Genuine Plumb Carpenter's hatchet and shipping crate

The carpenter's hatchet continues to be my favorite "all season" sort of a tool

and

this Genuine Plumb is an excellent example of a striker that will serve the new owner amazingly.

Genuine Plumb carpenter's hatchet ready for the new owner

Just as a reminder, not all hatchets are made to hit with the poll. The carpenter's hatchet on the other hand is just begging to dish out some beatings (from the cutting edge and the hammering poll). This striker can play any role: from a diverse camping tool - to a truck tool - to a fine woodworking bench companion.

Genuine Plumb carpenter's hatchet and leather sheath ready for the new owner

To protect both the owner and the tool, I included a hand stitched my typical axe/hatchet sheath. I recommend keeping the sheath on when just using the hammer pole of the hatchet. After all, the swinger will be raising a blade toward themselves in every swing of the hammer side. If i had my own way I would put a sheath on everyone's bladed tool. 

Framed for viewing, the Genuine Plumb stamp.

Genuine Plumb logo

Belknap Bluegrass hammer restored- used properly

Another very satisfying hammer restoration. 

The stamped Belknap clover worn from years of service

and

despite the amount of use the face and claw were in EXCELLENT condition.

obviously the owner used this hammer to its proper purpose. too many people use a carpentry hammer like this for demolitions work (we are all guilty of that at least every now and then, myself included), but this just destroys the tool. this is one of those situations i can only hope the next owner will treat this striker as well as the first did.

Belknap Bluegrass hammer used properly, history is still evident in the cheeks.

Turkey feather darts, brass steel tip darts and one dedicated buffer

Some years ago a good friend had given me a set of Widdy No1 turkey feather steel tipped darts. 

and

damn if these wooden darts aren't extremely intuitive to throw: supported by the natural feel of the wood and its long tear dropped axisymmetical shape.

the oldest and the youngest boys have started playing darts with me so i thought it was time to make sure they had their own sets to use. "new" players can be rather hard on darts so i thought it was best to get them their own.  stolling along ebay and found a great deal on two sets of Apex No1 turkey feather darts and as a bonus, with them came two old but seemed to be in very good condition brass sets.

widdy turkey feather dart with the blue stripe,
apex turkey feather dart with the red stripe.

when they arrived the turkey feather darts were ready to go

but 

the brass sets could use with a bit of buffing and waxing.

brass steel tipped darts after polishing and waxing

because i always have a buffer set up for action,

i just went to the tool and gave each dart about 1 minute of attention.

the bottom right of the collage shows one of each of the sets polished and the others are still in need.

the left panel shows the darts ready for waxing.

i used johnson paste wax (my main go to wax) on the buffed metal.

ready for action, i do think i broke the sound barrier when i threw them for the first time.

My one key message with this post is to strongly encourage my boys the importance of having at least one dedicated bench top buffer (or a variable speed bench grinder with a buffing wheel on one side) in the house. 

 having this tool always available will dramatically encourage one to initiate a project. at the very least it will increases the speed of starting and finishing any maintenance jobs.

Pitting on a Plumb double bit axe: an example of texture

All marks on an old tool up for restoring act as a visual record of its history.

for outdoor tools, pitting from rust is a common mark maker.

 sometimes these marks show abuse and sometimes they just show a tool's life lived to the fullest.

if too deep then rust can be a killer for tools

 so 

it is important to make sure that if a tool is structurally sound before using (a vinegar bath is the system i employ to remove all of the rust, but there are other methods out there. the removal of all rust and debris exposes the tool for a complete obstacle free inspection). 

here is an example of a double bit axe that had a fair amount of rusting 

but

none of the rust was shallow enough to make it an excellent candidate for restoration.

Plumb double bit axe showing strong texture from rust but is completely sound and will make an excellent striker.

this Plumb double bit will make an excellent striker: full of history, full of potential.

