Thread: Handtool workshop - Perth

Hi Wongdai,

Very bad luck. Sorry to hear that mate. Hope you get well soon.

Of course I will have a couple for you as well. Hope to catch up with you on the next gathering.

If any body else does not turn up I might be seeing double after lunch.

Cheers
Pops

Well????????????

Awesome.......
DEREK, YOUR A LEDGEND!!!!!!!



....from a new recruit....to the darkside...!!


Absolutely wonderful day.... so so so informative... to glean such knowledge, technique & understanding... admits friends who are all so passionate & dedicated .... completely inspiring...

Firstly thanks to Derek & Lynndy… for your hospitality …

Derek, I really don’t know appropriate words that would adequately express my respect & appreciation ….
A totally fantastic day…. the camaraderie & friendship are fitting benefactors that partially reflect your enthusiasm & expertise … you surely have accomplished true “woods-men-ship” & guru stature….
What pleasure & privilege being a part of yesterday’s workshop….
My humble thanks… to everyone who participated in the day… you tolerated my barrage of questions & withstood my taunting….

Journeying home my thoughts of the day… gave me cause to be extremely emotional … realizing just how much I miss my partner in crime… yet so truly thankful for the welcomed friendships that woodworking brings into my life….
I had an AWESOME DAY…. THANKS… everyone… SPECIALLY DEREK….

KEKEMO…. (new recruit ….. would like to apply for my “P” plates to understanding dark-side … is a licence required???? )

There’s an obvious precise passion & primal preference to gaining that level of professionalism in playing with WOOD … it’s so incredibly time consuming & addictive….. however I’m starting to climb the ladder of obsession ….LOL

Well I had a good time. No pictures (from my side) but I know that Chris has a video.

What more can a bloke want than good mates, good conversation, good food and drink, and all the toys ... Actually it says something when Lynndy had to remind us a few times to break for the BBQ at lunch ... and then we totally forgot about afternoon tea! Who brought (and left!) the amazing chocalate cake!!

The main topic (once we actually got down to "work") was preparing and sharpening blades, but there was also some play with the planes. I hope something useful was taken away by all.

It was good to see a few new faces: Peter and Zvon, welcome. Kerry, of course, is unstoppable, such enthusiasm!

Thanks again.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Guys,

Derek,

Thanks for a great day. I had a wonderful time, particularly playing with your planes. Gunna have me a couple of those one of these days.

It was great to meet all you guys and I hope to see you round the traps again.

cheers and cold beers

OG

Yep - good to catch up with everyone and thanks Derek for putting on a good show!

What amazes me about all of Derek's gear (the planes especially and there are dozen's of them) is that they are all tuned (or very near tuned) and ready to go. I don't where he gets the time to keep them all in such good nick and so well tuned. What it says about him is that he doesn't muck about and gets things done quickly but carefully.

Hey Chris see if you can extract some pix from the video to put up on this thread

Cheers

PS: That was me brought the cake! As you say it didn't matter that we didn't get to eat it we were all enjoying ourselves too much.

Hey Bob,

Gee mate, you didn't tell me there was cake in that box.

I thought it was some more chainsaw bits. While you blokes were busy demonstrating and watching intently and videoing I could have been around the back with that cake. Damn. There are different levels of enjoyment you know, one should not restrict oneself to woodwork tools. Won't miss that one next time Bob.

Yes, what they said. Thanks Derek for your time and hospitality, and for keeping the boys and girls busy with sharpening techniques while I played, er' I mean, evaluated several of your planes.

It is very informative, (useful) to be able to use a variety of BU and Bevel Down planes with High and Standard plane angles as well, all on the same pieces of timber and all at the one time. So easy to feel the differences in result, something one cannot do if you have a limited plane range.

So thanks again for once more opening up your workshop full of tools and sharing them with the less skilful, (speaking for myself here people).

And good to catch up with some of the old WA gang and meet new WA Woodies.

Now where are those photos Chris mate?

Cheers
Pops

G'day all

Like everyone said, a wonderful day was had by all. Great to catch up with some 'old' old faces and meet some 'new' old faces. And not forgetting Kerry, the 'old' new face.

Terrific to have a chat and get the benefit of everyone's comments and experience, particularly the Guru Derek of course. I think that I had the win on the day when Derek used a plane blade that I brought along to demo sharpening - how good is that. Chris's present as a result of Derek's wonderful generosity had to be seen to be believed. A truly outstanding gesture Derek.

Thanks to Lynndy for the wonderful hospitality. We must have been having a great time to have missed the opportunity for chocolate cake Bob - if ever there was a mob that looked like chocolate cake lovers

Let's hope we can get together sooner rather than later. These get-togethers are such a delight.

Regards and thanks to all

Larry

Derek,

After such a wonderfully informative day, fine food and fellowship ... and the Scraper Blade Burnisher ... what can I say, but to thank you again. Thanks also to Lynndy for such an enjoyable day.

Thanks to Bob also for the chainsaw sharpening instruction and bringing the "Big" Mill along for me to view first hand. What a machine!!

But we will have to do it again soon because some of the video is kaput. ( Sorry about that.

Present were DerekCohen, Kekemo, Pops, BobL, Zvon, Larry M, Old gunnie, Beer is Good and Interwood.

However, I have pulled some frames as suggested by Bob. I apologise for the quality. And will try to pull out some better one of everyone during the week.

These first few frames show Derek flattening the back of a blade using wet and dry sand paper. I'll post more as I am able.

Best regards to All, Chris

Looks like you guys had a lot of fun.

Derek began by flattening the Stanley 2 3/8" blade on 120, 240 480 and 800 wet & dry sand paper. (frames above) Then on to the Shapton stones to finish polishing the back of the plane blade. Following frames show this step.

This series of frame concludes the flattening of the back of the blade. And yes Wongdai, we had a lot of fun! Derek explained a lot about sharpening. Like the rest of us, he would rather be making something than sharpening plane blades ... so he explained the method he uses and compared it to other methods. It was great to be able to watch the whole process from start to shavings.

Hope that you are feeling better and are on the mend.

All the best, Chris

Hi Chris

Thanks for the pictures. Did you manage to save any of the freehand method?

I admit that my heart was in my mouth when someone suggested testing a blade for sharpness by the way it sliced paper. I knew it was very sharp from the way it cut endgrain pine. However I had never attempted to slice paper before. I must say that I was relieved when it did this trick easily. By the way, I very rarely test blades for sharpness after honing - after a while you just know that they are sharp.

I am up for another workshop but, I fear, by the time we have it the chocolate cake will be finished! Bob, it is/was fantastic! Stop by for a slice!

I think the next workshop should be on jointmaking with these sharp tools!

Regards from Perth

Derek