A lighthearted Neander thread - mostly photos

[Brian Holcombe]

After a long week of work a friday evening whisky is enjoyed amongst friends. This is, in my opinion, the forum equivalent. :p:D

My wife enjoys a local antique market, she often requests that I do the driving. More often than not I can browse through in 2-3 minutes then drive off and get a coffee, this weekend however I decided to dig a little deeper.

I stumbled upon this and enjoyed the story that came with it. The seller had a piece of furniture along with this at his stand, the furniture was a rustic piece utilizing carefully chosen branches (with bark intact), tenons obviously cut with a tenon cutter (rounded shoulders) and fitted into neatly made mortises. The piece was left to dry and upon doing so it tightened up to form a rock solid bond. I didn't think to take photos of the furniture, so hopefully my description alone with suffice. I assumed from the seller's description of the maker that he has passed and the seller was offering the last of his work and a mallet.

This mallet is a massive piece, amazingly intact and the handle is very tight but appears to be a simple round tenon. For scale the frame sitting behind this has members of 2.5" x 1.75".

https://brianholcombewoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/IMG_7754.jpg

https://brianholcombewoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/IMG_7755.jpg

I've been needing a replacement mallet for some time, my goumi mallet being a bit lightweight for my taste and my joiners mallet has been disintegrating for some time.

So, this is a thread of fun unexpected finds, please participate and enjoy.

[Frederick Skelly]

Nice mallet Brian.

18 months or so ago I was considering a new LN #2. The work I do is small and I was feeling "acquisitive". I happened to drop by an antique store with a lady friend and happened upon a small smoother that was painted totally black, as if it had been used as a decoration. I checked the dimensions against Blood and Gore and realized I'd stumbled onto a Stanley #2. For $15. Talk about an unexpected find! I took her home, cleaned her up and realized the lever cap was cut down from a #3. Nevertheless, she works like a charm. Well worth $15.

Fred

[David Eisenhauer]

Nice finds guys. I can't make myself go in an antique store, flea market, etc, so who knows what finds I am letting pass me by for the next guy. This may be the consequence of having a Mother who is a full blown, card carrying hoarder. Brian, the mallet looks like a daily user, what does it weigh? Frederick - I have always wanted to hold a #2 just to see what it feels like in the hand. Does it feel larger or more comfortable than standard block plane?

[Frederick Skelly]

Frederick - I have always wanted to hold a #2 just to see what it feels like in the hand. Does it feel larger or more comfortable than standard block plane?

Hi David,
The #2 is larger than a standard block plane. Personally, I like the way it feels in the hand, though if you have large hands you might not agree with me. (Now my WR #1 is a different animal - it's a fair bit smaller.)
Fred

[David Ragan]

Thanks for starting this, and I hope my question is not a hijack.

Since I'm recovering from knee replacement, am looking for something "simple" to do.

A mallet.

YouTube had a guy adding lead to a mallet.

Obviously, the weight of the wood used for the head will determine, well, the weight of the wooden head......

What is the uppermost weight that you all have made a mallet? Anyone felt the need to add lead, perhaps you had to use a light wood for some aesthetic reason?

Thanks, D

[Bill McDermott]

On the theme of unexpected finds... wood. For example, wanting to make a token from wood sourced from hallowed ground, I asked my nephew to pick up a branch and bring it to me next time we meet. Without any idea about wood, he grabbed a likely looking log. I opened it up to find it was Sycamore, which is beautiful when quartersawn. It made a perfect top for the piece. It often surprises and delights me to find a beautiful piece of wood that appears one way or another and works perfectly.

[James Pallas]

Found in kitchen knife drawer at a friends house. She said "I don't know what it is. Some kind of meat or cheese slicer. I never have used it. You can have it if you want." I said "Thank you very much".
Jim

[steven c newman]

After a recent group get together in Virginia.....the event's host said....."These are my scrap bins."( BTW....the scrap bin goes the length of that wall, from the corner, to the walk-through door, and was one of three to dig through!)

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And each of us at that event were allowed to load up as much as we wanted. Our Host figured he'd soon have those bins full again. I had to share a ride in a pickup truck to the site, so I got just half a truck load

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Some Poplar...
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Some Flame Cherry ( using the last of this up, now) and..
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The rest was Curly Maple.....all were considered "scrap" and/ or just cut-offs....that our Host couldn't use in the work he does.

Have used some of this for a Stand up Desk, a Candy Box, and most of the parts for a simple Chest of Drawers.

To think, we have these get togethers once a year.....can't eait to see what happens, next year. BTW: Each year is a different host's site......Iowa is next summer...

[David Eisenhauer]

Heckuva event host Steven C.

[Tom Stenzel]

Thanks for starting this, and I hope my question is not a hijack.

.....

What is the uppermost weight that you all have made a mallet? Anyone felt the need to add lead, perhaps you had to use a light wood for some aesthetic reason?

Thanks, D

I'm not sure about the aesthetic reason but I'm more familiar with the anesthetic reason:

https://youtu.be/aCFJ1YaEHDA

:D

-Tom

[Brian Holcombe]

Nice finds guys. I can't make myself go in an antique store, flea market, etc, so who knows what finds I am letting pass me by for the next guy. This may be the consequence of having a Mother who is a full blown, card carrying hoarder. Brian, the mallet looks like a daily user, what does it weigh? Frederick - I have always wanted to hold a #2 just to see what it feels like in the hand. Does it feel larger or more comfortable than standard block plane?

