[j1212t]

Resurrecting craft in a throw away society

Somehow things in our modern world have moved so fast that I think the craft, care and pride has become second to strictly making money off of dumbed down consumers. Tools, automobiles, furniture, so many things seem spit out of a robotic assembly line and tossed in our faces through constant visual media.

The machine of the marketing world I think at most depends on our stressed out, overworked lifestyles to cave in and just except modern junk. It attempts to pacify our weary minds with fast buttons on amped up hand held gadgets convincing us that the next fast and gratifying minute is worth forgetting our present moment. We continue to see jobs where souls once gave their hard earned hours now being taken over by computers, robots and people so desperate they are willing to work faster, cheaper, and keep the machine of big business selling us a lot of stuff.

We live in a throw away society. I feel sad that many of todays youth feel fine being ignorant of the simple pleasures of living in order to have more gigabytes to speed things up and push buttons to make things seem fantastic. We are slowly becoming hamsters spinning around without even realizing it.

The latest phrase that the marketing ignorant are selling our modern household is "I can be the hero" I think that stinks. I think of our veterans, young men and women today without limbs…our modern world of self entitlement needs a swift kick on it's backside and a fast dam humbling. Every time I see a WWII veteran I am in awe of them….they are hero's. I would not even have the right to type this if not for what they did. We are losing values I fear, so many of us focused on ourselves with plastic junk that we toss away.

Well, I need to share some good things now. I am not here to blog and bum everyone out..lol.

Life is what we make it…so let's make something!

I had these rather rectangular and boring looking hinges that I will be using for a new tool box I have been working on.

I suppose my previous rant above was in my head looking at these cheap hinges. Sure they will do the job, but I thought…perhaps I can resurrect the craft in a throw away society….jazz these suckers up a little..lol.

Here is a before and after to get the idea of the original shape:

I set about my task with a Rats Tail file and Combo file to follow my new idea. I used my Grandfather's vise for the job. I tried a little Whitesmithing I suppose, it's alway fun to work metal. If you do so please try and wear a mask.

Now onto the new tool box I hope to unveil in the upcoming month. I like the curves and the bit of flow these hinges give off now. It felt good to take something and customize it, sort of add your stamp on it.

Well I surely know that my little hinge operation will not solve the worlds problems, but I do think it keeps my focus on some things that are important. We all have the great option to make things, to take media of any sort, paper, music, timber, metal, etc. and excuse ourselves from throw away mass produced junk.

No matter how well or how rough our creations become, they have soul, and I like to think they honor those that paved the way for us today. Make no mistake, it is a world of wonderful things. We have made amazing gains in many fields. My thoughts are that we all need to keep the course on the shore of fast waves and ever changing tides. Unlike our computers, there are no reboots in our lives, try to enjoy each moment.

Thanks for stopping by…and file those hinges!

I will always keep a sharp saw in the till for ya,

Joe

I really liked that rant. Favourited just because of that. Favourite part "It attempts to pacify our weary minds with fast buttons on amped up hand held gadgets convincing us that the next fast and gratifying minute is worth forgetting our present moment."

So true in so many ways. PS! The hinges aren't half bad looking either.

 

[Kentuk55]

Resurrecting craft in a throw away society

Somehow things in our modern world have moved so fast that I think the craft, care and pride has become second to strictly making money off of dumbed down consumers. Tools, automobiles, furniture, so many things seem spit out of a robotic assembly line and tossed in our faces through constant visual media.

The machine of the marketing world I think at most depends on our stressed out, overworked lifestyles to cave in and just except modern junk. It attempts to pacify our weary minds with fast buttons on amped up hand held gadgets convincing us that the next fast and gratifying minute is worth forgetting our present moment. We continue to see jobs where souls once gave their hard earned hours now being taken over by computers, robots and people so desperate they are willing to work faster, cheaper, and keep the machine of big business selling us a lot of stuff.

We live in a throw away society. I feel sad that many of todays youth feel fine being ignorant of the simple pleasures of living in order to have more gigabytes to speed things up and push buttons to make things seem fantastic. We are slowly becoming hamsters spinning around without even realizing it.

The latest phrase that the marketing ignorant are selling our modern household is "I can be the hero" I think that stinks. I think of our veterans, young men and women today without limbs…our modern world of self entitlement needs a swift kick on it's backside and a fast dam humbling. Every time I see a WWII veteran I am in awe of them….they are hero's. I would not even have the right to type this if not for what they did. We are losing values I fear, so many of us focused on ourselves with plastic junk that we toss away.

Well, I need to share some good things now. I am not here to blog and bum everyone out..lol.