Making bullet pencil erasers

Bullet pencils are one of the best easy to carry writing tools out there: compact, pocket friendly, easy to adapt to your favorite pencil and a very smart design.

after time though a bit of maintenance will be needed and fortunately this is very easy to do.

in this particular post i am just going to describe one way to replace the eraser.

before i start though, i would like to say that bullet pencils are made to make notes on the spot and not the best design for prolonged writing sessions. with that said, i rarely use the eraser. for such "quick" note taking i usually just cross out the mistake and keep going 

but

every now and then the erasers will need to be replaced.

i use a simple extrusion method that involves a brass tube and an eraser block of your choosing.

1.  the brass tube can be purchased at any hardware store for just a few dollars. with a hand file just taper one end to a sharp edged circle.

2. just push the brass tube through the eraser block.

making a bullet pencil eraser: using the extrusion method

3. when the eraser plug is extruded it will come out as a slight hourglass shape. this shape will need to be controlled before inserting into the bullet pencils ferrule. first i cut a little bit off the end to decrease the severity of the hourglass shape, then use a rubbery tape to compress the end. electricians tape is great for this purpose because it can be pulled very tightly around the eraser plug. 

4.  at this time the eraser plug with the electrical tape compressed end will still be wider than the inner diameter of the bullet pencil's ferrule. this will allow for a very snug fit. this is important so it doesn't move around when actually using the eraser. the tape not only compresses the end but will also strengthen the eraser so it doesn't break when cramming it into the pencil. also, if you do decide to add a pin through the ferrule into the eraser the tape will help keep the integrity of the eraser. 

making a bullet pencil eraser: controlling the hourglass shape of the extruded eraser

erasers aren't just erasers anymore, there are options (and smart ones at that).

my 3 main erasers that i use it the Black Factis, the hi-polymer pentels, and the Pink Pearl. i will say though that the Black Factis is my favorite. the black color doesn't look as crappy after being used and fits better aesthetically to a bullet pencil. darker colors fit better with dirty jobs. bullet pencils are designed to be out in the field getting dirty, writing on dirty paper. 

making a bullet pencil eraser: black factis is my favorite, but the hi-polymer and pink pearls are excellent options too

5. my final step in the eraser is to slightly taper in the eraser into a truncated cone. this shape holds up to erasing the a straight cylinder. also goes in and out of the pocket easier. 

making a bullet pencil: a quick sanding so the eraser tapers into a truncated cone

while ignoring everything i have just said,

i do have a couple bullet pencils that i use pencil end erasers with. these are my shop or truck pencils. ones that i may need to use an eraser a bit more and i don't want to carry around a click eraser 

(actually a big fan of click erasers).

pencil end erasers also come in options, the two i have here are the easiest to get. the one on the left is the small variety that can be found at any general store. these tend to do an ok job erasing (just ok), but they do have a sleek profile. the one on the right can be purchased at an art store (we have a dick blick in town so that is where i got these). these are the pink pearls of pencil end erasers. they do a superior job of erasing and have thick walls (heavy duty, takes a beating).

making a bullet pencil eraser: using pencil end erasers

making the post for this only takes a few minutes. below is a well beat up one that i made some years ago. i start with a stock hardwood dowel and sand down until it very tightly fits the i.d. of the bullet pencil's ferrule. i make quick work of this by sanding with a 1" belt sander. the key to this is to frequently check the fit during sanding. when this fit is nice and tight no pins or epoxies will be needed.

one this fit is complete, cut off the dowel long enough to hold the pencil end eraser. from here it is back to the sander to decrease the diameter of the post so it can hold the eraser securely. the post can not be to thick here because it will stretch out the eraser and it will break more easily when being used.

making a bullet pencil eraser: showing off the wood plug that will accommodate the pencil end eraser 

at the end here, i would like to add that i am sure that there are many good ways to make a bullet pencil eraser.  i have found that these two ways work VERY WELL for me.

i hope they do for you too.

