with different kinds of molding planes and a Stanley 55 multi plane and also a 45 multi plane. I used to study my fine wood working magazines and taught myself how to sharpen the edges properly. My grandfather passed over when I was little, five or so, but when I would use his planes while making frames for stained glass windows and such I felt a wonderful connection with him through the tool itself as if we were both using it, just taking turns. And to work in a shop with a fire in the wood stove, snow falling outside the window and the only sound being the 'snick' of a long shaving curling and eventually falling to the floor, to be followed by another and another. There's nothing quite like it. I sometimes felt very strongly that my grandfather was there in the shop with me in spirit. I'd like to think so.

I passed almost all of my hand tools on to my sons who professed appreciation at the time they were received. But I don't think any of the tools are used. They like things that run on electricity and do jobs quickly. And I think they like noise.

There used to be a program on public television called The Woodwright's Shop. I so much enjoyed that... perhaps not the fine work that precision tools do, but even a foot powered lathe, draw-knives and wooden planes get the jobs done with their own kind of elegance. My own preference is for things made with dovetails cut by hand, mortise and tenon and simple wood joinery with trenails and such. Careful, frontier carpentry, if you will.

I was never much fond of church as a child and turned my attention to the wood working and the stained glass windows... many Sunday mornings were made bearable by such beauty to stare at and try to understand. I got something out of church anyway...

Wood is good. (A short poem.)
SB

caduceus · Oct 30, 2013

silverbear said:
One of my grandfathers was a cabinet maker and put himself through medical school that way. I inherited a couple of his toolboxes which were loaded with different kinds of molding planes and a Stanley 55 multi plane and also a 45 multi plane. I used to study my fine wood working magazines and taught myself how to sharpen the edges properly. My grandfather passed over when I was little, five or so, but when I would use his planes while making frames for stained glass windows and such I felt a wonderful connection with him through the tool itself as if we were both using it, just taking turns. And to work in a shop with a fire in the wood stove, snow falling outside the window and the only sound being the 'snick' of a long shaving curling and eventually falling to the floor, to be followed by another and another. There's nothing quite like it. I sometimes felt very strongly that my grandfather was there in the shop with me in spirit. I'd like to think so.

I passed almost all of my hand tools on to my sons who professed appreciation at the time they were received. But I don't think any of the tools are used. They like things that run on electricity and do jobs quickly. And I think they like noise.

There used to be a program on public television called The Woodwright's Shop. I so much enjoyed that... perhaps not the fine work that precision tools do, but even a foot powered lathe, draw-knives and wooden planes get the jobs done with their own kind of elegance. My own preference is for things made with dovetails cut by hand, mortise and tenon and simple wood joinery with trenails and such. Careful, frontier carpentry, if you will.

I was never much fond of church as a child and turned my attention to the wood working and the stained glass windows... many Sunday mornings were made bearable by such beauty to stare at and try to understand. I got something out of church anyway...

Wood is good. (A short poem.)
SB

I used to watch Roy Underhill in his Woodwright's shop a lot. I use hand planes and scrapers to trim and fit a lot of my inlay work, and I have two egg-beater type hand drills that I use to predrill screw holes for these little tiny hinges and catches I use on boxes. I also use power tools when needed, particularly my bandsaw, drill press and thickness sander. I have an old Stanley 45 hand plane that I someday hope to restore to usable condition and I'd love to get my hands on a 55.
-Woody

Allen_Wrench · Nov 8, 2013

Using power tools is okay, if my wife wants something done *today*. But when I use hand tools, I feel more "in touch" with what I'm working on. It's kinda like when I used to won a Datsun 260Z. It had power nothing. Even the choke was manual. That car was a temperamental cuss. But it was fast. And I could feel the road, feel the wheels gripping, feel how quickly the brakes were stopping me. I could do bootlegger's turns in it. Hand tools feel like that. You don't feel so far away from the wood or metal that you're working on. I like that.

caduceus · Nov 11, 2013

Allen_Wrench said:
Using power tools is okay, if my wife wants something done *today*. But when I use hand tools, I feel more "in touch" with what I'm working on. It's kinda like when I used to won a Datsun 260Z. It had power nothing. Even the choke was manual. That car was a temperamental cuss. But it was fast. And I could feel the road, feel the wheels gripping, feel how quickly the brakes were stopping me. I could do bootlegger's turns in it. Hand tools feel like that. You don't feel so far away from the wood or metal that you're working on. I like that.

Gawd! A 260Z! I worked on a ton of Datsun 240 and 260Zs. Twin Skinner's Union type carbs, adjustable rockers, timing chains and cool beyond belief. They made E-type Jaguars look like something from the Stonehenge era, and Corvette Stingrays like overweight Detroit Anvils. I loved those cars. Thanks for bringing back some cool old memories!

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