The Lie Nielsen honing guide is very good followed by the one made by Richard Kell. DMT diamond plates are nice and convenient. If you don’t mind working with and maintaining water stones they are hard to beat.
Maggie’s The Wood Shop
- Thread starter TxWelder35
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I find the wheel to narrow on the LN honing guide. I might pick up a Kell guide as it seems it would be more stable.
The Lie Nielsen isn’t as stable as some but that is by design. It allows the user to easily create a micro radius if so desired. I haven’t tried the Veritas version.
For those looking at hand tool woodworking, understand it’s a deep and expensive rabbit hole, lol. Ask yourself what you want to do and accomplish. What is your style? You may honestly come out better spending the price of two LN planes and getting a floor stand jointer or bandsaw or table saw.
However, we are all here to spend you money if you choose to follow down the hole, lol.
However, we are all here to spend you money if you choose to follow down the hole, lol.
Yep, of course you’ll need a Sawstop Industrial table saw and a full set of Festool power tools as well. Their domino jointers are outstanding by the way.
I get mad every time I use the big machines and create the same product in 1/4 of the time, lol.
How is that 8 TPI rip saw working for you? I have two 8 TPI crosscut saws and have thought about sharpening one of them to a rip tooth configuration but was concerned that it might be too many teeth.
I sharpen all my plane and chisels with Japanese water stones and do not use jigs because they will damage your stones. Learn how to flat grind your blades by hand and put a micro bevel as a finishing touch. I occasionally lap my stones with a diamond lapping plate to keep them flat. Stones from 400 to 12000 grit. Also make sure you lap the back of the blade so it is perfectly flat. The 400 through 1000 grit stones are stored in a bucket of water while the higher grit stones are cleaned and put up after use.
Still using a 1957 Delta Unisaw I bought used in the 80's. That old 230v motor still rocks.
Hope to find young cabinetmakers to give this to (and everything else) in about 25 years.
Have several Tyzack Sons & Taylor brass backed saws that I bought many years ago including a rip, crosscut and dovetail saws. The saws were well made but the set was not quite right. Sent them to the late Tom Law to have them reworked. Two of my favorite panel saws are Sandvik and have seen lots of use in my shop. The lie-Neilsen saws are of good quality and perform as advertised.
The 8 TPI rip is good for getting close to a cut line. Less tear out. I also have a 12 TPI rip panel saw for the same reasons. Especially useful in softwoods.
The 5 TPI rip is a savage beast used for rough dimensioning, as is the 8 TPI crosscut panel saw.
I use the guides to reset bevels after hand sharpening several times. I prefer diamond for speed, and lack of maintenance. I finish on black Arkansas and a strop.
At 67 the thought of what to do with a lifetime collection of tools crosses my mind on a more frequent basis although it has yet to stop me from acquiring more.
If my kids estate auction all my shit off I’m going to haunt them forever.
Young kids today don't seem to want to learn skills with their hands. It seems they're being taught that wood and metal working is a bad thing. When that time comes for me, I'll gladly auction off my shop. The ultimate hope would be it goes to someone that can use and appreciate the tools rather than "giving" it to someone that lets my tools waste away.
A trestle table I built for a friend with heart pine.
I might as well jump in the deep end. Here's a chest of drawers I made out of walnut years ago. Hardware is brass and porcelain. Drawers are dovetailed, etc. Have a nightstand to match. Had a queen-sized bed as part of the set, but got rid of it when I went to an adjustable bed. I'll never go back to a flat bed. Edited to add: I taught furniture making, cabinet making, etc., for 30 years in our local high school. I had the advantage of having an administration that didn't have a problem with me using equipment during non-school hours. Just wanted to toss that in so you guys would know I had thousands of square feet of heated space and tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment I could use.
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Here is my first piece of furniture I finally have finished. Been working on it past couple months. 
I mostly do metalwork, but wood and metal go together sooooo….
Taught myself to pour pewter and made these from hickory (the Hawk) and maple set for the skinner and war club.
Taught myself to pour pewter and made these from hickory (the Hawk) and maple set for the skinner and war club.
TX, very nice. Oak, poplar and can't tell if maple or cherry on the leg? Info?
Rift white oak for the top, flat sawn white oak for drawers, and maple on the legs. No fasteners in the whole desk
Wish I could say I made this but was done by a friend who started turning bowls as he neared retirement. He's now an award winning master and most of his bowls are absolutely incredible. Check out some of his stuff - http://www.sammylong.com/portfolio. Some of his lace type bowls are paper thin.
Did someone weld two straight razors across the blade?
No. It's forged. Could that be how he came up with the idea? Who knows. It's also old af. Take a look at the patent dates.
Haha. I'm kidding. I know it is purpose built but that was my first impression. I have a few drawknives but have never come across a foldy. Very cool.