Restored ball peen hammer with rubberized handle coating

I am never short of hammers waiting to be restored in my house

so

when i decided to add a dedicated ball peen hammer to my leather making toolbox i merely had to extend my arm to grab one. 

i picked out a perfect size and went on to polishing the peen, cheeks and head. i did leave the necks unpolished. cleaned of debris and rust but natural. 

 i do really like a little bit of color on the strikers to help it stand out on a cluttered work bench. orange has always been my color of choice for this. 

grip is important so for my non-octagonal hammer handles, i do like to add some sort of a grip coating. 

in this case, i thought i would try something new. i used a easy to get undercoating rubberized spray. the same material used to deaden traveling vehicle sounds and to apply to wheel wells.

i was really quite surprised how well this felt in the hand. the surface is smooth yet there is a sort of tack to the feel. i do sand in a notch toward the bottom of the handle that my pinky finger fits into, but even with out that i think i would still have the same confident grip. 

another nice element to this coating is that it is flexible. this means when the material hits something else it doesn't just chip away. it moves with the dents. of coarse it does come off with wear and enough pressure will remove it but is more durable than straight paint.

sometimes my experiments don't pan out but i am pleased to say that this one did.

rivets beware. 

Wards jointer plane restore - clean up

I was privileged enough to be given a Wards jointer plane by a good friend to restore.

His father had passed away and this was discovered in one of the tool sheds.

what is always amazing is that what seems in so bad of shape can actually be an excellent tool just needing some repairing.

before i had even started the cleaning process i gave the plane a once over by looking for:

cracks, especially in the sole

dramatic twisting or cupping of the sole

and the degree of rust

below is a compare of what the tool looked like before any cleaning and then after cleaned and a new black finish was added.

wards jointer plane restore comparison: before and after cleaning and new finish

the difference is night and day however the work to get to this point was actually very little.

the restoration to this point went as follows:

1. dismantle (take photos if you need to remember how parts go back together)

2. just use a dense medium stiff wire brush to remove dirt and debris.

3. vinegar bath

4. remove any weak finish from the top of the plane (i swear by using old files that i cold grind into a chisel then use it to scrap the entire old finish. there is always a bit of tooth left in these old files so they work perfect as a scrapper or a grater).

5. stiff wire brush the rest, then wipe off

6. mask the sides then prime with an auto primer 

7. paint with your painting preference. there are many hard paints out there or just use spray on truck bed liner.

repurpose an old file to a scraping - grating restore tool

the next step in the restore was to fix and condition the wood parts, true the sole, and sharpen the blade.

Hanging a horseshoe on a wall mounted housing plaque

When we elevate everyday objects to the wall, we (should) do it to make a statement or to maximize some sort of appreciation for it.

i was given a friend's mangled horseshoe to prepare for presentation above his business's front door.

i new we needed the branches up to keep the luck from pouring out

and then i thought we should give it a sort of roof to protect that luck that would continue to fill into it.

my personal thought is that by adding some visual depth and complexity to the presentation our appreciation for it is increased because it initiates more thought. the more thought means more investment into the object and message. of course there is always too much of a good thing,  so i try to watch out for that point when the object of focus is lost because there is too much fancy around it.  balancing the two is important. 

Chronodex week 10-11 and a leather knife sheath for two knives

Damn! what a busy week(s) for both my social and individual self:

there have been many great moments in the past weeks and i can not believe how fast time has gone. when i say "great" i really don't mean anything monumental but have had my fill of finishing some projects and having GREAT family time.

an example an individual "great", would be when i finished this two in one cook's knife sheath that is for a local fellow. a retired fellow who enjoys RV'ing in the spring had requested a sheath for two of his camper knives. one of those puzzles that i was pleased how the final product ended.  i decided to make them as both a single unit yet could be easily separated. made of 8 ounce leather, each sheath is 5 layers thick. there is no doubt that this will give him plenty of protection and a bit of style while preparing his food.

as the "luck runs out" chronodex

"luck running out" chronodex

feeling a star week coming up

horseshoe chronodex 1

horseshoe chronodex 2

the day after my oldest son's birthday i woke up about 30 minutes early (4:30ish) to put together my thoughts and organize my day. found his birthday candles sitting out on the counter and thought to myself how long they must sit before the next birthday use. i took some and though i would base a chronodex off of them. 

birthday candle chronodex

Restored vintage hammer on octagonal hickory handle

Just about ready to hand off a restored vintage hammer head that was hung on a octagonal american hickory handle.

the there something about the density of the steel in this head. a bit weightier than others this size.

restored vintage hammer 

the weight does not make it feel top heavy though. 

this striker will excel at a shorter swing that can drive hard.

this will be given to a father for his birthday. a great gift if i may say so myself.

