Making an ancient bucket MaFe

mafe · Jan 19, 2011

Materials and tools

Making an ancient bucket with Stefang
Materials and tools

Before you get into this project watch this video http://svtplay.se/v/1371069/oppet_arkiv/laggade_trakarl_tillverkas_i_bollebygd__utan_ljud__1923?sb,k103004,1,f,103007 it is what we are making here, not only the bucket but also the tools.

Ok not much done…
I went into fixing the old tools mood…

My conclusion:

Wood
I'll use pine also, (cheap) perhaps some pallet wood, 3,7 meter, 7,5 cm, 2 cm thick.
'Wonder how high the bucket will be… better ask Mike'.

Willow
Pil in Danish, 8 branches of 1,25 meter, 0,8-1,3 cm thick (have to take a walk soon).

Plane
Hardwood, beech, 30 cm, 7,5×7,5 cm.
Will look in the work shop, and find some, think I have some beech extra.
Plane iron, I have several, wonder if a block plane iron are with enough since I have eight…

Binding lever
All will do, so scrap, 33 cm x 2 cm x 33 cm.

All this will be ready in minute's sir! (Long minutes).

So what have I been up to!

Sharpening and making handles for my axes in stead…

yes I'm a bad student.

Best thoughts for now,

MaFe

Dennisgrosen · Jan 19, 2011

Mads
I realy like those axe´s
but I think the two with handles and small hammer heads was use by the people who
made the old stone streets (brolægger)but maybee I´m wrong not the first time …LOL

take care
Dennis

mafe · Jan 19, 2011

Hi Dennis,
No it's a boatbuilders adze (the head in the is a gift from Napoleon, and the other I bought from a old boat builder).

http://books.google.com/books?id=JdJRRpQZ4GMC&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=sharpening+an+adze&source=bl&ots=fBUtL8z0Ry&sig=buE6r9lrAQPeojG968xHO4S2xSE&hl=en&ei=TbqxSq_ZEYKTkAWEiIG6Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=sharpening%20an%20adze&f=false

Best thoughts,
Mads

Dennisgrosen · Jan 19, 2011

thank´s Mads
they just look so fammiliair to the other trade

but have you still room in the shop toyour self ….LOL
I look forward to see you and Thomas in the end of week 6 if every piece in the puzzle find its place

Dennis

Sodabowski · Jan 19, 2011

Well, better start checking the tools anyway.

mtnwild · Jan 19, 2011

Those are some COOL tools! You have to make something, anything, with tools like that. Look out wood…...........

lanwater · Jan 19, 2011

Ithink I would also stick to tools.

That bucket making will definitely give me some joint pain, it is labor intensive.

mafe · Jan 19, 2011

Dennis,
The hammer you think of are probably this:

The viusual difference is that its round on the broad side, it's used for digging in the gravel, so you can fit the stone, I have done this work earlier in my young days in Nyborg - Denmark.

It could also be this bricklayes hammer, but this is not shap, and there are a nailpuller hole on the side, also usually the hole for the shaft is round.
Best thoughts,
Mads

Dennisgrosen · Jan 19, 2011

the bricklayerhammer I very well know ....have three myself….LOL

yes there is the hammer I thought of ,it seems to have been the angle that confused me a little

take care
Dennis

stefang · Jan 19, 2011

What great collection. 'Mad's Choppers of Denmark' Not a motorcycle, but sweet to an LJ's eyes. Glad to see that you are progressing the bucket project. I wish we would hear from some of the others to find out how they are doing. I wonder how many are going to actually participate?

I can't wait to get back to work on the plane tomorrow. Today is doctor visits and food shopping. I also have cut the tips of 3 fingers on my left hand. One in the shop with a sharp chisel and the other two in the kitchen with a bread-knife. Kitchens are dangerous places! In the end, my new hand-plane will be stained red, so I only have to put some finishing oil on it, lol. I think I will have a nice brandy this evening to celebrate having survived the day.

