Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs

Please reply to this thread with suggestions about articles/posts you would like to be linked here. Keep in mind the post/thread has to be from within SMC.

1. Work benches
   
   • Construction
     Work bench construction thread by Harry Strasil
     Bench build by Derek Cohen, see post #67 for links to future updates on this bench build.
   • showcase
     Daniel Kennedy's bench and some hand tools thrown in for fun.
     Mark Ketelson's bench
     Joe Meazle's work bench, with a bowling alley top
     A roubo is born, Michael Sobik
     James Adinaro's bench
     Rick Fulton's Ipe bench
     Gary South's bench. Has a cabinet style base.
     Diary of a madman's work bench, Pat Germain
     child size workbench, Ernie Hobbs
     Das Bench (the bench), Robert Miller
     Klausz style bench, by Brandon Burns
     Jake Goodson's Roubo
     Harry Strasil's workbench. His version of a Coffin Makers Bench.
     Show us your bench A general bench showcase thread, very long and lots of benches in it.
     Split Top Bench, Paul Saffold
   • Usage
   
   
2. Neander project showcase (other than tools)
   
   • Musical instruments
     17th. C. Italian style guitar, George Wilson
     An English Guitar, George Wilson
     Carved Lions head for a violin, George Wilson
     Chet Atkins guitar, George Wilson
     1950's style arch top guitar, George Wilson
     Lion's head on a violin, George Wilson
     Oud making: Jameel Khallaf
   • Tables
     Art deco table and jewelry box, George Wilson
     Open views of the Art Deco box, George Wilson
     bed side table, Stickley style, Matt Sauber
   • Neither here nor there: Mixed media primarily hand made projects.
     Flint Lock Target Pistol, George Wilson
     Giant Screw, George Wilson
     Giant nut for the screw above, George Wilson
     Large Cider Press, George Wilson
   
   
3. Sharpening
   
   • Scary Sharp
   • Water Stones
   • Oil stones
   • Grinding (powered or neander)
   • Technique
   • Misc
     A discussion on sharpening. See post #15 for a comparison of grits
   
   
4. Tool usage and maintenance/tuning
   
   • Hand planes
     Block Plane selection and rehab, Bob Smalser
     Spokeshave tune-up, Bob Smalser
     Getting started in handplanes, James Koepke
     Everything you ever wanted to ask about molding planes but were afraid to ask.
   • Chisel
     Chisel names, types and uses, Bob Smalser
   • Saws
     Sharpening a handsaw, Bob Smalser
     Resawing using a frame saw, by Bob Easton
     BowSaw resources: by Peter Cobb. This post includes articles and videos on various bowsaw related topics (how to make, sharpen, use etc.)
   • Files and rasps
   • Card scrapers
     Tuning Card Scrapers, Bob Smalser
     An interesting thread on card scrapers. See post #7 by Derek Cohen for a link to his article.
   • Vices
   • Other
   
   
5. Ways of the neanderthals (techniques and tips)
   
   • Hand cut dovetails
     A little practice for handcut dovetails, Gary Zimmel
   • Mortise and Tenon joints
     The Haunched and Drawbored Mortise and Tenon Part I, Bob Smalser
     The Haunched and Drawbored Mortise and Tenon Part II, Bob Smalser
   • Flattening boards
     A discussion on how to edge joint boards. Discusses various edge jointing techniques as well as some history.
   • Specific projects
     Oud making: Jameel Khallaf
   • Carving
     Square Flower: Mike Henderson, a step by step tutorial on basic carving techniques.
   • Misc
     Shop made cauls: Mike Henderson:
   
   
6. Handtool jigs
   
   • Shooting boards
     Donkey ears SB, Tim Null
     Josh Bowman, but has contributions from Derek Cohen and many others
     Adiscussion on shooting boards. Has some useful references and links
     Another thread that discusses fence alignment and fine tuning
   • Miter boxes
   • Bench hook
   • Planing stop
   • Misc
   
   
7. Tool Talk (reviews, general info on tools, type studies, on-line books, makers etc.)
   
   • Hand Planes
     Everything hand planes
     What to look for when buying old handplanes and other tools, Jim Koepke
     A list of various threads on specialty planes.
   • Chisels
     Wood Chisel Survey for beginners, Bob Smalser
   • Hand Saws
     A review of Veritas 20 TPI saw, by Derek Cohen
     BowSaw resources: by Peter Cobb. This post includes articles and videos on various bowsaw related topics (how to make, sharpen, use etc.)
   • Misc
     This thread is a collection of links to various online e-books. Lots of good stuff.
     This thread has a listing of a lot of makers of hand tools.
   
   
8. Making your own tools
   
   • Saws
     A pair of early 19th century saws, George Wilson
     A crosscut saw handle, George Wilson
     Old and Copied closed handle Groves, George Wilson
     Groves and copy of open handle saw, George Wilson
     Cross-cut saw handle, George Wilson
     Show and tell, Glen Evans. Contains various saws and handles made by Glen.
   • Chisels
     Making a socket firmer chisel (metal work and all), by Preston Baxter
   • Hammers
   • Planes
     An inexpensive 50 degree smoother I, Bob Smalser
     An inexpensive 50 degree smoother II, Bob Smalser
     The Great Woodie Build Off: It's all Leigh Betsch‎'s fault he started it.
     Making a tote, Clint Jones
     Infill shoulder plane, Jeff Wittrock
     George Wilson planes
     A small dovetailed plane(infill)
     Rabbett plane (infill)
     A dovetailed smooth plane(infill)
     19th century style plane
     bronze engraved chariot plane
     18th century Jack Plane (a very minimalistic plane with no "beautification")
     A Solid Silver plane made as a retirement gift.
     
