What have I done in the workshop today?

Last weekend's job was a lot easier and quicker. A log store for a friend who has just got a stove (it's a Clearview pioneer, so needless to say she is thrilled with itt).

Actually it is more a log store kit at the moment, so that I can take it round by car. The hardest challenge was making one for less money than I could have bought one for - only possible by using reclaimed timber (AKA "skip wood") where not too conspicuous.

I started a new job today - a bookcase in English oak for C-H jnr's room. Much more conventional woodwork than the chair, starting with seasoned timber. Sticking with hand tools though - and trying to think of new uses for wood shavings !

My garden fork handle started creaking and splitting whilst digging the last of the maincrop potatoes. It is quite old, and I have never really liked the plastic handle that seems to always scrape the skin off the side of my right hand little finger. "Why don't you just treat yourself to a new one ?" askes DW

The forging looks quite decent, and I rather fancy one of those old style wooden handles - and I had a reasonable piece of straight grained ash left over, which has been in a big plastic bag in the garage to keep it damp. Whilst the sun is still shining it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss - got the shavehorse and pole lathe set up in the garden and turned the beginnings of a new handle. Just need to figure out how to do the steam bending to make the fork at the top now.

Pah! What a disappointment. I was waiting patiently for the picture I was sure would arrive - and it turned out to be a yellow face. Looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Hum. No photo yet; my first go was a fail Wood started to split as I was clamping it up after steaming.

I shall try again. I know a few things I'll do differently - I'll slot the handle a bit further down and use more gentle curves - the former I used was asking a lot of the wood to bend so much. I'll round off some corners better that caused a bit of a kink. I'll thin down the wood a bit, so that it is more supple. And I'll do it when I'm not in so much of a hurry - I think a bit longer in the steam would be better, and I'll be better prepared with clamps etc - too much faffing let it loose some of the heat.

I may also have a google and see if I can get some pictures of finished handles, to see if their shape holds any clues.

I've still not sorted the fork handle.  And all that has been going on in my workshop for the past week or so is not terribly exciting - a new loft hatch made, and loft ladder fitted so that I can get some of the clutter out of the way.

So, here's one I made earlier.  Our forester  friend at Wimpole has been setting us a woodworking chellenge each week, either a particular interesting wood to work with, or a specified thing to make, or maybe both at the same time.  The other weekend we were to make a stool from an Ash log, and a board of local elm.  Here's mine:



It does look rather like I should be milking a cow, I think.  I used a technique I've wanted to try for a while to attach the legs, they are blind wedged tenons - the end of each leg is turned into a round tenon. a slot for a wedge sawn,  The top is drilled with blind holes just deep enough for the tenon.  A small wedge - in this case of hornbeam so that it won't easily split - is put in the slot in the top of the leg, and the leg is driven into the hole in the seat,  with the wedge bottoming out on the bottom of the hole and being driven home as the leg is knocked in.  Done properly, the leg is wedged firmly - and irrremovably - in place.  It is quite important to get the wedge the right thickness for this to work.  The method is also good for concealed fixing of drawer and cupboard door knobs too.

I do like air dried elm as a wood to work.  it takes nice creamy shavings with little dust - a shame it is so hard to come by now.

BTW, have we done the 'fork handle' joke yet??

Oh that seat is just beautiful, I just want to stroke it. I don't know of any elm trees now but we've recently planted an elm hedge as they apparently don't get dutch elm disease until they are quite tall.

That is lovely CH. Is there a reason for using two different woods for the legs and seat - aesthetics maybe, or a practical purpose?

It's a fairly traditional combination, for practical reasons. Ash cleaves easily along the grain, so is a good choice for legs, rails etc. But this is not actually what you need for the seat - the last thing you want is a wood that splits easily, so the interlocking grain of elm is more suitable. I rather like the look of the elm with its pronounced grain, and like the contrast. This particular elm was very dry, and the ash was felled the day I collected it -this is quite the wrong way round, as it makes the joints more likely to loosen as it dries - hence the wedges (and a bit of modern glue ).

