New body

Some times everyone feels like they need a new body. I spent today making a new body for a moulding plane.

I bought these two at a sale. The blades cleaned up, and are useable.

There was some worm in the bodies, a sole repair on one and a broken wedge. I soaked the bodies in turpentine for several weeks, but this summer fresh worm holes appeared.

I have lots of beech, and was intending to make some new jointers with it. These two are more pressing, so they have jumped the queue.

I really enjoyed making the first one, and looking forward to making the second.

And of course, using them.

Guild of Master Craftsmen

As of today. a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen.

Customers should have confidence that they can rely on certain standards. Membership of the guild should re-assure prospective customers. 

 

A different kind of hand tool.

Using the Hackett Sub-Sea 3.2ton hoist to raise the new(old) timber racks. The Hackett winch is British engineering at it's best, it works, it has to; designed for undersea work on oil rigs etc. Old faithfull, timber trolley, plays a crucial role also. 

Fine adjustment with a larch beam and oak block fulcrum, on the trolley, to get the bolt holes to line up.

Manual handling with safety and confidence in your tools. Love them; they deliver again and again.

B-yew-tiful

Of course, some timber will not rive. This yew log is one example. It's just too gnarly. The wedges need help from an Alaskan chainsaw mill. Interestingly, the chainsaw also needs help from the wedges, to stop the chain binding. A perfect marriage of the old and the new, the hand and the machine. Rivers Joinery, old and new, mobile workshop, comes to you.

The log has been sitting around for 4-5 years in the dry, so it's fairly well dry itself.

It's been a while since I've used the Alaskan, and a dormouse, or similar, has tried very hard to stash it's hazelnut inside my chainsaw side case. 10 out of 10 for determination, but you never came back for it!

Each board is more beautiful, as we go down the log. Not much use for timber-framing, but it might make a nice table, or two.

The extra bonus, is I get this bit of the yard back!

Fresh oak flesh.

 Time to make a start on these big logs.

Look at all that lovely, fresh oak flesh.

Should get some wide panels out of these.

It can take a while to get the split started on these big logs....and then pop, the sound of it giving up....music to my ears.

There's a bit of twist along the 7ft length, but I'm mainly interested in wide, short panels from this, the fattest part, so I can live with the twist.

Out in the autumn sun.

 Out in the autumn sun, to trim the pegs, and tie in the rails carving to the stiles carving.

Five Mile Lane

I don't need a reason, but happy to have one (to survey a property/job a stone's throw away), to drive down Five Mile Lane to Slapton Ley.

Slapton Ley is a freshwater lake, separated from the sea by a shingle bank. It is a haven for birds in Start Bay, here in Devon. 

The house itself was Grade 2 listed and I always warm to a property with lion head gutters.

It needs the usual box sash repairs and repair work to the porch.

After examining the building I had a look in at Stokenham Church. There were a few nice carving details.

And lots of painted panels. 

This one of a wolf caught my attention.

Then a drive back along the Ley (oh what a pity), to Slapton, to travel back up Five Mile Lane, and onwards to home.