A traditional product that has been used for 1oo's of years to keep shop tools in good shape.

   

     I have had my shops in basements for a few years now and have had the damp effect some of my tools.  Tallow is very old school but it works to lubricate and protect my tools. I even use it with steel wool to touch up rust spots on "Big Iron" in my shop.  

   Another trick that works is the candle on the plane bottom or hand saw face.  There are high tech solutions but I haven't found one that is better than these low tech solutions.

  

   It is a good product at a very good price, and a little goes a very long way.  You aren't a Luddite if you like some old school ideas.

Clara's 2nd Birthday Cake.

   Clara's 2nd birthday cake.  On the inside Anna Olson's chocolate cake.  Come for the cool icing and stay for the amazing flavour.  Great Job, Sweetie.

Really Putting Things in Perspective

Tove Elise Jackson and me

   Twelve weeks ago another little woodworker was born in Gavle Sweden.  I got to see her today.  What's better than shop time?? Grand children.  Best time, Grandchildren in the shop. (and ice cream)


   Also speaking of adorable grand daughters, it is Clara Ocean Solaris Jackson's second birthday today, ...party on the weekend.

   This proves that you can have two favourites.

Putting Things in Perspective

   When my wife takes photos on holiday she usually asks someone to stand in the photo some place to provide perspective.  If the object is small she puts it beside a coffee cup or pop can or foot or something that will remind us how big or small the flower, shell or stained glass window really was.

   Over the course of my internet career I have written a bunch of blogs and read at least a thousand or more and I have found that sometimes the lack of measurements or some way to judge scale is frustrating.  I have seem some very attractive band saw boxes for example, and often I have no clue how big the box really is.   In the past when  I showed a project photo I tried to include something to help the reader get an idea of the size of my project.  After reading blogs produced by men and women wiser than I, I have stolen one of their tricks.

   I made a scale/gauge to include in my photos.

1 x 1 x 6 inch  gauge in maple

    I can not claim the wisdom of a creator and certainly have to apologise for being so slow to make this.  It was embarrassingly easy to make, my green painters tape is one inch wide.  Three strips of painters tape and a spray can and I have a small tool that will inform and enlighten one and all.  The gauge was made with some care from a nice piece of maple that I had in the scrap bin.  I am a wood junkie and so never throw away a nice piece of wood and shazam, it turned out to be useful.

  Another project made from wood junkie wood, 

   the bird house that our Grandson is helping me build in this photo.  Kieran is only four years old but he likes to spread glue and push the button on the drill when we drive screws.  On this last project he also got to use a real hammer to drive Miller Dowels.  We built the bird houses without metal fasteners, they will weather but there will be no rust.  The wood is barn board that friends were clearing out of their garage, I got the boards to build with instead of them burning the boards in their fire place. 

   Miller Dowels are a product that I use for things like bird houses to avoid rust issues and I have used the large dowels for securing the top of my work benches down.  The top is very solidly attached and I never have to worry about hitting a metal fastener when working on the bench, nor did I have to go though the whole production of seating the big wood screws deeply in the top and then pugging the holes.  Miller Dowels, fast, strong and safe.


  

Low Cost Dowel Jig

   It is very  common for me to talk about dowelling jigs on my other blogs and there are a couple that I personally endorse as outstanding tools.  However, it you only use dowels occasionally,  less than once a year take a look at this video:

Dowel Jig on Youtube:


   This jig looks like the perfect one time use jig, and the time and cost to create it is nearly ZERO.

cheers, ian