My kind of cutting board

Lots of us make cutting boards, but why not do something unique? Carl Letts sent me this photo of one he made. I first saw this optical illusion at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The bathroom walls are tiled like this. Its the craziest thing: all the rows of squares are perfectly straight! Hold up a ruler if you want. Or, if you look at it from an edge, it all straightens out. I guess since they are offset a bit, our eyes go buggy and cant really make sense of it. Too cool. Thanks Carl!

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My New New Tools

Just a quick post while Im waiting for some glue to dry...

While making my small bedside table I quickly came to realise that I was spending most of my time making my inaccurate cuts to length correct by planing the end grain with a block plane. My old steel backed backsaw is slightly bent, almost blunt and in need of a sharpen, not to mention a slightly loose handle. This combined with my natural inability to saw straight meant a lot of wasted time, especially as I was leaving the marking lines and then some just incase the cut went wrong.

Now dont get me wrong, I know I could spend some time sharpening the saw etc but what better excuse than to splurge on some shiny new toys?

I have to say a big thankyou to my girlfriend for my late Birthday presents...

My new bling bling Lie Nielson 14ppi Crosscut Carcass Saw & 15ppi Thin Plate Rip Dovetail Saw has made cutting to size a breeze. I can choose to split the line or leave it intact with a very minimal of effort and maintain a square cut. Yes they are pricey and probably way overkill for my beginning needs, but the smile I get just from picking them up makes them worth it!

I was a little worried when I first used the new saws as they seemed to jump out of the cut and generally not seem to behave, but soon learnt not to force the cut and relax both my grip and pressure letting the weight of the saw and the sharpness of the teeth do the work. The result an almost perfect square cut 99% of the time.

The nice shiny plates also allow me to mark a straight perpendicular line on the non-waste side of the cut and the reflection in the saw plate aids as a guide to keep the blade straight and plumb. In short these saws are teaching me how to saw accurately and correctly.

They look stunning as well!...

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My decorated chair at the fair

We went to the Marin County Fair yesterday and I was thrilled to observe the popularity of my "decorated chair" entry. My intention was to challenge peoples notions of  art exhibits and get them involved. The fair has thousands and thousands of entries in hundreds of competitive art categories. As far as I know, mine was the only one that asked the viewer to get involved and be part of the exhibit by writing on it and posting photos of themselves on Instagram using #iminthechair.
It was fun to see people spending lots of time writing on it. It is completely covered with graffiti: I cant wait to bring it home and read all the messages. Gotta give credit to the Fair officials who seem to have had no problem letting people do more than just touch my exhibit, although the noisy flamingo squeak toy is missing. I cant help but wonder if it will be back on the chair when I pick it up.

*****

Mere Minutes

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My New Old Tools

Recently my girlfriends mum invited me to look through her shed for any tools that might be of use in my new woodworking hobby. A lot of the tools I found were suffering from rust and have not been used (or even touched) for around 18 years.

Here are a few of the tools I am either in the process of cleaning up or have cleaned up and pressed back into service once again.

• Roll of 12 Auger bits
• Ridgway Large Expanding Bit Set 3/8" - 3"
• Large Yankee Push Screwdriver
• Small Ratchet Screwdriver
• Marking Gauge
• Small Hammer
• Stanley 102 Block Plane
• Rapier Spokeshave
• 2 x Egg Beater Drills (One Stanley the other a Millers Falls?)
• Spinney Bailey No#4 Bench Plane - I may set this up as a Scrub Plane
• 2 x Sureform (Straight & Curved) Planes
• Wooden (Shoulder?) Plane.

There were also three Warranted Superior Panel saws which I counted as: 5tpi, 8tpi & 10tpi all filed rip. I de-rusted the blades, sanded and oiled the wooden handles and have sent them off along with my own 10tpi panel saw for re-sharpening and should get them back next week.

