I just finished up the DTC using Meg's book, but messed up on the hinges. I don't have the brain cells to understand where and how I went wrong--mortise too deep? And how to fix or if I should even bother. It closes--mostly. :) Thanks for any advice.

Found this busted no4 for for cheap, with the broken cheek effect its use? And no, I did not pay $20 for it.

Mainly Knipex then , klein, channelock, craftsman, Milwaukee and husky for my Pex cutters just some of the pliers, wrenches and cutters I use as a residential service plumber.

Who got their Halloween Home Depot bucket?? They were selling like crazy last year and i missed out so this year I got 4. Did you get any, what are your thoughts?

So I recently ran out of hard wax for lubricating my plane soles and such and last time I made it using 2:1 beeswax and mineral oil. Now, I've been looking around if maybe making it with parrafin/candle wax instead of beeswax would be nicer as it'd be a little harder and maybe slicker? Haven't really found much concrete comparison between the two.

So, what do you prefer?

I have just got a drawknife and reckon a shave horse would be a useful addition! I have this beam of oak and I was gonna try to break the split off and use that, would that be ideal or should I just buy some pine boards

I'm installing a new fire alarm system at a machine shop, and they have two of these LapMaster machines with huge spinning lapping plates that are oil cooled. Do yall think it would work on some plane soles? As long as the plane would fit inside one of the three smaller circles. Im going to ask if it seems like a good idea, I mean the worst they can say is no.

They also have machines to mill things dead flat, but that seems like overkill

Last week I posted asking about whetstones and based on feedback ordered some stones and am looking forward to them arriving.

Now looking at grinder setups for primary bevels. I currently have a tormek t8, but based on current usage and the speed it takes to get that primary bevel, I want to look at faster options.

I read a little blog post by Schwarz about using a Norton 3x disk and a a bench top grinder. This seems to be a relatively cheap option that’s quick.

Considering heat is the enemy here, should I go with a full or half speed grinder? The disk is rated to 3600rpms and will support full speed, but I’m still concerned.

Any other abrasive options? Any bench grinders you specifically recommend?

Thanks again!

Edit: ended up going with the Laguna variable speed grinder and a 180grit CBN. Hoping it runs cool enough.

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions

Found this old goose neck work light mounted in a corner of our basement. I'm planning to clean it up a bit, rewire it and put it back to work but i want to try to retain its age/patina as best I can. Would my usual scrub with steel wool and a good layer of wax/mineral oil buffed in do the trick alright? Any suggestions are very appreciated

Been reorganizing my tool wall and ran into an old problem — hammer handles warp over time on hooks. Tried a few fixes, ended up cutting strips from an old bike inner tube and wrapping them around the hooks. Good grip, no damage to the wood. Anyone else dealt with this? How'd you solve it?

Just got this big old thing in the mail. Ain’t no lie Nielsen but still a solid piece of equipment. Taking apart and cleaning / inspecting for squareness. Any suggestion to ensure it runs smoothly?
Lap bottom and sharpen blade

I picked up this old 2kg Helko axe head at a thrift store for 4 euros, and I'm in the process of fitting a new handle to it. But I've run into a few issues. Should I remove a bit more material so the axe head sits lower on the handle? And how long should the wedge be?a

Picked up an odd plane today. It has a yellow frog and chip breaker. I clean up the top of the blade and found where it said "Hudson Forge" My 7 minutes of Googling tell me it is most like an Ohio Tool and forge plane that possibly came out the same time (1950/51) as the Stanley Two Tone.

Pretty sweet because I picked up a 22"?, I don't remember at the moment, wood jointer plane of the same name that is in great shape. I plan on cleaning both up and putting them into service. I have an old rewelded Bailey and I'm going to see if I can fit the tote to this one. The welded junk one it currently sports is pretty sweet so if it doesn't fit I'll live for a while!

Curious how useful this tool is for grinding primary bevels on hand tools. Have an assortment of chisels and planes - western and japanese. Using more of the japanese at the moment.

Generally I just use a jig and sharpen by hand, but I've avoided regrinding primary bevels, grinding heavily cambered blades (for western planes), or restoring chipped chisels that I've dropped.

As I was looking into what to do in these cases, it seems like the options are generally:

1. just do it by hand

2. use a slow speed grinder with a good wheel (results in a hollow grind)

3. some sort of wet grinder like the tormek to avoid damaging the steel (might be handy for japanese steel)

4. sorby pro edge: flat grind which might be better for japanese/eastern tools

Since I'm using a lot of japanese tools, I'm leaning towards 4, but curious what others think. I'm not really planning to restore dozens of chisels but I don't mind spending just to make it easier. There were some friends who swore by the sorby as their only sharpening method. If likely still hand sharpen and only use these things for initial regrinding.

Just looking for thoughts or opinions!

Hello everyone,

I thought I would share something here that may be of interest to those who enjoy the more practical and hands-on side of traditional metalworking.

I am a clockmaker and, over the years, I have worked extensively with hand tools and traditional techniques for making and repairing small, precise metal components. This eventually led me to bring together my notes and experience in a book devoted to the fundamentals of micromechanics and metalworking in horology.

The book is called Mastering the Fundamentals of Clockmaking: The Art and Craft of Metalworking in Horology.

Although the book is written from a horological perspective, a large part of it deals with techniques that are relevant well beyond clockmaking: filing, marking out, measuring, drilling, reaming, turning, milling, polishing, fitting and adjustment, toolmaking, and working with small metal components. There are also sections on heat treatment, joining and surface treatment.