Breaking down an Osage Orange log I got from member @RGStory.
If you don’t own a jawhorse, then you need to go buy one right damn now.
8 TPI crosscut saw makes quick work of it
Over to the bandsaw. Got some good mallet blanks and some good pieces of heartwood for smaller stuff.
Saved the saw dust to make dye. I use this dye as part of the process for finishing kiln dried walnut:
All the scrap was cut into stickers for stacking wood. Still have 2/3 of the log left.
If you don’t own a jawhorse, then you need to go buy one right damn now.
8 TPI crosscut saw makes quick work of it
Over to the bandsaw. Got some good mallet blanks and some good pieces of heartwood for smaller stuff.
Saved the saw dust to make dye. I use this dye as part of the process for finishing kiln dried walnut:
All the scrap was cut into stickers for stacking wood. Still have 2/3 of the log left.
How many tools can you buy that are 60 years old, call the manufacturer that is still in business, order a part for it that they make up for you that day, arrives 2 days later, and fits like the day it came off the showroom floor.
That is stupid impressive. Hats off to Northfield. Guess that’s why these saws cost 20k to buy brand new.
It’s crazy that literally 60 years later on all original parts, motor etc, blade still tilts and goes up and down smooth as the day it was made.
One thing I have learned, if you want a tool that will last you have to buy something made for heavy industry. This saw will outlast me and my kids
For woodworking power tools, it’s Northfield or GBPSE
That is stupid impressive. Hats off to Northfield. Guess that’s why these saws cost 20k to buy brand new.
It’s crazy that literally 60 years later on all original parts, motor etc, blade still tilts and goes up and down smooth as the day it was made.
One thing I have learned, if you want a tool that will last you have to buy something made for heavy industry. This saw will outlast me and my kids
For woodworking power tools, it’s Northfield or GBPSE
Well the score I had today says otherwise. I wouldn’t call these barely used buy for $50 I’m not complaining
Out with the plane this morning getting blocks trued up for the bandsaw. The pile on the left still needs to be done, lol.
Should net anywhere between $8,000-$10,000 worth of grips as long as I get good book matching and there are no surprises inside the blocks.
Lazy button selling them as grip blanks will probably net around $2,000
Scraps will be turned into veneer at 1/16 thick.
90% walnut, and some old growth curly redwood. Will probably use the redwood to make pen/pencil stands.
Should net anywhere between $8,000-$10,000 worth of grips as long as I get good book matching and there are no surprises inside the blocks.
Lazy button selling them as grip blanks will probably net around $2,000
Scraps will be turned into veneer at 1/16 thick.
90% walnut, and some old growth curly redwood. Will probably use the redwood to make pen/pencil stands.
A little project creep started with a LOP spacer made out of a scrap of walnut. Progressed when I decided I could use a spacer for the cheek rest. Things looked a bit out of balance, the bravo needed something out front. Made up an arca spacer plate complete with mlok slots that mirror the underside of the stock. Old school jointer for this small stuff- a sheet of sand paper on a flat glass table.
Need to upgrade my tool inventory. Tools used- hobby router table, cordless drill, dremel, beat up table top table saw and a hand held belt sander for profile work.
Need to upgrade my tool inventory. Tools used- hobby router table, cordless drill, dremel, beat up table top table saw and a hand held belt sander for profile work.
Very cool!
As for the old school jointer, I use a granite surface and plate with sand paper for grip blanks.
Thanks, I am happy with it. Thought a lot about profiling the sides of the plate spacer but I decided to leave it square, when it gets beat up on barricades and such I will still have material there to remove.
Thinking of making a barricade stop now to add to the mix, kinda mimic one of the krg offerings. Think I will need to invest in a drill press to get the holes placed accurately however.
@Bigfatcock Going to have to pick up a granite drop off, keep the dust off of the kitchen table. Great idea.
Grips made from these blanks are guaranteed to get you pussy!
That is sexy.
You make 1911 grips?
He makes knife grips....
He is probably overly critical of these but they make me as happy as the only man in Ukraine with money in his wallet.....
Not at the moment. I’ve only got a cheapo drill press where I am right now, and I don’t trust it for the screw holes and bushing relief.
That was a fun project! I really want to make another set that isn’t whittled out with a carving knife, lol.He makes knife grips....
He is probably overly critical of these but they make me as happy as the only man in Ukraine with money in his wallet.....
I should have left you to your own creations instead of asking to follow the Ek design.
You probably would have sent me something Texas BBQ grade when I was looking for GI issue.
I got exactly what I was looking for - utility and beauty.
Naw, I like them as is. The linseed oil works well on them. The EK handle is interesting. As you said, it really looked like they grabbed whatever length of wood was hanging around to make the scales, lol.
Im thinking the guy at EK had limited skills and the only tool was a drum sander.