A proper cleaver sheath

Cleavers are one of those kitchen essential tools that also need to be able to GO.

this afternoon i finished a cleaver sheath that the owner can now confidently (in a safe way) take on any hunting trip.

leather cleaver sheath

i used some nice full grain leather from the shoulder. the front is three layers thick and the ends are 4 layers thick. this allows the sheath to better follow the form of the tapered tool.

leather cleaver sheath

i also used my copper penny and nail rivet system. 

this combination seems to be finding its place in many objects that i am making.

leather cleaver sheath.

this was a great project to work on.

Toolbox for leather working supplies

I was in desperate need to reorganize the leather working tools that i use the most.

in particular i wanted to better contain the dyes, oils, cements, ex cetera.

a quick grab set up would be best so i repurposed a toolbox that i made out of shop scraps.

the toolbox went from sandpaper scraps to my most used leather working supplies. it seems that through no conscious planning of mine, some systems (like the toolbox used for sandpaper quarters) just come out of favor. it really wasn't until i was looking around for a way to better store the 

quick grab leather working supplies that i became aware.

or 

maybe i just have too much shit laying around.

before any repurpose switch, i do try to clean it up and make any restorations.

for these toolboxes i cleaned out, then just added a wipe on poly. the toolbox itself is very durable despite how light and thin walled it is. wipe on polys are so low maintenance that i do use them for these sort of items.

toolbox made from shop scraps

the toolbox itself is made from scraps, using the whole buffalo:

base & side walls is a scrap pine board

front & back side walls are slats cut from an old cedar deck plank

the handle is from a broom

the round well is a cheese container (that i of course had to draw on)

toolbox made from shop scraps

this box has only 4 compartments: the three can be seen here but under the cheese container is another small one. the hidden one is where i can put pieces. hiding the little things keeps the over all look tidy.

toolbox made from shop scraps

cleaned and ready to go.

A perfect marriage: Kaweco AL Sport and my pliers holder

I think that everyone is (or should be) just a bit concerned as to what they carry on their person. 

each item should have a valued purpose and an equally heightened aesthetic level. this elevated concern for how something looks is not at all about vanity but rather a discerning view that stands firm on the notion that the looks should be as good as its performance. why in the hell should we sacrifice one for the other, we are better than that.

a perfect example of a lasting aesthetic-function marriage:

the last pliers sheath i made paired with a Kaweco AL Sport. they make a damn fine couple.

This particular fountain pen looks like it belongs on a workers belt.

it is compact = the pliers sheath is big enough. in fact it's smaller size draws attention to it.

machined from aluminum = it is tough and can take a beating without hurting the nib

screw cap = does a good job keeping dust and grit out.

faceted cap = aluminum is slick enough and the faceted sides of the cap when posted give it a grip. 

the octagonal cap is also a familiar feel as it relates so well to the handles i hang on my restored hammers.

feels good works even better!

everything about this pen is a win.

Crating up the keen kutter carpenter's hatchet

Time to say goodbye to the keen kutter carpenter's hatchet.

after a final hone and last protective shine,

i prepared the hatchet before closing the crate.

keen kutter carpenter's hatchet honed and polished

first a quick bit cover. the tool is very sharp and will slice through the packaging during transport.

keen kutter carpenter's hatchet with a shipping bit cover

then comes the bubble wrap.

i want to make sure that there is no rattling inside the crate.

from here on out all marks made on the tool will not be made by me

but

by the new owner creating a visual history of use.

keen kutter carpenter's hatchet with some padding so it will not move around in the crate during transport.

the final fastener screwed in. and that is that. 

next to be seen by its owner.

keen kutter carpenter's hatchet crated and sealed.

