Yet another box from the porch

Another box from the porch. I've lost track of how many this is -- and can't be bothered to go back and count.

As with all of them, they've been on the porch for so long that I'd forgotten what was in there:  in this case, I don't even remember the history behind them -- I can only infer.

This one doesn't seem to have been damaged by the weather, like some of the other boxes.  An odd mish-mash of leftovers from old projects (that's where the extra roll of flyscreen went!!!), and garage sale tools.

Not sure about the little blue whisk broom and dustpan.  Likewise, the green (fairly heavy-duty!) dishwashing gloves -- luckily, with no holes nibbled in them.

Ignoring the things that are obvious...

Back row:  hammer; rusty file; a partial tin of varnish.

Next group:  three metal plates, with screws; double-pulley; plastic bowl with misc. screws and such; non-steel wrench (to use when the risk of sparks might cause a fire, e.g. among flammable gasses); a masonry-style hammer head.

Front row:  small metal clamp; divider (with broken tip, will need to grind the ends to match again); two types of calliper; flatblade screwdriver bit; nail puller; stubby ball-peen hammer; black strip of velcro; chisel; screwdriver; two more chisels; pruning shears.

Such treasures!

Gonna give the dividers and callipes to a colleague that does things around the house (after I clean up the rust, and re-grind the ends):  I have more callipers than I need.

I've slowed waaaay down, over the years, in buying misc. hand tools:  now I'm doing the opposite -- giving away my excess.

That said:  last month I picked up a nice-looking chisel for cheap, at an antique shop.  It's actually a stubby lathe chisel, which I'll use as a kind of "parting tool". 
  

--GG

Problem solving

Thursday near the end of the business day, the heel of my co-worker's dress boot snapped off.  She takes the train, which is about six blocks away, and she didn't have any other shoes with her.

But -- I have tubes of super glue in my desk drawer -- and a bottle of methyl alcohol to clean the gluing surfaces -- and I happened to have a pair of bar clamps at work that I was re-sellilng (at cost) to a co-worker) (AU$10 for the pair -- and they're actually decent quality; from Aldi).

So, I cleaned, glued, and clamped the boot heel.


Prior to this, I got a clean bin liner from the stash at the bottom of one of the wastebins, cut the end off to make it a tube, then cut down the side to make it a plastic sheet (to protect the table I was using as a workstation).

Because the sheet ended up being excesively large (relative to the size of the table) -- and because I'm paranoid about getting superglue on my skin (e.g. fingers stuck together), I cut some of the plastic sheet from the end, and used rubber bands to make plastic "mittens" to protect my hands.


Seemed to work:  I asked her about it the next day, and her heel had stayed attached  for the entire trip home.

(A learning:  in addition to gluing the flat heel surfaces together, there were two spikes that protrotruded from the boot, and two corresponding holes in the heel -- so I also drizzled some glue down the holes, and onto the sides of the spikes:  I figured they probably helped to hold the whole assembly together.)


I didn't get to use it for this -- but I have a small tool kit that I've kept under the desk of everywhere I've worked since 1998 -- just in case someone has a screw or a bolt that needs tightening, etc.  And I have WD-40, duct tape, a ball of twine, and some other stuff in my desk.  Including the super glue.




--GG

Basically have all the tools I need

I took the day off work today, partly "just because", but also because I had to burn off some excess hours.  Dropped the kids off at school, watched the (oddly long) awards ceremony (one of my sons received a "high achievement" award for the semester), and then left around 10 or 10:30am (I don't remember).

Among my wanderings, I stopped off at Carba-Tec for the first time in about a year.  They sell machine and hand-tool woodworking tools -- for woodworking hobbyists, not the "hardware store" types of tools:  so, medium- to upper-end.  For some reason -- maybe because they sell Japanese-style saws, chisels and handplanes -- they also sell Japanese cooking knives.

I confirmed something interesting: there really aren't any additional woodworking tools I need -- or even particularly want:  I've reached saturation.  Any tools that I need to accomplish the sort of woodworking that I like to do, I already own.  So, really, I just need to log more shop time -- not accumulate more tools.

(Exception:  a old-style, 1-2 person crosscut handsaw -- for sawing more efficiently through larger logs.  But there's no urgency.)

Similarly:  even though I appreciate a good-quality cooking knife, I really only use four knives: a chef's knife, a Japanese cleaver-like vegetable knife, a paring knife, and a modified paring knife for coring apples.  And I already own all of those.  So even though they had a number of nice-looking -- and reasonably-priced -- Japanese knives... I don't need 'em.


