The Woodhaven II Forum

When wadkin main factory got demolished I managed to buy the front doors. Had to hire a van and drive to leicester. They've been sat in my garden under a tarp for about 10years. I thought the best way to get them refinished and fitted was to put them in my shed. I thought if they were in the way constantly it would give me no other choice. You soon get sick of moving them when they weigh about 130kg. Even though they'd been covered the dampness had got to the varnish and most of it came off... Read more

I've just returned from a fun 4 hours in A&E, with my right leg in plaster up to my knee. I have ruptured my achilles tendon, by tipping off a saw horse as I was wiring up a switch for my extraction system. I landed on the foot of another saw horse. I won't know for a week whether or not I need an operation, but either way, I won't be doing very much of a physical nature in the next 3 months.

A mate of mine, who drives a harvester, is going to give me some timber in log form (and has already given me a HUGE amount of beef). In exchange, he wants me to make him two bar stools from Larch, which will also be provided in log form. Now, a bar stool needs the legs to be angled outwards in at least one plane, for stability. 5 degrees, ie 2.5 degrees per side? He hasn’t given any dimensions yet, so assume around 750mm tall. Rather than wedged and angled tenons into the seat, how about... Read more

I've been doing some practising of joinery. I've got to the point I'm relatively comfortable with dovetails (through, half-lap or tapered sliding), lap joints, M&T joints & housings, but bridles are one that I think of as being particularly irksome. I'm sure it's partly down to the huge angled ones I did on the garden table , but getting a good fit does seem more awkward than some other joint types (mainly due to cleaning up the inside faces). Anyway, I've done a couple of attempts &... Read more

I can get an edge mostly straight longways. But i seem to almost always put a slight bevel one direction. So then i get out my square and check along the length, then mark high spots with pencil and try to take off high spot, then either make a “crown” or inadvertently plane the opposite bevel and have to repeat a few times. Any solid tips?

I can get an edge mostly straight longways. But i seem to almost always put a slight bevel one direction. So then i get out my square and check along the length, then mark high spots with pencil and try to take off high spot, then either make a “crown” or inadvertently plane the opposite bevel and have to repeat a few times. Any solid tips?

Yeah I know, the travel chest is only partway built and already getting sidetracked. But i went to the metal store to get some bits and bobs of metal for the chest like planing stops etc. and found a cheap piece of brass in the “artist’s scrap bins”. So decided i wanted to try making a wood and brass try square. I had previously made an all wooden roubo style one. Cut out the piece of brass thanks to help in my other theead on how to cut it. Then found a scrap of walnut in my scrap... Read more

Yeah I know, the travel chest is only partway built and already getting sidetracked. But i went to the metal store to get some bits and bobs of metal for the chest like planing stops etc. and found a cheap piece of brass in the “artist’s scrap bins”. So decided i wanted to try making a wood and brass try square. I had previously made an all wooden roubo style one. Cut out the piece of brass thanks to help in my other theead on how to cut it. Then found a scrap of walnut in my scrap... Read more

SWIMBO's idea here; a cereal shovel in an oddment of English Walnut (needed to be a food safe wood) started yesterday afternoon and finished just now. Based on a much smaller one in Olive we bought from the garden centre a while back. A 75mm deep hole bored with a 45mm Forstner bit and then the bottom cleaned up (as best as possible) with scrapers; interior sanded holding the Abranet in a pair of forceps: Finished with a coat of Chestnut 'Food Safe' oil - Rob

Got quite a few quick clamps ,the ones I've bought are all in pairs I find after a few years one of some pairs had began to slip While I search for a remedy that actually works I want to get a new set of 24" The issue isn't confined to just the cheapest ones but so far the Irwin ones have resisted is there another mainstream brand that are good but affordable?

Got quite a few quick clamps ,the ones I've bought are all in pairs I find after a few years one of some pairs had began to slip While I search for a remedy that actually works I want to get a new set of 24" The issue isn't confined to just the cheapest ones but so far the Irwin ones have resisted is there another mainstream brand that are good but affordable?

This must be the most revolting thing to spread on toast.