Napoleon · Jan 19, 2011

Dennis you need some serious glasses

Dennisgrosen · Jan 19, 2011

NOW AGAIN….pheeeew …its expencive to get old

Napoleon · Jan 19, 2011

Mads you have made a really nice job on those handles&heads. I am really looking forward to get them in my hands while i am drinking a cup of your coffe

mafe · Jan 19, 2011

Hi guys,
Thank you all for the comments.
Napoleon, you got that coffee by now.
Mike, yes I try to learn about woodworking, and the best way is to touch and do. The axes are for me the basic, I will not be able to use them a lot due to my neck and arms, but it's also more the learning process, to tune them up, and learn the way they are used, then hopefully it will give me understanding, I feel allready it do.
You can't imagine how I laughed about your words, yes life sure is dangerous, I am also full of cuts after sharpening these axes… Burned child…
Ian, ;-)
Jack, when summer come, I hope to spend some time with these tools, under the sky in my little garden, just some little projects for lerarning, this will make me really happy.
Thomas, yes you better do just that!
Best thoughts,
Mads

mafe · Jan 20, 2011

Hand plane, binding lever, lag knife

Making an ancient bucket with Stefang
Hand plane, binding lever, lag knife

This is the plane I made, and here you find the DIY hand plane blog:
http://lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/20803

So time for some tool making - hmmmmmmm - I do have a soft spot on this…

Hand plane

Trying to figure out a design… (Never did a plane, so…)

The idea, and facts (yes I'm old fashion, I draw and calculate).
Press here for pdf of calculation.

My conclusion and sketch.
Press here for pdf of conclusion.

Now I'm a good student!

Best thoughts for now,

MaFe

mafe · Jan 20, 2011

You can try also this link, it's a picture series of a guy making a plane of this type (not round).
http://sandal-woodsblog.com/2009/06/20/the-walnut-hand-plane-part-2-the-glue-up/

Best thoughts,
Mads

mafe · Jan 30, 2011

Scandinavian lag knife DIY

Scandinavian lag knife DIY
Or Mike meets Mads again…

Updated 1 Februar 2011.

So my go on the lag knife, Scandinavian style:

The lag knife.
I cut it roughly to shape, turned the round part for the ferrule on the lathe, added some curves and shaped it with a spokeshave, finish with a sraper and then linsed oil and beeswax.

I added a ferrule, and then drilled three holes next to each other with a long drill..

Rasped out the wood between the holes.

Even out of focus…

Mixed and heated some epoxy.
Heated so it becomes thin floating and can run easy into the thin hole

The knife blade goes in, and I hammer on a piece of wood not to break the tip of the blade.
(And yet I actually did… So I needed a little regrinding).

Here you see it set, and you can see the broken tip…

Since I cut my self twice, I decided to make a mushroom sheet for it.
Once so deep that there was a cascade of blood that spread over the tools, floor and my sharpener… Nothing serious just the tip of the finger where it always bleed a lot.

Here the Scandinavian way, from my sketchbook.

And here how to make the little tool.

Hope this can be useful, perhaps even someone will try and make a knife.
And to post it so we can all see it.

Again Mike thanks you for the ancient bucket project blog.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

Bricofleur · Jan 30, 2011

Thanks Mads. I will give it a try some day when needed. I like to make my own tools too.

Best,

Serge

http://atelierdubricoleur.wordpress.com

mafe · Feb 2, 2011

Binding lever...

Binding lever…
Or Mads acually listens to Mike once…

Here it is my binding lever:

Here it is, not oiled and waxed yet, but shaped.

And here are a PDF you can doenload to print the design.

Hope the PDF can be useful.

And Mike thanks for the ancient bucket project blog.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

stefang · Feb 2, 2011

Excellent work Mads. Now you are ready to start your bucket! But please read today's blog first, so I can tell you about my triumphs and failures.

mafe · Feb 4, 2011

The bucket - making the boards

The bucket
making the boards.

Once again I will try to go my way, sorry Mike I'm a pain in the bucket…

I will make the stafs different width, and set up the angels by eye, and not by math.

Here is the PDF I made to show the principal.

This because it is my guess that it was done like this in the old days.

Stafs cut up in different width, now ready to plane with the new convex hand plane.
Before I could start I had to adjust the plane, the mouth was simply to narrow, and the wedge was a wee bit too long, so I kept having shaves stuck in the throat (took me a while to figure out this).

Shaves were flying all over, and in no time it was done!
Wauuu, a wonderful little plane, cuts so wonderful and smooth.
Learning: I should have made it longer and bigger! It was hard for the hands to hold this little plane. But I did it because I had a plane iron, and I wanted it to be small to store after, so in total I'm happy.
I found out that it was much easier and took less energy from my bad arms when I used it as a pull plane, like the Japanese, in this way I could use my body weight to take the shaves and not my arms.

Boards with curves!

Here the setup, I will make two longer and then try and fit the rest to middle.
I think I will make a lit for it after (Norwegian style).

Now I will see if I can get to make the bottom and lit.

Hope the PDF can be useful.

Mike thanks for this inspiring ancient bucket blog or master class.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

Bertha · Feb 4, 2011

Looks wonderful but I can't keep my eye on the project; keep drifting to that wonderful round-bottom plane & gorgeous shave in the background. Outstanding work!

mafe · Feb 6, 2011

A simple angel marker

A simple angel marker
Less is more.

