Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Building a new workbench Part 10 - Securing The Benchtop - by Old Sneelo...


Securing the bench top leaves just a few steps to completion.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Cleaning A Shapleigh Diamond Edge Backsaw - a video tutorial by Old Sne...







I stopped at an estate sale on the way home from the store. I picked up a Craftsman pushdrill, a Disston #12 Crosscut saw, and a Craftsman Miter box with a Shapleigh Hardware Co. Diamond Edge Back Saw. Before buying the Shapleigh saw I hadn...'t head of the company or the brand. With a little research I found that the company began in 1843 and continued until the early 1960's. This saw was made between 1918 and 1935.
I cleaned up the Shapleigh and recorded the process that you can see here.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Building a new workbench Part 4 - Laminating the top - a video tutorial ...


I learned a few things while laminating the first half of the bench top. I'm applying those lessons to the second half. The first one is Douglas Fir makes a much better bench top than pine.

Building a new workbench Part 5 - a video tutorial by Old Sneelock's Wor...





Augers whether they are brace and bit, a t handle barn auger, or a twist drill in an eggbeater have always held a fascination for me. They were one of the first things I learned to sharpen and I continue to learn new things about their design and use.
This project lets me use my biggest auger to install the vise screw.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Building a new workbench Part 3 - a video tutorial by Old Sneelock's Wor...


Building a workbench or a building requires making sure the foundation is strong enough to handle the load. This video involves designing  and building the base. Two leg assemblies with different purposes.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Building a new workbench Part 2



Part of the fun of building is designing the project to fit a specific need. This workbench has to incorporate a solid top at least 3" thick to support using hold downs. Ryan is right handed like me so mounting the vise on the right hand side will help with sawing and planning. Ryan's workshop is in the basement so it has to go down a set of stairs with two 90 degree turns. Making it modular and easily disassembled and reassembled is a requirement.
Above all the bench has to be strong and stable. Planing, chopping dovetails and mortises, and sawing are all easier if the bench rigidly holds the parts in place.
So far the bench is coming along fine. It remains to be seen if I can make it fit all the requirements.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

The First New Workbench Part 1 - a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's Wo...



It's Ryan's birthday and I've been wanting to build a classic woodworking workbench. I took the opportunity to build a two by six foot workbench complete with face vice.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

What you are is who you are when no one is looking.


If you want people to like you then be like them. If you really don't care then be like whatever you want.
I favor the latter.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Tinkers Work - Soldering On A Patch - a video tutorial by Old Sneelock's...



Gerry or jerry can, whichever name you use it immediately brings to mind an image of a squat rectangular can strapped to the back of a jeep bounding across the desert.
Well maybe not for everyone but I really liked Rat Patrol when it was on.
In any case the convenience of the design and it's ability to outlast almost any other container for the same use has endeared this 80 year old design to farmers, construction workers, military members, and off road enthusiasts the world over. Perhaps that was helped by the leaving of millions of these containers world wide after WWII. Developed by German engineers in the 30's, both sides used essentially the same design to disperse fuel and water though out the world to their respective armies.