Category: Uncategorized

To keep or not to keep .. that is the question.

Ok, maybe it’s more like to rehab or not to rehab.

I’ve been wanting an old Stanley Jack plane to fix up and call my own .. and use, of course.  I so loved the frog on my little No. 3 that I just fixed up, I decided to see if I could find the same frog/aged plane for a good price.

I found a Stanley No. 5 Type 11 for $ 20.   If you know anything about old planes, at this point you’re saying to yourself .. wonder what’s wrong with it?”

I’m still cleaning and working on the plane, but here’s the major(?) flaw with the plane.  Click on the picture to get a better look.

There’s a crack in the mouth.    It does not appear to go all the way through.

So what da ya think?  Spend time on cleaning it up or just mount it on the wall?

As far as I can tell, it’s a pretty cool plane.  Check out the lever cap and the frog.

 

 Here’s what I’m thinking.  I work on it for a couple of hours, add a Hock blade and if the plane blows up I find another old one to rescue.

So really, I’d love to know.  Is the crack a sign of a plane not worth the rescue?

Bandsaw Blues

Here’s the part of woodworking that is not much fun .. for me anyway.  I’ve been trying to re-saw boards on my band saw and this is what’s coming off the saw ..

.. potato chips.  Grrrr …

This after several attempts at re-saw fences, a flat clamp on tall fence, etc. etc.

Here’s what I think the culprit is.

After a fair amount of sleuthing, I think what’s happening is the tensioner is not tensioning and I need to figure out why.  Stripped or just in need of tightening?  I’m still diagnosing.  AND .. I’ve pulled out the manual.  Watch out!

Logo?

So I’m still thinking about a logo (previous post).  Here’s the latest:

I love the idea of having a single identifying mark.  When I think about what’s elevated my woodworking the most it would have to be the lowly rasp.  Its allowed me to do all kinds of things and shapes that I never would have with out it.

Thoughts?

New and improved.

I’ve got loose screws .. don’t you?

One of my braces has pretty crappy wood on the pad and the little screws have pulled out.  The only thing really holding the pad on is the threads inside the pad.  So I went to my favorite hardware store, Hardwicks, and asked about a fix.

The answer .. a tooth pick.  Really?  Ok, maybe a really thin dowel that you put into the holes and reintroduce the screw into the replaced wood.

The hardest part of the whole thing was restarting the screws.  Hopefully the picture demonstrates.

One screw went flying into the ether so I pulled out my giant magnet that I originally purchased to clean up after the remodel contractor.  If you’re cat swallows anything metal, it’ll pick him up .. no problem.  ;o)