In my last blog post I talked about my kids carving this spoon for their mom. Here is the finished project. The wood is pine and was an easy wood for the kids to learn how to carve with. The…
I got inspired last winter to carve some spoons for gifts for the holiday season. My kids loved hanging out in the wood shop with me, and they decided that they wanted to help carve a wooden soup spoon for…
This is the hewing axe head that was used by an older gentleman to hand hew timbers for houses 30 years ago. My passion for hand tools got me excited about seeing if I could remediate this axe head, and the two day vinegar bath plus a wire brush did such an amazing job at taking off the rust.
Here is the old hewing axe head that I found, getting a bath in regular vinegar to remove the rust. I was super surprised with the results!
I’ve been looking around for older hand tools at antique stores and personal sales, hoping I’ll find some gems that I can use for planing or timber framing. I have some of my grandpa’s hand tools that are still in excellent condition; these older tools were made to last.
I found this head for a log hewing axe in the summer. An older gentleman was selling some of his tools, and this was from an axe that he used for timber framing homes 30 years ago. For the price tag of $10, I couldn’t resist (these axes usually run about $350 to $400 new), and I have an idea about how I can bring it back to life.
Adding an inlay to the top of this sideboard creates a focal point to draw the eye to the beautiful grain detail of the black walnut. Light coloured maple wood used for the inlay contrasts strongly with the walnut and makes a striking impression.
“The Japanese word wa is a single kanji meaning ‘harmony; peace; peaceful.’ In common usage wa means ‘harmony’ as in being in harmony with one’s environment and it means “peaceful” as in being in a peaceful state of mind or feeling at peace.” ~Eri Takase
People keep asking me why would I use hand tools to cut this timber bed? It takes longer, involves more physical endurance, and the amount of precision necessary is astonishing.
My simple answer is the Japanese feeling of wa, or harmony, that I feel while working with hand tools.
I can’t stress enough the importance of sharpening your tools. A sharp tool not only works better, it is safer as well. And when I say sharp, I mean shaving your beard sharp.
Okay, so I said in an earlier blog that my favorite hand tool was a Japanese hand saw. It’s got competition now. After using this axe, I think I have a new favorite.
I thought I would add a blog about my Japanese chisel handles. Everyone asks me if I have pounded the hell out of my chisels, and well, yes I have, but, the handles are not mushroomed because of this.