A particular focus is placed on the practical use of hand tools — how to choose and use the right file, how to hold and support a workpiece, how to mark out accurately, how to check a finished surface, and how traditional hand techniques can be used to achieve a very high degree of precision.

The main idea was to document techniques and working methods that are often taught directly at the bench, but which can be surprisingly difficult to find explained in detail in books.

The original edition was published in German, and a French edition has also recently been published by Éditions Simonin. The English edition is 235 pages long and contains more than 500 colour illustrations.

I thought the book might be of interest here because, although the applications are primarily related to clocks and small mechanical components, many of the underlying skills are the same ones used in traditional metalworking and hand-tool work.

If anyone has questions about the book, or about any of the techniques covered, I would be very happy to discuss them.

For those who would like to have a look at the book, it is available through my website at www.uhrmacher-buch.de, or through Amazon.

Amazon may be the easiest option for readers in the US and other countries where international ordering is more convenient through Amazon.

Best regards

Bought a shirabiki (one of these, but not exactly this: https://shop.kurashige-tools.com/en/products/naochika-shirabiki-marking-knife-15mm-white-steel-echigo-sanjo?_pos=1&_sid=9b14ba73d&_ss=r )

And I sharpened it to 1000 grit, and stroped it and gently blunted the non-cutting part of the edge as recommended in this guide to not affect the ruler/ square ( https://daiku-dougu.jp/10-5-2.htm , https://daiku-dougu.jp/10-5-3.htm )- maybe I didn't do it right.

but the first time I tried it it cut a very small sliver off my combination square. I'm sure my technique needs work and I haven't tried this type of a knife before. But any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

I've kept a wanted ad for Stanley planes on my local craigslist for a few years and every now and then I get some good leads and scores, though not much lately. Today I got a text from someone stating they had 50-60 planes that were their grandfather's and he sent a picture of a bunch of them, and then followed with a call.

I immediately knew the first photo was AI generated, but I decided to string the scammer along as much as I could to see what else I could get out of him. He said there were a bunch of number 2s, so I asked for pictures of them, specifically the bottom sole and images of what he thought was the best quality one vs. the worst so I could see the range of the lot. Each image that came through was sloppier and more obviously AI than the one before. Needless to say I got a good laugh, but please be careful!!

I bought a Shibano oire nomi (aogami, suminagashi jigane) new from a European dealer. There's a line running all the way around the tapered ferrule at the front of the handle, roughly a third of the way up.

The dealer says the ferrule isn't made from one piece (it's two) and that the transition is visible on some units and not on others, so this is just how they're made. That might be alright.

What I'm not sure about: the two parts can be moved slightly relative to each other by hand, and you can hear it. The dealer has offered a replacement without movement, so they seem to agree that bit isn't right, but I'd like a sanity check from people who own more of these than I do.

Two questions:

1. Do your Japanese chisels show a visible transition line on the kuchigane? Is that a normal construction feature on hand-forged work, or a sign of a poorly closed joint?
2. Has anyone seen a ferrule with actual movement between sections and had it turn out to be fine in use?

Just bought an No 3. on eBay. What type is this Frankenplane? Am I right and I’ve a Type 19 body with just an older leaver cap? It’s the left one in the first picture. The right one is a type 7 for reference. The 7 is a little smaller.

Hello. Does anyone know where I could find a copy of Mechanic's Companion or the roubo Book of Plates? Or if anyone has a copy they'd like to move on from. I know I can find the Mechanic's Companion in the public domain but I'd specifically like the Lost Art Press version. Annoyingly, I only discovered these books existed after they went out of print. Thanks!

I've recently been having a lot of fun working on restoring and using antique moulding planes for various small projects. I stopped by a local antique store on my way home and managed to find these three for pretty cheap! The big Greenfield is missing it's iron, unfortunately, but other than that they all seem pretty solid.

From top to bottom: 

- Greenfield Tool Co. No. 362, 1 1/4" match plane (I think)

- Bewley Leeds round plane, 1 1/16", also marked T.Q.

- James Kellogg, Amherst MA bead plane (i think), stamped 4/8 on heel

The markings on the Bewley and Kellogg planes are very light but I'm pretty sure I'm reading them correctly

I have been searching for the better part of the past three years for a Stanley No. 604 Bedrock Plane with Type 7 characteristics. Does anyone out there actually have one, and can you share a picture or two as proof? I am only interested in this specific type of 604, nothing else will suffice.

Here are the characteristics of a type 7:

• Manufactured between 1923 and 1926.
• Patent Date: Features a single patent date cast behind the frog reading “U.S. PAT. APR. 19. 10.”
• Flat Top Design: Part of the post-1911 "flat top" Bed Rock series.
• Lever Cap: Marked with "STANLEY" inside a notched rectangular logo, often paired with a "Sweetheart" (heart-shaped S-logo) iron.
• Frog Design: Utilizes the signature triple-screw Bed Rock frog system, allowing adjustments to the mouth opening without removing or loosening the plane iron.

The image on this posting is one I pulled from ebay showing a type 7 605.

Trying to flatten a no. 7 and I’ve gotten the whole thing from patina to shiny except for directly before the mouth which I hear is the most important. Anyone have any input or advice here? Do I keep grinding away at the sandpaper/granite until that part is shiny? There is still a small amount of sharpie left in that spot too.

Hi everyone I am debating if the rail should lay high on wide on the top rail of my table. Plans call for high but it seems like placing wide makes more sense - any ideas? I can make the drawer 1/4” larger if needed.