Leather knife sheath for lauri shop knife

Having a little fun with the design while making functional gear is a good way to keep the process more exciting. all for the sake of entertainment, i never expect my final object to be unique but damn if i don't have a fun time making it. 

for this shop knife, i had the challenge with the meatier shape of the handle pushing too close to the sheath. these bigger handles with more extreme gestures are easier on the hand and allow for more hand positions to be used, but are not very sheath friendly.

not wanting the sheath to be 8 layers thick i decided to try something different 

and

from the front the sheathed knife looks pretty straight forward

lauri shop knife sheath

but 

from the side it can be seen that i had decided to use an oak wedge to distant the knife handle away from the back of the sheath a bit.

was also able to keep the belt look in line with the curvature of the handle.

i did treat the wedge with tung oil to make it more prepared for outside use.

having a little fun with a design for a lauri shop knife leather sheath

the sheath pivots at the bottom (riveted and sewn) and can come apart if i want to change out the wooden wedge.

i also made the wedge a bit narrow, so from 3/4 view it is still very hidden and will also show off the sewing of the sheath's base layer.

lauri shop knife leather sheath

now ready for use this sheath may not be anything amazing but i must say that i had a very entertaining time working through the challenge and coming up with this more unorthodox solution.

Heavy on the nib creep from a Wing Sung 235 i took to work

Everyone has their unique "perfect" blend of fountain pens ready to go for particular occasions. 

i have simplified my catagories to:

at the desk (safe working environment),

at work (semi-safe working environment),

in the workshop (not safe one damn bit working environment).

safety in the above categories is toward my pens safety. although i suppose the way i go about projects the workshop may apply to both my pens and myself.

most of my work fountain pens need to be of the tougher variety. usually made of aluminum or brass and need to be able to take a knock. every now and then though i take a less than sturdy variety that i can use as a highlighter next to a computer or tethered to a clipboard. just to put some variety in the standards.

earlier this week i took a Wing Sung 235 to work as a highlighter.

this was the first time i had taken it to work.

heavy nib creep on a wing sung 235 fountain pen

heavy nib creep on a wing sung 235 fountain pen

 i had purchased some time this summer just for the hell of it (under $5). I wanted to see how a very inexpensive pen like this would hold up. The pen had somehow managed off the computer and onto my person.

jumping forward to this morning when i was sorting out my day, i saw this pen and opened it up.

needless to say it did not handle the knocking around very well at all. most pathetic was that day wasn't even a heavy physical day and the pen did this. 

despite the heavy build up in the feed, if i were to just wipe it off with a cloth then it would write fine. but a deep cleaning is in order and quite honestly am done with this experiment and will relegate this pen to a R.I.P. drawer. the pen preformed how i thought: poorly.

Line work and designs

Making a brief calm before the work week storm begins.

 sitting down and just focusing on some line work is usually all i need to adequately prepare for such a challenge. 

in this particular session, I started with some handmade paper that i formed from about 18 years ago. 

this cotton paper was made with a hollander beater and a proper press.  hollander beaters really are the best way to maximize the fiber fibrillation and get the strongest bond after sheet pressing.  this paper is workable with both dip pens and even some quick motion, linear fountain pen work at the very end. after saturating (and then letting dry) the cotton with different layers of pigmented ink, the paper can handle some looser ink like that from a fountain pen.

working on line work and some designs is a way to prepare for some less than desirable times

 by the time i have laid out the plaid (the first step in some line work), i am able to change my mind from a more disorganized free flowing mental state to a very directed thought process. 

the blood pressure drops and the mind's capabilities expand during this focused time.

 when finished with the design, i can then take this state to any challenge off the page.

another benefit of this type of "calming" process is that i get something tangible at the end. this object can be pulled out at anytime and reference my mind back to the focused state that my mind was in.

Spinning tops

The notion of spinning circles to express notions of physical or mental decay & destruction

(the tornado effect)

have always been a personal source of inquiry for me.

this time of the year here has opened up the weather for some moments of foul weather, the sort of weather that spawns spinning circles.

i will use this time to pursue a series of bordered spinning tops.