   • Spokeshaves
   • Heat treating steel
   • Misc
     A showcase of various shop made tools, a really nice collection.
     Yet another thread with a collection of user made tools
     Bronze Drill, George Wilson
     A simple Scratch stock, by Hank Knight
     A treadle lathe by George Wilson
     Brinkley Compass, George Wilson
   
   
9. Rehabbing Old Tools
   
   • Rust removal
     Rustproofing tools, Bob Smalser
   • Metallic Planes
     Block Plane selection and rehab, Bob Smalser
     Block plane selection and rehab, Bob Smalser
     Rehabbing old planes, Bob Smalser
     Fettling old metal planes, Jim Koepke
   • Wooden Planes
     Rehabbing Woodies, Bob Smalser
     To Sand or not to sand? discussion on restoration/cleaning of old woodies
   • Saws
     New Life for an Old Saw – Advanced Filing and Restoration, Bob Smalser
     Streightening Bent hand saw blades, Bob Smalser
     How to straighten a bent saw blade, George Wilson
   • Chisels
     Rehabilitating old chisels, Bob Smalser
   • Spokeshaves
   • Making new parts
   • After market/third party parts
   
   
10. Tools Storage
    
    • Saw Tills
      Lots of interesting ideas in this thread
      This thread has some ideas too, look at post #20 for a PDF drawing
    • Plane Tills
      This thread from Dave Anderson includes PDF drawings of his plane storage
    • Tools cabinets
      Dave Cav
      Gary Benson
      Dominic Graco scroll down to post number 12
      Wall O Tools simple but functional, Steve Branam.
    
    
11. Misc tools
    
    • Boring/drilling [brace & Bits (Spoon, Forstner, Auger, etc.)]
      A bit about augers by Jim Koepke.
      A List of Bob Smalser's articles on SMC. See post #15 in the thread. I am slowly trying to post these links under individual topics above. I will keep this link here until all entries have been moved up.
      The Incredibly Versatile sweep brace, by Bob Smalser.

Zahid,
I'd like to enclude the thread http://The great-grandaddy of the guitar--Oud making . This is an older thead I stumbled onto while viewing another thread. I'm new to Sawmill Creek so I haven't seen some of the older threads. I was so impressed with Jameel's work I thought this qualified as a classic thread and one that could be viewed again and again. I think this could be under the catagory of Technique and call it something like Oud/Lute making.

This Idea of classifing threads and puting them up for easy viewing is a great idea. Thanks.

Berl Mendenhall

After clicking on the link I provided above I see I did something wrong. The great-grandaddy of the guitar--Oud making. Try this if it doesn't work someone will have to explain how it's done. Sorry for the inconvience.

Berl

Berl, I added your recommended thread under the "Technique: Task" title in the top post. I also fixed your URL. Basically what you do is go to the thread you want to link/reference, copy the URL from the address line at the top of your browser. Now when you are writing your reply click the small globe icon (with a small chain link across it), it will pop-up a small window asking for URL, just paste the URL you clicked earlier in this field and click OK. It will put the URL where ever your cursor was when you clicked the globe icon.

Zahid,

Thank you. I'll copy and paste your explanation, maybe next time I'll get it right. Any way we got the thread posted.

Berl

Zahid, I wonder if you could add some of the saw-making (and saw-handle making) links?

Brian

This an awesome assembly of information.

Nice job.

Could you please post my inlaid Italian 17th.C. guitar in FAQ? Plus,my wife's jewelry box and table? There are about 3 postings on the jewelry box,as I hadn't found out how to post more than 1 picture yet. I'm still learning basics of the computer. Thank you.

This is a link to a chart comparing the different grits on different stones and sandpaper.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...1062936&page=2

You will have to scroll down a little.

jim

Got to agree, this is a great idea and it's now bookmarked!!

OK, I have now added the grit comparison post, the handcut dovetails thread as well as a thread to make a simple scratch stock. These were all the outstanding requests I had stacked up. I think it would be best if we posted requests to this thread (as opposed to PM or emailing me), which is fine too but it might delay things. This way other moderators can also assist with putting things up on the original post. Don't forget to mention where you think the recommended post/thread fits.

I would like to add the following thread for shooting boards.

http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/shootingboards.html

In addition they have info on combination planes, etc.

Thanks. Eric

Eric, I have that site bookmarked as well, but the intention is to create an FAQs list for stuff that's on SMC. If we include external sites the task become more daunting and will require more up keep because we don't control the content.

Zahid,

There has been some terrific stuff recently on specialty planes. This is just one example:

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=121101

I wonder if we are ready to create a link on specialty planes? Should I start a thread called "Specialty Planes" (of which I have almost none) and ask people to collect some of the helpful info they have posted?

Brian Kent

Zahid, how can I add to a thread, like the "shop made tools" thread?
Thank you!
David

David, sorry I didn't see this earlier. As stated in the sticky note just add/reply to this thread with the URL of the post you want added and under what topic I can make changes in the sticky, or you can PM me. Only moderators can make changes to posts so you will have to get hold of one of us.

Zahid,

I would like to nominate the following thread for chisel making...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=130183

Thanks,
Josh

Sorry for not being very responsive these days, work is killing me and I don't venture into SMC as much as I'd like to. Anyway I have added this chisel making thread in the FAQs as well as an article by Jim on augers.

Just added a flint lock pistol thread by George Wilson. He has added a lot of his projects in the last few weeks, I plan to start adding them, but chances are I will miss a few. so if you have any favorites who are fit to be added to our FAQs, just post a reply to this thread with a link or title of what you want added and where.

How about Shave Horse/Mule articles on the best of the best? ???