My wife is a Veterinarian. Having grown tired of the same old, all the time she wants to do locum work. A locum vet travels around the country wherever needed filling in for maternity leave, extended vacations etc. Basically temp work. I am talking years here, not just weeks.
Being that I earn a living building furniture, and my jointer doesn’t quite fit in the trunk, we have a small problem. How do I travel around the country for the next few years while still making furniture full time?
My solutions so far:
a) Buy required portable equipment, hand tools, and an RV to haul it all.
b) Rent shop space wherever we end up.
We are still in the discussion phase here, so nothing is in stone.
Any suggestions?
Replies
Sounds like an adventure and exciting times. A few things come to mind. Renting a shop (assuming availability) may require a lease, so once again perhaps tied down to one place for a while. A portable workshop in a well built SECURE trailer sounds neat. Would there be issues of a business license and such wherever you decide to do some work.
Let us know how you go about it.
Cheers,
Peter
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Robin,
Have some business cards printed up.
Put a chess knight on the card with the motto:
"Have plane, will travel."
How long might a locum vet stay in one locale? Months? Maybe one option might be to find a gallery/ showroom in each place to display or market your work. What type of work are you doing now? Furniture, cabinets, craft show items? Are you experienced enough to teach classes?
I could see a trailer that might haul a basic set of tools and gear around, to be set up in a garage or storefront when you arrive.
Good luck, sounds like a challenging but potentially fun experience. Tax time might be a pain, if you have to declare income in several states at the end of the year.
Ray
When I was still in High School I envisioned buying an old Grey Hound bus and gutting it and turning it into a custom pro bicycle frame shop and traveling the US putting down for a few months or a year here and there until demand dried up or I wanted to cast off.
Steel frames were big in the seventies and there were frame builders actually making a living making frames. Aaahhh those were the goood old days I tell you . . . . . .
Bike frames are like tailored clothes; hard to do from afar mail order. I have seen some unfortunate and comical miscommunications even between frame builders in England and customer in the US with very expert customer input. Allot of Americans wanted to avoid the probs of looking to Italy or France with the communication problems.
Then the mountain bike hit the seen just as I was getting up to speed. I am allergic to fat tire bikes with mud and blood all over them; customers taking pride in their ability to break the best so there it is.
Used Grey Hound bus. Maybe rig a vestibule. See the book by Scott Landis called The Workshop Book p. 140 to 147
My Dad's old boss used to pull a jeep behind his wini with a boat on top. Probably even get crazy and pull a camping trailer behind the bus to live in. That would provoke some looks.
PS: here you go; the Aussi's seem to have taken it to a fine art
http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/martin_phippard_aus_truck_terms.htm
Page down and enjoy ! ! ! Yah just keep paging down . . . how many axles are there ? Staggers the mind ! ! !
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Edited 8/2/2009 1:52 pm by roc
Edited 8/2/2009 1:56 pm by roc
Edited 8/2/2009 1:58 pm by roc
Edited 8/2/2009 2:00 pm by roc
Edited 8/2/2009 2:42 pm by roc
Wonder how well those Aussies can back up...Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Roc.All my bikes have been custom made, as I am 6' 6", so I never owned a mountain bike. The few times i did go in the dirt I didn't care for it. Once was a disaster. Therefore I am strictly a roadie. I did order one hike from Independent Fabrications in Mass. and had no problems. Of course that may be a statistic of one. It's a great bike, about the size of a pony that weighs 18 lbs.Jim
That 5 banger combo seems to be just the ticket. One for pets, another for kids, another for wood....
>One for pets, another for kids, another for wood...<You got it.As the trucker song goes :" Ohhhh give me forty acres and I'll turn this rig around. It's the easiest way that I've found. Some guys can turn 'em on a dime and some can turn right down town but for me give me forty acres and I'll turn this rig around.rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Robin,
You can buy trailers with slide out walls, you could end up with a shop about 15' wide. The length would depend on how long a trailer you feel like pulling.