Thanks David, I'm really not sure but if I had to guess...30 ounces or so.

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

My happy find was a very low dollar item, but it was extremely timely.

I had been looking for rivet material to use to reattach the lateral adjustment lever to the frog of a Stanley plane, but was not having any luck at all, and I had gone to a lot of trouble to find such. Included in the search were the auction site, a couple of industrial nuts and bolts supply houses, some industrial metal fabricators, a lumber yard/hardware store, another hardware store or two, and to a couple of welding supply places, and I had exactly zero luck on anything approaching the size needed.

The welding places were checked to see if they had some brazing rod of the right diameter since I had gotten some of about the right size years ago. (The welding supply places told me that they could no longer even get the size brazing rod I wanted, I suppose due to the changes in welding equipment, but told me that it flat was just not available any more in anything except 1/16" rod.) One place told me to check with the machine shops, but it was getting to the point that I figured many of them were closing up. RATS, NO LUCK at all!

I VERY VERY SELDOM go to garage sales, but went to one the next weekend or so, a lady was selling off some of her late husbands tools. Well, no tools to speak of that I was remotely interested in, and in fact almost no tools at all, but it was not early in the day either, but by chance I happened to see a couple of sticks of brazing rod and of what I think is silver solder, tied together. Probably just like her husband had left them.

The lady had no idea what they were and asked me. I told her brazing rod, and asked about the price....(no need to pay the full asking price if I didn't have to)....WOW....just the size I needed! The bundle did set me back about 50 cents our so!

HAPPY DAY, I fixed the plane!

Stew

[Stew Denton]

Hey Fred,

Well worth 10 times the $15!

Stew

[Kees Heiden]

I was lusting after the book "Eighteenth century woodworking tools". But with the postage it isn't exactly cheap, so I postponed to pull the credit card.

Then, a week or two ago I cleaned out my corner of the living room, stacks of books, magazines, and assorted crap. Of course, you might have guessed allready, there was the book! I allready had bought it and completely forgotten about it a year ago.

[Bill Berklich]

looking for something "simple" to do. A mallet

A mallet is a great project! As far as weigh it, it is up to you. My most used is a 3"x4"x5" Elm head leather faced mallet @ 12oz no added weight. But I also have hammers and mallets from 4oz to 2.5 lbs. Most of the mallets I make don't have anymore weight than the natural wood because I don't need a greater level of persuasion. If I do I grab my 22oz framing hammer :-)

[David Ragan]

I'm not sure about the aesthetic reason but I'm more familiar with the anesthetic reason:

https://youtu.be/aCFJ1YaEHDA

:D
-Tom


That a good one, esp for me right now, as I don't feel so good....the humor 50 years ago was great-no cursing, etc. 3 Stooges, Bob Hope, Carol Burnett, Red Skelton, and many other. Just all class.





I was lusting after the book "Eighteenth century woodworking tools". But with the postage it isn't exactly cheap, so I postponed to pull the credit card.

Then, a week or two ago I cleaned out my corner of the living room, stacks of books, magazines, and assorted crap. Of course, you might have guessed allready, there was the book! I allready had bought it and completely forgotten about it a year ago.

This very thing has happened to me more than once. My BF is accustomed to getting the spares.




A mallet is a great project! As far as weigh it, it is up to you. My most used is a 3"x4"x5" Elm head leather faced mallet @ 12oz no added weight. But I also have hammers and mallets from 4oz to 2.5 lbs. Most of the mallets I make don't have anymore weight than the natural wood because I don't need a greater level of persuasion. If I do I grab my 22oz framing hammer :-)

Yeah, there is a point of diminishing returns. Already have two round mallets, one 12, other 18 oz. I suppose with the next one, 24 oz would be good-if the wood comes out close to that.

[Graham Haydon]

On the "light" side. Just clocked who your Avatar is, Brian, or your former Highness Edward the 8th.

[Jim Koepke]

On the "light" side. Just clocked who your Avatar is, Brian, or your former Highness Edward the 8th.

How could you tell without the asparagus?

jtk

[steven c newman]

Aka Duke of Windsor....

Lighthearted?
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close up?
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Lighthearted..
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And NO, it is not mine....
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New Avatar?

[Nathan Johnson]

The cat has claimed my Lee Valley order.

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[Dave Zellers]

On the "light" side. Just clocked who your Avatar is, Brian, or your former Highness Edward the 8th.

Can't even begin to tell you how shattered I was when I started watching Brian's videos......

[Brian Holcombe]

On the "light" side. Just clocked who your Avatar is, Brian, or your former Highness Edward the 8th.

Always well dressed!

[Brian Holcombe]

Can't even begin to tell you how shattered I was when I started watching Brian's videos......

Hah! Try as I may!

[Frederick Skelly]

On the "light" side. Just clocked who your Avatar is, Brian, or your former Highness Edward the 8th.

Brian, why Edward the 8th as your Avatar?

[Dave Zellers]

At the very least, I was expecting wafts of wisdom delivered through wisps of aromatic smoke.

The reality is not that far off the mark, actually. ;)

[Brian Holcombe]

Brian, why Edward the 8th as your Avatar?

He's something of a icon in the fashion world.

[Brian Holcombe]

At the very least, I was expecting wafts of wisdom delivered through wisps of aromatic smoke.

The reality is not that far off the mark, actually. ;)

Indeed, the humidors aren't just for show. :)