Thread: Ebony Handtools

Kevjed,
your "potential layout" examples look, to me, more designed for long term storage of the tools.

I suggest you allow enough spacing between the tools so that individual tools can be selected without your fingers needing to touch adjacent tools.

Vespers #1 client ��

You definitely need an insurance policy just for the tools ��

Hi Ian,
I agree about the need for finger room between the tools. These pics are more the general groupings at this stage.
The Clenton try squares with 12-15mm between each, still deciding if each section is a draw or a panel door. Still lots of tetris to do.

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

You definitely need an insurance policy just for the tools ��

If you only knew...

Originally Posted by kevjed

Hi Ian,
I agree about the need for finger room between the tools. These pics are more the general groupings at this stage.
The Clenton try squares with 12-15mm between each, still deciding if each section is a draw or a panel door. Still lots of tetris to do.

Kevjed
Derek Cohen has made an under bench tool chest with shallow drawers plus tills to hold some of his layout tools -- but to my way of thinking that is not as convenient as using the doors of a tool cabinet

.
as you say, lots of Tetris to do ...

And I thought I had an excess of setting-out tools!

Actually, you have a bit of a conundrum - you probably want to keep them together as the very impressive sets they make, but methinks you would be likely to find yourself using only a couple of squares & one or two gauges etc on a regular basis, so most of them would be getting in the way of the 'users'. P'raps you should just put them all in a glass-topped cabinet, carefully arranged for viewing, and find some less valuable tools for knocking about on the bench & dropping on floors?

This is my solution for holding squares, it keeps them from banging together & easily picked up: Squares b.jpg

The dividers between squares are strips glued to some thin ply. These are rather fussy to make & don't lend themselves to easy alteration if additions or substitutions 'happen'. So I evolved another approach that uses bits & pieces cut out & fitted together to form holders:
Gauges b.jpg

Apart from a way to use some nice scraps that would otherwise be tossed out, it's much easier to modify when required. You probably won't be changing too much in your lot (that chunk of ebony must be used-up by now! ), so being able to alter the drawers would be less important in your case, perhaps.

My choice of wood that touches any metal is camphor-laurel. I read somewhere a good while back that the oils in CL protect against corrosion. I'm not sure how much protection it offers, but I've not had any trouble since using it, unlike some northern silky-oak I once used, which left rust patches on any ferrous metal it touched.

Cheers,
Ian

Originally Posted by IanW

SNIP
Ian

Hey! Where'd you get the bluing chemicals for the blades? I've a couple tools I'd like to blue the steel

Kev, this is what I did ...

Bench and chest ...



Chest drawers ...



Many of the drawers have two layers.

Some examples ...

Top layer:




Bottom:







Bottom:



Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

Hey! Where'd you get the bluing chemicals for the blades? I've a couple tools I'd like to blue the steel

SD, the camera is lying - the trysquares are not blued, they are shiny-bright! Funnily enough, the blades are made from blue-tempered 1095 spring steel. I've tried many times to keep the original blueing, & managed with a few things, but it usually gets scuffed during 'manufacture' and looks shoddy so I end up taking it all off.

Blueing chemicals are available from several sources (gunsmiths, for e.g.). I've tried two different brands in the past, I even followed the instructions if you believe it, but never achieved results that satisfied me. I've seen stuff done by others that looked great, but my attempts always looked "muddy" and a bit blotchy.....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

Hey! Where'd you get the bluing chemicals for the blades? I've a couple tools I'd like to blue the steel

The best bluing chemicals are only available from OS but they are deemed hazardous good so I know of no one that will ship them to Oz.

It is possible to obtain very high quality bluing (well, its more blackening than bluing) using a process of acid fume bluing.
Then all you need is strong nitric and hydrochloric acid and strolled water, a safe place to work with these chemicals and a lot of patience.
If it's done right the rust resistance is very good I've got stuff I did 9 years ago that I leave in the open shed that doesn't have a spot of rust on it.
The other way is using salt and Hydrogen peroxide - I tried it a few times but it's not as good as the fume bluing method.

The resulting layer is super thin so it works great on very close fitting parts like screw threads.
I've detailed my processes in the MWF - if you are interested I can dig up the link.

These are some planes I did in 2020.
A 781- the whole body and cap are blued, later I also did the cap screw as well.
7812.jpg
A Franken Bailey (body and small unplated screws were all blued
Bailey4.jpg
A lot of screws were missing from the 781 and also a Falcon I was doing up, so I made a bunch of these and lied them as well.
Screws.jpg
Home made handles for various MW machines
Trigrinderhandles.jpg

Thanks IanW...these are the uses...I bring back the bling once each year. I do have other tools that are a little more rustic but these do show a few signs of use. I love your solutions.

Thanks Derek...I do like your solution very much. The Tetris is going to be fun.

Originally Posted by BobL

The best bluing chemicals are only available from OS but they are deemed hazardous good so I know of no one that will ship them to Oz.

SNIP

The other way is using salt and Hydrogen peroxide - I tried it a few times but it's not as good as the fume bluing method.

The resulting layer is super thin so it works great on very close fitting parts like screw threads.
I've detailed my processes in the MWF - if you are interested I can dig up the link.

A lot of screws were missing from the 781 and also a Falcon I was doing up, so I made a bunch of these and lied them as well.
Screws.jpg
Home made handles for various MW machines
Trigrinderhandles.jpg

Yes please! I only have the tip of a plumb bob I made sometime back that needs doing.

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

Yes please! I only have the tip of a plumb bob I made sometime back that needs doing.

Here's the link

More metal bluing
I found cold fume bluing not worth doing for anything less than about half a dozen pieces.
Setup is a PITA, and it takes ~20 minutes a day for 7-10 days to get a quality result

The H2O2 and stt method is faster - takes a few hours but I don't reckon gives lasting a result as cold fume bluing
More metal bluing - Page 4