Life is what we make it…so let's make something!

I had these rather rectangular and boring looking hinges that I will be using for a new tool box I have been working on.

I suppose my previous rant above was in my head looking at these cheap hinges. Sure they will do the job, but I thought…perhaps I can resurrect the craft in a throw away society….jazz these suckers up a little..lol.

Here is a before and after to get the idea of the original shape:

I set about my task with a Rats Tail file and Combo file to follow my new idea. I used my Grandfather's vise for the job. I tried a little Whitesmithing I suppose, it's alway fun to work metal. If you do so please try and wear a mask.

Now onto the new tool box I hope to unveil in the upcoming month. I like the curves and the bit of flow these hinges give off now. It felt good to take something and customize it, sort of add your stamp on it.

Well I surely know that my little hinge operation will not solve the worlds problems, but I do think it keeps my focus on some things that are important. We all have the great option to make things, to take media of any sort, paper, music, timber, metal, etc. and excuse ourselves from throw away mass produced junk.

No matter how well or how rough our creations become, they have soul, and I like to think they honor those that paved the way for us today. Make no mistake, it is a world of wonderful things. We have made amazing gains in many fields. My thoughts are that we all need to keep the course on the shore of fast waves and ever changing tides. Unlike our computers, there are no reboots in our lives, try to enjoy each moment.

Thanks for stopping by…and file those hinges!

I will always keep a sharp saw in the till for ya,

Joe

I agree with everything you said Joe.

 

[superdav721]

Resurrecting craft in a throw away society

Somehow things in our modern world have moved so fast that I think the craft, care and pride has become second to strictly making money off of dumbed down consumers. Tools, automobiles, furniture, so many things seem spit out of a robotic assembly line and tossed in our faces through constant visual media.

The machine of the marketing world I think at most depends on our stressed out, overworked lifestyles to cave in and just except modern junk. It attempts to pacify our weary minds with fast buttons on amped up hand held gadgets convincing us that the next fast and gratifying minute is worth forgetting our present moment. We continue to see jobs where souls once gave their hard earned hours now being taken over by computers, robots and people so desperate they are willing to work faster, cheaper, and keep the machine of big business selling us a lot of stuff.

We live in a throw away society. I feel sad that many of todays youth feel fine being ignorant of the simple pleasures of living in order to have more gigabytes to speed things up and push buttons to make things seem fantastic. We are slowly becoming hamsters spinning around without even realizing it.

The latest phrase that the marketing ignorant are selling our modern household is "I can be the hero" I think that stinks. I think of our veterans, young men and women today without limbs…our modern world of self entitlement needs a swift kick on it's backside and a fast dam humbling. Every time I see a WWII veteran I am in awe of them….they are hero's. I would not even have the right to type this if not for what they did. We are losing values I fear, so many of us focused on ourselves with plastic junk that we toss away.

Well, I need to share some good things now. I am not here to blog and bum everyone out..lol.

Life is what we make it…so let's make something!

I had these rather rectangular and boring looking hinges that I will be using for a new tool box I have been working on.

I suppose my previous rant above was in my head looking at these cheap hinges. Sure they will do the job, but I thought…perhaps I can resurrect the craft in a throw away society….jazz these suckers up a little..lol.

Here is a before and after to get the idea of the original shape:

I set about my task with a Rats Tail file and Combo file to follow my new idea. I used my Grandfather's vise for the job. I tried a little Whitesmithing I suppose, it's alway fun to work metal. If you do so please try and wear a mask.

Now onto the new tool box I hope to unveil in the upcoming month. I like the curves and the bit of flow these hinges give off now. It felt good to take something and customize it, sort of add your stamp on it.

Well I surely know that my little hinge operation will not solve the worlds problems, but I do think it keeps my focus on some things that are important. We all have the great option to make things, to take media of any sort, paper, music, timber, metal, etc. and excuse ourselves from throw away mass produced junk.

No matter how well or how rough our creations become, they have soul, and I like to think they honor those that paved the way for us today. Make no mistake, it is a world of wonderful things. We have made amazing gains in many fields. My thoughts are that we all need to keep the course on the shore of fast waves and ever changing tides. Unlike our computers, there are no reboots in our lives, try to enjoy each moment.

Thanks for stopping by…and file those hinges!

I will always keep a sharp saw in the till for ya,

Joe

A brilliant Idea.
You are a genius.

 

[jjw5858]

Resurrecting craft in a throw away society

Somehow things in our modern world have moved so fast that I think the craft, care and pride has become second to strictly making money off of dumbed down consumers. Tools, automobiles, furniture, so many things seem spit out of a robotic assembly line and tossed in our faces through constant visual media.

