Nice Hammer

Terry sent me these pictures of a nice little hammer he made for himself, it looks like it packs a punch. The head is solid copper which is similar in hardness to brass, so has some forgiveness. The handle is two pieces of laminated ash with a strip of Iroko in the middle. 

Planes for Sale, Bill Carter, Sauer and Steiner, Norris, Spiers, Barron, Enwistle etc

This weeks offerings on E Bay include a recent Bill Cater mitre plane. All are offered with Worldwide shipping (except the two machines)

An unused Sauer and Steiner K7

A pre war Norris A5 as featured in my YouTube video.

 A unique Entwistle chariot, one of the last planes he made.

A fine Norris panel plane.

A steel soled gunmetal shoulder plane by Slater.

Also a little used Jet mortise and a Hegner scrollsaw

A David Barron special Jack plane, brand new.

A Gremercy dovetail saw with figured claro walnut.
And a couple of new knives by Chris Vesper.

Great Alternative Use for 45 Degree Magnetic Guide

Rene from Michigan sent me this photo of another way of using the 45 degree guide to cut a square baseline on dovetails. Very clever!

Lots of Planes on E Bay, all 99p Start!

I'm selling a few of my planes on E Bay this week, all starting at 99 p so a few bargains to be had! Above is a very nice and quite rare Norris no 13
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971448127?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

An even rarer Bayfield chariot plane in very good condition
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971317781?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

A nice matching set of Addis carving chisels.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971326613?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

A good solid Norris no 3, an excellent user and quite rare.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971287040?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

A good user Preston bullnose with a very tight mouth
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971392808?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

 
A good Stanley no 99
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971424490?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

A gunmetal bullnose with a tight mouth, another great user.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971433881?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

A lovely little chariot with a tight mouth, great for one handfed chamfers.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971419717?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

Another cute little chariot, again a great user with a tight mouth
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971401856?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

And lastly a nice solid Scottish smoother for restoration.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152971303428?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

David Barron Work Bench, New Owner

A short while ago I posted about one of my work benches for sale on E Bay and here it is, in the work shop of John, the new owner. The eagle eyed will notice he has switched the front legs around to make the bench suitable for a left hander. He's done a nice clean job and I hope the bench serves him well.

Yandles Show CANCELLED!!! 13th 14th April

The Yandles woodworking show next week has been cancelled. The fields where everyone parks are flooded and there is more rain on the way. I've done about 20 shows here and this is the first time I've known it to be cancelled, such a shame for everyone involved.

Restoring a Norris A49 Smoother

I've had this plane for a while now and although it's in a sorry state there was no damage and all the parts are original. The A48 and A49 were only produced for a short time and are quite rare, so it was well worth properly restoring.

The rear came out easily after removing the cross pin and the screw in the base of the handle.
The front bun, shown below, is held by a single screw and was bedded using plaster of Paris, which saved time in fitting. This was after all a budget model to the A6.

The blade had the TN mark which is thought to show Thomas Norris made this plane, personally.

The mahogany handles had long since lost their original staining and lacquer and were looking very anaemic.

With the handle removed it was very interesting to see the number 49 had actually been cast into the plane body and also that it had been stamped 8. Further inspection and cleaning of the blade also revealed an 8 stamp, confirming the blade to be original.

After cleaning the handles with meth's, I decided to use a combination of spirit stains to colour the mahogany and again meth's was used as the solvent.

This is a messy business so I used a backer board to protect my bench top.

After the desired colour had been achieved I applied a few coats of shellac which I had also tinted with the stain. This was followed by 0000 wire wool and wax to give a smooth natural lustre.

The metal work was abraded using 400 grit wet and dry, again using meth's as the lubricant. With frequent checking the metal can be brought back from dark rust to a nice patinated finish.

The idea was to bring the plane back to the condition it would have been, if it had been carefully maintained over the last 100 years. I'm not a fan of the 'buffing wheel' look!

It took about 3 1/2 hours in all, and it worked out well.

Yandles Woodworking Show 13th - 14th April

It's show time again! I've been preparing my dovetailing demonstration stock of black walnut and maple/sycamore, ready for Yandles next Friday and Saturday 13th/14th April. It's a great day out with lots of exhibitors and great stocks of reasonably priced timber for sale.