Upon further reflection, I don't really need any more musical instruments or recording gear.  In a lot of ways, it's more interesting to operate within the limitations of my equipment.  And I have a simple recording interface; a few inexpensive mics; an acoustic and an electric guitar; an electric bass; an inexpensive synth; and various pieces of percussion.  That's really all I need to record any of the songs I've written. 

 
So -- even though it's fun to browse online ads, trawling for musical bargains -- I'd be better served by applying that time to actually recording -- or at least, playing an instrument.




--GG

Flea market finds

Visited a flea market today, and picked up two interesting tools -- although I'm not completely sure what they are.

One is some sort of pliers -- about the size of linesman pliers.  The other is some sort of tongs -- cylindrical wire.  Reminds me of blacksmith's tongs, but much smaller and lighter-weight.  AU$5 each (about US$4).

At the same table, I also picked up a Braille typewrite for AU$10 (US$8).  Obviously, I didn't need it -- but I was intrigued.

Actually, I didn't need the pliers, either.  But I collect interesting hand tools.  And more often than not, I end up using them.


--GG

Now have a lathe

I've wanted a woodworking lathe for about thirteen years -- but there was always something else that I wanted to do with the money.  And I was always busy with other projects -- and there wasn't a specific need.

But then.

I wanted to make some stools, and therefore wanted to make some cylindrical stool legs.  There are a variety of work-arounds, such as using a drawknife or spokeshave -- but having a lathe seemed like the most straightforward solution.

My wife's family, as well as my parents, gave me some money for Christmas -- so I decided that now was a good time to get a lathe.

I browsed the local online classifieds (Gumtree -- kind of like an Australian Craigslist), but nothing really jumped out at me.


Finally I found two contenders -- both at a reasonable price -- but both about an hour's drive away.  I considered doing the one that was an hour west -- but even thought it came with a few lathe tools, I was suspicious of the grungy nature of the lathe (rust?  or just "needed a good wipe-down"?).  Plus -- and this sounds silly -- I just didn't like the color.

The other one was an hour south.  This one didn't come with any tools -- but I liked the look of it better.  So I drove down this last Saturday.  I was careful to not make any commitment to buy:  I told the seller I wanted to come take a look.

Unfortunately, when I got there and took a look, I noticed that it was missing the drive spindle (?):  the piece that jams into the end of the wood being turned.  This absence wasn't clear in the ad's photo -- and I didn't think to ask.  (It's a little like buying a used car, and verifying that it has all four wheels:  kind of important; and you'd think that the seller would point this out up front.)

The seller said that it was a standard size, and that I could pick one up online. Uh -- no.  It would be a nuisance; it would be an extra cost; and I'm a newbie enough that I wasn't confident that I'd purchase the right type.

So, I left it.

But, I got to see a part of Queensland that I hadn't seen before:  a farming area; reminded me like the farming bits around where I'm from -- but with different trees.  So, just mostly a wasted trip.

I considered trying out the other item out west -- but by now I was turned off the idea of a possible second wasted trip.

So, I went back online.  As it turns out, someone else had, just that morning, posted an ad for a lathe.  And, it was good-looking; cheaper; and closer (about a half hour away).

I e-mailed the seller, and arranged to go take a look the next day.


So, Sunday afternoon (Feb 12th) I drove out.   I had a lovely chat with the seller (a retired mechanical engineer; used to work in the timber industry; an Australian, but had spent some time in Canada).  He was moving to a smaller place, so was downsizing:  fair enough.

I liked the lathe -- and the modifications he had done (more on this below) -- so I bought it.

I didn't get home until right around dark, so I didn't have a chance to use it.  So I had to wait a few days.


Here's a brief tour of the lathe:


I like that the previous owner personalized it.  The mods are consistent with what a mechanical engineer would do.  They also remind me of what my late paternal grandfather would've done.

For example, here's a closer look at the tool tray that's under the stand.  To the left is a red oilcan.  Then the wrench that loosens and locks down the nuts under the tailpiece and the tail handle; then some dividers and callipers, and a folding rule.

When he was using the lathe, he had noticed that there was a little "play" in the tailpiece when it was slid into position, which meant that the bracket was not necessarily perpendicular to the rails.  So he made a wooden jig -- again, very much like what my grandfather would've done -- to square it up before tightening the bolt.  (I added the black arrow.)