If you were to get a pick up like I have which is a F-250 with a diesel engine. You could pull any thing you want. Now a days pick ups are as comfortable as any car out there. Mine is a fully loaded Super Duty with the Super Cab and the Lariet trim package. The trim package determines the comfort level.
I know a couple of guys that use trailers as a portable shop. They pull up to a job site with a fully equiped shop.
Taigert
Robin,
Interesting problem.
What type of market would you be thinking of going after? It's not exactly Farrier/Blacksmith work.
Have you thought about how your going to deal with needs for stabilized wood and the volume of it? There may be a problem of getting supplies (finishes, sandpaper etc.)as it might be a little bit more problematic to mail order. As someone else said,there is the problem of taxes and long distance deposits of payments should be considered.
Although I'm sure there are some who might see this as a fool's errand, but going with the optimistic side of it all, I think it would be a hoot. Keep a journal and keep us informed- who knows, you could franchise it!
Boiler
Edited 8/3/2009 9:28 am by boilerbay
Interesting idea, but it seems to me that the typical business model for a furniture maker is based on stability and time within a geographic area (the market) as much as on skills. Ignoring the logistical issues for the moment, putting that "on the road" shifts the problem to one of reaching the right clients at the right time in each area. You might need a PR agent to arrange for national news coverage, so people become aware of you, and then to arrange a TV deal for a reality show.
I'd also suggest a special engine for your truck, so you could travel at "warp" speed. ;-)
Robin, Your wife wants out and your tools won't fit in the truck. Whats the problem? sounds like you just hit the lotto! I'm only kidding! I get into trouble when I bring home tools in the truck. You'll figure it out.
Dan
Learn to use hand tools.
I would get a CDL drivers License and a BIG RIG!... With a BIG trailer.. May set ya back a few dollars~
http://www.state.tn.us/safety/driverlicense/cdlalt.htm
I was thinkin.... A wife that helps animals, a man that loves her.. and all he wants is woodworking...
I would suggest you get some type of a vet helper license and she has to take some woodworking classes!
Nothing like a woman and man that can work together!
Edited 8/4/2009 2:11 pm by WillGeorge
Nothing like a woman and man that can work together!Of course, both of those couples ended up writing books...
Robin,
Why bother to do woodworking on this road trip?
Why not just write a sponsored blog, and also a book on woodworking?
You will only need a computer, which doesn't take up much room, and you can dispense with all of that heavy, clumsy woodworking equipment.
As is the case here on Knots, no one will know if you are a real woodworker, or just a writer, but most people don't really care. You need to "talk the talk", not "walk the walk".
You could follow the woodworking shows, and become a part of them. Put together a small "show", and give the same show at each stop. Or you could find a tool, and rent a stall at the shows and sell it. There was a guy here at the Dulles show last year who only sold a nail-puller that was made in China. He sold em like they were going out of style. All he needed were a few boxes of nail pullers, and a machine to take your credit card.
What the heck! Instead of selling tools at the woodworking shows, you could cook and sell food. Go to the local Costco and buy BBQ and sell sandwiches. I believe that many local eateries just resell what they buy from Costco. Their muffins are ubiquitous.
At the wood shows, you could have a booth, like Lucy's in Peanuts, which has a sign, "Woodworking advice: $10" and give people the answers to their woodworking questions. Before they get a chance to try out your answer, you are long gone.
Write a book, "The philosophical underpinnings of woodwork". All of the material you will need is right here on Knots. All you have to do is to reformat it and make it more interesting.
Write a blog which is sponsored by Home Depot on how the typical homeowner can make great furniture by only using RIGID tools.
Just do a seminar on "hand planing" at every stop. Charge folks $50 and show them how to get shavings that are a half a thou. Watch Rob Cosman's video, and just do his schtick. I have watched him, and he is thoroughly enjoyable. Notice that this doesn't require to know much about woodworking. THis is entertainment.
