Dave Anderson NH
06-10-2003, 10:01 PM
Hi I'm Dave and I have a tool making problem..... (All- Hi Dave)
For the last month or two I've had a real shortage of time to make any furniture type projects or anything else wooden which requires any sort of long term committment. The Honeydoo list and the weather have conspired to keep me busy with other things. Still, I needed my woodworking fix so I did some making of hand tools out of cutoffs and a few pieces of special material I bought. The other reason is that in about 2 1/2 weeks the 13th Annual Wood Days festival is at the Canterbury Shaker Village and I needed some project for my annual demo. Over the last few years it has become traditional for me to make a hand tool using only hand tools and I've already become tired of doing bow saws and spokeshaves of various types and styles. It was time for something new.
The picture below shows in the back the panel marking gage of a traditional 18th century style using a captured wedge to lock the beam in place. The measurements and template are from my single most treasured hand tool, a boxwood panel marking gage which carries the stamp of my g-g grandfather, James Draper Anderson, and dates from sometime after he arrived in Cambridge MA as an adult from Londonderry Northern Ireland in 1853. The wood is quartersawn black walnut with a BLO finish and the cutting knife is a scrap of steel rule from the die shop at work. I've completed two of these and have the blanks ready for 2 more to demo during the two days at Canterbury.
Next I made a small marking gage for regular work out of black walnut but used 2 5/16" diameter brass pins for the fence. This allows the gage to be used on both a straight and a curved edge. Finally I decided that I ought to make myself a REALLY special gage so I went up to Goosebay Lumber and poked around. This gage on the left uses a beam and a captured wedge of Gabon Ebony and the fence and the wedge holding the cutter are Ambroynia Burl. Again I used brass pins for the fence. Since I was at the lumberyard anyway, this 1 1/2" square by 12" long piece of Indian Rosewood kept saying"take me home". I heeded the call and made an awl frompart of the blank, a piece of 3/16" O1 drill rod, and a Lee Valley brass ferrule. I also started the handle for a marking knife which is in the picture along with the length of O1 tool steel bar stock which will make the blade when I get around to it.
I hope you enjoy the picture below, I've rambled along for too long now.
For the last month or two I've had a real shortage of time to make any furniture type projects or anything else wooden which requires any sort of long term committment. The Honeydoo list and the weather have conspired to keep me busy with other things. Still, I needed my woodworking fix so I did some making of hand tools out of cutoffs and a few pieces of special material I bought. The other reason is that in about 2 1/2 weeks the 13th Annual Wood Days festival is at the Canterbury Shaker Village and I needed some project for my annual demo. Over the last few years it has become traditional for me to make a hand tool using only hand tools and I've already become tired of doing bow saws and spokeshaves of various types and styles. It was time for something new.
The picture below shows in the back the panel marking gage of a traditional 18th century style using a captured wedge to lock the beam in place. The measurements and template are from my single most treasured hand tool, a boxwood panel marking gage which carries the stamp of my g-g grandfather, James Draper Anderson, and dates from sometime after he arrived in Cambridge MA as an adult from Londonderry Northern Ireland in 1853. The wood is quartersawn black walnut with a BLO finish and the cutting knife is a scrap of steel rule from the die shop at work. I've completed two of these and have the blanks ready for 2 more to demo during the two days at Canterbury.
Next I made a small marking gage for regular work out of black walnut but used 2 5/16" diameter brass pins for the fence. This allows the gage to be used on both a straight and a curved edge. Finally I decided that I ought to make myself a REALLY special gage so I went up to Goosebay Lumber and poked around. This gage on the left uses a beam and a captured wedge of Gabon Ebony and the fence and the wedge holding the cutter are Ambroynia Burl. Again I used brass pins for the fence. Since I was at the lumberyard anyway, this 1 1/2" square by 12" long piece of Indian Rosewood kept saying"take me home". I heeded the call and made an awl frompart of the blank, a piece of 3/16" O1 drill rod, and a Lee Valley brass ferrule. I also started the handle for a marking knife which is in the picture along with the length of O1 tool steel bar stock which will make the blade when I get around to it.
I hope you enjoy the picture below, I've rambled along for too long now.