Categories
Practical techniques

Joshua Klein ‘The Workbench Diary’

KleinLHGRecipe-2
One of the woodworking blogs I always make sure I check out is Joshua Klein’s ‘The Workbench Diary’. Joshua hails from Maine in the US and concentrates on historical furniture restoration. Just recently he has also started making his own furniture.
Joshua has posted a nice piece about making your own hide glue (and a cheap glue warmer too, if you’re interested). Anyone serious about making furniture that can be disassembled for repair should take note. Hide glue is definitely the way to go, as the joint can be taken apart with some heat and hot water at any time, (something not possible with modern PVA’s).
If you don’t want to go the full nine yards with dissolving and heating hide glue pellets, I would also recommend the excellent ‘Ol Brown Glue‘ from Patrick Edwards, another liquid hide glue but in a bottle that can be heated by putting the whole bottle into warm water. A lot of people also recommend Franklin Liquid Hide Glue. Main thing is, if you’ve spent a few months making a beautiful piece, you need it to be reversible.

Categories
Measuring & marking Seth Gould Tool Makers

Seth Gould (Metalsmith)

SETH GOULD straight
Some fine work over at Seth Gould’s site in the US. Clearly a very skilled gentleman, Seth not only crafts some superb metal artisan tools, but extends his skills to fine lock work, such as the one pictured after the jump. His measuring tools are especially lovely I think, particularly the ones with inlay. Personally though, I think I’ll make do with my old £10 fleaBay dividers and save my money for a plunge saw I need!
SETH GOULD straight+(detail)
SETH GOULD jewellers saw
SETH GOULD saw+NG+detail
SETH GOULD LOCK

Categories
Block planes Stanley

Another weird one

There’s another very interesting plane on eBay right now. The majority of the pics are below. It’s a 10″ (!) Stanley block plane. At least, it has some likeness to a Stanley, with a Stanley cutter, but it teamed up with a cast bronze ‘long wheelbase’ sole. I have to say, I love the look, this one is pimped!
When I first saw it, I thought it might be a very early Leonard Bailey experimental design, but cast bronze?? Anyone know more?

I’m struggling to imagine what positives the longer sole might give, because the plane has the conventional holding points, so with the small finger knob and rounded lever cap, it wouldn’t be a particularly easy drive. One might find oneself wishing for dunno, something like a larger rosewood tote and front knob. Just an idea.

Stanley 10-inch Block Plane_1
Stanley 10-inch Block Plane_2
Stanley 10-inch Block Plane_3
Stanley 10-inch Block Plane_4

Please do comment if you know more about the plane, perhaps it is an actual early model?