Monday, January 09, 2006

Are you sitting comfortably?

I seem to have slipped slightly into tool cleaning mode. It's no Bad Thing, 'cos there are a lot of tools skulling about waiting to be cleaned, so I seize it with both hands and gladsome cries. The latest victim is the remnants of a Record #043 grooving plane. Possibly my favourite plane ever - certainly my favourite plough/combi. I only bought it for the depth stop with a view to replace the long-missing one on my old man's model. That'd be the one I've appropriated to my own use... Ha hum. Anyway, I'd had a vague thought to ruthlessly experiment and apply a hack saw to turn it into a bullnose plough, which is probably sacrilege especially given it's an older model than my dad's, but then my dad's has sentimental value and all its parts apart from the depth stop. This one had no cutter clamp, no cutters, and now no depth stop. However, salvation appeared in the form of an offer of a cutter clamp from M. Suddenly I have a plane with a future and I can't take any kind of saw to it at all.

Bugger.

So instead I felt I better clean it, including removing the red paint from the donated cutter clamp. Fleetingly I wondered if it was red 'cos it's from a rarer Marples incarnation of a #043 or #044 - but the drips made that unlikely, so I quashed the thought and started to do bad things with a Dremel. Yes, friends, your Tool Conservation Candidate did many Bad and Insensitive Things to this plane in a quest to Best the Rust in Haste. I'm not proud, but at least it's escaped the hacksaw, so it can't really complain...

The result is shiny, out of focus , but more importantly - usable. Once I've made a depth stop and found some cutters at any rate.
My old beech fence face, usurped by my Crimbo pressie lignum vitae one, was found to have the screw holes in not quite the right places, but a bradawl can do wonders... Somewhere I have the remains of the right size silver steel for some shorter fence rods, which will improve it hand over fist too.

Meanwhile, when I'm not butchering the finish on innocent planes, I'm delving deep into my back issues of Good Woodworking, and more specifically the John Brown files. I have a strange and growing desire to make a chair. Cynics may put it down to chairmaking needing specialised tools I don't possess and point out the caveat in my recent New Year's Resolution to buy timber and not tools unless there was a pressing need for one that I couldn't solve with my current kit. But naturally I totally refute such allegations. Oh yes indeedy. No, it's the birthday present issue again. #2 nephew is due to reach the dizzy heights of 18 years old in May, and auntie must come up with The Goods. #1 nephew, sometime reader and butt of jokes on this very Blog, had the not-at-all-famous Music Stand of Myth and Legend on his eighteenth. I have the wherewithall already in the timber store to do similarly for #2 - but despite assurances from his nearest and dearest that music is as dear to his heart, I have nagging doubts. From personal observation, sitting down seems to be a much more favoured hobby. Hence the nagging chair thing. Of course if he reads this Blog too, the whole thing is blown sky high. But I doubt he does, and if he does - for heaven's sakes, R, tell me which you'd prefer! Maybe I'll order JB's Welsh Stick Chairs anyway, just for interest. I mean it's not actually a tool is it?

Anyone know where to buy a travisher...?

12 comments:

  1. A travisher?

    here you go everything you will need - free wooden box to boot!

    Andy

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  2. Aww go on, Andy, give me a clue...?

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  3. Oops where did that go then?

    Here you ago:-

    http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/product_info.php?products_id=1648

    when can we expect a review?

    Andy

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  4. Evidentally you believe that resolutions, if they're going to be broken, should be really smashed, Andy? :~D The travisher is available on its own though. I seem to recall Axminster briefly stocked them didn't they? Of course I wasn't in the market then...

    I have found something on Ray Iles site though. Quote:
    Chair seat shaves. Our own conversion from a Stanley 151. These shaves are curved both ways and are intended for finishing chair seats after they have been roughed out. £25.00
    Now that has the advantage in that I already know how to use a #151, thus reducing the -wait for it- learning curve. Boom, boom!

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  5. Yes I know but for $400 you get a free box! I bet for £25.00 you will have to make your own!
    Where's the fun in that?

    Andy

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  6. Alf
    Don't Bristol Design make a travisher?
    JB's book is great-well worth getting. A bit "down-to-earth" though-no fancy tools :0
    Keep thinking about a Windsor of some description. Whilst sanding a certain chair I daydreamed about riving my own stock .......
    Cheers
    Philly

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  7. Phil, you're right, I believe they do. It's a long time since I had one of their catalogues though. I wonder... (rummage, rummage) Ah, here we are. Oh dear, December 2000... Lessee... Complete tool £38 - I imagine that's gone up a bit since, plus p&p and possibly VAT(?) Hmm, these bally things aren't cheap :~( And then there's this nagging wondering whether the new LN 100.5 convex block plane would do the job. It's very cute and lovable and I've been trying to find an excuse for owning it ever since Axminster... (Go back and check if you don't believe me - November entry, "Maine Event" ) Not that that exactly qualifies as the cheaper option...

    I think I feel a music stand coming on :~S

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  8. Your safe; he doesn't read this. As to the stand he really does play a lot, despite your nagging doubts. But since there's already one stand in the family a chair might be better! If it's half as good as my stand I'm sure he'll be over the moon.

    Best wishes,
    JMF

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  9. Hey up, J. Hope the work's going okay :~) Well increasingly I'm thinking the stand makes a whole heap of sense. If nothing else, the last thing I need is another branch of woodworking I fail to master. Talk about jack of all trades...

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  10. I'm with JMF. Make the chair. We all know you can make a music stand.
    Perhaps the music stand would be easier though.

    Andy

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  11. The work is going ok thanks; only one more chapter to do in draft before I pull all my hair out in frustration and re-write the whole thing.

    Look I've been thinking; what would your reaction be if on your 18th birthday you were given exactly the same present your brother was given 3 years before? You would be pleased, but at the same time the edge would have been taken out of the surprise. I really would do the chair and as for this nonsense about failing another branch of woodworking....stop being so negative!! All the work I've seen has been excellent quality and well made. Even if I don't have the eye of a galoot or a professional I hope I have good taste! I

    f you must do the stand try a different design. You never know it might catch on and you can create your own brand. ;)

    JMF

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  12. Alas, oh nephew of mine, your brain is in too good form and you've put your finger on the very thing that bothered me too. I'll start looking for a source of suitable timber...

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