I don’t normally regrind. It's something I've always reserved for when setting up old tools or re-setting knackered edges. But since moving to water stones for my sharpening (I'm still on with that water stone experiment), my usual methods have somewhat let me down. I...
Despite writing my sensual spiel about the whys of the bandsaw, I haven't actually used it since closing the workbench business. That's because I discovered the frame saw (that thing that the savages use). Prior to four months ago, the most experience I had with one...
No, you don’t. As a hand tool woodworker you are fully self sufficient without a bandsaw. At least as long as there's tea in the pot. But if there's one machine that can aid the hand tooler the most, this would be it. When I shunted out my machines at the close of the...
The day is Sunday, at least it is as I write this. The sun is also really shining. It’s also my first day off in quite some time. I’m sat with my notebook on a bit of beach that may as well be Mars. I come here quite regularly to write, think, sing? And in the...
I'm in a unusual position for a learner. I can observe Richard working, then pick up his tools and try for myself. I know the tools work well, and you could envy that. But the thing is, it takes away the one excuse that all novices need. I can't blame my tools. When...
I've wittered quite a bit before about about my troubles with goblin hands and small knobs. In particular, plane handles. Normally anything that trys to be a handle makes a rubbish handle, and as a rule the most un-restrictive handles make for the best. A wooden...
We don't do many reviews. That's because I'm human and that makes me biased. But sometimes, something comes along that's quite special, it's then that I find it hard to shut up. I discovered this hand plane when looking at commercially made frame saw blades for some...
For most pieces I don't prototype. It's something that often isn't necessary or which time has not been allocated for. So normally I isolate prototyping to areas that I consider to be particularly troublesome or unusual, and make a mock up of those bits alone so I can...
My most well used tools are like mates; I accept them warts and all, and they're dependable without needing to be pampered. I'm careful not to cross the line though, and some job's around our building site of a home would be plain abuse of a good friendship. For those...
Hand planing wood by hand requires us to choose a technique that's suitable for the specific job at hand, and doing this requires us to understand the wood, the tools and the project in question. New To Hand Planing? Learn About The Different Types Of Hand Planes...
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I’ve been having a good old tidy up and done that thing where you stumble upon a great big sod off vice. Now, if you've been lingering around from our old days you may remember this thing. It was rather nicely given to me by my good friend Richard Arnold. He mentioned...
It feels a bit awkward when a customer asks you when their DVD will arrive and you haven't got one for them. This has happened to us a few times just though the misunderstanding that the Series they've bought is provided online. But all the streaming and downloading...
If you know anything about the way that I work then you'll know that I don't like to faff. I will always do a proper job though, in fact I tend to do things somewhat overkill. But when it comes to the tools and techniques used I'll always find the most basic and...