I also liked the lamp that he installed.  As it turned [pun!] out, I used this a lot, since I ended up using it after dark -- and my workspace doesn't have electricity running to it.  (When I need power, I just run an extension cord.  So far the lack of electricity hasn't hindered me in doing what I need to do -- partly because I tend to use hand tools, not power tools.)

And, here's an over-all view.  Note the yellow arrow that indicates the little hook where the wooden "alignment" jig is stored.

As with user-made toolboxes and such that I get from garage sales, I asked the seller to sign the back of the lathe -- which he did.  Just as a permanent record.


Anyhow:  I got home near dark, and I had other things I needed to do -- so I didn't get to use the lathe for a few days.


But, tonight (Thursday the 16th) I managed to get home earlier than usual.  So I had some fun -- including working past dark (thanks to the lamp!).

On the way home that afternoon, I salvaged a fallen branch from a mango tree, which I'd noticed for the last few days lying on a neighbor's front footpath.  Or rather:  I always keep a small handsaw in the trunk -- so I cut off the thicker end of two branches, rather than take the whole darn thing.

I was curious about how mango "worked" as a wood.  Plus, as someone from Seattle, using mango just seemed exotic and interesting.

So, the above is basically the "before" photo.


Here are the tools I used:  because I knew that someday I would buy a lathe, whenever I saw a lathe tool at a reasonable price, I'd pick it up.  The three long ones on the left are from a garage sale/estate sale nearby, about a year ago.  I don't remember where I got the three middle ones -- although I've logged the purchase, so I could go look it up if I wanted to.

The final item -- a round-nosed gouge? -- is from the guy who sold me the lathe.

When I did the turning (below), out of principle I used each tool for at least a little bit -- just so I could say "Yeah, I used it".


Here's two photos of the "in progress" portion.  As you can see, the lamp is demonstrating its usefulness.

In addition to a pile of wood chips on the ground -- my arm hairs collected a lot of wood shavings.  Pretty cool.

And: here's the "Getting there" photo:  I still have a way to go -- but you can see what I'm intending.  (The fork is in there just for scale.)  As is traditional, I thought it would be nice -- and somewhat symbolic -- for my first lathe project to be handles for lathe tools. 

There are three bug holes in the lower piece (the yellow circles).  Once I do some more roughing in, I'll make them a more uniform size, then plug them with dowels.  There's enough wood around the holes that it shouldn't affect the strength of the handles.

If you look closely at the handles, you can see that the wood surface is torn rather than smooth:  that's because I'm using the tools as scrapers, rather than as chisels; and because the tools are dull, and are thus tearing the fibers rather than cutting them cleanly.

Once I get closer to the final shape I'll sharpen everything.  But I was eager to have a go at lathe work, so I wanted to just get right into it, rather than spend the evening sharpening.


The last time I'd used a lathe was about twenty years ago, under the guidance of my late grandfather, who did a lot of woodturning.  So I knew that I could "do it", once I had a lathe:  I just needed a lathe.  ;)


Don't know when I'll get back to it:  I have a lot of competing projects.  But hopefully maybe this weekend. 


--GG

Applied beeswax

Part of building my "crate backback" (sorry -- no links; haven't yet posted it) involved poking holes in heavy fabric (for the shoulder straps). 

However, the optimally-sized punch had an uncomfortable handle:  it was a metal cone, with an open end:  imagine an ice-cream cone with a icepick protruding from the bottom.  It looks like a user-made tool.

I used it a little bit like that -- but my hand started getting sore from the exposed metal rim digging into the palm of my hand as I pushed.


Yeah, I could've just worn a glove:  but I thought, eh -- may as well build a solution.

So, I got out my "beeswax-melting toaster oven" (dedicated to this purpose).

After the jar of beeswax (I keep it handy; someday I'll have to top it up with addt'l beeswax) was sufficiently hot, I took the pliers (pictured above) and poured the melted beeswax into the hollow handle, thus filling the void.

Instead of holding the punch (hot drippage!), I poked it into a piece of wood.


And then, kind of like old-timey "dipped" candles, I'd dunk the end of the handle into the melted beeswax; let it cool; dunk; cool; and repeat.


And:  here's the result.

Rounded, comfortable, and reasonably sturdy: a room-temperature block of beeswax is surprisingly hard.

And, it smells nice:  like honey.