Our next challenge is to be a taller 3 or 4 legged stool, with rails. I have a nice piece of elm for that, the shape of which suggests what it should become quite strongly to me. Looking forward to that.

Is it ok to mention Christmas yet ? I got grumbled at a few weeks ago in the tea room.

Been making a lot of Christmas gifts. Bottle stoppers, a footstool or two, a lemon squeezer and five (yes 5!) chopping boards. And a couple of very traditional screwdrivers (that's "turnscrews" if you're being posh) for a Secret Santa on another woodworking forum.

A lot of work, particularly when done all by hand, but a lot more enjoyable than going shopping.

Is it ok to mention Christmas yet ?

Not until December!  Give me time to go into hibernation.

I did a lot of chatting and not much wood turning at Wimpole last weekend, but this evening I fitted the pair of pulls I made to the bathroom roller blind.

After a lot of distractions I've got back to the bookcase. It is turning into a major dovetail practice piece, wide dovetails to hold the top on and sliding dovetails for the shelves. May be quite a bit longer till it's finished. ..

Got back to making the small bookcase C-H Jnr has been waiting for. Involves a lot of this:

Finished those lapped dovetails last night, now for sliding dovetails for the shelves.

Wow, those joints are beautiful Chilli Head, that's going to be a bookcase of some strength.

It reminds me of the inside of a musical instrument. It looks really beautiful, CH. Any chance CH Jnr will appreciate what you have done for him, before he gets to be the age you are now??!

freebird wrote:Any chance CH Jnr will appreciate what you have done for him, before he gets to be the age you are now??!

He is just bemused as to why it takes so long ! He has a bit of a point, but as well as the day job, I have decorated two bedrooms this winter (including his !), and got distracted by Christmas present making in the meantime. I'm back on this job now, hoping to clear it before I get back to my second chair. And whatever I want to make for the APTGW craft competition at the Bodgers' ball.

And I've just heard the rather sad news that MAC Timbers have been forced to shut up shop. They are a good source of interesting timber, and I was hoping to get some big slabs of walnut from him for chair #3, for which I want to make a smoker's bow. I'll have to try and get there before all the wood is gone !

Oh dear, I've just realised that what I wrote could have been misconstrued. What I meant to convey was the fact that children rarely appreciate the efforts parents make on their behalf, until they are old enough to be doing exactly the same thing! I didn't mean to imply that you are taking far too long over the job.

It's OK freebird, I read it as you intended. But most things do seem to take me a long time ....

Yesterday I collected a super board of English walnut from MAC Timbers. It must have come from an enormous tree - it is a single board 22" wide by 2" thick. Hopefully it will make the seat and armrest of chair no 3.

Finally got around to putting together those dovetails that I showed you earlier:



After a pretty stressful glue-up (had to call in help from the kitchen at one point), it is looking like this:

"

The bottom and middle shelf are held in place with sliding dovetails - a single tapered dovetail from front to back, that slides in from the front, pulling the sides in.

There's quite a lot of colour variation in this oak;  I am told it is English, but it is from fairly small trees, making it necessary to make up the wide pieces by jointing together smaller boards. The worst mismatch is on the little vertical dividers,  which I'm hoping won't be to obvious.

Just the back to go now.  That will be made of tongue and grooved boards - I've just finished planing up the wood for this, hence the mess on the floor !

Wow CH, that looks stunning. I love seeing the bits that hold it all together. Beautiful!

freebird wrote:Wow CH, that looks stunning. I love seeing the bits that hold it all together. Beautiful!

Just what I was going to say!!

Dandelion wrote:

freebird wrote:Wow CH, that looks stunning. I love seeing the bits that hold it all together. Beautiful!

Just what I was going to say!!

Me three!!

And I'll fourth that!

Finished that bookcase for C-H Jnr and hauled it upstairs into his room today.  I added a back made from tongue and grooved oak boards, and finished it off with Osmo hard wax oil and a polish up with beeswax.