Crafts / Craftsmen / craftswomen (craftspeople, I suppose)

Big vice got some jaws. Sides and bottom planed square, the top saw cut edge was then planed flush with the bench top after fitting.

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Mirroring a vortex today. Really challenging to get it right. Having not done this work for 2 years then going headlong into these projects instead of churning out regular mirrorballs is intense.
Lots of hand cutting of small tiles today.

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Looks very good!

Are you going to put some leather (or similar) on the clamping faces?

Also - I've seen quite a few of these quick-release type vices.. I what type of situations, do you need the quick-release function?

No need for leather I don't think. The quick release is mis-named in my view. You can't even use it to release the clamp if it's tightened down. It's more of a quick move lever. This vice opens up about 2 feet, this saves you spinning the handle if you need to move the jaw anything more than an inch.

Aha! I see..
I always thought that quick-releasing something from a vice would you'd just end up with you nearly finished pieces on floor.
But it makes a lot more sense if you need to move it longer stretches a lot.

Thank you for clearing that up :)

Edit: meant to post this in the DIY thread - moved.

Made this mild steel plant bot today
Cut on a plasma cutter and TIG’d together. First time welding, a little rough up close..

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Seems like you did pretty well!
I've only tried to MIG-weld thin plate and that was not a pleasant experience.

Most people on here are a bit rough close up.....

true that, smash all the mirrors

Already did, by looking at them.

#wereallinthistogether

First attempt at a box joint. Looks like a first attempt, but this is practice. Got these oak offcuts, plan is to just lop this attempt of and keep working down the boards until I'm happy then move onto dovetails.

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It's a very respectable first attempt.

From looking at that picture I would advise you to spend time getting the ends of your boards square and flat before your next attempt. A shooting board is an essential tool for bench joinery with hand tools and will help you get the ends of your boards square and flat. Paul sellers has a good video on making them:

https://youtu.be/-Ypbvcxb-8M

Putting effort into preparing the ends of boards will mean that your marks are much more visible, your layout tools will register better against your stock and that when you offer the other board up to mark it against your first lot of cuts you will be able to transfer the markings much more accurately as the boards will meet better.

Other than that keep practising.

Also kudos for using oak for your first attempt. Softwood is much more forgiving and easier to work but if you can get good with oak from the off then most other species of wood will seem easy.

Thanks for the reply. I have watched that video before but will revisit. Even though it's shit, I'm still kind of chuffed that the two boards almost align. Starting with oak as the off-cuts were cheap on eBay when I was on an old plane buying binge. Too small to be useful for much else so I thought I'd use them to practice on. Glad I spent the time getting my chisels sharp first. They way they were before, even this little amount of oak would have just laughed at them. If I do a few more and don't progress, I have plenty of softwood to fail back to

Even though it's shit

It's not shit. Genuinely, a very impressive first attempt.

If you're buying old planes on eBay I should probably introduce you to vintagetoolshop.com. It's run as a side business by a luthier, he basically set it up so that he could have first dibs on all new stock coming through the doors. All of their stock has had a bit of a tune up before sale and the prices are pretty good.

It's run as a side business by a luthier

All of their stock has had a bit of a tune up

Amazing, so you can even play music on it.

I just hope he doesn't fiddle the figures.

Terrible puns like that will only lead to Violence.

Well that's the last of my pocket money and any available space in the shed, gone!

I think I've already filled my need. Or at least I will have when the old No.7 I won has arrived....

@Bobbo do you know the person that runs that site? I'm after a few specific parts for a Stanley no78 rebate plane. I can find them if I buy multiple kits, just not individually. Namely the guide rod and bolt for the fence (I have the fence) and the bolt for the depth stop (I have the stop).

Terrible puns like that will only lead to Violence.

You mean as in a regular beat?

I know him as in I watch a lot of his videos on YouTube, not personally. The guy is called Ben Crowe and also runs a company called crimson guitars. I have however had dealings with Vintage Toolshop in the past and bought some good tools from them. It's always worth giving them a call for stuff like that as they are pretty helpful and if they don't have spares to hand they may be able to direct you to somewhere where you could buy them.

beautiful things here. i need some help please. i am trying to put together some ‘craft packs’ for lonely/ incapacitated/ elderly and poor residents of the estate i live on (we applied for some council money) i haven’t got a clue what to get or where to get it. please help with some suggestions!

I've watched that a few times now so will have a go at making that this week. Got myself a new marking knife too. Will hopefully be better than the bog standard Stanley I've been using so far. Knife walls!!!!

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more making

my first time stitching a zipper into leather. pretty happy with this little washbag. opens right out so you can find your stuff.

need to tidy up the thread ends of course.

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