--GG

Another hammer handle

Here's one where, instead of tightening an existing hammer handle, I actually made a hammer handle from scratch.  My younger brother has done a similar project, with an axe handle:  his turned out cleaner; mine is more... "rustic".

I worked on it during my week off between Christmas and New Year's, and finished it off this weekend.  I also worked on a hewing hatchet handle -- and I'll share the news of that once I do a little more grinding on the blade.


So:  it all started with a large branch that was lying on the footpath, a few houses down.  After it had laid there for about a week, I dragged it home.

Not sure of the type of wood:  some sort of eucalypt, I presume.


Here's a photo of the branch -- with my black rubber boot on the blue step-stool, as a size comparison:

I picked away at it, cutting it into firewood over a number of sessions -- but then I noticed that it had a number of straight-grained sections.  So I started to save the "clean" sections between knots as future legs of stools, and also tool handles.



I think that the branch had already long since been dead on the tree -- which is why it blew down in the storm -- so it had started to split.

What I did is I took the section that had already started to split and used a splitting wedge to continue the split all the way through (the red line, in the piece of wood on the left).  From one of those halves, I split it again -- resulting in a quarter of the branch.

And that quarter became the hammer handle.  (Bit of a spoiler:  the above is the hammer handle that I made.)  As you can see from the red portion of the completed handle (which is the "heart" of the branch), I strategically oriented the grain of the wood so that the impact would be "with the grain" -- which is the strongest orientation.



I already had a smaller hammer for pounding star-stakes (fencing stakes) and driving the splitting wedges -- but I wanted something heavier.  I could "choke up" on a sledge hammer -- but the extra length of the handle just gets in the way.  And I had a spare hammer head that I had bought at an estate sale (or something; I forget).


First, I rough-hewed it with a regular hatchet.  Somewhat ironically, I was working in parallel on handling a hewing hatchet:  hewing it with a hewing hatchet would've been a little easier -- but I didn't have one... yet!

Next time...   :)


After the rough hewing, here are the shaping tools I used:  a drawknife, and two inexpensive rasps (the trick is to wrap a rag around the tip of the rasps, so you don't cut your fingers).  Afterwards I made a "strap" of coarse sandpaper, backed with masking tape for strength, and rubbed the handle; and then I sanded it with the grain with a finer grit of sandpaper.

Here's the result partway through the process.  You can see where I've marked a section that I need to further remove.

Shaping the end of the handle to fit snugly into the eye of the head was the trickiest part.  What I did was get the end so that it would start to fit -- then tap the head onto the handle...

... and then remove the head and see the dark, smudged and rubby parts were.  These indicated the raised areas that were preventing the head from progressing further.

Note in the "whacking" photo that the hammer head is pretty much there -- and in the photo immediately above, that I've cut the slot for the wooden wedge that will tighten the hammer.


By the way:  as you can see in the "whacking" photo, and also in the photo below, I've made marks on the end of the handle, and on the hammer head, to indicate the orientation.  I wasn't sure if the eye of the hammer was completely symmetrical, so I wanted the hammer head to be in the same orientation to the handle each time.

I won't describe the wedge-making and wedge-inserting process in this blog entry, because I've already covered that here.


Here's the nearly-completed hammer handle, with my rubber boot as a size reference. As I mentioned above, I'd wanted a heavier hammer than my existing one (on the left).  The original one is 1.3kg (including the handle); the new one is 3.3kg (including the handle).  For the Americans:  that's 2.9 lbs versus 7.3 lbs.

And:  here's the final product:

Two differences that you'll notice:  one is that there's green stuff on the handle.  That's a wipe-on dye that I bought.  I foolishly didn't test it on a piece of scrap wood -- and it wasn't so much a "dye" as "vaguely diluted paint".  I didn't like it, so sanded off most of it.

The sections that remain green are the recessed sections -- which I suppose gives the surface a three-dimensional feel.  Ah well:  I like green, so...


The recessed sections, by the way, are the result of my desire to have the handle go "with the grain", for strength:  in the initial stage, as I mentioned, I split the wood for the handle.  Some of the split ventured into the area that would become the actual handle:  hence, the recessed bits.

On the other hand:  it actually makes it nicer to hold, because you can feel where your hand is located along its length.  And it makes it a little grippier, as well.


The other difference is that I splashed some pink paint on the hammer head.  It's a little ugly -- but this is a "working" tool, not a purty "display piece".  I tend to work right up to the last available light, so I'm usually putting away my tools in the dark (or, near-dark).  So I always put some pink paint on my "yard" tools, so that they don't blend in to the dirt and leaves -- and I can find them.

