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Some thoughts about the "value" of tools. I often get drawn into discussions regarding how much this or that tool costs, or how cheap or expensive they are. I recently saw an advert for a new all singing all dancing mobile phone which on contract, worked out to about £50.00 a month for a 3 year...

Hi folks. At the recent MAC timbers open day I was introduced to a lady who had recently lost her husband, and she was looking for advice as to where to sell the contents of his workshop, mainly his machinery. another member of this group, and myself suggested advertising them on the for sale...

Ok . I want to come clean and be honest with you. This is just a pretty picture of a tool chest and tools to grab your attention, but what this post is really about is something dear to my heart, and something terrifying that will probably impact on all of our lives at some point in one way or...

Hi folks. It's nearly that time of year again, so I thought I ought to announce the date for this years open workshop event. It will be on Saturday the 9th of June, 9am, to 5pm For those of you that have not been before this is a pure hand tool event where folks are encouraged to bring along any...

I have just finished making a copy of this early 18th century plough plane by John Davenport of London. I was a bit out of my comfort zone with this build as I'm not used to all the metal work, but I learned a lot along the way.

Hi folks. I thought it might be worth opening a new thread in general woodworking about our upcoming workshop open day in aid of Macmillan nurses. For those of you who are not familiar with this event, it's a great social day out where you get to meet up with likeminded woodworkers, and...

Plane making , by W J Armour. Some of you may be familiar with an article that has been talked about and published from time to time by Victorian plane maker William J Armour. The piece was first published in the work magazine in 1898. The first section of this important work details the...

Hi folks. I have been commissioned to make a workbench for an upcoming exhibition at the Leeds museum about Thomas Chippendale. What I'm looking for is input as to what you may feel an English bench of this period may have looked like. My own feeling is that it would have possibly been of the...

Slowly getting there with a right handed version of my early style fore plane in steamed beech with a walnut tote. I will hopefully get this finished for folks to try out at our charity open day on the 4th of june

It's been about 6 months since I made my new Nicholson style bench, and I thought I might give you a bit of feedback as to how I have got on with it. My old bench was more of a cabinet makers bench, smaller and with an end vice. It also had a tooĺ well and was made of hardwood. I'm actually...

Hi folks, I have been experimenting with some plane making this year, and thought you may like to see some of the results. Here we have a trio of try, fore, and smoother. these are my interpretation of what I think early 18th century English bench planes may have looked like. They are all made...

Hi folks. I haven't posted here for a while. this was mainly due to my frustration at not being able to download images in the post, but having picked Andy t's brains today, I may have found a solution in Google Photo's!!!!. We will be hosting our charity open workshop day on Saturday the 3rd of...

In the aftermath of the open workshop charity weekend, we were donated some rather special items and over the next few days we will be putting them up for auction on this site, facebook, and instagram. The first item up for grabs is rather special. Some of you may remember the saw pass around...

Hi folks. Just to let everyone know we will be repeating the Macmillan charity handtool event again this year. The last two events have proved very popular, and raised well over £2500 for macmillan nurses. for those of you who have not been before, the general idea is that folks bring along any...

Hi folks, just about to set off for the week end to demonstrate here. -http://www.wealddown.co.uk/events/wood-show/. Its a new event so we have no idea what to expect!!!. If anyone is attending, It would be great to chat so make yourself known. Cheers, Richard and Kate

Hi folks. just to let people know that Mike at MAC timbers is selling off a lot of his stock on an on line auction. you can check out the details on his web site-http://www.mactimbers.co.uk/, or alternatively go straight to the auction site...

Hi folks. I have been checking the calendar, and have been thinking of repeating last years open / charity day, and Sunday the 7th of June is looking favorable. Any comments, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. For those of you who did not get to attend last year, this is a link to...

I have been over to Lower Bennefield today to see Mike and Rene today, and it is with great sadness that I have been asked to let everyone on the forum to know that after a long battle with the legal system, they are being forced to leave their home and workshop. They would like to thank all of...

Hi folks. I am currently embarking on a study of the use of pre industrial wooden planes and I have a question to anyone who lives in a property that is pre 1914, or has experience of working on windows in domestic buildings prior to this date. What I am wondering about is the form of...

Hi Folks. Just before Christmas I had an unexpected visitor drop by the house. This was none other than new plane maker on the block, Ollie Sparks. Ollie explained to me that he had been to see two of my oldest and dearest friends Bill And Sarah Carter, and they had asked him if he would...