Joseph Smith’s Carcase Saw by Matthew Cianci

The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur (I was sick), but somewhere in the mix I managed to finally finish my carcase saw based on Joseph Smith’s ‘Key to the Manufactories of Sheffield’, a work I have obsessed over for years thanks to its images of early 19th century handsaws.

The moment the wax was dry on the tote, I started grabbing anything and everything in my shop to try out the cut… scrap wood, electrical cords, small animals, ...

As we all know, “Scotch” is an appellation mainly reserved for whisky, but it’s also applied to a certain type of iron brace made in the mid-19th century.  

They’re a fairly rugged tool, but not as common as the garden variety American ratchet braces which you’ll even find here in Old Tool Hell (Washington State).

I am asking for help to identify this breast drill.  There is no information on maker, date of making or place.  Please send me your ideas and comments to info@wkFineTools.com.

Thanks much!

A while back I got an early plow plane. It exhibits some characteristics of 18th century English plows, but it was unusable.

I wanted to be able to use that style of plow.  So I made one to fit my full set of Ohio Tool plow irons.

I started with some air-dried walnut that I got from a local farmer. He sells through one of the antique malls. Split out the body (easier than sawing) and planed it flat and square.

Spier & Co., No. 12 - large 28", 4 1/2ppi rip saw by Daryl Weir

Here's a nice split nut, straight back, No.12 Spier & Co. large 28" 4 1/2ppi rip saw hailing from the Victorian era of the late 1860's to early 1870's.

This second line of saw was made by firm of Wheeler, Madden & Clemson of the Monhagen Saw Works, in Middletown, New York.

The company later became a part of the National Saw Company in about 1890. By 1893 the National Saw Co. included Harvey Peace,...

When I first received my new riffler from Noel Liogier, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

I’ve never used one before and have no idea where they could be handy. As I held the tool for the first time, it seemed so tiny… almost too delicate to be useful...  The form itself is quite unique.

Think of it as a double-ended rasp in miniature.  On one end of the riffler is a straight tongue shaped with a taper… similar to a knife file, but cut with rasp teeth.

Restoring Vintage Ash and Rattan Pack Baskets by Bob Smalser

I enjoy giving living history presentations to school children and scouting/4H groupson the Revolutionary War as part of a formal program run by the Sons of the American Revolution.

Kids need lots of “hands-on”, and as carrying all those artifacts into classrooms merit period-correct containers.

I’ve been restoring a few vintage pack baskets for the cause.

Rehabilitating Craftsman Miter Box by Ethan Sincox

Recently, I stumbled across a Craig’s List ad for an old Craftsman miter box.

I opened the link and checked it out.
It was just what I was looking for – a simpler model, similar to the Stanley 150, with the overarm saw guides, but without the length gauge. It was a deal at $18.

The fact that it came with a 14” Disston back saw, with what looked to be a solid, chip-free applewood tote in the late 1800/early 1900 style that I like so much, made it a doubly good deal

It is a little late in the game for me, but some of you might benefit from my latest discovery.

I thought I was not going to take home any more saws, but inevitably, a couple more followed me home. So the other day I scraped and fine sanded another one, a #12, a model which I just can't seem to leave behind.  The rust was very difficult to scrape and I re-sharpened my scraper several times.

Slotting a Saw Tote by Matthew Cianci

Until now, I have always instructed students in my saw building classes to cut the saw blade slot in their tote free hand.

This is usually the most intimidating step for novice sawyers to complete, as they are nervous about cutting askew and possibly ruining their saw. 

Because I normally teach class like a heartless dictator, I simply call them names, break their spirit to resist, and make them do it anyway. 

The wooden plow plane is truly the workhorse joinery plane of the hand tool or hybrid shop.

It cuts grooves for a panel door faster than you can set up a router table.  It can be used to cut rabbets by burying the iron in the plane fence, rather like setting up a sacrificial fence on a table saw.  It can be used to mark out, and even begin a long and accurate rip saw cut, whether you make the cut by hand or band saw.

Another workbench?

Does this guy have nothing better to do than build one workbench after another?  First off, this one is not for me.  I recently received a commission to build a Nicholson style bench. 

The bench needed to break down so as to be able to go into an apartment.  Being the workbench building fool I seem to have become I had to give it a try.  Here is a rough overview of what I came up with.  I started with the top first on this bench.

I have always strived to provide a well tuned saw to the buyer, after all, hand sawing should be fun. 

If I may borrow a phrase from G. H. Bishop saws, a saw should cut with... "Speed & Ease".

Even though some refer to me as a professional, I'm really a hobbyist that takes his saw restoration work very seriously and have for over 10 years now.