tool bling

[Bruce Mack]

Weather is dreary here....perfect time for frivolity.
What tool do you own that that looks so dang good you smile just seeing it on the bench?
Mine is a new curly maple handled stainless steel bladed chipbreaker screwdriver.

[Zach Dillinger]

Shop made lookers:
- My 30" curled maple jointer plane with inlayed moons and stars
- My winding sticks which are walnut with a curled maple contrast strip. The curled maple came from a plank given to me by my late father, so it has special meaning.

Purchased lookers:
- My LN #9. Just look at them.
- Any of my Scottish infills from The Best Things.
- My Mathieson wooden jointer plane. It is used up, beat to hell but still keeps working for me. Now THAT makes me smile.

[Chris Griggs]

This is not intended to toot my own horn (though I have been known too, as I posted these pics before), but I smile when I look at my shop made tools that actually came out attractive...my Pacific Yew bow saw is probably my favorite to look at, though I do love my walnut handled kenyon backsaws as well. I love my shop made tools!

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For non shop made...well I think the MF15 that I picked up a few weeks ago is a pretty sweet looking plane though its not exactly blingy.
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Another that I have that I think is pretty nice looking is a beautiful old Sargent 424...its a really nice looking plane. Nice old patina, shapely tote, lovely beaded knob, but I don't use it much so it tends to get ignored.

The blingyest tool I ever owned was the LN infill shoulder plane. I sold it, and used the money to get something larger...while I've never regretted that decision (I needed a larger shoulder plane more) I must admit that I do miss it from time to time and may get myself another one some day. I'm not typically that into "pretty" tools, but that little plane sure was/is eye catching and pretty darn nice to use on the right scale of work.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Chris:

I have seen that piece of wood before!!

Dave Beauchesne

[Chris Griggs]

Chris:

I have seen that piece of wood before!!

Dave Beauchesne

:)LOL! Yeah you have. Though I think it looks a little nice now. Man am I glad I took you up on that offer for a bit of Yew! It is lovely stuff!

[jason thigpen]

I really like my heavily modified Disston D-23. Cut it down to remove a kink at the end. Made a new handle out of QSWO, and filed a nib. It's now my go to rip saw. And yes, sometimes I do take it out of the saw till just so I can look at it.

[Jim Koepke]

There are so many it would be hard to pick just one.

One would be my Stanley #7 Jointer. It was my first serious plane rehab. Google > junker to jointer < and it is the top hit. Just checked, it is the same for Bing. Yahoo! lists it third.

My little plane hammer made from one of my first chisel handles that broke. I believe the head is lingnum vitae.

Some of my rehabbed saws definitely bring a smile to my face. Like Jason, sometimes they are just picked up to take a look and smile.

Some of my planes are like that. Sometimes one is just pulled out to make a few shavings on a piece of scrap.

Then some of my chisels with shop made handles, some with original handles bring joy in handling and in use.

My shop is usually my happy place.

jtk

[Stew Hagerty]

Oh no... Look out, you got me started...

First for the old.

Well being of Scottish descent, I have a thing for Mathieson tools and have amassed a fair collection. So lets start with those.

Here is what I call Thor's Hammer. It is more than twice the size of my regular shop mallet. I have no idea how old it is, but I am positive that it has pounded its way through lots of great projects.

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Next are my matched set of Mathieson try planes, one 90 degrees and one 45. As you can see, even after more than a century of use, they are still dead accurate.

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Next is a Mathieson low-angle chariot style block plane. Dating from the mid 1800's, it works as good as the day it was cast.

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Of course, I do have tools other than Mathieson. Here is a nice little Preston bullnose shoulder plane.

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Next is a mystery plane. It looks like a Preston, but I can't find any markings other than an owners. Anyway, it is a beautiful 1 1/2" rosewood infill shoulder plane. It's large mass makes it my go-to shoulder plane.

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And finally, here is the new... I mean, I don't just have vintage tools. This is what I look at whenever I'm at my bench. This is my "wall of Woodpeckers red".

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[Chris Griggs]

Oh no... Look out, you got me started...

Of course, I do have tools other than Mathieson. Here is a nice little Preston bullnose shoulder plane.

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That's a REALLY cool looking plane. Now the big question? How useful do you find it? Very cool either way!

[Jim Koepke]

Those are some nice old tools. They would make me smile just to hold them.