I had decided to make the stafs different width, and set up the angels by eye, and not by math.
But all our talks here made me think, and today I think I had a good simple answer!

First we have the 'problem', how do we determin those angels?
Here in PDF download version

Second my solution, a simple angle marker.
Here in PDF download version

So why do I thing this could be the answer;

It's easy to make.
It's low tech.
It's cheap.
It can be used again and again.
There are a tradition for these types of simple angles.

What do you think?

Hope the PDF can be useful.

Mike thanks for this inspiring ancient bucket blog or master class.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

alba · Feb 6, 2011

Mads, great to see you in full swing.

mafe · Feb 7, 2011

The bottom, the side angels and start of the handle.

The bottom, the side angels and start of the handle.
just before a week of.

Now I will see if I can get to make the bottom and lit I said in the fourth blog, so I better get there.

I will make the stafs different width, and set up the angels by eye, and not by math.

Since I made the sides of recycled pallet wood, I thought I better go on with the recycle concept; here are some boards from a trashed IKEA bed found in the street.
Laying side by side, trying to avoid as many knots as possible, and then marking to know the way later.
Two unparallel lines like you see in the photo are an excellent way.

Lifting the boards two and two as shown, back to back.

Clamping them up.

Running that wonderful old Stanley.
And smoking, this is especially important.

A nice tight fit, and the marking are still easy to follow.

All with a tight fit now.

Marking the bottom diameter, and two cross lines for the dowels.

Transfer marks for the dowels.

Choosing a drill method! Or we can call it a travel in time.
I will not go into each here, just let you enjoy the beauty of them (yes another E-bay purchase).

I choose the spade drill, only because I know it's really old, and because I never tried one of these before.
It was really fast and easy to use, impressed me quite a lot!

Test hole.

Not much tear out, and a quite crisp drilling.

Marking the depth of the dowel position with a marking gauge.

Making a mark with an awl.

After drilling the holes in one side, I use little pins, to get the exact point of the matching holes. If you don't have these, just make some carful layout and you will be fine.

Time for planning.

Flat!

Marking the thickness I want for the bucket bottom boards, in this way I have an aim point for my planning after.

Removing thickness of the bottom with a scrub plane. To be honest it was the first time in my life I tried one of these, and it was really a pleasure, wood was removed so fast and with little effort.

I did not even sharpen that old lady!
(Thank you to Napoleon, who gave this sweet girl one day).

Now I was in the mood for using wooden planes, so I took out my old beauty, and made shaves.
Admit it! Yes! It is so much more wonderful than a metal plane… Hmmmmmmm…. Wood against wood, no sharp edges, and this one with an adjustable mouth.

The beauty of the shaves.

So now I have the desired thickness of the bottom.
(The photo shows before and after).

Stafs and the bottom.

Making a guide. I use a string, an awl and a pencil. This must have been possible, at least with a nail as awl, a string and a nail as marker.

Since I want to make a lit also I decide to save time and my now very sour arms…
So I take of some thickness on the circular saw.

I drill with the help of Mr. Bosch.

Ohhh yes, and since my Festool state of the art table could not hold the thin boards without I hack into the clamps with the plane, I used some good old fashion wedges to clamp…

Like this.
(This might also be a little more authentic than Festool).

The thickness in mm and inches.

Once more… Forgive me, I'm slow!

One bottom and one lit. Or at least the boards for it.

Since my arms at this point were in pain, I choose to use some power tools to help me cutting the bottom circle jig. I used my primitive circle jig (sorry Martyn, I will get to this when I have more time).

Wood, nails, hammer and a raised jig are done.

Now time to make a tool to help me when I try to eyeball the angels for the staffs.
Again; wood, nails, hammer and a holding jig are made.
At the picture you see the staf, and the jig on my no eight plane.

Jig holding the staf.

And ready to run!
Like this I get a firm grip, and a good feel and view of the angel I plane.

Holding the staf in place with a little wedge.

The setup, the raised bottom jig, and now stafs can take shape around as I plane them.

I found out I needed to hold it in place, and did so with string and wedge.

Like so!

Here you see the miracle happening!
Also in the right corner you see my high-tech electric digital angel gauge! Why! Because I simply had to give up du to health, and make the initial cuts for the stafs by the table saw, and then the fine tuning on my angel planning setup.

Here you see where I got to.
I will continue next week, now a week of, this will be good for me since my body at this state feels like around a hounded and seven years old…

Layout for a handle.