If I totally hate it, I can always wipe it off with some solvent. 


Anyhow:  way more interesting (and personalized) than just going to the hardware store and buying a handle.


--GG

Chicken coop mod reminds me of my grandparents

I'd like to think that I reflect certain (positive!) traits of each of my late grandparents.

I have my maternal grandfather's jolly, laid-back temperament.  Usually.

I have my maternal grandmother's tendency to "take in strays".

I have my paternal grandmother's positive outlook, and the attitude that "food is love".

And, possibly to the greatest extent I echo my paternal grandfather's tendency to build things out of wood:  enjoying the mechanical problem-solving, making wooden things for others which solve specific needs.  As an extension of this, we both modify our home environment to suit our needs.


I was reminded of that final trait this morning, when I was feeding the chickens.

I needed to open a new bag of chicken feed:  usually I have my pocket knife and my multi-tool with me -- because they're always on my belt.  But at that moment I was wearing sweatpants -- so I didn't have any tools with me.  Gah.


I decided to solve the problem, so that I would always be able to open the bags of chicken feed.  First, I went back inside, and got an extra set of scissors from my box of (of course!) extra scissors!.  I went back to the chicken coop and cut most of the top off the bag of feed, and dumped in the metal storage container:

I had also brought a paper clip from inside.  I bent it into a double-hook shape:

And then I hung it near the top of the screen, near the entrance door but inside the chicken coop.  I hung it high enough that it would be sheltered by the eaves and therefore -- hopefully -- not get rained upon and rust.

The hook next to it used to have a green screwdriver hanging from it:  I'll have to see where the screwdriver went.



--GG

How to tighten a hammer head or attach it more firmly

This is yet another one of my small-to-mid-sized projects during my one-week vacation.  I started it on the 21st, and finished today (25 Sept.).


About half a year ago, I bought a few rusty old handtools from an estate sale.  I finally got around to cleaning them up.  This hammer is one of them:  the handle was loose in the head, so someone in the past had driven in a cotter pin to try to tighten it up.

Here's another view:

However, the cotter pin didn't work in tightening the handle: the head was still so loose that I was able to pull the handle out by hand.

The trick to tightening loose handles on hammers is to start with a wooden wedge that runs the "long way" through the eye of the head (you'll see what I mean, in a moment).  Then, if you need additional tightening, you can follow up with metal "hammer wedges" that cut through the initial wooden wedge.


This photo shows the wedge that I created, and the branch that I created it from.  Next to my workbench I keep a bucket of hardwood branch sections, collected from my yard, just for making small dowels and pegs and such.

The wedge is probably about 15 degrees.  I didn't measure it; I just eyeballed it -- and it looked like about half of 30 degrees, so...


Here's a shot of me using sandpaper to smooth the surface of the wedge, so that it won't bind on the way in.  Because the piece is so small, it's actually easier to hold the sheet of sandpaper on a flat piece of wood, and rub the wedge back and forth across it.

Here's a shot of the (now-cleaned!) hammer head, the handle (not yet oiled, because that would mess up the gluing), and the wedge (not yet inserted).  Notice the slot that I had sawn in the handle, to accommodate the wedge.

If you look closely, you can see that I made the tip of the wedge at a coarser angle than the rest of the wedge:  that's for strength; I figured that a very thin tip would be fragile, break off, and ruin the process.


Here's a shot of my driving the glue-y wedge into the slot.  Notice that there's already a split in the handle end, in a direction that isn't useful.  I didn't show this, but I had mostly filled it with a sawdust-and-glue mixture -- and then let it dry for a day or two -- prior to sawing the slot for the wooden wedge.  Also:  I'm using a mallet made by my late (paternal) grandfather.

Here's the hammer, in my workbench vice, after the wedge had been driven in as far as it would comfortably go.

And, here's a shot of the finished product, after I'd trimmed off the excess from the wedge with a handsaw (using masking tape to protect the hammer head from scratches), and then finishing up with a sharp chisel.

And, another view:

The hammer head is on well -- but if it starts to get loose, I'll put a metal wedge where the pink line is.  If I need another wedge, I'll put it where I've drawn the red line.  My local "big box" hardware store sells hammer wedges for about three bucks for a two-pack, in the hammer section.

