 I just put up a business page on Facebook for Krager Custom Wood Products. I'm still learning about the implications of that and how it all works together. I don't need another place to keep postings up to date, and duplicate posting isn't helpful. So, thank you for your patience while I work through the technical details. Any pointers are welcome! Add Comment  I finally finished the carving gouge handle project. These are mostly Addis blades a couple Buck Brothers This represents about half of my total collection, so I am well equipped to move ahead on some SERIOUS carving projects. The other half consists of newer Pfeil gouges and some miniature gouges and chisels. As noted before, I'm planning a Grinling Gibbons style carving and this is a major step towards beginning work. I have some experiments to perform to test procedure and material. The design elements need to be sketched out to work the details satisfactorily. I'll post progress pictures now and then. Anybody interested in the old handles? 
Shop work has indeed been slow. I am helping a farmer friend with preparations for field work. But I have also been restoring some tools that have been given to me. These rusty planes have now been restored as far as I can take them for now. I need some rosewood for a tote (or a rosewood tote already done) for the larger plane.
 I'm about half way through a lengthy project of making and installing new handles on all my carving gouges except the newest ones. It took some time to decide what to do about the ferrule but now that I've decided, it will be quick to finish. As you may remember my goal is to start this year on a major carving in the Grinling Gibbons class of work. I intend to carve a potted plant with dense foliage wrapped about a twisted rope climbing pole. It's an ambitious piece of work and it is unlikely that I will finish it this year. But it will soon become part of the weekly calendar to invest some time on a regular basis into this project. I have the materials and soo the tools will be in order.  Here is a nice family, Mr. and Mrs. Ballpeen Hammer with Junior. The handles were broken off and the heads were rusty and dirty. Now they have a new lease on life with solid ash, custom turned handles. The heads have been custom fitted into a cradle that helps suppress vibration from the blows and forms a strong cushion should the target be missed, which is the cause of most broken handles.  A knowledgeable friend suggested and offered to help, so I have decided to accept BitCoin (BTC) currency in exchange for the services I provide. This will be in addition to the US dollar currency currently accepted, of course. This makes trading more convenient for both parties because transactions can be done at very little if any cost and the transactions are more secure than any other method. It is not a credit card or PayPal transaction. So, if you have BTC to invest, then I can build an heirloom for you. Just contact me to discuss what you want.  Move over Grinling Gibbons. Have tools will carve. Have carved. But I don’t like the mishmash of handles that happens in an aggregated set. So I gathered up some dead ash trees and split out some blanks and turned a set of new handles. These are all my Addis tools that deserve good handles. I fooled around until I made one I liked and was comfortable in my hand. Then I had to change the size to fit in the drawer! Not much, so they are still comfortable. Notice that there are flats prominent to prevent rolling around. The ends are nicely rounded and push very comfortably. The blade end of the handle has a nice form that keeps the tension hand in position comfortably too. This handle makes it easy to sense tiny rotational movements because of its larger diameter. All in all, I put a lot of thought into them. Ah madem and Ah likes em. I have a chunk of basswood that I am laying out a Gibbons type of vertical vegetation display set in a carved urn. It will take the better part of a year to complete because I cannot work full time at it. But I will post updates from time to time.
The tool chest design continues to mature. My goal is to have "modular" chests that are built in the Gerstner style, perhaps beefed up a bit for more handling strength. The smoked plastic doors provide lockable dust protection. Have worked out where most things will go in .  Mark Sternberg has just announced the release of his router mill plans and kit. This is an ingenious, well designed machine that any skilled woodworker can build. Buying the kit from Mark makes it a whole bunch easier. He estimates that in most areas this can be built for under $600 including his kit and plans. If you order the kit from him all you have to provide is the two wheels, a few fasteners, and three sheets of plywood. (Router not included.) The machine makes it extremely convenient to perform many woodworking operations, probably more than any other single machine or jig. The list of operations that can be performed repeatably accurate is lengthy. More information can be found at: http://lumberjocks.com/Mark55/blog/34426 If you are interested, contact Mark on LumberJocks through his profile "mark55", or contact me. Wow! What a machine!  I’ve decided to update (slowly) the tool chests that I use to keep things handy, as in within arms reach of bench. No tools are allowed on bench (usually) so with each use things get put back where they are stored. This sketch is a design thought. It does not fully meet the modularity requirement. I also want to put doors on the chests, but just how is still unanswered. I’m considering tambour, pushing up to open. There is quite a bit of wasted space behind the planes. Haven't thought what to put there and how to get to it. Suggestions and comments are welcome | AuthorDan is an experienced woodworker who is anxious to make an heirloom of the future for you. ArchivesMarch 2013 Categories |
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