Thread: 1860's woodworking demonstration ideas needed

little dovetailed boxes.

If you want something that could sell to the masses, maybe little wooden pencil cases (like you used to make in high school). Upscale it and make it a coffin, make a show of measuing someone from the audience

Another thought would be a pole lathe and turn something useful like a bowl or a goblet.

I can't imagine dovetails on the goldfields, more likely would have been stuff like furniture (e.g. stools) made out of tree branches using something a drawknife - not exactly kid friendly though.

Thanks both.

I do have an old draw knife, though with folding handles so probably not quite of the era (who's to know, eh?). I did think that roughly made furniture esp. stools would be in great demand on a goldfield of the era.

Might have to learn how to bodge a chair or two in the next couple of days

Cheers,
Chris.

Have you ever tried your hand at making trenchers?

They can be turned out (relatively) quickly with basic hand tools... given that an audience is watching.

Simple Wooden mallets with a self wedging handle would have been in big demand - the HTPA was demoing these at the Perth Woodshow - Onya BG!

Thanks again.

Good ideas, all.

The trenchers would probably need a lathe by the look of them, so in addition to the bodging I've got a pole lathe to make .

We actually have an ancient wooden mallet hanging in our club rooms and museum (found on the goldfields) so I'll take a look at it to see how the handle is attached. I especially like this idea as there's not much shaping of the raw timber involved.

I'm not sure what the parents will think when I start handing out big hammers to hyperactive kids, though.

Cheers,
Chris.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Bob!

Chris, at the Perth Woodshow we demonstrated, among other things, the making of crude mallets as would be knocked up in the bush. We were demonstrating the use of spoke pointer, tenon cutter and auger bit powered by (what else?) a brace. A wedge in the end of the handle locked the two parts together in the form of a blind, or fox, tenon joint.
They were pretty rough but we got a lot of interest, and it wasn't only kids that took them home.
You can PM if you need any more info.

Geoff.

Thanks BG,
"Fox Tenon" was the information I needed. I don't have most of the tools mentioned, but I suspect I can get away with just a brace and bit.

Regards,
Chris.

Originally Posted by chrrris

Thanks BG,
"Fox Tenon" was the information I needed. I don't have most of the tools mentioned, but I suspect I can get away with just a brace and bit.

Regards,
Chris.

These suggestions are probably a bit over the top and a bit late but here goes anyway and, for next time

• Using a froe to make shingles or pailings or chair parts
• Broad axe to trim beams
• Morticing axe to chisel out mortices
• Draw knife to clean up timber and make tenons
• Slick to clean up beams and posts
• Brace and bits to make wooden nails/pin joints
• Two man cross cut saw to have a go at (supervised)
• Wooden planes to do what they do
• Wedges and mauls to split logs
• Adzes to trim and smooth
• Butt saw to cut firewood

Tool club should have people who own these tools and might be willing to help.

Hi I posted this today it has a lot of info for that era https://www.woodworkforums.com/f11/ol...-books-176662/

Thanks Doggie and Treepowder,
great suggestions and a great reference library (I really enjoy reading old woodworking books, so I'll be happy for a few hours at least).

Cheers,
Chris.

Just a quick update to thank you all for your great suggestions and advice.

We ended up making mallets, or should I say mallet (singular) because I spent much of the day talking to visitors about their memories of grandad's tools, or the lovely filigree designs on a Preston spokeshave, the brass and rosewood beauty of a old twist drill, or just requests from wives to teach their husbands how to work in wood.

The popular give-away was, of course, long translucent curls from a sharp plane - fascinating to all ages it seems - with many bringing them up to thier noses to smell to shavings (note to self: need a more fragrant wood than pine next year).

Unfortunately I can't post a picture of the singular mallet - it was given away to members of Noarlunga Rifles for pitching their tents next weekend. Nor do I currently have photos of the display as I was so busy my camera remained unused. Photos by others will be forthcoming as I'm the webmaster for the group so I'll be posting some on the website.

Throughout the day my hard working 10-year old "apprentice" (the son of other members) manned the drawknife and plane and showed such dedication to the task that he considered the visitors an unwanted distraction. For a first-timer he did really well and only complained of soreness at the end of the day.

Plans for next year are already underway, and I'll be on the lookout for a froe, adze, side-axe etc to complete the display.

We've always had a supervised cross-cut sawing activity, with each resultant disk of wood then brought over to the fire to be branded with our logo and this year I spent some time taking the rough edges from them with a rasp. I'd like next year to be a little more interactive because many of the kids wanted to be involved - "what do I do here" was a constant question. Sharp tools kept them the other side of the bench this year, so perhaps I'll start them all french polishing next year (just kidding, I think), or hand them the rasp.

So, in conclusion, I pretty happy that the day was a success on my part. I can't compete, yet, with the cries of delight that come from the gold panning - but we'll get there I'm sure.

Cheers,
Chris.

Hi Chris,
I was wondering how you got on, thanks for the update. I really like the idea of branding the cross cut sawn rounds with your logo, that's a great idea, though I don't know how we'd (HTPS WA) get on lighting a fire in the pavilion at the show grounds in Perth.
One of our members demonstrates the spill plane and always gets an enthusiastic audience.

Geoff.

Definitely would have had a couple of Coffin planes, Molding planes and a Toothing plane.
All used for furniture making around that time.

Wooden Mallets as well as a hide glue double boiler pot with some rank glues bubbling away inside.


Cheers

Steve