Just spent a few hours tweaking the doors nice to get the detail right.

To finish this cabinet I need to:

1. Make and fit some handles

2. Fit the chisels to the inside of the doors

So nearly there...

Quick Spokeshave repair / upgrade

A quick and very effective way of improving your stanley 151:

1. Build up the bed to reduce the mouth size

(Milliput or a series of shims glued in)

 

2. Put a 'closer' into the mouth - here a strip of mild steel.

(with Araldite this lasted me about about 8-9 years - this is the second time I have glued it back in as the spokeshave is about 18 years old) 

 

 

Its good enough for me - not perfect but I am not selling it!

Finer mouth - but it could be even better - I just am gluing back in something I made a very long time ago - like to think I am a better maker now!

I cannot believe I have just stood outside with my camera and took this photo.

I knew it had a good zoom but its amazing it could (almost!) focus on the moon.

My son said 'I have never seen a full moon' can we stay up?

I mean the excuses to stay up late just keep coming.

 

I am fascinated by the Curiosity Rover up there now, driving around on Mars.

Big Boys remote control car - with Nuclear Powered engine!

I am a firm believer that the only way the human race will survive

is by populating the solar system., then further afield.

Mars is the next step on that journey, we have to walk on mars next...

 

Finished the Spokeshave - the spalted box really took on a wonderful colour when I polished it.

It resembles Olive now more than Box - I originally was concerned the wonderful spalting

(which was only minor) might not show through - but I think I was wrong!

Shallow thumb rests - a nice feature - simple to add to an existing spokeshave.

If you look closely you can just see a 'B' and a 'N' nestled in the cut away sections,

these are hidden when the blade is fitted.

Not a great shot unfortunately - but they are there!

Notice how the blade protrudes more on the left as it is a custom fit.

About 1 hour layout and roughing out, 1 hour carving, 1 hour finishing, so 3 hours approximately to make.

Much nicer than the original!

So time to restore these tools I just purchased...

I like restoring tools - I will start with the spokeshave.

Firstly I much prefer Box to Beech, for all the obvious reasons but mainly much more hard wearing.

I happened to have some off cuts to the Bill Carter Mitre plane I am making.

These are curved and so I will throw the beech handle away and just keep the tiny blade!

The new Spokeshave has followed the natural curve so will be very strong.

A fine home made chisel for the job.

Thanks to David Barron, I use this marking knife I made inspired by his design all the time now.

I have planed a flat on it rather than his curve for your thumb to rest on,

I feel this is an improvement for me as it is planing (easy, fun and not dusty) and stops it rolling on the bench!

My new Japanese carving rasp comes into its own here, they had 3 types:

Extra fine, Fine and Medium I was interested in.

When younger I would have gone Extra fine and been at it for ages.

Now I am wiser I got the Medium and its BRILLIANT.

Just don't apply much pressure at all, cuts lovely.

I got it from Rutlands, check it out here.

About 1 hours work to get to this point.

Ummmm fun time, carving time. A home for me.

I don't have to think about any of this, it all just sort of happens in front of me.

I think that will make sense to those of you who are reading this?

Must check as you go of course..

About another hour to finish the carving - including 2 shallow concave areas for your thumbs to snuggle into.

Westonbirt Arboretum - Festival of the Tree

I have been going to this festival for years now - it is however getting worse in many ways,

as the dealers will tell you, I remember the days when Mike at Classic Hand Tools used to have a whole giant tent and pay for lots of famous people to demonstrate - but it is thin on the ground now.

Got some tools as I always do.

I had a maximum budget of £40 - I am not rich after all.

Spent £28 and got the tools below, 2 Laminated irons, one lovely small spokeshave and a Stanley 81 scraper plane - which should have a rosewood base but instead had a curved mahogany base.

Many thanks to Tony Murland, antique tool specialist, great bloke, fantastic chat, superb T -Shirt!

It said ''The one who dies with the most tools wins''

See his website here

A Pixie door made with my son.

A present for my mum - to nail onto her shed - you know - so the Pixies can get in.