woodworking tools tips

A couple of recent tool purchases have changed the choice I do work, and as the song goes, youre getting to be a habit with me. I first received the Evenfall Studios Shooting Board a month or so ago and other than just trying it out, I really didnt have a project that would require its use. While working on the project you see below, I bought Capt. America, a beautiful 16" tenon saw made Bad Axe Tool Works at the WIA this year, used it cut tenons of course, but also to x-cut the frame pieces. This is where things changed for me, an epiphany of sorts.

Though I have tried in the past to make my own shooting board, I never could quite get it right, some things are best left to the professionals. I have alchoices made my x-cuts on my table saw thinking the blade was square, it is close, but not close enough. I used my #3 Stanley souped up with a Hock blade, and it squared up the ends of each piece perfectly. Works great, I have also used my low angle block plane on this board.

The project is three tables for a clients sewing room, I have delivered one, working on the second, and one more of these to build. It is now almost second nature to reach for the saw, instead of the table saw, cut the piece, square it up, move on. One step closer to going "cordless". :)

Evenfall Studios Deluxe Shooting Board and the Capt. America
16" Tenon Saw from Bad Axe Tool Works

Bottom frame drawer support

Jumat, 02 September 2016

banjo 6 a remake

will shipped his latest banjo project yesterday afternoon. it was a re-necking of an antique instrument made by W.A.Cole, of boston mass. the client had the original nickled brass pot, head, and tension hardware, but the original 8 string banjo mandolin neck was missing. click the photos to enlarge them...

the client is a banjo collector and w a cole was mostly known for his banjos so she wanted a five string, short neck to go with the diminutive 8.75" pot. will was able to find pictures of w a coles original inlays online and was able to replicate some of them in the new neck ...

heres a close up of the original makers mark on the dowel stick which is now back home in the original pot, which, as you can see below, polished up nicely.

it has a surprisingly loud and robust sound and im sure at some point soon there will be a video online on wills website, seeders instruments, so you can hear it ... great sound ! 12/18/2011 ... the video is up now ... heres a link to it.

this photo shows the 8 string end from its original banjo mandolin configuration which will was able to adapt to the new five string mode.

he had to fabricate a missing, tricky, dovetailed brass piece that tightens the neck to the pot. he had it chromed to match the original by a local electroplating service, vermont plating, in rutland.

in the new case, and ready to ship ... should arrive at its destination tomorrow ...

Minggu, 17 April 2016

things to be thankful for

so, another thanksgiving ... the 41st for kit and i, and we have a lot to be thankful for ..
1. each other ... 40 years ... how could they go by so fast ??
2. our two kids and their girlfriends ..
2.5 our respective families of aunts, uncles and cousins ...
3. the fact that both our boys work here everyday and we get to have lunch with them, and then they go home to their own places ..
3.5. our 3 non family employees whose skill, happy attitudes and dedication we hugely appreciate.
4. a nice place to live and work, in a fantastic small town, with no traffic lights, in vermont
5. our furniture and metal clients and kits jewelry and gardening clients who make this all possible
6. the friends we have been hanging out with since the 1970s, and the new ones who have come to town since.
7. an incredible community of supportive and sharing artists around us
like someone who gets an oscar, i could go on and on but i feel like i should just stop with the highlights ... happy thanksgiving to you and yours ... dan