Connections to the past......,

a book from an old school desk. OK so it is a glorious Sunday morning, so lets take the tools outside and make some mess, noise and more importantly Art!

A selection of tools. I asked Andrew to get some tools out of his van, I did explain I was making a book, not building a house!!!!

A chop saw, or to give him his Sunday name, A compound miter saw. A great toy...., opps, tool!

He can spin round at any angle,

Lie down on his side. He is fabulous. (Please notice how he is bolted down to a sturdy table!!!)

But make no mistake, he will cut your fingers off with the greatest of ease. So like any tool treat it with respect, and if you do not know how to use one get some help.

Cuts so nicely.

I need my oblong book to be square.

So check.

For Wilf! This piece of wood is as thick as the front cover, and I want it half that thickness, so back to the chop saw.

These are wonderful machine made dovetail from the old dresser draw I am re-purposing.

By setting the depth gauge on the chop saw blade I can remove a portion of the wood, it will make a mess of the wood, but we can tidy it up. 

Look at that grain and the smell is heavenly....oak.

Time to tidy up the wood.

Chisel.

Remnants of a nail, the chop-saw blade is OK with this, but I do not want to damage my chisel.

Now for Stanley block plane.

As I have said the wood I am using is old oak and it is hard as nails, so the plain needs to be kept sharp. Oil and a sharpening stone.

No idea what the device is called, but it keeps the blade at the correct angle as you sharpen.

This is a power plain and it is a thug!

Power stander, I struggle to use it like this as it is heavy.

so I clamp it in the bench.

Marking out what I need for the back cover.

Square and flat.

As book covers these edges would be too hard on the hand.

so back to the sander

Tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode of "Annoying the neighbours with power tools!"