I have requested the 5tpi to be filed rip, the 8tpi to be filed crosscut and the other two 10tpi saws rip and crosscut. At some point in the near future, I would like get the required saw files and tools and be responsible for sharpening my own saws.

Cleaning, de-rusting, oiling, servicing and sharpening all these tools is helping me better understand how they work and whats required to keep them functioning properly - all the more important in the hand tool world.

Its certainly a steep learning curve!

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Tossing out tools clearing my shop and my mind with bright colors

As Ive been discussing, Ive been making changes in my shop. Mostly, its been a matter of taking an honest look at my layout and storage methods and evaluating what works and what doesnt. A lot of the clutter in my shop was due to the fact Ive had things in the same spots for many years and never questioned if there was a better way. They became enshrined.
On one workbench I kept a collection of woodworking and home improvement books that Ive collected over many years. After giving it some thought, I realized that I rarely look at any of them and it made no sense to waste valuable real estate on a workbench that should be used for, well, work. I got rid of about half of them and stored the rest that still contain a few ideas for future projects.
I took apart my old Craftsman jointer last year in hopes of tuning it up, but never managed to get it back together. Over the holidays I realized that I hadnt missed using it at all and it was just taking up valuable floor space. I gave it away on Craigslist. Eventually I may get a new one, but for now I seem to be getting by just fine without a jointer.
More mind-clearing and decluttering. A lot of the cleaning-up in my shop was a matter of disposing of stuff. Stuff, stuff, everywhere stuff! This meant removing my emotional attachments to tiny scraps of plywood and cut-off 2x4 chunks. Getting rid of an object gets harder the longer weve had it, yet clearing my life of these unused things gives me a sense of freedom and creativity. Kind of like how a car seems to run better after it has been washed.
My general rule of thumb when evaluating what to keep and what to eliminate is whether I have used the object in question within the past year or two. Sometimes, I just have to take an objective, non-emotional look at something and ask myself if there is a reasonable chance of using it in the coming year. Here are a few more items Ive ditched:

• I am getting rid of my Workmate, a great little folding workbench, but one I havent used a single time since building my router table.
• Im saying goodbye to my dovetail jig. Ive used it about 3 times. Every time I have to get out the manual and re-learn it. It takes a LOT of work to use it, so it collects sawdust and takes up space.
• My shop radio. I bought it years ago to listen to CDs, but dont use them anymore, and am/fm radio is also something I dont listen to. I listen to satellite radio on my TV instead or audio books on my phone. 
• Of course, lots and lots of scrap wood. I filled two recycle containers. I think they turn it into mulch. In the past, Ive offered it up free on Craigslist, but it usually becomes a mess as people rummage through it and end up taking very little. 
• Lots of old saw blades. What is it with me that I feel the need to save dull blades after buying
  
  new ones?
• Empty jars and containers. "I might need that someday". Nope. I never do. If a certain storage need does arise, jars arent exactly hard to come by.
• An old metal-cased circular saw and a sander that were my dads as well as a corded drill that was my first drill from when I was about 14. I had to be strong with these. Again, these things are now useless, so I had to remind myself that my emotional attachments remain with people, not the things they bought.
• Drawers filled with bits of hardware that are essentially useless. Rusted hinges, plumbing parts, screwdrivers with bent tips, dried caulking tubes, etc. Its amazing to see the junk Ive been hoarding.

The evolving, colorful workshop

I realize my shop re-organization strategy may seem drastic, and some of it is. This is simply what I need at this time in my life. Ten years from now, I may feel different. I wouldnt be so presumptuous to recommend or advocate this kind of deep-cleaning and purging for everyone. I offer it up just as a bit of insight into the way my woodworking philosophy is constantly evolving.

I spend a lot of time in my shop and want it to be a comfortable place that reflects who I am at this moment. When I first set up my shop, it seemed very important not just to have my tools handy, but to display them. My vision of what a wood shop was "supposed" to look like was formed by what I saw on TV woodworking shows and in books and magazines. It was supposed to look woody. And woodworkers are supposed to worship their tools.