Home DIY

also found this looking for the gate photos, was totally against all the flimsy bath panels, so made this out of solid oak and left overs of the shower wall panelling

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Under bath storage is a game changer. I have a three door, MDF thing I think we got from Argos or somewhere similar. Required a lot of fettling to A) get it in around the basin and skirting board (our bath goes wall to wall in our tiny bathroom) and B) get it to fit around the bath supports. As expected, even though I sealed everywhere I could with silicone, it's starting to show small swelling patches after a year's use. I fancy trying to make something bespoke when it needs ripped out.

With a tiny human (or more than one), I'm finding the storage literally everywhere / anywhere is the key. They have so much stuff it's unreal.

For us it's that despite having a massive house (relatively speaking), there is no storage. The loft was converted, so no attic. The bathrooms are tiny. So even just being able to stash away the cleaning stuff is very handy.

mini_com has waaaay less crap than ms_com. Hence also building a built-in cupboard in ms_com's office. Not even finished and it's rammed to the gills.

All my shed crap and tools takes up about a third of the dining room. Cannot wait for the new shed.

I'm coming to the realisation it's me who's got too much stuff. I have too many tools and misc crap. It's really hampering me tidying and organising my brick shed. I'm thinking about trying to move everything into the loft, then just bring down the essentials and if I haven't brought the rest down in a year start selling it.

That said the kids have a fuck tonne of toys. So it's not just me.

We have flush doors and I have bought moulding (very narrow dado rail) to cut to length and apply to give a panelled look.

So I need a mitre box and a tenon saw. Any recommendations? Anything to avoid? Any pitfalls?

Also @stevo_com

The Lie Neilsen low angle block plane is very, very good. There's also the added bonus of the more you use it the better the patina gets on the brass palm cap. They also do a brass bodied apron plane that is very, very nice but much more delicate.

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As @pryally says sapele would be good as would meranti (slightly cheaper but still a tropical hardwood - often sold as hardwood in selco et al). Softwood wise western red cedar looks amazing and is brilliant to work with, larch or doug fir nwould also be good shouts.

Do you want to paint it or show off your wood?

Western red cedar is a good shout I reckon. It's quite soft so will dent / mark but it's so light it'll put very little strain on hinges so they'll probably last forever. Looks great too, as Bobbo says.

All good points. I would like to keep it au naturale, so allowing for that to look good, while similarly expecting to be given a painting order is going to be a balance.

Hard to find in stock, or I'm not looking in the right places. Any others apart from this?

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatalog/Lie-Nielsen-No-60-Half-Block-Plane-LN-60-1-2.html#SID=213

All of the places I'd go are out of stock too.

I bought mine 5 years ago for (just) less than a ton. Looking at the increase in prices it would appear that Lie Neilsen planes are a very shrewd investment and I should have bought more.

Also worth noting that the Quangsheng planes that workshop heaven sell are very nearly as good as the Lie Nielsen ones.

Both are made from the bailey / bedrock pattern.

Both are exceptionally well made and come guaranteed against manufacturing and material defects for the life of the purchaser.

The Lie Neilsen stuff has extra plane pr0n points but Quangsheng is developing a cult following.

I bought one of the Quangsheng rebating block planes as I don't use it enough to justify anything pricier and it's great. Body is fantastic the iron is as good as my other block plane I have 2 very small gripes:

1. The adjustment screw on my Lie Neilsen is nicer (both in terms of operation and quality of knurling on the knob) but not by much.
   
2. It didn't come with a sock so when it's being stored condensation will form on it which means I need to clean it more often.
   
   

Still a very, very nice bit of kit and worth every penny

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It didn't come with a sock so when it's being stored condensation will form on it

My Stanley no 4 has developed rust due to the damp in my brick shed. Would a sock help with that?

Veritas are another option. Everything made by them that I own or have used (and admittedly I’ve used others’ more than I’ve been able to justify for myself) has been fantastic.
£170 for a small plane is a touch eye watering tho.

https://www.axminstertools.com/veritas-low-angle-block-planes-ax932279

Thanks. I have seen a few of those crop up on my searches.

Also on the subject of socks. Idk if everyone knows this life hack but if you store your ratchet straps in socks before you pack them then they don't get tangled up.

Was looking at Veritas too but I think Lie Nielsen is edging it.

£170 for a small plane is a touch eye watering tho.

Agreed, but my folks were originally trying to buy me a suit for a lot more. A plane (or any tool) I'd get more use out of. And my criteria is basically "the nicer version of something I would buy for myself". I like my No.4 jack plane, and it does enough for my skills. I have a cheap draper block plane, and while after having sharpened it, it works fine; I can definitely feel how having a nicer made and better thought out version would be really nice.

When I was looking at the Quangsheng ones, I was looking at the No.62 low angle jack. Now unsure about one of those or a block.

Stock from veritas and lie-nielson appears non existent at the moment. Assume COVID and canal problems are to blame. I've been waiting on a Veritas order from Axminster for 6 months.

I wouldn't recommend a sock unless it was wax and oil impregnated. A fabric sock will absorb moisture and hold it against the plane body promoting rust not preventing it

Block planes are shit, unless they’re not shit, and then they’re great - if you get what I mean.
Having a decent low angle block plane that can handle end grain while minimising the risk of tear out is definitely nice.

Think you can get silicone impregnated ones for this very reason.

Guys with storage under the bath panels, do they warp at all? I'm tempted by one for the new bath.

I think I do. Even with a shit one I can see how nice it could be.

All of the planes I own that have socks have much less of a problem with surface rust than those which are stored in boxes. Even if they spend and extended period of time living in my truck / unheated, damp workshop.

Mine doesn't warp, but being standard MDF, if water gets in it will swell. I've managed to avoid that more than some reviews by sealing whatever edges I can, but with a near 3 year old, it's inevitable. If making from scratch, I would use something moisture resistant at least.