--GG

How to tighten an adze head

Well, my vacation is nearly done. But here's one of the mini-projects that I accomplished.

I started working on this on Monday, Sept 19th. I finished it today, Sunday the 25th. Some of the intervening time was just spent waiting for the glue to dry -- as you'll see below.

This adze-ish tool -- with a pickaxe at the other end -- is one of the tools I picked up at an estate sale maybe half a year ago.  It's one of the tools that I cleaned up during this vacation, as described in another blog entry.

The metal portion was loose on the handle:  not enough to fall off, but certainly enough to make it annoying when trying to use the tool.


The first photo shows the tool in my workbench's vice.  I've used a chisel to create a groove to receive a wooden wedge, which will spread the end of the wooden handle and jam it against the inside of the "eye" of the tool's head.


The next photo shows the wedge that I created, and the branch that I created it from.  Next to my workbench I keep a bucket of hardwood branch sections, collected from my yard, just for making small dowels and pegs and such.

The wedge is probably about 15 degrees.  I didn't measure it; I just eyeballed it -- and it looked like about half of 30 degrees, so...


Here's a shot of me using sandpaper to smooth the surface of the wedge, so that it won't bind on the way in.  Because the piece is so small, it's actually easier to hold the sheet of sandpaper on a flat piece of wood, and rub the wedge back and forth across it.

Here's the tool, back in the vice.  The green towel isn't part of this process:  it's just there to make the photo clearer, by obscuring some of the clutter on the workbench.

Unfortunately, you can't tell -- but I made the tip of the wedge at a coarser angle than the rest of the wedge:  that's for strength; I figured that a very thin tip would be fragile, break off, and ruin the process.


Another shot, prior to my driving it in with a wooden mallet.  Lookit the glue!!!

And:  a few days later, after the glue has dried.  I've cut off the excess from the wedge; sanded it a little; used the bench grinder's wire wheel to clean the rust off the metal; WD-40'd the metal; and oiled the handle (including the "eye") with a a 50-50 mixture of boiled linseed oil and methyl alcohol (as a thinner). 

The handle is now quite snug in the eye of the tool.  However, if it becomes loose, I can tighten it up by driving a metal "hammer head" wedge into the eye, as indicated by the red line. Because the initial wedge is made of wood, I can drive the subsequent metal wedge through the initial wedge.

And if it loosens again, I can drive another metal wedge where the green line is.


--GG

Tool rehab

Well, tonight is my last day before returning to work.  I had a good -- and productive -- week off:  I spent it doing things from my "To Do" list -- my fun "To Do" list, not the "Ought To/Responsibility" list.  Well, except for doing laundry, doing some dishes, and feeding the kids.

I had a bunch of rusty tools that I'd picked up at an estate sale maybe a year ago.  I started cleaning them up on Weds, 9/21.  Tonight is Sunday, 9/25, and I've completed the process.

Usually I'll soak rusty metal in white vinegar for a few days, then use a wire bush (a "hand" brush, not a wire wheel) to remove the loosened rust and crud.  But this time most of the items were attached to wooden handles -- so I thought I'd try a different approach.

Most of the time for this project was taken by using the wire wheel on my bench grinder to remove all the rust.  Once I'd done that, the faster component was wiping the wooden handles with my 50-50 mix of boiled linseed oil and methyl alcohol (as a thinner).

Here's my setup, under the carport.  The wooden table thing is something I built a few years ago:  it's kind of a portable, mini-workbench, that I use a lot.

I don't set up the grinder in my workshop, because (a) I don't have the room (it's small, and currently crowded and messy), and (b) I don't want to spray rust and crud all over.

After a fair number of (meditative) hours spent grinding rust and crud off, over the course of a few days -- interspersed with other projects -- here are the results:  I tried to arrange them in the same order as on the plank in the earlier photo.  (The pruning shears, at the bottom of the photo, was a late addition.)

After grinding off the rust from each item with the wire brush, I sprayed the metal section with WD-40 before it had a chance to re-rust.

I could've sanded back the wooden handles, prior to oiling them -- but I wanted to retain their well-used, "found in an old barn" look.

The top three items are lathe tools for woodworking -- clearly "user-made".  One of these days I'll actually purchase a lathe...

The thing that's just above the handplane blade is a narrow trowel:  bad angle; it doesn't show up very well in this photo.


Note that the hammer to the right now has its handle:  in the original photo it did not.  The re-handling is the subject of another blog entry.


--GG