A handle.
(Mike I will round the ends, so it will be able to swing).

That's it for now!

Hope it could bring some inspiration, some laughs and perhaps even some light!

Mike thanks for this inspiring ancient bucket blog or master class.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

mafe · Feb 7, 2011

My!!! I get a comment from a escort service in Delhi.
I think I will ask Martin to remove that comment, sorry but I do not think that kind of offers are having a place here!

mafe · Feb 12, 2011

Planing the outside, shaping the mandle and start of the lid.

Planning the outside, shaping the handle and start of the lid.
First day back home.

So Mike, I'm back!.

Spend a little shop time today, not a lot, but a good beginning.

So first staf rounded on the outside, and from here I take a pen and draw the thickness I want from the curved inside and out. I used a compass as marking gauge, since I had no rounded gauge.

First side done, a few stafs needs angel adjustment after.

This is my rounding setup.

And now all the way around.

So time to look at the handle, since this needs to be ready before assembly the bucket, since it will not be able to be done after.

After my discussion with Mike I rounded the end, so the bucket can 'swing'.

Shaping the handle.

I sharpen one of the old drills, and drill the holes in the stafs.

Handle ready. The lid can now be started on.

Lid cut out (yes I used the band saw).

Next step will be the bottom now.

I could not resist!.
Lifted the bucket up in the air, while it was only held together by the span of the string.

That's it for now!

Hope it could bring some inspiration, some laughs and perhaps even some light!

Mike thanks for this inspiring ancient bucket blog or master class.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

tdv · Feb 12, 2011

That's looking fantastic Mads also you have some great tools I love the old wooden plane is that something you picked up in France too? anyway you're reviving old skills I like it
Trevor

mafe · Feb 14, 2011

Lag time... Lagging and joining with dowels.

Lag time… Lagging and joining with dowels.
not as easy as it looks…

So finally time for that lag knife!.

First mark the thickness of the bottom on the stafs.

When you have a marking knife like me, send by a fellow LJ, then it's impossible not to smile while doing this.

Then mark the stafs.

Like this!

And now the other side.

And time to lag!

It's not easy to avoid tear out… So if I should make a new knife, it would have a flat side.

And clean out with a chisel.
Don't know how to control how deep to go…

So I go half, and trust my instincts.

Try a new approach. (I'm naughty).
Sawing halfway through.

Like this.

Clean out are really easy like this.

Now I'm really fast.

What is this a mistake?
No! I made them a little too small on purpose.

So now I mark the bottom with this size.
Why?

And now a little planning to make the bottom fit the groove.
Why this approach?
Because I believe it will be more tight with this wedge effect (might be a mistake).

So off we go.

Fit!!! Jubiii.

Up we go.

And around.

To the end.

More marking gauges.
First I mark the thickness, from inside out always, so the thickness variation will appear on the outside.

Now marking the placements for the dowels.
I set up two gauges to the lengths, and mark from the bottom up.

Like this.

And then marking with an owl to make sure the drill will not slip.

Drilling.
This sounds so simple, but it is really hard to hit dead center in so many holes, and yes I did make mistakes…
But manage with some adjusting of the dowel sizes.

Ok with power tools, my arms can't handle so many holes with hand tools.

Time to make some dowels.

A jig:
Drill a hole in a scrap piece wood.

Make a cut at the depth of the dowels wanted.

Cut of a piece of the wood, and now stick the dowel into the jig.

And dowel express are running, easy and alike.

So dowels ready to be used.

And now it's like Lego.

The bucket comes fast together now.
So time for a pipe of nice tobacco.

Once again I have to test the limits, now to lift the bucket like this.
And it works! Jubiii.

That's it for now!

Hope it could bring some inspiration, or guidance!

Mike thanks for the travel in the ancient bucket blog.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

Clung · Feb 14, 2011

well done!

mafe · Feb 16, 2011

Lid - while I wait for the willow tree!

Lid.
while I wait for the willow tree!

I had all of a sudden become in front of the timeline, have no idea how…
So I had time to make a lid for the bucket.
I had made an extra set of boards like the bottom, so these were the start point.

This is what it became.
A Japanese inspired lid, in one of my favorite colors, Japanese red.

First I cut it in size, and made cut for the handle bars.
Then a tour on the router, as you can see I made a primitive circle jig of a piece of plywood and a nail.
(I made a terrible job full of blow out…).

Here we are.

Now marking the thickness I want the lid to have visually.

And a quick look at the back side.

So time to plane down thickness, I keep it full thickness on the center, so it gets rounded.
Here a use my Stanley No. 2, and enjoy it full time.

Here you can see the rounding coming on.

