Bow Saw from Ebay

Hi - following on from my earlier post regarding Bow Saws, I spotted this one for sale on Ebay and managed to buy it for £4.27 + £6 postage. The blade is apparently pretty blunt but hopefully the rest should be serviceable. I thought it would be useful to examine how one was made  historically prior to attempting to make one myself.
I just wish this weather would warm up a bit so I can get into my workshop
:-( 

The seller says that the bow saw takes 13" blades - I am hoping that the saw can be modified to take the  12" ones supplied by Gramercy. Maybe shorten the cross arm? I am looking forward to receiving it this next week.  

Hand made Bow Saw

Hi - has anyone had a go at making their own Bow-Saw?, this is screen clip from one of Roy Underhills "Woodwrights Shop" shows where he makes one with Bill Anderson. It looks to be very rewarding, perhaps a nice project for when I retire. Have you any ideas what blade could be used? and where you get one from?

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/3100/3102.html

Stanley Jack Plane Restoration

This Stanley Jack Plane was in my father-in-laws tool chest, it hasn't been used since the mid 90's, so it was looking pretty sad. The weather is cold and damp here, so it is not much fun going into my workshop to do any woodwork, so I pass the evenings sorting through and restoring my old tools.

This is my latest effort. It was fully stripped down and all the parts were cleaned and polished. The handles were sanded, stained and given 3 coats of shellac. I repainted the body with Humbrol black enamel.

In the January 2013 issue (76) of 'Woodworking Plans and Projects' magazine, Anthony Bailey, the editor, did a very useful 6 page article on wood plane restoration and setting up. I used this article to guide me. (http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/)

Stan the Blacksmith II - The Hawker Hind

As I mentioned earlier, my Dad was a blacksmith for 40 years in Lincolnshire. However his creative skills started before his life employment. In about 1934 when Dad was 14, he went to the coast, which was a couple of miles away, to see a squadron of 'Hawker Hind' light bomber bi-planes doing practice bombing runs from RAF North Cotes. They flew down the beach and dropped bombs at Donna Nook. (this still happens today with US and RAF fighter jets). Dad wrote to Hawker, the Hind manufacturers and they sent him a small blueprint with top, side and front scale elevations of the plane. Using these plans, Dad built the plane shown above from pine using a penknife, bradawls and small bits and pieces. The wires stabilizing the two wings is made from electrical fuse wire. Dad continued modelling after he retired and made several agricultural ploughs. I will post about these sometime. (Incidentally the water color on the wall behind Dad is a picture of a Hawker Hind that I painted for him).

I've got some timber

I've got some timber - my good friend Nigel brought these pieces of hardwood that surrounded a french window into work today for me. They are about 3'6" long and 1.5 by 3". I will clean them up and save them to plank up when I get my bandsaw. Hopefully they should make some nice bits and pieces. Not sure what timber it is, sapele, Iroko, teak? Ideas anyone?

107 year old Woodworking magazine pdf

Following on from  my earlier post..

Well it was quite tricky to do, the paper was like tissue in places, but I have managed to scan to a pdf file, the whole January 1906 issue of

"The Woodworker and Art Metal Worker".

Here is the link to it... (it is 56mb so will take a while to download)

WAMW-no88.pdf

Hope you enjoy it - it certainly is interesting how some things have changed a lot in the past 107 years, and some things very little.