Just curious, on the wall of red, what is the thing that looks like a cut off hammer handle just hanging there?

jtk

[Bruce Page]

Well, this is about as far from neander as you can get, but it does make me smile when I walk into the shop. It is on its own shop made bench tho, LOL!

I hope the pic didn’t sear too many eyes! :)

[Jeff Wittrock]

Most of the stuff in my shop is pretty grungy. I must confess I do like to sneak a peak at my shop made shoulder plane and spokeshave every now and then. I just love the look of steel and wood together.

[Stew Hagerty]

That's a REALLY cool looking plane. Now the big question? How useful do you find it? Very cool either way!

Thanks,
Actually I like it quite a bit. Because of its size, it fits really nice in my hand. It's one of those tools that just feels good. I admit, I've never really understood the usefulness of bullnose planes in general. But, I find myself reaching for it because of how it fits my hand.

[Stew Hagerty]

Most of the stuff in my shop is pretty grungy. I must confess I do like to sneak a peak at my shop made shoulder plane and spokeshave every now and then. I just love the look of steel and wood together.

Now those are just really sleek

[Stew Hagerty]

Those are some nice old tools. They would make me smile just to hold them.

Just curious, on the wall of red, what is the thing that looks like a cut off hammer handle just hanging there?

jtk

I'm not sure what you're talking about. What is it close to?

[Jim Koepke]

Right here:

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With red arrow.

jtk

[Chris Griggs]

Right here:

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With red arrow.

jtk


That looks like a plane adjusting mallet to me Jim.

[Derek Cohen]

Most of the stuff in my shop is pretty grungy. I must confess I do like to sneak a peak at my shop made shoulder plane and spokeshave every now and then. I just love the look of steel and wood together.

Hi Jeff

Those two are very striking - I particularly like that spokeshave. I agree, metal-wood contrasts are my kind of bling.

Ebony/African Blackwood and steel, such as this Blue Spruce chisel ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/DT625_big.jpg

The warmth of a wood against brass, as in this router plane I built recently ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Router%20planes/11_zps9c5dbd33.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[george wilson]

Blue steel,brass and curly maple saws I've made. Lots of other tools,but I've already posted them anyway.

[Jim Koepke]

Chris,

After posting the image and blowing it up, it came to me the top was the head of a hammer and not a piece of wood. The size of the handle threw me off.

jtk

[paul cottingham]

Chris,

After posting the image and blowing it up, it came to me the top was the head of a hammer and not a piece of wood. The size of the handle threw me off.

jtk
Lee Valleyplane adjusting hammer. I have one, and its great.
My favorite tool in my shop has to be my Atkins 8point crosscut saw bought from a Creeker. That saw makes me smile every time I use it. A close second is my LV bevel up jack. I use it on every project. My third favorite has to be my Ray Iles 5/16 pig sticker. Don't use it much, but every time I look at it, I feel like a proper galoot, a silly conceit to be sure.

[Steve Voigt]

I guess whatever tools I've made most recently are the ones that I'm most taken with. So fickle. Right now these two, a cocobolo smoother and brass/lignum/maple plane mallet are my fave raves.
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[Steve Voigt]

Shop made lookers:
- My 30" curled maple jointer plane with inlayed moons and stars
- My winding sticks which are walnut with a curled maple contrast strip. The curled maple came from a plank given to me by my late father, so it has special meaning.

Purchased lookers:
- My LN #9. Just look at them.
- Any of my Scottish infills from The Best Things.
- My Mathieson wooden jointer plane. It is used up, beat to hell but still keeps working for me. Now THAT makes me smile.

Zach, got any pics? I'd especially like to see the jointer you made.

[Stew Hagerty]

Right here:

271382

With red arrow.

jtk

Oh that... That's a brass plane hammer from Lee Valley. http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=46540&cat=1,41182

[jason thigpen]

I picked up this set of dividers last weekend. They were part of a large group of tools that I found on Craigslist. I didn't pay much attention to them when I first bought them. But I just finished cleaning them up and sharpening the points and I can't say that I've seen a pair like this before. No markings of any kind. 7 1/4" long. I love them!

[Mel Fulks]

I kinda collect dividers,that type is sometimes called 'bow compass'. They are probably from first quarter of 19th century.
Mine were made by the Stubbs company. You have a nice item there.

[Harold Burrell]

Most of the stuff in my shop is pretty grungy. I must confess I do like to sneak a peak at my shop made shoulder plane and spokeshave every now and then. I just love the look of steel and wood together.