The machine of the marketing world I think at most depends on our stressed out, overworked lifestyles to cave in and just except modern junk. It attempts to pacify our weary minds with fast buttons on amped up hand held gadgets convincing us that the next fast and gratifying minute is worth forgetting our present moment. We continue to see jobs where souls once gave their hard earned hours now being taken over by computers, robots and people so desperate they are willing to work faster, cheaper, and keep the machine of big business selling us a lot of stuff.

We live in a throw away society. I feel sad that many of todays youth feel fine being ignorant of the simple pleasures of living in order to have more gigabytes to speed things up and push buttons to make things seem fantastic. We are slowly becoming hamsters spinning around without even realizing it.

The latest phrase that the marketing ignorant are selling our modern household is "I can be the hero" I think that stinks. I think of our veterans, young men and women today without limbs…our modern world of self entitlement needs a swift kick on it's backside and a fast dam humbling. Every time I see a WWII veteran I am in awe of them….they are hero's. I would not even have the right to type this if not for what they did. We are losing values I fear, so many of us focused on ourselves with plastic junk that we toss away.

Well, I need to share some good things now. I am not here to blog and bum everyone out..lol.

Life is what we make it…so let's make something!

I had these rather rectangular and boring looking hinges that I will be using for a new tool box I have been working on.

I suppose my previous rant above was in my head looking at these cheap hinges. Sure they will do the job, but I thought…perhaps I can resurrect the craft in a throw away society….jazz these suckers up a little..lol.

Here is a before and after to get the idea of the original shape:

I set about my task with a Rats Tail file and Combo file to follow my new idea. I used my Grandfather's vise for the job. I tried a little Whitesmithing I suppose, it's alway fun to work metal. If you do so please try and wear a mask.

Now onto the new tool box I hope to unveil in the upcoming month. I like the curves and the bit of flow these hinges give off now. It felt good to take something and customize it, sort of add your stamp on it.

Well I surely know that my little hinge operation will not solve the worlds problems, but I do think it keeps my focus on some things that are important. We all have the great option to make things, to take media of any sort, paper, music, timber, metal, etc. and excuse ourselves from throw away mass produced junk.

No matter how well or how rough our creations become, they have soul, and I like to think they honor those that paved the way for us today. Make no mistake, it is a world of wonderful things. We have made amazing gains in many fields. My thoughts are that we all need to keep the course on the shore of fast waves and ever changing tides. Unlike our computers, there are no reboots in our lives, try to enjoy each moment.

Thanks for stopping by…and file those hinges!

I will always keep a sharp saw in the till for ya,

Joe

Thanks everyone for the comments. I am always inspired by all of your fine works, and glad to share as well as learn with all of you! I thank you for taking the time to read. Have fun filing!

All the best,

Joe

 

[jjw5858]

Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.



This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!


Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.


Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?







Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.






Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!



How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.



Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!



Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.



So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe

 

[JKMDETAIL]

Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.



This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!


Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.


Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?







Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.






Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!



How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.



Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!



Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.



So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe

Yes and these old tools are ready to be used not displayed on the wall. Although they do look nice. My Dad has an apple crate of saws i will be cleaning up soon. Just got three nice wooden planes, one of which was my great grandfathers. Still has the 'H' stamped on it.

 

[BTimmons]

Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.



This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!


Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.


Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?







Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.






Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!



How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.



Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!



Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.



So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe

Good points, and nice scores all around.

 

[mojapitt]

Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.



This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!


Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.


Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?







Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.






Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!



How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.



Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!



Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.



So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe

You are a savior for these tools. They will serve you well. Keep on your journey.

 

[Cedarking]

Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.



This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!


Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.


Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?







Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.






Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!



How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.



Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!



Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.



So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe

Awesome find.

 

[jaykaypur]

Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.



This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!


Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.


Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?







Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.






Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!



How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.



Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!



Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.



So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe

I need to find some of these kind of yard sales down here in Va. You always do a great job cleaning and restoring these old tools. Great story too.

 

[WellExecuted]

Tool pickin', cleaning and using!

For the many of you out there that are always on the hunt for great hand tool buys at a Flea Market this one is for you. I would say this is also for the beginner or curious onlookers that may want to start using hand tools but may feel overwhelmed by the catalog prices of some of the leading brands that are making outstanding top quality tools.

I know for myself at times I have to take a deep breath after drooling over a Lie Nielson catalog and seeing a hand plane upwards of 200-300 plus clams….holy cow. If your someone on a low budget all of a sudden things look to be put on hold regarding your fantasies of using hand saws, planes, and chisels for an afternoon of wood work. For those starting out or simply on a lower budget this problem can be solved.