Small clipboard made from wine crate lids

I needed some more clipboards at work and another one for the workbench.

i had some wine crates waiting for a purpose. i usually make wood toolboxes with the body of the box and use the lid for drawing boards, clipboards, ect. what i like about these lids is that unlike the body of the box that is solid wood, the lid is in fact veneered on both sides. the lids are almost half as thin and feather light. the core of the oil also will be a different color when a clear coat is applied. this gives it some interesting variation when held. perfect for clipboards.

i cut these last week knowing i had finally found a good deal on copper shingling nails.  being such a stingy bastard, i was not going to settle on retail plus shipping prices. i found this 8 pound 1 1/2" lot on ebay for about 8 dollars a pound (included shipping). this is one-third the retail price with shipping. at around 200 nails per pound this makes for a good supply. i only use these for rivets.

i often use pre-1982 pennies for my burrs. i personally like the aesthetic. really the only time i do not is when space is too limited for the wide diameter of a penny.

these clipboards are for A5 and smaller. 

this takes care of the portable rhodia and the fieldnotes/doane farm notebooks i use.

Draw

When tired and need the mind to slow down, i just need to put some pen to paper.

in the act, all quiets down.

Field notes and a chronodex per work day

An essential part of me is being capable.

not wanting to disappoint myself, on all work days i make a "chronodex" (that i keep in my back pocket field notes booklet) to visually organize my time. 

with this i can see if i really do have any blocks of time i can work on a project. 

different blocks of time afford different opportunities depending on my current project list. 

lots of project going on simultaneously means i can do something no matter how much time i have.

making a chronodex only takes a few minutes.  just enough time to organize the days potential.

the more ornate the timepiece the longer i needed to think something through.

today i had something on my mind.

i am very keen to this visual organizer

the inner ring = midnight to 9a then 9p to midnight

the outer ring = noon to 9p then 9a to noon.

this may seem odd at first but the outer ring is to represent the more functioning parts of the day 

9a to 9p.

red is my sleep time and the pencil blocks is work or obligations.

blank are the opportunities to make something.

Toughest waste paper bin on the block

Yesterday, I was doing some late night desk work when a moment of appreciation hit.

i had created a bunch of paper scraps and put it in my waste paper bin. when i realized how object-to-function oriented i can be.  

i am not obsessive compulsive but i to use specific tools for specific tasks. from building tools to cooking tools to desk tools. these tools either are the best tool for accuracy, efficiency or somehow establish a familiarity that allows me to access the process faster or better than others.

reaching over i tossed the paper into the Landers, Frary & Clark lunch pail. for what ever reason, i took a moment to appreciate the design of this lunch pail. there were lots of details for the owner without it being "too fancy". 

then i had a moment when i thought about the purpose of it and how i relegated from something important as worker's lunch pail to my waste paper pail. 

and may i add one of the most tough looking waste paper pails out there!

in my mind, i went through its lifespan as a functional object, the fact is that in today's modern technology these pails are not nearly as practical. the aesthetic is timeless though; from its historical use (last century workers food pail) to its fancified look. at least this tool has gained a new dedicated purpose and will continue to be admired daily.

Landers, Frary & Clark food pail seeing daily use again, although not to its purpose 100 years ago

Landers, Frary & Clark pail 

i acquired this as a great birthday gift that was given by a great friend,

thank you!

Pen kit expansion

Constantly in the search for adapting my capabilities for whatever situation i may be in.

lately i have been needing access to some more pens when i go to work.

not wanting to carry anything more i thought i should just make a simple addition to my cigar pen case.

i "borrowed" one of wifey's elastic hair bands and cut it in half. this band in particular has 5 rows of rubber threading through the length of the elastic cloth. this gives it a very strong grip.

front view after adding two elastic bands

the black blends in well with the cigar case.

i sewed a simple over loop so it fits tight over the bent nail link.

since i was using a hair band, i had to over compromise a bit by using bent nails as the link. 

back view with the bent nails acting as link

i have been using for a few days and it works perfectly.

i have no pen loss when tossing the kit around.

the leather is stiff enough that there is no buckling when the lid is removed.

Diamine's oxblood ink

I have been writing with diamine's "oxblood" ink for a week now and must say that it has completely filled my expectations.

diamine's "oxblood" ink contributing some punctuation to my lunchtime note taking at work.s

for some time now, i have been wanting to purchase a blood red ink with some character (variations of color when overlapped or laid down thicker). this is an ink that will be used for daily notebook writing and design work.

 a red on white has an impact that i have always been partial too.

when i was very young i remember my grandparents had a red & white china set in their farmhouse . many pieces were actually hung on the wall in their kitchen. i admired them in this presentation. as if they had been elevated to the status of a great painting or a family portrait.

later on, this carried over to my fancy for japanese overglaze copper red enameling on porcelain or the akae drawings over a creamy white glaze covering light stoneware.

even watching the cornhusker play is but red & white.

red has a presence that many other colors simply do not.

at the most base level, this is a blood on skin sort of exclamation and in the right context has a great value to it. 

a value similar to the saying, "working till your hands bleed".
it is not really about the blood but about the hard work. and hard work too often has some blood mixed in with it.

a final note that this aesthetic appreciation i way beyond my simple life and notice,

 "oxblood red" has been around for hundreds of years as a valued chinese glaze color. later the color gained value with the japanese and the europeans.
(then to my grandparents kitchen)

Field notes cover reinforcement

The different field notebooks covers do not hold up same in the back pocket.