Teach a class in each city you go to on "Hand cut dovetails". Make a deal with Woodcraft and Rockler and go from store to store doing classes and demos.
ALWAYS REMEMBER what you have learned here on Knots: It is not about woodwork. It is about words.
Now go forth and make words work for you.
Have fun.
Hope I entertained you for a few minutes. Now you see how easy it is to do.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,Some solid ideas in that post there. Your Lucy advice booth reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. Calvin is selling "great ideas" for 25 cents each. One of his great ideas is: "Buy some more!"Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Robin,
I just had another idea on how to make money by giving woodworking talks at shows. Give a talk on what tools are really for. How about this:
Tools Explained
All of these are also useful to actuate blood vents.
DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to ay, 'Oh sh --'
SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.
VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.
Son of a bitchTOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a bitch' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.
Have fun.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,Where were you for this thread?http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=41037.1Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Geez,I was so wrong about the hammer. I guessed "an object of good intentions, typically abandoned while crawling under a house, for being one item too many in the hands."Don't ask me how I came up with this definition.Cheers,SethEdited 8/5/2009 1:52 pm ET by Hamelech
Edited 8/5/2009 1:52 pm ET by Hamelech
Seth,Maybe you would be a good candidate for tool tethers. They're kinda like those leashes for kids. That way your tools are always with you, and you just follow the cord to find your lost tool. I find that hammers do a better job a closing up paint cans than their modern-day counterpart, the nailgun.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,I Googled. My tether would need to come equipped with 1/4" braided Spectra cord, because I'd wanna haul away on the line to fetch my hammer from around all the piers 'n posts holding up my house. It's like tool fishing.LOL, the vision of a nail gun closing a paint can. That's good. Neither can a nail gun open a paint can, a job in which a Lie Nielsen chisel excels.Cheers,Seth
Seth, Seth, Seth,You can't compare an air nailer to a chisel. Compare a LN chisel to a power chisel on the end of a rotary hammer. Both would work in this case...Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,
I haven't been on Knots as much. Our grandson is here five days a week for babysitting until mid Sept. That is a lot of fun, but it is a full time job. Am putting together a complex old Eastlake bedroom chest after taking it completely apart (all boards). What a project. Am now putting it together in sections. In a few days, I will attempt to do a glue up of all of the modules. I will get help.I got a kick out of the thread, at least the original post. I didn't see much in the responses which were interesting or useful. The guy has a REALLY difficult problem. In any community, it takes time to find out what might sell. All an itinerant woodworker would get in the way of jobs would, IMHO, be menial jobs which don't pay much. It takes a while to build a reputation. So I thought I would have some fun in a response to the OP. Actually, I believe that with some creativity, some of the ideas I gave him stand a much better chance of making money than being an itinerant woodworker. The president of our local woodworkers guild just gave up his full time woodshop, and now has a "real" job. We had a few folks come through and ask our opinions on starting up in woodworking. My advice to the three who came through was to find something else. The reason was that all three talked about woodworking and joints and styles, etc. Not a one had a clue about the idea of making money. It is a tough road to hoe, as you know. I wouldn't recommend anyone do it as an itinerant woodworker.Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,I suppose that the OP does have a difficult situation, but it really depends on what type of work he intends to do. From the sound of it, he wants to continue to build furniture. Some types of woodworking require very little room or machinery. Turning requires very little. Carving requres less. Pyrography requires even less. Teaching, as you were getting at, is a great road gig, as long as the students have their own equipment or you can find an equipped shop. All you need is your knowledge and willingness to improvise at times. Sometimes that's what makes woodworking fun.Edit: On that last note, I am giving a lecture today at the Rona/Vancouver 2010 FAB(rication) Shop in Vancouver today. It should be interesting!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com
and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com) - Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Edited 8/5/2009 5:40 pm by flairwoodworks
Chris,
Let me know how your lecture goes.