You made those?!!! SERIOUSLY???

OK...then I refuse to post any pics of my shop made mallet.

[jason thigpen]

I kinda collect dividers,that type is sometimes called 'bow compass'. They are probably from first quarter of 19th century. Mine were made by the Stubbs company. You have a nice item there.

Thanks for the info Mel. I had no idea. Time to do a little research!

[Chris Griggs]

Chris,

After posting the image and blowing it up, it came to me the top was the head of a hammer and not a piece of wood. The size of the handle threw me off.

jtk

Yeah, that's what I figured. I did a double take at first too.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Hard to pick a favorite, but I love a good family photo.

[Kees Heiden]

Lots of nice tools here! Thanks for sharing.

Personally I like old, beatup tools just as much as shiny ones. But when it comes down to tool porn, I very much enjoy using my homemade tenon saw. 16", 12tpi, apple handle and folded brass spine.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E1cQwEUxR8k/UTTsHUfxnaI/AAAAAAAAAwc/bkV694PmR9c/s1600/foto+(76).JPG

[Jim Matthews]

I think the MF15 that I picked up a few weeks ago is a pretty sweet looking plane though its not exactly blingy.
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Where did you find that?
These are rarer than Chicago baseball in October.

[Steve Voigt]

These are rarer than Chicago baseball in October.
Ouch! That was a completely gratuitous shot at my home town.
Wish I could say it wasn't accurate. :(

[Chris Griggs]

Where did you find that?
These are rarer than Chicago baseball in October.

Ebay, believe it or not. I had been watching for good MF planes and I just ran across it. MF prices are all over the place. They're not hawked by collectors as consistently as Stanley's, so sometimes you can just get really nice ones for a good price if no-one is watching. I lucked out and it seems no collectors were watching that week. I put in a max esnipe bid of $50 and got it for $46 (+$10 for shipping).

I love it. It tuned up into a fantastic user and makes a great heavy smoother/small try plane. May very well become most used bench plane.

I was going to post a big ole' gloat when I got it but I just closed on my first home and have been CRAZY busy getting it ready to move in, so I never got around to taking any pics (the pic I posted is from the Ebay listing).

[Zach Dillinger]

Zach, got any pics? I'd especially like to see the jointer you made.

Sure thing Steve. I will shoot a few tonight when I get home, assuming it is still light enough for photography.

[Gordon Eyre]

This is my first really nice plane and it makes me smile when I get it out. I have a number of old planes but this LN one is my favorite.

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[Stew Hagerty]

Hard to pick a favorite, but I love a good family photo.

OHHH, you've got one of the new LV Shooting Planes. How do you like it? I saw the plastic mock-up at Handworks, but that only shows you what it's going to look like, not how it feels or works.

[Jim Koepke]

I was going to post a big ole' gloat when I got it but I just closed on my first home and have been CRAZY busy getting it ready to move in, so I never got around to taking any pics (the pic I posted is from the Ebay listing).

Congratulation on your new abode.

All is forgiven. :D

Your penance shall be to post some pictures of where you set up shop. :D

Before and after if life isn't too crazy around moving.

jtk

[Adam Cruea]

For new tools, my copper-back hybrid dovetail saw from BadAxe. The thing has some serious heft, cuts so nicely in thin and thick stock. Top saw in the picture.

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For old tools, that would have to be the #8 Bailey jointer I got from Mr. Leach that I cleaned up. It took a nasty tumble off my workbench one day when I was pounding out some dovetails or something, and I about cried.

For home-made tools, it would be my 4 inch wide, 7 inch long hickory mortising mallet I made. Two pieces of 8/4 hickory for the head, 1 piece of 14 inch 8/4 shaped down for the handle. I soaked the head for 7 days in BLO to give it a little extra heft.

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[Chris Griggs]

For new tools, my copper-back hybrid dovetail saw from BadAxe. The thing has some serious heft, cuts so nicely in thin and thick stock. Top saw in the picture.

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For old tools, that would have to be the #8 Bailey jointer I got from Mr. Leach that I cleaned up. It took a nasty tumble off my workbench one day when I was pounding out some dovetails or something, and I about cried.

For home-made tools, it would be my 4 inch wide, 7 inch long hickory mortising mallet I made. Two pieces of 8/4 hickory for the head, 1 piece of 14 inch 8/4 shaped down for the handle. I soaked the head for 7 days in BLO to give it a little extra heft.