One expensive part of my kit that honestly will pay you back in sharpened gold in mere weeks are…….Diamond Stones. Save up for them….really. I see and hear all of this deep examination on the subjects of sharpening, looking at edges and all of this dramatic explanation of a getting a razors edge. If you want to cut out all of that and get to the sharp part please follow the Paul Sellers method of sharpening…no lie my friends it will work wonders. Like anything it does take practice to begin to see and feel the correct bevel angles as you hone your irons and chisel blades. So…Diamond Stones, and a hardy strop with green rubbing compound and watch your arm hairs disappear with a razor edge. Be careful. This sharpening method once practiced takes me about 10 - 15 minutes and I do this on a regular basis. That is all my tools require, no complicated jigs or long process to worry over. If it sheers paper, cuts hairs or another goody to try gently stick the edges along your thumb nail. If you can feel the blade directly sticking into your nail with little movement…your good to galoot.

The diamond stones purchase will save you hundreds of bucks on new gear and now you will be able to fix older blades on older good gear you pick for better prices! NOTE: Please keep in mind, your looking for old gear that is in decent shape. Not a plane iron that looks like it was chucked into cement 50 times. If that is the case you will need to go to the grinding wheel and keep a water quench to keep the steel and irons temper while you totally rework a new blade edge. This method is for someone more advanced and it does require patience and care so please take notice if that becomes the situation.

Of course if you already have a solid method of sharpening then you are already halfway there!

Other important things to have on hand while cleaning: Various grits of sandpaper and steel wool, WD-40, 3 in 1 oil and if you like some BLO for bringing out the grain in handles, etc. You will also have to enjoy doing some work on these great oldies, so bring a few jars of elbow grease although I do not think Home Depot carries that…lol.

The second tool here that is huge is an electric wire wheel, yes I said electric. No worries friends we all need to plug in now and then and the wire wheel will work perfect for this sort of work. Please make sure to wear goggles and be prepared for your hands to get mighty dirty. You also may want to have on a mask. Keep in mind we will be taking off various rust and some paints, so best to strap a mask on while we spin.

Here are some more hand tool finds we can take a look at, see the cost, and review the time I put in on cleaning them up.

This wonderful Stanley Chisel. Ok so it is not a full set, but hey a good chisel is always a welcome component for any tool tote.



This chisel was already in good cosmetic shape, it simply needed to be sharpened!


Here are a duo of hand planes. The Stanley was in far worse shape than this current photo and you can look further down for the pics of the Dunlaps clean up. I got this Stanley for 10 dollars. The plane was complete but needed plenty of care. I recall the seller telling me to take this Dunlap with it! Yes this Dunlap was a freebie, the gentlemen just wanted to get this off of his table.


Here is how this old Dunlap hand plane looked when it was given to me. This plane is the size of a Stanley #4. The handle has been glued a bit offset but it holds very strong. There may just be some potential in this, besides it was free what can we lose?







Here we are, cleaned up, sharp and making shaves! Took me under 3 hours to disassemble, clean the entire plane, oil things up and of course sharpen and test it. Still needs some slight tinkering but this is really cutting nicely now.






Here are a trio of Handsaws. Just picked these 3 up for 9 dollars! 9 bucks for 3 nice rip saws and 2 of them are Phila Disstons!



How about this awesome smaller spokeshave $10 haggled down from $15.



Using the diamond stone method I flattened the bottom and sharpened the blade and it is working with ease!



Maybe you need a vise to hold all your projects in. I got this ole Stanley for 8 bucks, wood pieces included and ready to bolt her up! I use this as my new main vise and it works great.



So let's look at the bill…lol.
1 Stanley chisel $10
2 Hand planes (Stanley #4 and Dunlap of the same size $10)
3 Rip Saws (2 of them Disston Philas $9)
1 small iron spokeshave $10
1 Stanley bench vise $8

The time I spent…well ok, that is priceless. I enjoyed every fix up.

$47 total and we already have a nice tool kit started!

Think what you can purchase brand new with $47 at some of the top hand tool manufacturers…..maybe one chisel.

I hope this was a fun break to get some ideas or perhaps you can share with someone you know looking to start on their own path of getting some solid tools together. The efforts are rewarded with nice shaves and a great feeling of accomplishment seeing the tool revived and used again.

Never let an idea or possibility sit and waste away in a corner, pick it up, teach yourself something and share it.

With that, work safe and have fun my friends!

Joe

Awesome, Joe. That's how I felt this weekend when I got to see the fruit of my labor tuning my $15 Stanley No4 for the very first time: http://instagr.am/p/369F83oBEW/