At the end I leave the surface raw, as a contrast.
All these were in action, most of all to enjoy them…
(The little shoulder plane is a gift from our friend DIV, thank you!).

I glue the lit together, even I don't know if this is allowed from my great master Mike.

Then color the wood with IPE stain (forgot to take a picture).

Use tissue to paint, since I want it raw, as a contrast to the bucket.

Drill a hole in the center and carve a little knob.
This knob I fastened with the wood nail and glue.

For the red; rouge de Chine.

And this is the result.
I must say I'm happy.

And open.

The raw contrast, and the wooden nail.

Hand carved knob.

Now I wait for our dear Mike for the travel in the bucket tour, to get to the binding part!

Hope it could bring some inspiration, or guidance!

Best thoughts,

MaFe

Jim Jakosh · Feb 16, 2011

Hey Mads, that is a real neat bucket!

mafe · Apr 24, 2011

The binding (back in business or solving the Gothic knot)

The binding
back in business or solving the Gothic knot!

Ok Mike, I'm back, was actually afraid the willow would be useless now, but I put them in a bag of water, and they even started to make roots…

Hmmmm, øhhhhhh, baaaaa.

Someone help me!!!

Ok, if I close my eyes and try really hard…

First take a knife and divide the willow branch in two.
It might sound easy but it takes concentration, and that you take full control of the knife.

Take the branch and bend it around a round piece of wood.

Tighten and run it forwards and backwards until you feel the fibers are really soft so it will bend easy around the bucket. (If your binding branch is not all fresh leave it in water over night before doing this - I had to…).

It will look like this.

A long cut to make it a wedge shape.
(I know it's not fine that a knife maker uses a simple Stanley knife sorry).

Like this!

Clean it up.

Make a cut app. half way through.

Viola!

Make a cut that goes up to the cross cut in a wedge shape.

You might need to deepen the cross cut on one this side.

Like this, now we have a hook.
(And a little more…)

Here it's clear to see!

Now cut of some material in the side where you made the hook.

Like so.

Make one just the same in the other end, only the hook needs to turn the other direction, so they will lock.

Click!

And from the back.

Hook and hook.

And a photo of the page I looked at from the wonderful Russian book.

Ok, I'm not sure it was all that fun for Caroline, but she did manage to get some work done, and it was actually her taking the pictures, so I could use both hands. Thank you my sweet Caro.

I'll see tomorrow my dear Mike if I can finish those bindings!

Hope this can help others solve that Gothic knot!

Best thoughts,

MaFe

SCOTSMAN · Apr 24, 2011

A lot of these buckets are German/Austrian in origin, very simple but clever design.I like your post well done.Alistair

patron · Apr 24, 2011

i thought maybe
you were going to ask harry potter
for help

but caroline is far better

enjoy

mafe · Apr 27, 2011

Finale - there is a hole in my bucket!

Finale
there is a hole in my bucket!

Ta-taaaaaaaa…

Plingeling…

Swirrrrmmm…

oooooopen.

Closer.

Even closer.

Ready, steady -

GO!!!
UPS!!!

If I should pick up water in this bucket, I should be running.
Ok it did not hold water, just as I expected.
The bottom is perfect and the fit to the sides seems also perfect.
But my bindings are too loose, and the bucket should be soaked with water before the try.
So why did I do it?
I like my bindings and I will not use the bucket for water.

Smoking / soaking!

Hmmmm, perhaps one day I will make some new bindings, for now I will call the project finished.

So my dear Mike I did it!
Slowly at the end, but I did it.
Hope you can forgive my water world, as I have told you it was a pleasure to make this journey in our past, to get a little closer to my inner Viking, study, make experiments, create theories, do, be, laugh and at the end be able to say I did it.
Thank you Mike.

Hope this can inspire others to take the bucket road!

Best thoughts,

MaFe

Sodabowski · Apr 27, 2011

You can always use it to hold snow… or sand

mafe · May 19, 2011

Certificate of achievement

Certificate of achievement
believe it or not!

I had a wonderful mail today from LJ Debbie, it was not just a chit chat but an official certificate of achievement for my participation in the class of making an ancient bucket with our wonderful Mike.

Here it is.

And here the bucket.

I'm really touched and give all the credit to Mike who gave me this wonderful time on the bucket class.
Thank you Mike.

All the best of my thoughts,
thank you to all the followed us on this wonderful tour and LJ for the fine Certificate,
Mads

Sodabowski · May 19, 2011

Heh, good times with good folks

Did you use your bucket to plant flowers since you finished it? would look great.

Cheers

Making an ancient bucket MaFe

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