tenjin

Well done!

Hi,

Thanks everyone for the tips. I’ve been making a few tweaks to my wedges, and wanted to leave it a while before I gave an update.

Here’s what I have learned:

i. My wedges were binding ever so slightly, rather than meeting fully face to face. I spent a lot of time flattening them as much as possible.

ii. The recesses I’d cut in the aprons…[Read more]

Hi,

I did wonder about insulating the board, but I didn’t bother.

While it’s sometimes freezing in the garage by the time I’ve cut up a few boards, or planed a few, I’m usually warm enough! 😀

Regards

Darren.

Hi,

I store my tools in a similar, single skin garage. I have a recurring damp problem in there that I have been dealing with for a couple of years. I’m in Wiltshire, and it always seems to be raining here!

Here’s what I did to address rust as much as possible:

i. If you want to hang anything from the walls clad them first with water resistant…[Read more]

Hi Kirsty,

I have to say, I bought the Veritas Router Plane as it’s fantastic, and the second-hand Stanley ones go for crazy money on ebay.

Saying that, I did manage to pick up a second hand Stanley eventually, but I had to keep an eye on ebay for months and months before I could get one at a reasonable price, so if you can justify the cost I…[Read more]

Congratulations Kirsty, and good luck with your bench.

I am also a beginning woodworker, although I am a couple of years in now so have been lucky enough to pick up a good range of old tools.

I have a similar Record Plough Plane, and absolutely love it. I used it to build my workbench just before Christmas, and it worked a treat.

Buying and…[Read more]

Hi,

I realise this is an old thread, but as i’m having similar problems thought I would post.

My eze-lap plates are not very good now. I’ve bought multiple coarse plates thinking maybe I had abused them in some way, but all fairly quickly go full.

I have coarse, fine, extra fine in my sharpening station, and only the extra fine causes any Bla…[Read more]

Hi,

Just seen this, so a bit late but…

I lowered the top rail by a couple of inches so I could get the bolt through the apron where I wanted it.

It was also so I could fit a full tail vise either end.

Regards

Darren.

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies.

I asked because handle wood is an indicator (not a guarantee of course) to plane type / age.

I like to try to work out how old the old tools I buy might be.

Thanks!

Darren.

Hi Tom,

Well done for both projects!

I can’t imagine squaring the OWR reclaimed timber by hand. I fortunately had a planer thicknesser, and even then that was hard enough!

Someone replied to my query about the wedges with some useful tips. I can see the logic in them, and I’m hopeful they will help.

I also added some recesses (like on a pencil…[Read more]

Thanks for all the kind comments everyone.

I’ve been using the bench solidly for a few months now and I have to say it’s been great.

The centre well is fantastic, I’m glad I built it that way. It’s quite deep, so I can put a lot of tools in there and still work as if I had a clear bench.

I’ve had some challenges with the wedges not dropping on…[Read more]

Hi,

Looks good!

How do you support the drawer under the bench? Did you build a frame / rails?

Thanks

Darren.