(i need to note that my job is active and being in my back pocket is no treat for a notebook)

for example the linen cover of the "county fair" series is very durable

but

the red blooded straight paper cover fails fast. 

i prefer to leave it natural however once the tears happen on these covers then it will start to tear up the paper innards and then the notebooks potential to hold facts and ideas.

the "county fair" cover held up very well after one tour of duty in my back pocket.

 after two weeks the cover binding was beginning to come apart.

i wanted a way to have a QUICK way to make a bullet proof repair that also had some style to it.

easy answer is double sided carpenters tape. 

the tack on this tape is extreme. 

by having it double sided one can then add any other material on the outside of it for looks.

i roughly cut the tape, remove one side of the protective paper and apply.

the red blooded series cover is failing after 2 week in the back pocket.
needs reinforcing.

next i trim to size and remove the second side.

here we can see how protective this tape is. the synthetic binding material will keep it flexible while preventing future ripping.

i will stress here again, this tape is extremely sticky.

reinforcing field notebook with double sided carpet tape.

this is where anything goes.

this piece of fabric is red and was next to the desk.

in the past i have found that fabric works the best over paper covers when relegated to my back pocket.

reinforcing field notebook cover with double sided carpet tape and a swatch of fabric from an old shirt.

the entire project took 2 minutes

and 

then back to work.

Pencil shavings

Sharpening a pencil with a brass sharpener can be as rewarding as creating those long thin shavings from a woodworking hand plane. one always focuses on the wood to be removed for functions sake, but there is no denying the challenge of getting the shavings as long as possible

with my competitive nature i find myself wanting to beat my best.

then, i have to remind myself to stop before i end up with a nub of a pencil.

Van dyke eberhard faber lead issues and broken momentum

A ridiculous moment at the work bench the other day.

when something so seemingly inconsequential breaks the momentum of a project.

i dropped my dull "van dyke" USA eberhart faber on the cement floor (lead first), fast sharpening so i could keep marking and then when i went to write about 2" of lead just plopped out.

when i looked up close i saw a hairline crack, pulled slightly and it just sort of ripped open.

next if find myself not woodworking but messing around with a broken pencil trying to test my skill at masterfully remove all of the lead without opening the rip anymore. 

the back of the pencil reads:

"hi-density" microtomic graphite.

and 

on yet another facet reads "woodclinched"

Wasp clipper fountain pen re-sac: easy

W.A. Shaeffer Pen Company

w.a.s.p.

clipper fountain pen with a #4 nib.

this pen was my great grandfather's and the sac had petrified.

before i begin, i must express how easy it is to re-sac a lever fountain pen that is already in a respectable condition. i strongly recommend any owner of a fountain pen with a petrified sac to re-sac their pen and get it back in order. after all tools need to be used.

this is a simple outline of the steps i took:

1. never try to work the lever if the sac is petrified. to test how the nib worked, i first took the pen and dipped in ink for a few seconds.

2. the nib seemed to be in good visual and functional order so i went on cleaning. i separated the parts of the pen: removed the hardened sac that was stuck to the walls of the barrel then soaked in water. i was patient with soaking, flushing with water. 

3. when all traces of ink and the old sac were gone from inside the barrel, i let dry and then prepared for the new bladder.

clipper fountain pen with the last remaining petrified sac still on the section.

 4. after the pen parts were dry i removed the final traces of old sac that was adhered to the 

section's sac coupler. after removing the old sac i took a soft core nail buffer to the coupler.

clipper fountain pen with all the petrified sac removed

 5. i have a number of pens to re-sac, so i purchased a couple sizes of sacs and shellac from Richards pens.  Richards pens also has some very good how to's on re-sacing fountain pens. 

there are a few other good options for online stores too. i purchased from Richard's out of appreciation for their tutorials and other generous website information.

the sacs come long so i fitted in the barrel, subtracted jut over another 1/8" and cut it straight.

the bladders are quite flexible and easy to stretch over the section's sac coupler. 

i applied shellac to the coupler, fitted the sac and then put one more fine bead around the outer seam.

clipper fountain pen with a new bladder. above the re-sac section is the amount i had to cut off.

