Back by popular demand...

... well one mild mutter in the comments box anyway...

Okay, before I bring you all up to speed, a couple of Public Announcements for the benefit of The Reader.

DureEdge bandsaw blades, the forum's choice, are not currently available over 5/8" wide. Apparently the big welding machine has gone kapput so 3/4" and 1" blades are off the menu for the moment. Great timing by yours truly; I've been sitting on an order for two 3/4" blades for months now, and when I finally get around to it...? Oh well, I'm trying out the 5/8" instead. About a week's delay on delivery apparently. Heigh ho.

Highbury Nexus, publishers of The Woodworker and Practical Woodworking, were put into receivership on Friday. Good news is it looks like the mags have already been off-loaded to another publisher. Presumably the Ally Pally Show is safe - simply because it's too close to the date to cancel - but if you've not bought tickets yet, perhaps exercising a little caution and buying on the door might be advisable.

That's all with the serious stuff, but for light relief, I'll tell you what happened to me in Truro this morning. Just for once, there were tools in the flea market (five stalls this morning). And what does my wondering eye behold? No less a thing that a North Brothers Yankee drill. The one with the 5 position ratchet! I can't recall if it was a 1445 or 1545 (it did say on the seller's label, but you'll soon realise why I forgot which it was). I have long wanted an example of this drill, the gizmocity factor of it being off the scale for a hand drill. I've come close; firstly missing one by a day; secondly finding one sans ratchet selector; so I live in hope that my dream will one day be realised. Was that day going to be today? To hell with New Year's resolutions in that case! It was buffed and shined into the middle of next week, but you can't have everything, and I was prepared to go big on it if I had to. I looked at the label and read the price. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. I looked at the drill again; far from mint condition, clean but no paint left or anything. I looked at the label again.

£72

Seventy-two pounds sterling.

Seventy-two flippin' quid!!

Now I can haggle, but no-one could haggle something down that far. I put the drill down again and walked away in shock - which is why I can't remember exactly what the model number was. There didn't seem an awful lot of point in digging any further into his box 'o tools - finding a working travisher only to see a £150 price tag would have been too much for one day. Heigh ho, at least I'm getting nearer.

As for the planter, well it's done, more or less. You may remember my stupid idea of trying to get away without any clamp pads at the glue up? No? Refresh your memory of where we'd got to here then. Well the result on just one area, thank goodness, can be clearly seen on the left. Bugger. No matter; a little work with my trusty card scraper later, and voilà

There it isn't. A bit of a swipe with some 240 grit and you'd never know. Well it's not actually perfect, but then about a third of the materials used aren't perfect, so hopefully it won't cause me to grind my teeth every time I see it...

Cutting the blessed thing to fit was rather more problematic than I'd hoped. I measured the inside dimensions with my Amazing Telescopic Pinch Rod - the uninitiated sometimes mistake it for a broken radio aerial - but I must have been slightly too generous in my cutting. so I was trimmin' and fittin' for far too long. Cutting the corner notches round the legs was easy though; about the only time I use a Japanese saw these days, and what an excellent smooth cut on that ghastly ply. Don't get me started on cutting ply. By the time I've set up the saw horses, dug out the saw, the guide and the vacuum and generally gone mad to make one or two cuts, I start to think wistfully of tablesaws... The moment passes, 'cos I just don't cut enough ply to make the moment last long enough to be dangerous, but honestly, what a palaver.

I haven't actually bored any holes in the ply or applied any finish, but I have my reasons. Although I may have built it as a planter, I know my folks too well, and there's a chance they may want to use it for some other purpose. Heaven knows what, but I've been caught before, so holes can be bored when it's been decided if they're wanted, as can varnish be applied. I'll try and get a decent piccy of it all done tomorrow.

Now all I'm left with is a workbench I can't use until I tidy it up - again. Honestly, what a pickle. I really must get out of the habit of tossing stuff down any old where when I'm concentrating on something else. Gott in himmel, I've just noticed there's a L-N chisel nestling against a plastic-handled screwdriver! How shaming is that...

And finally, I succumbed to buying GWW - yes, okay, so almost certainly 'cos of the tip. I'm human, ain't I? And for the record, I did actually send it in with my proper name an' all. It's not my fault it sounds like an idea from someone from Ooop North with a flat 'at and a whippet... But enough of that. Why aye, bonny lad, I'm away down t'pit.