I am giving a lecture and demo on sharpening on saturday.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,My lecture went very well. I had absolutely no problem filling the 1-hour time slot I was given and could have easily carried on for another hour. But I did cover everything I intended to. Talk about a portable gig. All I brought was enough handouts for the group and my laptop to show pictures do any fact-checking if needed. I could have done without the lap top. It would really be a great gig for a travelling woodworker. Immensely satisfying and inspiring too, if you do a good job (on both ends, now that I think about it).Edit: I hope (and am sure) that your lecture/demo goes well. It's really easy talking about what you know. And that's the key - stick with what you know. How far in depth will you go into theory?Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com
and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com) - Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Edited 8/6/2009 1:38 pm by flairwoodworks
Chris,
"How deep will I go into the theory?"I am a practical guy. I am not going to cover "theory". I will show how to sharpen a chisel of plane iron BY HAND with your eyes closed using either waterstones or oilstones or sandpaper on glass. I believe it is easier with your eyes closed. It heightens your sense of touch, and makes you more aware of keeping the angle constant. Feeling for the wire is also easier with your eyes closed. Watch for my new book on Sharpening with your eyes closed! :-)Have fun.
Mel
PS ain't nothin like woodworking to help you realize how human we all are. Thank God for humor.Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Hey Mel,
" Feeling for the wire is also easier with your eyes closed. "
Do you try to find your missing fingertips with your eyes closed, too?
Haha,
Ray
Ray,
"Do you try to find your missing fingertips with your eyes closed, too? "Did you know that my nickname is "Stubs"?
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Hi Stubs,
Lost dog: Brown mixed breed, missing one eye, and rt front leg. One ear in shreds, no tail. Answers to name, "Lucky".
Have a good weekend,
Ray
"Watch for my new book on Sharpening with your eyes closed! :-)"Will you be doing a sequel, "Sharpness Testing with your Eyes Closed"? ;-)
Ralph,
The local Woodcraft store asked me to do a one hour demo on "Sharpening". I did it yesterday at 1 PM. 15 people showed up for this free demo. These demos are usually pretty much oriented toward sales, as you might imagine. I geared mine to helping newbies know that they could sharpen anything by hand with a bit of practice.I was prepared. I brought in three old Stanley planes and some chisels and carving gouges which were finely fettled and nicely sharpened. I let them try them on wood. Then I let them try some dull ones. WOW. THey began to understand. AHA! So I got out the slow speed grinder and showed them how to do a hollow grind. From scratch. They watched me set up the angle, and do the grind. I didn't have anyone else try that but I had a few feeling the blade to see that it was not getting hot. THey got a kick out of that.Then we went to oilstones (hard and soft arkansas), and I let them get the feel of getting the hollow ground blade on its two edges. EVERYONE ENJOYED THAT. I asked them to close their eyes when they did that. Each did, and they COULD FEEL when it was right. THen I had them do some honing on each stone. THen we stropped. I showed them how to make a strop. Then we did waterstones. Each got to try them to see how they felt compared to oilstones when they pulled the blade across the stone. AHA. They could feel differences. I ASKED THEM TO KEEP THEIR EYES SHUT and feel it. They tried, and they said that they did feel the difference. I had them CLOSE THEIR EYES and feel for the raised wire at the appropriate time. You are getting the picture. They weren't keeping their eyes closed the whole time, just at specific times to get the feel of getting the blade up on its two edges (hollow ground), and the feel of dragging the blade on the stones, and of the raised wire, and with the wire gone. No one got cut. I have seen many such demos at the local Woodcraft. They rarely go the full hour. ALL fifteen attendees stayed at mine for over two and a half hours. No one left. I didn't stop until all questions were answered. Then I showed them two books that they could use to verify everything that I said. I suggested that they try sharpening by hand for at least five times on old plane blades or chisels, and after that they should be more comfortable with the process. So I was only half-kidding when I wrote about sharpening with your eyes closed. I was only talking about closing your eyes at a few times while learning to sharpen by hand, so your senses were "heightened".You know, I believe it worked. I told the gang that all were welcome to come back for a personal refresher any time I am there. It was a very satisfying experience. I got a big round of applause when it was over. I had never heard or seen one of those at the "free demos" in the past. Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Well I shave with my eyes closed, so why not sharpen the same way! Nicely done Mel and a nice review. Do you ask for critiques from the participants? I will bet you scored big time. And I guess the bottom line, groan, did you sell a few stones and grinders??
