I say complete but to be honest there are a few tweaks left to be made although we have got far enough to show you the cross cut saw up and running again. When we had the motor collected for being rewound the electrician also took a look at the starter unit for us. This was very old and oil filled … [Read more...]
Or Maybe Bigger IS Better?
Yesterday we introduced our new 5’ workbench yet today we’ve been putting the finishing touches on more of a Wadkin grade bench! This is our 8’ Nautilus but built with a bit of a difference using what is pretty much quarter sawn oak. To top it off the customer opted for two snazzy hand wheels teamed … [Read more...]
When Bigger isn’t Better!
This is a working prototype of the latest bench to be added to the Maguire Workbench range. At only 5’ in length it is rather on the small side for us, and it certainly feels that way after some of the huge benches that we’ve been building recently. This 5’ model is a first for our range despite a … [Read more...]
Medieval Wall Cupboard
As we’re always writing about workbenches we thought it’d be a good change to take a look at a piece of furniture. I’m just working on the design of a small cupboard that Richard will be building shortly and it seems like a nice little piece to go through with you in some detail. Like much of our … [Read more...]
The Leg Vice – Simple & Heavy Duty
Leg Vice (De-)Evolution I’ve spent a lot of time lately developing Crosses and Shafts for a pin less leg vice. So it’s been easy for me to loose sight of just how good the simple original really is. This traditional vice has always been one of my favourite types of face vice. Mainly because no … [Read more...]
Can’t See Straight!
I must have bored over 10,000 perpendicular holes so drilling square is no longer a problem for me but as the ale was tasting good last night I didn’t want to trust my sight this morning when drilling a dozen ¾” holes in a + 5” thick top. We get floods of emails asking about how best to drill holes … [Read more...]
Richards Castle Bench
Now and again Richard likes to build a bench that is a little different to what he’s done before to keep himself challenged (like it isn’t difficult enough!) On his current build the motto has been ‘bigger is definitely better!’ Since all of the benches that we build are pretty robust in size this … [Read more...]
The Oak ‘Artisan’ – Part 5, Nearly There!
The best and most efficient way to mark out mortices for me is to use a story stick. It’s just a simple stick with all of the measurements drawn on to it so I can reference from either the top or bottom of the leg and mark on the appropriate line. I just make a little scratch on the leg and then go … [Read more...]
Wadkin Machinery – A Past Life.
Our line shaft machinery was originally built and purchased in around the 1900's and the fantastic thing for us is that it was used by the same business right through its life up until 1993 when they finally closed their doors. When we purchased the machines we weren't all that clear on what kind of … [Read more...]
The Oak ‘Artisan’ – Part 4
Once the top had been glued together and fully cured I removed the clamps and left it one side to allow it to stabilise. I don’t know the exact reason but after such a large glue up the top can be quite unstable for a short length of time so I give five days or so for it to settle, this also lets me … [Read more...]