workers of the wood unite!

[Briton]

Any here do woodworking for a hobby? Whether green wood whittling or you've got a kitted shop. Of you do wood working, what do you do?

[anunitu]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

Only did that in wood shop in Junior High,also did metal shop...No energy for it now,and no space or tools.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

I do! I do!

Not so much recently, except when it is part of another project (mostly concentate on silver smithing), but I used to do a lot because I couldn't afford furniture.

[anunitu]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

I loved working with wood,but never have the space or proper tools now. Knew a guy here that did whittling...as in carving,he did some beautiful stuff...

[monsno_leedra]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

Any here do woodworking for a hobby? Whether green wood whittling or you've got a kitted shop. Of you do wood working, what do you do?

Sadly while the desire and enjoyment is there the wallet and body can not support it now. Still I like the feel of a good run of board in my hands along with the smell of it. Well hard woods or soft woods like cedar never have really cared for the smell of soft woods like pine.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

I loved working with wood,but never have the space or proper tools now. Knew a guy here that did whittling...as in carving,he did some beautiful stuff...

When I was po' I took adult ed woodworking classes at a high school to get access to tools & machines. The first two weeks the classes would be crowded, but after that the GED students would stop coming and there was plenty of elbow room.

[anunitu]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

In Metal shop,I made a hammer(Bored the handle using round stock,tapped it for the middle small round stock and cut and annealed the head after tapping it for the threaded part. kinda ball peen hammer style) also did a screw driver and forged the tang on an anvil. also quenched to harden it.

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Little aside about wood shop,almost gave the shop teacher a heart attack when I managed to split my middle finger(left hand) on a table saw...He turned white as a ghost...

[Briton]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

Eep! Well, I'm hoping for a new handle for my felling axe handle (which can be used to hew round timber flat, apparently) and a nice drawknife. I would have liked for a lathe but that's a bit expensive to ask for! My first mission is to build a shavehorse. Thankfully my dad extended his garage which allowed for a 3 x 2m room for my bench and mostly his stuff like log splitter but I'm slowly going to kit it out until I move out. It's frustrating that there isn't enough public space for this sort of thing. A part of an industrial park where you pay just a monthly running and maintenance cost on the tools (particularly power) but you bring your own hand tools if you want, that'd be great.

[anunitu]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

There was a thing in California...an auto shop thing...it had a lift,and you could use the tools for an hourly fee..had a steam pressure washer as well...there were like 15 "sheds" on the lot..for the fix it yourself crowd...

[DragonsFriend]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

I am attempting to learn to work with wood. I am a metal smith and I can forge, bend, and weld Metals to do all sorts of things but you can't force wood, you have to work with it. I will try to find some pictures of the work benches that I made for my shop.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

I am attempting to learn to work with wood. I am a metal smith and I can forge, bend, and weld Metals to do all sorts of things but you can't force wood, you have to work with it. I will try to find some pictures of the work benches that I made for my shop.

Most people are surprised when told that metal is easier to work than wood, but, strangely, it is true.

Britton, if you don't have it yet, there is a two book series called "The Practical Woodworker," by Bernard E. Jones (the copy I have is put out by 10 Speed Press, but it's a reprint of an old book).

This is like the big magic book of handtools & what to do with them. I highly recommend it.

[DragonsFriend]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

B de,
Metal is easier for me but it is not easy for everyone. My brother, John, can do anything with wood and he finds it easy to work with. He finds metal difficult to work. We are close and so he is teaching me about wood and I am trying to teach him about metal. He doesn't know how to make the metal yield and attempts to use it like wood. I try to force the wood into what I want and of course it doesn't work well. I am learning the nature of wood and he is trying to learn the nature of metal but he is having a hard time. Trusting the material you are working with is a big part of it I suppose. I have learned that wood is more elastic and continues to change as it is worked so you have to adapt to it. Metal is easier for me because once it is formed it changes shape very little. That is not true with wood, which I am finding is part of its beauty.

[Briton]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

I am attempting to learn to work with wood. I am a metal smith and I can forge, bend, and weld Metals to do all sorts of things but you can't force wood, you have to work with it. I will try to find some pictures of the work benches that I made for my shop.

I did a year apprenticing in a metal shop, so I can mig and tig, but I think it's the accessibility and rawness of the material that I love about woodworking, though I'd love to be able to smith. I've got most of a forge together, just need a blower and a bit of railroad track!

- - - Updated - - -

Most people are surprised when told that metal is easier to work than wood, but, strangely, it is true.

Britton, if you don't have it yet, there is a two book series called "The Practical Woodworker," by Bernard E. Jones (the copy I have is put out by 10 Speed Press, but it's a reprint of an old book).

This is like the big magic book of handtools & what to do with them. I highly recommend it.

Sounds great, I'll have a look! Metal is easier to work than wood, but I think that's why I like it, I find making wood work well, no tear out, no knots, straight grain, it's a delight. Simple hazel is great, but oak can be planed, by hand, to be remarkably smooth when green. I also enjoy periphery activities such as charcoal making

[B. de Corbin]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

B de,
Metal is easier for me but it is not easy for everyone. My brother, John, can do anything with wood and he finds it easy to work with. He finds metal difficult to work. We are close and so he is teaching me about wood and I am trying to teach him about metal. He doesn't know how to make the metal yield and attempts to use it like wood. I try to force the wood into what I want and of course it doesn't work well. I am learning the nature of wood and he is trying to learn the nature of metal but he is having a hard time. Trusting the material you are working with is a big part of it I suppose. I have learned that wood is more elastic and continues to change as it is worked so you have to adapt to it. Metal is easier for me because once it is formed it changes shape very little. That is not true with wood, which I am finding is part of its beauty.

Yeah.. Yes.. My feeling is that with metal, many problems are solved by "hand me that bigger hammer" (gross oversimplification, but you know what I mean), but with wood, the problem tends to be the material itself - "this damned piece of wood is trying to be a tree again."

It's a matter of temprament of the worker, experience, and so on, but, to me, the only material easier to work than metal is clay, because your fingers are the hammers, and you can work more intuitively

[DragonsFriend]

Re: workers of the wood unite!

I found a few pictures, this one it the bench I built for my small lathe before I installed the drawers - its 4 feet long.lathe bench small.jpg
I started building benches before I put up the drywall in my shop so I could use the area before it was complete.