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What? No pic of your 51. I was under the impression that that thing makes you smile more than any of your other tools.

[Chris Griggs]

Congratulation on your new abode.

All is forgiven. :D

Your penance shall be to post some pictures of where you set up shop. :D

Before and after if life isn't too crazy around moving.

jtk

Thanks Jim...can't wait to get move in.

Well, I did just post a video of the plane, which I believe is penance enough.:)


However, this past weekend I finished getting the new basement shop painted and epoxied and just happen to have some before and after pics on my PC desktop that I was sending to friends.....so here they are. I didn't get as even a coat on the epoxy floor as I would have liked but overall I think its a pretty huge improvement. Be even better when the tools and benches are in there.

Before

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After

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[Adam Cruea]

What? No pic of your 51. I was under the impression that that thing makes you smile more than any of your other tools.

It was a toss up between the copper-backed saw or the 51 (since I was only going to do 1 new tool). The copper backed saw won because it was something I could use without anything purpose-built for it, whereas I had to make a shooting board for the 51. However, since you asked. . .

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That the board my 51 rides upon, and that is probably one of the things that, for some odd reason, I am proud of. It's hickory bed with jatoba rails and runs very smoothly.

I've got a video showing its use on my Facebook page for my friends to see.

[Adam Cruea]

Thanks Jim...can't wait to get move in.

Well, I did just post a video of the plane, which I believe is penance enough.:)


However, this past weekend I finished getting the new basement shop painted and epoxied and just happen to have some before and after pics on my PC desktop that I was sending to friends.....so here they are. I didn't get as even a coat on the epoxy floor as I would have liked but overall I think its a pretty huge improvement. Be even better when the tools and benches are in there.

Before

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After

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That's a nice sized basement, dude. I am very, very jealous!

[Chris Griggs]

That's a nice sized basement, dude. I am very, very jealous!

Nice shoot board dude. Very very nice!

Thanks for the compliments on the basement. The makeover was A TON of work...much more than I anticipated. IIRC its about 450-500 sq feet, and I can stand up all the way in it (that's about as good as you get in an urban Philly basement). The basement was a major selling point for the home actually....they can be pretty terrible in my area, and we were very lucky to find a house with one that is dry and that had a high enough ceiling to serve as a workshop or even be finished some day. I'm itching to move my stuff in and itching even more to get settled enough to build a new much longer workbench in it.

[Gary Muto]

Chris,
Congrats on the new shop. I'm jealous and happy for you.

I'm still in an apartment and trying to find a new home. There are two houses we're looking at the would probably give me 1/2 that space if I'm lucky. We could decide to build but then I'd be stuck w/o a shop for at least another 9 months.

[Chris Griggs]

Chris,
Congrats on the new shop. I'm jealous and happy for you.

I'm still in an apartment and trying to find a new home. There are two houses we're looking at the would probably give me 1/2 that space if I'm lucky. We could decide to build but then I'd be stuck w/o a shop for at least another 9 months.

Thanks Gary. I'm very familiar with dealing with the lack of a dedicated work space. You find ways to make it work, but it can definitely be limiting. The house we've been renting has a basement so I've had a decent amount of space for about a year now, but its not a nice space and since its a rental I haven't done much to improve it. It'll be nice to be able to dedicate some time to setting up a more permanent space, and covering up the bare concrete alone is a major improvement over my current setup.

Good luck with the house hunt...it can be exhausting, but it sure is nice when you find what you're looking for.

[Adam Cruea]

Nice shoot board dude. Very very nice!

Thanks for the compliments on the basement. The makeover was A TON of work...much more than I anticipated. IIRC its about 450-500 sq feet, and I can stand up all the way in it (that's about as good as you get in an urban Philly basement). The basement was a major selling point for the home actually....they can be pretty terrible in my area, and we were very lucky to find a house with one that is dry and that had a high enough ceiling to serve as a workshop or even be finished some day. I'm itching to move my stuff in and itching even more to get settled enough to build a new much longer workbench in it.

