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I turn odds and sods in wood on a metal working lathe when I absolutely need something that I cannot fashion with bandsaw, spokeshave, drawknife, carving tools, or a router. Plainly, I can't be called an enthusiast!

I have wondered the same - seeing the stuff the popular media have been putting up (bin bags etc.), I guess the answer would be "Yes!". In a similar position as you, I grabbed a couple of spare masks I had, then realised they had been used many times and were in absolute term terms, filthy...

Don't leave a battery connected to an old conventional charger longer than necessary, you will kill the battery. You should use a smart charger like this type or similar https://www.amazon.co.uk/CTEK-MXS-5-0-R ... 825&sr=8-1 These chargers can read the condition of the battery and adjust their...

This design has served me well for many years. The regular pattern of 3/4 inch holes in the 4 inch thick bench top is wonderful for securing workpieces in a multitude of ways using stops, holdfasts, folding wedges etc. Storage under the bench is very useful as is the backboard for tools I am...

No question about his expertise and the work he produces. I am somewhat sceptical however, of his claimed working time - 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 50 years?

They probably started with a tree like this

European walnut will lighten in colour considerably if/when exposed to the sun or strong daylight, so you might want to consider this before committing to a finishing scheme.

Spare a thought for all the bowyers that must have choked to death making the bows the English used at Crecy and Agincourt; no-one ever seems to mention those poor folk.

I used to trawl those architectural reclamation places looking for old skirting. It was quarter-sawn oak and made excellent drawer sides.

I can thoroughly recommend Gramercy holdfasts. Made in the USA and stocked by Diter Schmid in Germany for €22.90 each at present https://www.fine-tools.com/holdfast.html I have had a pair since 2010 and use them in a bench that is 110mm thick. They both fix and release very easily with a...

The Rolls Royce way. Plan for a lie Nielsen version https://d3h1zj156zzd4j.cloudfront.net/p ... g-2019.pdf Note that this immediately downloads the pdf - no intermediate page. If you are desirous of being absolutely spot on, use a digital angle measure on the blade. It's extremely quick and...

Make a mitre shooting jack, board or box and then you can saw any old how, roughly to the line. All the fine work required, being done by the plane. If it's thin wood and the mitre is not too long, I often don't bother to cut the mitre at all, just shooting the thing completely. It is very...

It depends on the curvature and depth of the inside. You might need a spoon gouge like this for smaller radii. https://www.toolsandtimber.co.uk/pfeil- ... ouped-2009 Incidentally, Pfeil carving tools are excellent quality in my experience. Whatever you buy you will eventually need to sharpen...

I have in the past used a similar method with oak (reverse the image first ) put laser printed side face down on oak, then use acetone - not cellulose thinners, to transfer the image to the wood. This has worked very well for me, even with quite fine detail. This little desktop bookshelf is one...

I wasted a fair bit of time getting one into semi-usable condition. The sole needed plenty of work including a new mouth but it was the metal bits that caused me most grief. I forget the make of the plane but it was probably a bad plane from the start as nothing seemed well manufactured and all...

Thanks Derek, that's good to know. I got the PM-V11 blade with mine so I am looking forward to not having to sharpen it too frequently.

I have a couple of shooting boards that have served me faithfully for many (fifteen or so) years but on a recent job, I realised that my mitre shooting board was losing accuracy and I got fed up with correcting it by shimming work-pieces with scraps of paper and playing cards. As it is close to...

It looks as if you have filed off the steel you need to fill the cupid's bows in the brass?

This is a long video but worth a watch. Patrick Edwards was a nuclear physicist who became one of the world's foremost exponents of "Boule" a decorative inlay technique. He has worked at his craft 12 hours a day 7 days a week for 50 years because he is so passionate about it...

This issue of Fine Woodworking has an article on sliding dovetail battens (cleats as the Muricans call them) for tabletops. #213–July/Aug 2010 Issue. You will probably need a digital sub to download the complete article.