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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-------(*)/ (*) http://www.EarthArtLandscape.com
Morgan,
Did I sell any grinders and stones?
I started the class by saying that I get paid $8/hr whether I sell anything or not. I told them that my goal was not to try to sell them anything, but rather to help them acquire some information that can help them make decisions on how they want to proceed in their learning of sharpening. I believe that my actions during the long (but fun) session backed up what I said. All that being said, Yup, you are right. One guy bought a slow speed grinder, and a number of them bought stones, and leather for making strops, and green honing rouge, the Taunton book on Hand Planes, a Charlesworth book which shows how to crown a bevel, etc etc etc etc. I highly recommended that they continue their learning about sharpening, and showed them those two books. I told them about http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com and about their local libraries. It really was a fun afternoon. I have suggested "free classes" on a regular basis. Of course, management didn't care for that idea. I suggested that after trying out three planes, that the class participants would be far more likely to buy a Lie Nielsen than otherwise. They nixed the idea of continued free training, even if it would help them sell tools. I guess I just don't understand retail sales. :-)Have fun.
MelPS an interesting episode during the sharpening class was when I gave them an idea of why one should fettle planes well, including sharpening. I had an old #7 Stanley that I had bought for $65 and had taken a few days to fully fettle. I had each of the students try my plane and one of the one of the old Stanleys that was in the shop. They could easily take a shaving that they could read through using my plane, and were frustrated by the other plane. I told them that was a "set up" demo, but I did it to make a point (Fully Fettled is Good). I saw some eyes light up when using a plane that was fully tuned and really sharp, even though they didn't have much experience with handplanes. A number of them took their shavings home to show friends. EEEEEHHHHHHAAAAAAAMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Eyes closed..Reminds me of my Military training in the GAS Chamber.. LOL...
Mel you are something!
Mel Cosman,Congrats on running such a successful demo. To hold that many people for 2-1/2 hours is quite amazing. Interesting way to start it off. You should get paid more. Tell your boss I said that.I'm curious why you demoed on oil stones. Everyone I've served who asked for an oilstone, I've questioned them as to why. The common answer is that they don't know about waterstones. The best answer (and I let him alone for it) was that oil doesn't rust steel.PS: If closed eyes helps heighten the sense of touch, would you recommend ear plugs too?Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,
Sorry, I didn't hear what you said. I had my ear plugs in. :-)Why oilstones?
