Thread: Back to boots!

Velcro removable sandpaper feet.



A handle closeups:





And finally how it is used.





Thanks Sturdee - you inspired me to get on with it. I borrowed the sloped handle idea from you.

Cheers

Originally Posted by BobL

Thanks Sturdee - you inspired me to get on with it. I borrowed the sloped handle idea from you.

Cheers

You're welcome. Beautiful work, I'm sure you will love using it.


Peter

Nice job Bob

It looks as if it will work a treat

Beautiful work . I also love the timber.

Another one of those, one day I'll make one ideas

What is the timber? It looks beautiful!!

Good job, Bob, if a little rough around the edges..

Mmmm...... beautiful design, execution and material.

The timber is Jam (Acacia acuminata : See this post for pictures of initial milling). The biggest logs I used were 110mm in diameter with a final max milled width of 95mm. A fair few cracks so lots of resin used as fill but as you can see it is well worth it.

It's THE hardest, densest timber I have ever worked (the boot weighs in at just over 2Kgs) face planing was a waste of time, with my limited sharpening skills - should be be a good test material for Dereks planes & sharpening skills. I milled it as close as I could to size and then used a belt sander and finally a scraper blade on the faces. The ends were squared up using my mini-shooting board and a LN LA Jack. Drilling (especially end grain) was a hit and miss operation with the bit wandering around (even when deep in the hole) like a feral shopping trolley. In the end I had to use a 1/4" forstner bit with a 3/8" shank in a DP as a pilot bit but not before I messed up a few holes, hence some of the screws are not too straight or central.

However, the grain is simply sensational with portions near the heart showing a very deep translucent fiddle, it seems 3D-like under sunlight.
Perhaps the most intruiging thing about making this tool was the faint aroma of raspberry jam every time a wood fibre was cut.

Extraordinary Bob. Looks like a real pleasure to use.

Well done.

Tex

Just send that right on over to me....!

Great work, great design, I'm going to start pawing through the firebox........

Cheers,

WN-

Bob, that is one very beautiful tool.

Every HWMNBO was interested

cheers
Wendy

did you run out of MDF

I have no real firm idea why I make tools/jig like this other than the satisfaction of (whenever I can) making everything as functional and attractive as possible. Sure I could use MDF but why shouldn't shop tools and jigs be functional/attractive/tactile, after all we spend a lot of time using them. If they get cut or damaged, hey, that's life.

Most of my resawing/milling is done with only a vague or non-specific purpose. When I milled up the little Jam logs I had a general idea of making a jewelry box but I changed my mind when I saw the grain (of course I haven't told SWMBO who asked for a jewelry box in the first place). When I saw the Jam grain it said, "you want to be handling me as much as possible" (RufflyR will understand) and a push block seemed like a good tool to make. Another feature I wanted my push block to have was a decent weight as most of the plastic or MDF just feel too flimsy or gutless to me. Jam has a very high density so this push block has a dead weight of just over 2 kg. It sits on top of the wood to be cut like a fat elephant requiring little downward force to hold small pieces in place. You just glide it thought the saw like a hot knife through butter

BTW: I do have some more to make that jewelry box out of.

Simple, Bob. Make the jewellry box out of MDF...