All done. I’ll get this on the wall at some point, but for now it’s on the bench. I added some wood strips with saw kerfs cut on the table saw and the saw blades rest in those. I have a little space at the top right above the smaller saws, which I might use. But I think I will also add a slim drawer at the bottom in the near future, as I can use that for saw files and stuff. A nice project to do with hand tools. I’m going to make some Krenov-style ‘bents’ next.
Category: Hand Tools
I worked on this for an hour or so, but I have just got the green light to get going on some paid work, so it will stay at this stage for a while. The basics are there, I will probably paint it and perhaps add a drawer.
Making a saw till
Glad to say I’ve finally found a workshop close to me that I can call home. The workshop is blessed with old machines and even better, other people from whom I can learn a lot about traditional joinery. It feels like every day I conquer a new technique with my hand tools, or learn a better way to do something on one of the machines.
I’ve been waiting on a client to give the go-ahead on the next job, so thought I would put together a saw till to get my saws neatly organised.
This wall-hung design relies on the saw totes resting on a bottom bar and the plates of the saws are held in place by kerfs in blocks further up. it will all make sense as you see it come together.
If you’re going to make one of these, I would choose something more hard-wearing than the Poplar I have lying around. I’ve gone with softwood, purely because I have a chunk left over. I plan to make another till in the future from a denser timber, but this will do for now.
This door was made for an outhouse. The client wanted an exact copy in timber that would last a little longer than the previous door. I was quite pleased how it turned out and I learned a few things, which is always good.
Mini-Workbench Plans
This is a nice project you might want to make if you’re pressed for space, or if your current setup doesn’t include a sturdy bench top with a vice.
Steve Tomlin of SBT Design recently won first prize in the worldwide ‘Masters of Wood’ plans competition 2017, organised by Triton tools. His ‘Mini Workbench’ has some neat storage ideas, integrating an area for Festool systainers and also featuring the ‘holy’ worktops where you can use Festool clamps and dogs.
The bench also looks useful for traditional hand tool use, which is why I like it, with a good-sized vice and nice use of hardwood in the frame. Steve uses oak, but as the plans show, you can use whatever hardwood you like. There’s some storage for your bits under the worktop and I understand Steve is also working on a second version with a drawer included.
The plans are free, so you can download them and store them for a winter project maybe, or just crack on and get one built.