Using a bit of history day to day

[jlavery]

Doing some woodwork yesterday - making a mahogany shelf for Arpeggio.

My beautifully made Stanley Bedrock plane was bought by my wife's grandfather when he was an apprentice coachbuilder on the railways.

Looking it up, from the markings on it, it was manufactured in 1911.

Great that it's still in use 112 years later.

 

[Concerto]

Some old tools work perfectly today. In my shed I have a tool roll full of woodcarving tools that my late father bought just after WWII. They were secondhand then, but probably not quite as old as your plane. Also have several wooden planes bought at the same time that were also secondhand.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

This thread needs pictures - of the plane and the shelf!

 

[jlavery]

Some old tools work perfectly today. In my shed I have a tool roll full of woodcarving tools that my late father bought just after WWII. They were secondhand then, but probably not quite as old as your plane. Also have several wooden planes bought at the same time that were also secondhand.

With my plane, it's great that it is still in the family - and is likely to remain so, as my daughter has her eyes on it!

Buying second-hand is good, isn't it? I needed an ordinary hand drill for the boat, and got one in the local "Antiques and stuff" shop. Can't remember the make, but really well made and smooth in operation - for around £8.

 

[jlavery]

This thread needs pictures - of the plane and the shelf!

Here you go.

I realised it was not just an ordinary plane when I went on a cabinet making course at West Dean College (near Chichester).

The tutor asked us to bring in some of our own planes to use and for him to discuss care etc.. He talked about the others, and then said "Now we come to the Rolls-Royce in the room". He then described it as probably from the early 20th century, and that Helen's grandfather, as an apprentice, would have a sum (1 shilling or whatever) deducted at source from his wages weekly, to pay for the tools they were using, and at the end of the year (or however long it took), they would own the tools. A sort of lease-purchase to make sure they were set up with decent tools for their trade.

 

[mjcoon]

This Stanley father and son pair (for Mother's Day) doesn't include a name worthy of The Flintstones, nor I think is quite so old. But was also bought by a father and inherited by his son...

 

[Rum Run]

I have a small lathe, Drummond designed Myford built M Type that is used regularly, dated 1946. However, at the back of the factory is a BSA cam-operated automatic lathe set up for a particular job and it has "War Production" cast into the bed. It runs like a (2 tonne) watch. When watching the news over the last year, I have wondered if one of it's old jobs might call again.

 

[The Q]

SWMBOs singer showing machine is 1897 was used to repair a boat cover a few days ago.
I've several planes of 1950s vintage, but the oldest tools are a dydle and an iron bound headed fencing Mallet I've inherited, both over 100 years old.

 

[jlavery]

This thread needs pictures - of the plane and the shelf!

Here you go. Partition at one end is for hand bearing compass. Not as neat as I was hoping - I'm way out of practice.

Not too sure about the size/number of the brass screws on the end - would do differently next time.

Still should go nicely with the mahogany interior of Arpeggio, though (she's a 1988 Sweden 36)

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Here you go. Partition at one end is for hand bearing compass. Not as neat as I was hoping - I'm way out of practice.

Not too sure about the size/number of the brass screws on the end - would do differently next time.

Still should go nicely with the mahogany interior of Arpeggio, though (she's a 1988 Sweden 36)

Vunderbar! Better than my wood butchery attempts.

 

[justanothersailboat]

That's looking nice. The problem with making anything is that YOU can see everywhere it didn't come out exactly as you wished. WE can only see that it basically came out very well. You can probably disguise that one very small crack at the back left corner and then nobody will ever know. I do see what you mean that you might make different choices about the screws if you did it again, but alternatives might pose other challenges. (I'd have considered dovetailing the rail in rather than screwing into the ends of it, but then I wouldn't have finished it yet and you have - that's also important! :-D )

 

[mjcoon]

That's looking nice. The problem with making anything is that YOU can see everywhere it didn't come out exactly as you wished. WE can only see that it basically came out very well. You can probably disguise that one very small crack at the back left corner and then nobody will ever know. I do see what you mean that you might make different choices about the screws if you did it again, but alternatives might pose other challenges. (I'd have considered dovetailing the rail in rather than screwing into the ends of it, but then I wouldn't have finished it yet and you have - that's also important! :-D )

Yes, having been to a Technical School (while such things existed; late 1950s) I was trying to remember if we were taught dovetailing. The woodworking was for serious purposes like patterns for casting, so strength was important but beauty was not!

 

[jlavery]

That's looking nice. The problem with making anything is that YOU can see everywhere it didn't come out exactly as you wished. WE can only see that it basically came out very well. You can probably disguise that one very small crack at the back left corner and then nobody will ever know. I do see what you mean that you might make different choices about the screws if you did it again, but alternatives might pose other challenges. (I'd have considered dovetailing the rail in rather than screwing into the ends of it, but then I wouldn't have finished it yet and you have - that's also important! :-D )

I considered dovetailing, but I reckon I'd still be working on it - and the arrangement around the corners would take some careful work.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Gosh no, dovetailing the whole thing would make it a far bigger job! As you say, a lot of time if you just want to sort your boat out and go sailing. I was only imagining one on each end of the "railing" bar to avoid having to screw into the end grain of a small section.

I'm a bit lazy so I rarely dovetail and often fall back on box joints. I'm not a very serious woodworker.

 

[SaltyC]

Hindsight is 20:20 vision! I have made small 'boxes' held in place by double sided velcro in the Heads (liquid soap) Galley ( washing up liquid) NOT perfect, dovetails would be better than screws, however they keep things in place and work. Look at the positives.