Here is what I wrote about the subject in 1981 and it is even more important today. It is a followup to a previous post ‘An Open Letter to the President…’.
The above text is from Shepherds’ Compleat Early Nineteenth Century Woodworker, 1981, 2012, as is the following cartoon.
Stephen
There is a real problem out here in the West and its solution can benefit the entire country. There are over 360 million acres of Conifer Forests and over 40 million acres have been killed by the Red Death [bark beetle, pine needle borer] and they are expanding. We are losing a great national natural resource, and it will get worse if nothing is done.
You and you alone could put hundreds of thousands of people to work to conserve the forests and convert the massive amount of standing dead trees into usable reasonably priced building materials. The slash could be inexpensive firewood, mulch, and converted to alcohol. There is also a great resource available from the pitch and sap exuding from both living and dead trees for turpentine and varnish production, not relying on limited fossil fuels.
While the process of removing the dead trees and their conversion to usable materials and stores will have an impact upon the environment, doing nothing is far more egregious. The process of cleaning up all of the potential fuel will also lessen wild fire danger; making the forest healthy to resist future fires and infestations.
These forests are an important part of the Earth’s biomass that sequesters CO2 and produces oxygen. They will only be a renewable resource if they survive. And they are beautiful; please preserve them for future generations to enjoy.
Stephen Arden Shepherd
The Shellac, Linseed Oil, & Paint books are being restocked at both Tools for Working Wood and Lee Valley and to a new as yet undisclosed retail outlet. I also have copies on hand.
The only difference is the ISBN and bar code on the back.
Stephen
I picked this up recently at a local antique stores, it stood out from a few other later nineteenth century planes, first its low price $16.00 and second it just had a look, the chamfers are a little bolder. An American plane from this time period is a good find.
It has a W. Butcher laid steel blade and it has been used. The edge has been sharpened and the tail end appears to be broken off. The wedge is also damaged.
It is a nice plane, too nice for me so it is for sale, I have another bit newer skew rabbit that I use now.
A previous owner J.KRITTER.
I am not sure what it is worth but I will take offers.
Stephen
I first used one of these when I built my first 1805 Turning Bench* [a foot powered treadle lathe with a bench attached], I had borrowed one of these from a friend and powered the lathe until I finished the wooden wheel, crank, pitman and treadle.
* Plans available from Tools For Working Wood.
Then today a friend called me and said he spotted one in a local antique store. I have purchased from this guy before and he has fine stuff at a little higher than I like. My friend described the wheel, I filled in the details to his amazement. I then talked to the owner and bought the wheel as my friend said he couldn’t afford to buy it right now.
Happy to have one and will build a small bench and mount my watchmaker’s lathe and put it to use.
Stephen
Many traditional woodworking benches are being constructed today by woodworkers worldwide. And I have seen many of them make the same mistake I did when I built my first wooden vise. I actually bought an old bench screw and built a vise. I attached the nut to the bottom of the bench and it worked but not well, it always bound up and was tough to fiddle with.
Then I had an opportunity to see some nice old benches and noticed that the nut was free floating. I therefore unglued the nut, re-worked my vise and installed it with a free floating nut and it worked great.
The next bench I built at Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement in Noblesville Indiana in 1977-78, I used an old bench screw and built a proper bench with the bench screw properly installed.
This is how the vise should be constructed, whether a face vise or a leg vise. This allows the moving chop to be closed when not in use then pulled out and adjusted to the work at hand. When not in use it slides freely back to the bench out of the way.
Stephen
A friend has ordered a 10 foot quilting frame based on a traditional design. Here is a picture of the drawing, showing the gears and pawls as well as the construction methods used in the fabrication of this quilting frame.
The frame (and bench) are constructed of knotty alder, avoiding the knots it critical areas. The gears are not free and layed out the gears then cut them with both a rip and crosscut saw depending on the grain.
I lined up the grain so they all matched and held together with a temporary bolt. I then gang cut the gears at the same time.
The gear on the lower left hand side has been completed, slightly beveling the sides of the gear teeth and chamfering the edges. I will continue on the others, then chop the square mortise in the gear to accept the 10 foot plus pole that holds the quilt.
Stephen
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