Some more tools...

[Schtoo]

Needed/wanted some bits and pieces, so here they are.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6158/dcp0105edited6gy.th.jpg (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dcp0105edited6gy.jpg)

First is the countersink. On another board I noticed someone bought an LN countersink @ US$20. Looked simple enough and useful, and I wasn't prepared to shell out that much cash for one. So I made one.

Handle is some kinda hardwood, ferrule used to be a 1/2" coach screw. Took the hex off it, drilled a 1/4" hole up the middle, another cross hole and tapped that for a set screw. Drilled the handle for the screw, screwed it in, stuck the whole thing on the 'lathe' (I do that because my lathe is 3 ally castings driven by a drill) and turned it up. Planed the flats on it, oiled and shellacked and stuck in a countersinking bit. I think that in the very near future I will make up my own countersink tip for this as that one is for a drill and doesn't work as well as it could using by hand. I'm thinking 3 flutes, very sharp and lots of relief angle behind the cutting edges. Filed by hand to give some randomness to the thing.

Next is the marking knife. Handle is ebony, local stuff I think. Ferrule is a hunk of 1/2" brass and blade is jammed into the brass. The blade used to be a piece of spade bit till I bashed it flat and filed it to shape. Nothing too special, but it's nice to hold, nice to use and looks reasonable.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/7832/dcp0109edited4hc.th.jpg (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dcp0109edited4hc.jpg)

Next pic is the coping saw I made up yesterday. Got sick of the junky steel frame thing I had to use, so I made this up. Frame is hard maple with a couple oak strips. Just used scraps I had laying about, and I messed up the first bridge, so I had to widen the bridge a little, hence the strips. :D Brass hardware, except the wingnuts on the tensioner. Had to make it all up as I can only buy brass rod around here. The handle is the same stuff as the countersink. Works very well, I can get about double the tension of the old one on the blade before it makes any obscene noises and it looks a little better than the cheap POS I was using.

Still making up a compass, gotta work out how I am going to make the pin and an extension bar fit into the same spot. Also going to make up a square soon, but still planning that. Might manage to make a couple back saws too, provided I can sort out some blades.

That's all. Just thought someone might like to see them. :)

Sorry about the thumbnails and clicking them. The pics are too big, and I haven't installed any software to re-size them yet. Computer took a dive last week, and I haven't had time/been bothered to get it all up and running again properly yet. That's my excuse and I'm stikcing to it. http://woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[Pat]

Schtoo san, the toys you are making are alot better than you can reasonably purchase, as they have been made with attention to detail and care. Not "gotta turn a profit at any cost!" Keep making them.

I understand your frustration with your idiot box - mine keeps doing weird and wonderful things, and then I get on it and stuff around! :D

[JDarvall]

Looks great Schoo. Like to see more

[Andy Mac]

Good stuff Schtoo! I like the coping saw especially, the new ones don't have the quality of old (unless LN or some such company do one:) ) How does the throat size compare to a std. one?

Cheers,

[Schtoo]

Care and attention to detail huh? Err... No, not exactly. The coping saw was made form parts I blew in making the compass. Sorting out designs for that, and just messed up repeatedly. So no care there, not really. ;)

Luckily, all those parts were 'scrap' from something else and I didn't have to chop up anything to get them. The price of maple here, that's a good thing. The current compass that's working well (but still working it out) is made from oak, because I ran out of maple scraps. :(

So, as a result of where the parts for the saw came from, I lost 30mm on the throat depth from the original. No problem for what I wanted it for, only need about 40mm of throat there. I was thinking of offsetting the bridge to get back the 30mm, but that might have placed too much stress on the ends. Heck, those pieces are only 1/2" thick and 3/4" wide. The whole thing weighs 172gm (new scale, had to try it out!) whereas the original metal one weighs 154gm. So I gained 18gm, but also a heck of a lot better saw in the bargain, despite being made by me.

The saw was more of a 'suck it and see'kinda thing, to see how they work, wether I could do one and if it's reasonable to use them or not for me. As I haven't actually used it yet, I am not 100% sure how well it really works, just a quick cut doesn't really count. If it turns out to be something I really like, then I'll prolly end up grabbing some bandsaw blades and chopping them up to make more in different sizes, along with another coping saw with a much deeper throat.

Nice when a tool usually costs no more than a few $ and some time. With more practise, I should get more bang for the buck, with respects to time at least anyway. :D

Thanks all. :)