Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Less Musing Than Usual

Yes, all right anonymous comment leaving person, you've made your point. I have been a tad absent from these pages. Again. Did anyone notice? The silly thing is I've actually had things I could blog about, but you know how it is. You vow to blog on Monday, next thing you turn round and it's Thursday and how did that happen?

Anyway, a few weeks ago - okay, last month - I actually bought some RUST! Eeek! I know, you thought I'd gone on the wagon. So did I. But what can you do when a Stanley #71½ waves at you in a pathetic "take me home" kinda way?


Well exactly. 'Course it does push the hand router count into rather dangerous territory. I haven't checked, but I have a nasty feeling it's nearer double figures than can possibly be justified...

Not surprisingly, in the intervening year or two, I've managed to lose my rust removing mojo and as a result the cleaned plane is a) Not as good as I'd hoped, and b) Took me perishing ages to do. But while I was in the groove, I cleaned up the Record 050c I took apart for cleaning some time in 2008, iirc. Amazingly I'd only managed to lose one piece in the intervening period, and that was easily replaced. However, I'm not convinced I'm going to be a convert to the design award-winning rear handle and have already wondered about a wooden replacement. Ooo, Alf has a handle issue; plus ça wotsit as our friends across the Channel might say.

And finally I've had an absolute rash of emails, principally concerning my friends - and possibly yours - the combination plane. As a result there are two new manuals for a couple of the more modern brethren - the Record 050c and the Stanley 13-050. Yes, that Stanley. The one with the joke shop dog doings for a handle... Aesthetically ghastly, but apparently it is really and truly a good plane. I have no plans to find this out for myself though; there is a line. And at some point I really will get the pics of the 044c someone sent me far too long ago up on the 044 page too. No really, I will. Honest. I could probably say before the next blog entry, but that ain't saying much.

Talking of which, I anticipate being a bit busy through April and May, so if you don't hear from me, don't be surprised.

Wadda you mean, you won't be...?

10 comments:

  1. Jeremy Kriewaldt3/23/2010 10:35:00 pm

    Glad to read that you are doing blogworthy things. That's much more important than blogging about them!

    Have fun with whatever is going to occupy you over the next couple of months. Perhaps we will read about them in June?

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  2. Electrolysis is a great way to remove rust. All you need it a battery charger, some washing soda and a container big enough to hold the item. Just do an internet search for complete instructions.

    Washing soda is Na2CO3, and it is also known as sodium carbonate or sometimes soda ash. It is a laundry product here -- but it takes a little looking to find it.

    If everything works correctly, you can remove rust from planes without harming the Japanning. Also, it doesn't seem to harm the wooden handles too much and will often loosen stuck handle screws.

    Try it!

    Dale Nichols
    Norman, Oklahoma, USA

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  3. As long as you're woodworking or tool fiddling in some way Alf. But it is always good to catch your blog posts, however sporadic.

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  4. I'm with you on that nasty plastic 050c handle - too slippery!
    But it's really quite easy to knock up a shapely wooden replacement. I just made one for mine - something a bit like the handle on a wooden plane works well!

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  5. Congrats Alf on getting on the Spoken Wood podcast.

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  6. Great.

    Er... what's dat den...?

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  7. Well I thought he would at least have asked your permission.
    See here :
    http://mattsbasementworkshop.com/spoken-wood-podcast/

    Scroll down to episode 33

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  8. Yeah, that would have been nice...

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  9. I'm really surprised Matt doesn't consult the bloggers before posting their work. Very odd.

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  10. Thank you so much for the 13-050 manual. I had bought [inexpensively] a partial one (no fence, 1 cutter) a while back, and now my bafflement is relieved! Tim from Connecticut

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