 6. it is recommended to let the shellac cure for 30 minutes, i had to go to work so i let it sit for much longer.

7. before reassembly i used the talc from one of the boys old bicycle tires and powdered the outside of the bladder.

clipper fountain pen assembled and ready for writing.

8. the pen drank the ink very easily and after a few hours of using there are no signs of leakage.

this was a very very simple process.

Goldfaber 1221 pencil looks fast

Pencil performance is of absolute importance

and

the finish is one of those qualities that are taken into consideration.

i gave the sv goldfaber #1221a one week run at work, at home and in the shop. I was pleased with this pencil as a consistent smooth marking tool.

what is particularly notable is the nice quality of deep blue finish with gold racing stripes.

can see the gold stripe laid on top of the blue.

i think starting my next pencil review, for the boys, i will establish a test layout that will better separate the different tests i do. i will also include how the pencil works on different workshop materials.

it seems that many people review pencils on different qualities of paper but not necessarily wood or metal (the workshop materials).

the "SV" bonded is faber's break resistant code and did a very good job on cross grain fibrous soft wood. The fine grounding of the graphite creates a consistency that very trackable guide line.

faber-castell's goldfaber 1221 with gold racing stipes.
the design is first laid out with a drafting pencil and then layered with the goldfaber

 as with most of my designs in my back pocket notebook, i establish the foundation with a drafting pencil and then ad layers. below the letters, numbers and all thick lines are made with the goldfaber 1221.

not to be misleading, the U.S. star is from the boys plastic WWII army men set. It fell off of one of their vehicles, probably an airplane.

this goldfaber 1221 is definitely not American and since it does not say Germany then not their either.

Rhodia pencil

I have a very established way i take notes.

i have always mixed visual design blocks with the linear use of words. together i can work out best with what is on my mind. 

I do not plan to change my note taking systems, but i do feel the need to try some new/different versions of the analog writing tools i use.

I will start with wood pencils.

the final step in note taking on a page is the final marks on the designs made with a wooden pencil. the ebony is my standard, but i have a number of new ones i will be trying.

Rhodia pencil during an a long meeting

today was a Rhodia pencil. this was my first triangularly shaped pencil and was damn comfortable to use. i thought it would pinch up my grip too much but the enhanced control made feel more agile.

sitting on the workbench it had less roll then a round or more faceted pencil.

the lead gave me the line variance i need when making my final marks on designs to giving the letters some character. a medium to very faint growth and decay line was exceptionally easy to make.

i liked the color. the wood, eraser ferrule, and eraser all black. the shaft paint hunter orange (it looks a bit redder in this photo). never get lost on a crowded desk or work bench.

Mac's first pen case

The oldest will have his 11th birthday this week and i have been working on his first pen case. he has a real passion for writing and drawing.

his drawing desk is already stock, so i kept to simple in a easy to carry mobile way.

being 11 i doubt it will be his edc but i am sure that he will make it his field and his trip carry.

spent the last month looking online and through the home for what would be best to start him off with. been balancing what he already prefers and something new i would like him to use.

in the acquisition of the clutch pencils from some ebay auctions had a fair amount of lead attached to them to the sales.

with patience i was able to get great deals on every single one of them and now enough lead to give him the needed variety for some time.

a good mix of leads and lead carriers. he will have some options for choosing

the hardest item to find was the perfect cigar case. that was the last item to get. didn't make it to the house until last week.

the ebony pencil will be a new tool for him. this has been a standard in my designs and will be looking forward to see if he takes to it. he had been using a 3b for making solid planes and bolding lines.

Mac's first pen case

a few items not easily identifiable: the click pen eraser, and the green extra fine tip pen (this is for the base lines when writing and the foundation lines for designs.

the crimson pencil is my influence on the importance of applying a real color differentiator for some parts in linear design.

i had a damn good time going through the process of picking these tools out and look forward as to how this first setup will change and evolve over time.

Sencha cup

A serious need for dusting brought me to a red overglazed enameled sencha cup

i made in 1998.

i was given the opportunity to deviate from the formal designs and play with some ideas i wanted to see off paper.

Reference page for knots

Made a simple tutorial page and tested it out on the oldest boy.

he picked it up the concepts fast. he also thought the step by step was easy to follow.

i am good with that.

i kept reminding him that as long as the plaid is correct the knot will be sure to follow.

i might decorate the page up a bit later.

Vocabulary

I was thinking (by means of lead) through my last minutes of work lunch break that I really need to put together a sort of vocabulary of knot works for the boys. the knots are an excellent course in sorting out linear design notions.