Mallet for hanging axe heads

I needed to cobble together another dedicated mallet solely for hanging axe and hatchet heads after cracking my great grandfather's.

i hit the parts bins to put this new mallet together.

first a 2"x2"5.5" block of bubinga left over from an extreme croquet mallet build

and

an old hickory hammer handle kept from a hammer restoration.

i cleaned and sanded the handle.

i will put enough grit into it with time, plus i wanted open up the pores a bit for a good soaking with long oil. the handle was in excellent shape and i wanted to keep it that way.

i "ovalized" the handle's wood that will enter the eye and cut a slit for the wedge.

for the head, i drilled in a blind mortise joint. 

the grain of the wood is very nice and i wanted to keep wood visually uninterrupted with a joint.

the bottom of the mortise is a bit wider so when the handle is pounded in, the wedge will spread out creating a very reliable joint.

joined, painted and oiled this tool is ready for action!

Hammer crate weight

Vintage 16 ounce plumb hammer now in the hands of my favorite barber (a gift from his brother).

here just weighing down the final paper flash on the hammer crate.

the weight came from my father's old barn.

grateful to see it go to a good home.

True temper kelly perfect single bit axe head

Excitement in the form of a true temper "perfect" kelly works single bit axe head.

i am pretty damn excited to restore this gem. the only visible concern is a small nick on the bit, but that will be easy enough to file out.

tool restoration has been on hold for awhile. it had to give way to make room for one bathroom remodel, another shower repair, exterior house maintenance, and a lot of yard & garden work.

tool restoration as one of my necessities to refueling my mind and oiling my joints.  

i am past ready to getting back to this pursuit.

Rust eraser vs tool left in the rain

My favorite bypass clippers left to the elements for 6 days.

couldn't believe my carelessness from leaving these out while on vacation. doesn't pay to always be in a  hurry. something like this is bound to happen.

most of the rust is light, however there is some deeper running corrosion.

unwitting left my bypass clippers outdoors for a week

 with a rust eraser i was basically able to get almost all of the rust off. rust erasers are great little tools that are easy to handle and use. the key is moving it in little circles, over and over and over and over again.

with the light rust in the nooks & crannies,  i took it to the buffing wheel and an old concave felt wheel. 

removed rust with a rust eraser, ready to go again

some wd-40 and job done. while working on it i will give it a sharpen and then back to work.

70 year old knife restore

One of the boys' grandfather had a knife from his father that desperately needed some work.

the knife predates the 1940's and was very misshapen from the years of sharpening and field work.

i had specific instructions to get the blade back up to snuff.

i re-profiled the blade, re-established the angle of the cutting edge, sharpened and gave it an almost near mirror polish.

family knife restore

i purposely did nothing, outside of cleaning and buffing, to the handle. 

if the knife is to show its history and the blade had to have such an overhaul i felt it absolutely necessary not to take the history of the handle away.

 at one time the blade had been attacked by an electric grinder of sorts and that did the most damage.

by the way it sharpened i am pretty confident that the temper was not lost and shall remain an excellent working knife for another 70 years.

my thumb is still sore from all of the hand sanding on this gem.

Display your tools

As i have preached before, tools have the potential to be a real extension of ourselves: both physically and past the physical. through the tool we command the difficult and fulfill our potential.

there are two types of tools in my small mind, both are worthy of displaying:

1 = those tools of historical/personal significance, but are too dangerous to use so must be retired. for example grandfathers axe that has a crack through the eye.

these tools when displayed act as a portrait of an admired life or trait.

2 = the tools are those that have significance because the represent a personal feat or represent the potential we have when we set our mind and hands to it.

a hammer and a hatchet shipping crate in hanging mode

above i have two milestones in crates. the hammer though is one i have been using and is an experiment that keeps on running. that particular hammer is a turn of the century hammer that had a pretty bad chip in it. these are the types of hammers with a hard steel skin over a softer core. the chip told me that the outer skin was a good steel (it chipped rather than mushroomed). i decided to see what would happen if i were to re-mill the striking face until the chip was entirely gone. this would mean thinning up the outer skin. the only criteria i would put to this experiment is that i would use it for fine woodworking and light general house work. it is going on some time now and i have had ZERO indications of failure. 

i keep this hammer hanging to remind me to challenge knowledge and to keep this tool visible so i don't forget to keep the challenge going.

to my wife's dismay, there are many of such displays in our small home.

i do believe guests find it entertaining and i am sure when the boys have friends over it is something to behold.

placement wise this is what one would see while on their way to the bathroom.