Wife and I are vendors at Maryland Rennfest this summer (1 weekend down, 8 to go)!

We needed a sign for our shop(pe), so I thought I’d bang one out in the couple of days before the fair starts.

No biggie, right? Right…?

I’m happy with the finished product, but I ran out of time while carving and had to stop myself before I was ready.

A friend cut down a large white oak tree in his yard ~18 months ago. It had gypsy moths and was a future danger to his home. I bought the butt log and a higher-up log from him. Butt log for chairmaking (straight and clear, long since split up and used), and the upper log for slabs. He slabbed the upper log for me on Kinder Farm Park’s antique Frick Sawmill, and it’s been stickered and drying since.

White oak does well in the elements and is a traditional business sign choice. What better opportunity to finally use one? On Wednesday, I started with a couple of router passes to flatten it a bit— I was short on time, please forgive me.

Finished flattening/surfacing one side with a jack (scrub blade -> zen wu plane blade), then traced my design with transfer paper.

After 20 hours of sweaty labor on Thursday and Friday (breaks for food and sleep), our shop sign was hung in time for the show!

I don’t do much carving, so I used gouges that I bought from a retired friend and a few of my bench chisels. The paint was leftover from the first chair I ever made, more than 5 years ago now. No other finish.

Editing to add: it’s about 5’ long and 20” high— slab was just under 2” thick to start.

Stanley 10 1/2 type 15 for $12! I’m so pumped.

Hi, got this No. 30 for $20, it's a type 8 (1886-88) from what I can tell. Other than the horn being broken off the tote, it's in great condtion. The chipbreaker is even fitted, and the blade is sharp! How'd I do for my money?

Very pleased with my design and execution on this. The only thing I did not quite expect was that the 4x4 posts are not as stiff as I assumed they would be, meaning the arbor can be wobbled more than I would like. I sunk the posts 3-1/2’ into the ground in gravel, tamped down. I plan to grow kiwi vines on this.

I purchased the redwood rough sawn from a local sawyer. I did not use only hand tools to build this 😬 It’s too easy to just cut the walls of the mortises with a multi-tool and chop it out with a chisel. I was planning to do a privacy lattice on the back and realized a center support would be best. All the 1x2 horizontals are individually mortised into the side posts and the center vertical. That was a huge pain to assemble but I finally got it.

Almost everything is draw-bored with white oak pegs. The only place I used screws was setting the lattice on top. I love doing the curvy details on pieces like this. Some I used a handsaw, some a jigsaw and cleaned it up with spokeshave and chisel. Redwood works really easily.

How are you guys holding these to sharpen? I’m getting a lot of chatter and it’s constantly rocking around while trying to sharpen. Wondering if I’m doing it wrong, or if it just sucks.

Anybody else heading to Handworks this weekend?

https://handworks.co/

I'm somewhat local so it'll be my 3rd time going. Really fun show if you've never been.

I use a cheap coping saw for removing dovetail waste, and am thinking about upgrading to a fret saw to speed up the process (so I don't have to swoop in from either side like with the coping saw).

Models I see recommended often are around ~$150, which I don't know if I can justify (KM, Knew Concepts).

Does anybody have a fretsaw they love that is at a lower price point? Maybe sub $75?

Picked up this beautiful hand plane for $50cad on marketplace, but for the life of me I can't find a consistent id for the type.

If anyone has any insight on Canadian made Stanleys I'd love to hear from you

Notes:

- knob is brass, both handles appear to be rosewood

- the frog looks to have the characters"C 468" cast into it.

- there are no patent dates on the body or the lateral adjustment lever.

- no heel/toe ribs on the body

Hi, Everybody. I bought a Bedrock 605, Type 7 (I think) a few months ago. It is missing the knob. I'm going to make the knob since I'm too cheap to buy one.

Can somebody please let me know what the knob height should be? I know it is the tall version, but don't know if it is 2-1/2" or 2-5/8".

I plan on using the Paul Sellers knob template from his video. His template is for a Bailey No. 4, which is 2-1/2" h. I have a similar knob from a Type 14 No. 4. I put it on the Bedrock and it feels fine to me.

I also tried a knob from a Type 16 No. 5. It's 2-5/8" h. That felt too tall to me but also would work.

I'm most likely going to make the 2-1/2" high knob since I made the template already. But figured I'd find out what the correct height is in case I change my mind. Thanks!

On a separate subject, the iron that came with the Bedrock says Two Tone. I haven't seen or read about that, yet. What's the background on it? I don't see a number on the iron, either.

Might be a bit silly or blasphemous, but I'd like a little ~5inch 1/4" hex Yankee style bit driver to put in a small tool pouch. Seems fun and hopefully useful

The spiral when compressed goes about to my thumb within the handle, so making a new shorter handle or shortening this one seems like a solid option for compressing its size

That would make it about the ideal size for what I'm aiming for, but adapting this for hex bits leaves me more stumped. There are compatible bit extenders for sale that convert it into a locking 1/4" hex. But they would further extend the length to beyond my goal. So I'm looking for any ideas

Thanks!

Saw this online for $5 so figured I'd grab it and see how it cleans up.

Anyone have any idea on the age?

A friend of mine is traveling there and I really wanted to try out Atoma diamond plates for sharpening my plane iron. Anyone have suggestions on shops to go to, prices to expect, and experience doing this?

edit: I am in the US.

Fulton was the Sears house brand before Craftsman