Recent content by Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)

This is a thread about beautiful tools in one's ownership. Japanese tools have a special place for me - their simple appearance has an elegance I love ... and of course they work so well. These slicks were made for me by by Watanabe Kiyoei, the maker of Kiyohisa chisels (taken about 18 or so...

Comment on the grain direction One point I have not drawn attention to, but was important for me, is the grain direction throughout this build. If you look at the arms and legs, the grain has all been oriented so that the blanks are quarter sawn. For example, the arms will show the long side...

Hi Pete Yes. I have make templates for all parts. There may be more in the future. Who knows? This time I will know how to proceed. :) Regards from Perth Derek

The Arms (part 2) This is a last post before I return from three weeks being dragged over New Zealand mountains by my wife and her family. I used the Easter Weekend to get as much done as possible, but I needed a few more days. So there is more to come, later. It is helpful to remember what...

Hi Mark I chose the grain direction which would be stiffest. It just happened that this was also best for wedging (the risk of splitting is reduced). Shrinkage was never on my mind as all the wood is the same. Regards from Perth Derek

A little more as it is getting closer. The first step is to align all the arms and mortices ... There was a lot of scribing, fitting, scribing and more fitting. Finally the shaping of the underside of the arms was possible as it was now possible to determine the general position of the...

Jester, as far as I can tell, the original arms were also made in three parts, which I have replicated as closely as I can (from photos). Regards from Perth Derek

Arms - part 1 The key piece is the top rail, and the key element here is the rear curve. Here it is smoothed on the belt sander. It will be a reference side for marking curves ... The angles I have had to guestimate have been the tilt, front and rear, of the top rail. This is what I came up...

Hi Dan A reply in spite of you being a Man City supporter! :) It sounds as if the problem lies with the blade moving or a saw tooth being misaligned. 1. Look over the blade to see if a tooth is out of alignment (it has happened to me). 2. Check that the blade is fully tightened and that...

More of the arm jigsaw Here is the work done today, which was preparing the arms before shaping. Critical work, and the day went well. This was mainly due to working methodically. Looking back it all seemed so logical and straightforward, but it didn't feel this way before hand. The first...

Beginning the arms and backs The legs and seats are done and it is time to move to the arms and backs. Once again, the chair to provide a context of where we are headed ... I was fortunate to find a few photos on the Web showing the development of the arms/back, which provided some insight...

Wrap plastic electrical tape or packing tape around your caul. Regards from Perth Derek

Tormek is the original. It is well built to a high standard and reliable. All others are copies and the build qualities are variable to indifferent. Green is the colour from around 2000. Blue is a recent colour. Personally, I would spend the difference on a real Tormek, or (preferably) a...

A note about wedges This is a cross post from the Australian forum, where I was asked for more information about the wedged through tenons. I am not sure if the photo provided must detail, but the wedges are tapers, but also long and skinny ... They both fill the slot - which is full of...

Hi Niall Good question, as it goes to planning ... which this entire thread has been about. The legs need to be trimmed at the feet for level, and above the seat they are over long at present. The arms and back will now need to be designed and planned out. This section will be mortised...