I would suggest a workbench of purpleheart and hickory. ;)

[Chris Griggs]

I would suggest a workbench of purpleheart and hickory. ;)

Haha....but then I would have to get a 51 to be able to shoot the endgrain of that crap.:p

No sir...I'll stick with pine, mainly because I'm getting it for free. I'll leave those crazy hard woods to folks like you who are not nearly as cheap nor as lazy as I. :)

[Adam Cruea]

Haha....but then I would have to get a 51 to be able to shoot the endgrain of that crap.:p

No sir...I'll stick with pine, mainly because I'm getting it for free. I'll leave those crazy hard woods to folks like you who are not nearly as cheap nor as lazy as I. :)

Oh, I'm both of those, but also stupid. :-P

[Stew Hagerty]

It was a toss up between the copper-backed saw or the 51 (since I was only going to do 1 new tool). The copper backed saw won because it was something I could use without anything purpose-built for it, whereas I had to make a shooting board for the 51. However, since you asked. . .

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That the board my 51 rides upon, and that is probably one of the things that, for some odd reason, I am proud of. It's hickory bed with jatoba rails and runs very smoothly.

I've got a video showing its use on my Facebook page for my friends to see.

Hi Adam,

I couldn't find a friending button on your Facebook page. I send you a message though. Nice Shooting Board!

[David Peterson]

This miter plane by Wayne Anderson.
After arriving on my doorstep, it was months before I stopped looking at it and actually started using the thing.
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[Tony Shea]

OMG David, that thing is incredible. I would cut my left arm off to own that plane.

[David Peterson]

Tony, I'm guessing that means you're right handed...
Even Mr. Anderson sounded pleased with it when I called to thank him. All his tools are marvels.

[Tony Shea]

Tony, I'm guessing that means you're right handed...
Even Mr. Anderson sounded pleased with it when I called to thank him. All his tools are marvels.

Hence why I wouldn't give up my right hand, I would still want to use the tool. If I had only my left hand to use it with, then it would find the floor on my first go with it.

In all seriousness that has got to be one of the most beautiful planes I've ever seen. The miter infill plane is IMO one of the most beautiful forms of a hand plane that exists. And that one by Wayne is absolutely stunning!

[Adam Cruea]

Hi Adam,

I couldn't find a friending button on your Facebook page. I send you a message though. Nice Shooting Board!

I disabled friend requests from people unless we have a mutual friend in common. I was starting to get requests from people I had no clue about and wasn't happy with it.

I figure if someone knows me, they'll message me and tell me who they are and how they know me, then I'll make the request to them. I'm an oddball like that. lol

[Jim Koepke]

I disabled friend requests from people unless we have a mutual friend in common. I was starting to get requests from people I had no clue about and wasn't happy with it.

I figure if someone knows me, they'll message me and tell me who they are and how they know me, then I'll make the request to them. I'm an oddball like that. lol

My idea to set up a separate eddress for Facebook related email seems to have been a good one. It seems there are "friend suggestions" from Facebook almost daily. Then there are people who I have no idea who they may be sending friend requests, some of them are made up names, so they may be long lost friends.

That is what New Years is about right, "let old acquaintance be forgot... ?" My mind is good at forgetting. As soon as someone tells me a secret, it is forgotten least it no longer be secret.

Of course, when the wife asks me to do something, that is often also forgotten.

jtk

[John Sanford]

I don't have any pics at the moment, but I would have to say my L-N LA Block Plane, it was my first really good hand woodworking tool. My stool box and The Persuader also bring smiles, because they have been SO incredibly useful over the years.

I have a whole herd of new planes I've gotten recently that are going to do some pic-posing soon, once my new "decadent" plane purchase (LV NX60) gets here. I'm hoping that the NX60 looks as good in person as it does in pics.

[Bill Wyko]

Nuff said? :D I hope it's ok to include the bench too.

[Christopher Charles]

Yes, but it's blocking the wine bling and tractor bling :)

[Bill Wyko]

Ok here's the 1st 1000 bottles of wine bling, 2000 to go. A wine cellar I'm installing 1000 miles away. Every bottle has 4 dove tail joints. (Those are cases of 2007 Screaming Eagle.)

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Wow Bill, nice work. "Gourmet Gallery" here has a beautiful wine display rack similar with vertical displays up front. I always admire the woodwork as much as the wine, and these guys can have bottles from $20 to $2000.

[Bill Wyko]

I'm working on the top 1/2 right now with the display bottles. I have never done so many dovetails in my life. Don't even think I've seen this many. Every bottle rest is dt'd into the vertical piece front & rear so that's 4 for every bottle, a total of 3000 bottles = 12000 dovetails when I'm done. Maybe a world record LOL