Dovetail Guides Shown on YouTube

A few days ago this video was posted by the Renaissance Woodworker showing my magnetic guides in action. It is a nice balanced video talking about and demonstrating some of the pros and cons of using the guides. I find this type of video much more interesting than ones which just tell you how brilliant something is.

Customer Work Benches

Laurens from Holland sent me these pictures of his new workshop extension, definitely one for the warmer weather! He restored the work bench with a lot of effort, but it looks well worth it. The vice weighs 60 kg and dates from the early 1900's and the bench itself dates from around 1935.
Note how the bolt holding the ends on has been exposed with use.

Below is very solid bench made by Nick in the UK, it has a 4" thick top and a very deep front apron. He was going to install a Moxon vice as his only front vice but I persuaded him a leg vice would be much more flexible. Nick has used a Veritas screw which will work very well. It is cheap to buy and easy to install.

Planes

Following up on my recent post about the Gerd Fritsche  A31 plane he sent me this picture of a model with a none adjustable mouth with a very attractive amboyna burr infill. Not only do I prefer this model but I think the shorter front bun looks more attractive (it's cheaper too!). I have one on order with a rosewood infill and I'm looking forward to it's arrival. Check out Gerd's planes herehttp://traditional-handplanes.com/

Ioan from the UK sent me these pictures of a couple of traditional planes he made using oak beech and sycamore. The one above was made completely with hand tools and is very well done.

They are quite light in weight but good for his travelling tool box and they seem to work well too.

Dovetailing Weekend at West Dean College.

With the weekend course over here are the happy and tired participants with their completed boxes. They all did very well and it was a really good group. Below is one of the boxes in sycamore and walnut with a spalted beech tilt top lid.

Simon had been on the course before and requested something a bit more challenging this time ........ and he got his wish!

No magnetic guides here, all free hand dovetails, the first time he had ever tried them. He used a Lie Nielsen tapered dovetail saw and nailed them! The gentle curves on the top of the box and the lid add interest and give a method of lifting off the lid without fitting a handle.

He had a bit more trouble with the angled and mitred linings, but with a bit of head scratching he did a fine job.

Here's Simon again demonstrating his piston fit tray on the tool box he made at Bridgewater College last summer. It got the desired reaction from the passers by!

Time for a well deserved sit down.

The Veritas shooting board plane in action on a 45 degree shooting board.

Nick pulling loads of shavings on the long shooting board with one of my jointer planes.

Philip brought along some of his small boxes that he likes to make. He was very skilled on the disc sander but this was the first time he had cut dovetails.

Below is one of his boxes with a minute Japanese saw with incredibly fine teeth.

Nice Tool Cabinet

A nice tool cabinet made by Ian from Gloucester, I will use his words to describe it

'we previously corresponded about brass hinges which I got from Cooke bros as you suggested using 1.2mm. My cupboard is now complete made from up-cycled oak panelling from the old organ in our local church and the door infill panels are loose fit  and made of pine from the organ as well. The Knew concepts saw is in pride of place . The dovetails were my first and cut freehand.I must get one of your guides! In the process of making it /I have restored many of my dad's tools along with some wonderful Marples chisels and screwdrivers. Top of the door shows some marvellous Aurio gimlets sourced from Objects of Use.'

Lovely Tool Chest from France

Matthieu sent me some pictures of a very attractive tool chest he made to carry his hand tools on site.

It's made from oak with walnut keys acting as handles.

The joinery is mostly mortise and tenon and all cut by hand.

The little cherry trays have strong dovetail keys on the corners and he has kept the rustic feel he favours in his work by including some very wormy wood!