Remember, I told the group that in "sharpening", everyone has their own biases. There is no one "Proven" best way to go. I gave them the usual list of what oilstones and waterstones and Scary Sharp and diamondstones advantages and disadvantages are. Then I told them what I do. I use oilstones for my carving gouges and for narrow chisels, all of which eat up waterstones. Chris Pye sticks with oilstones for his carving tools. Most of the other carvers that I know or have read about still use oilstones. BESIDES, and most importantly, I enjoy using oilstones on my carving tools, and it works, and it is fast enough for me. I have a small shop and so I don't have a sharpening station. I don't keep my waterstones soaking so it is a 20 minute thing to soak the 1000 grit stone. THis is not a big thing, but when I want to sharpen a chisel or plane blade RIGHT NOW, I'll often do it on my oilstones. I use a Soft Arkansas stone and then my Norton Translucent Hard Arkansas stone, which I like very much. Note that Ray Pine often stops on his Soft Arkansas stone, and he produces masterpieces, any one of which is worth more than everything I have ever built. So I figure that since I go a lot farther than Ray, and since it works just fine, my oilstone system works for me. Ray told me about Marvel Mystery Oil as a better alternative to kerosene or mineral oil for use on oilstones. I had used mineral oil for decades, but I switched to MMO after trying it. Try it. You'll like it.It takes me a long time to write about sharpening or to talk about it, but I do it very fast. I am not a person who likes to sharpen. I merely like to use tools that work well. About the 15 person group. I forgot to tell you that there were actually 16 entities there. One person brought a dog, who didn't make a single sound for the entire class.Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,Althought oil stones don't need the soaking that most waterstones do, I find that a better solution is to stay on top of sharpening. This I make sure to tell everyone. Maintenance is key. I have never had to do anything more than strop my carving tools, save for the one time I managed to take a piece out of my #11/1. One thing I tell my fellow carvers is to, whenever they stand back to look at their work or sit down and watch TV, grab your strop and carving tools and strop away. If you place your thumb right up at the edge of the tool, you can very safely strop without accidently cutting yourself - on the return stroke, you'd bump your thumb into your fingers instead of the sharp edge. Try it - it works very well!For my good bech chisels and plane blades (flatter tools),pretty much all the maintenance is done on my 8000x Norton, which does not need to be soaked (as per an extensive past discussion). My "rough chisels" for dirty work are sharpened with a 120x wheel on my bench grinder. Of cousre, what works for me may not work well for you...In my reorganization of my benchroom, I managed to find room for a sharpening/metalworking bench in one corner. I keep all my sharpening supplies, including a rag and a bottle of water there, as well as a good magnifying light (so I an see better with my eyes closed!).I don't own any oilstones, our I would try that Marvel Mystery Oil.Yes, I, too sharpen very quickly. In the time it took to reply to you, I could have honed the edes of all my planes and chisels.EDIT: What? The dog didn't have any questions? Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com
and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com) - Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Edited 8/10/2009 9:37 am by flairwoodworks
Chris,
I agree fully on maintenance, which is what I do mostly.I even go a step further. When carving, I only keep one stone on the bench. It is the superfine Spyderco ceramic stone. I use it dry. Six swipes on the stone and back to carving. MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Great post Mel,
I am no carver, although I had the opportunity to me a guy who is quite a carver. He let me take some pics of his shop and current project a while back. The panels you see in the pics went into a dining room of a house I did some work in. There is also a pic of a dining room table of which he was commissioned by Troy Aikman for his personal home, It is actually a picture of a photo.
When you mentioned the oil stones for carving tools I thought of him, his preference are the same as yours. Enjoy the pics There are quite a few. The panel work is all 5/8 quartered white oak hung on a french cleat system.
Tom
Edited 8/10/2009 3:03 pm ET by gofigure57
Tom,
That was a rare treat!
Thank you very much. I studied each of the photos. The table for Aikman is SENSATIONAL, beautifully designed and executed. The design for the room paneling is fabulous - nicely flowing lines going around the panels with shell and detail at the tops. It all fits together. Paul Labadie is quite a carver. I looked at his tools, his sharpening machines and his oilstones, and his workbench. I wish I had that kind of room, and his skills. I really appreciate you putting those photos up.
Thank you very much.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I understand the benefits of eyes closed. I develop my 4x5 and 8x10 sheet film in trays in total darkness. The process involves carefully repeatedly shuffling each sheet in turn from the bottom of the stack in the solution to the top, thereby ensuring that each sheet is properly developed. The same process is repeated for the stop bath and the fixer solutions in separate trays. Most of the time, I actually keep my eyes open, but there's no light by which to see, so it doesn't make any difference. It's essentially like being blind.
You might look around at the finish carpenters and how we are tooled up. Everything is rather compact and portable.
Trojan saw horses are as compact as can be and provide a stable base for equipment or tables, are easily topped with a sheet of mdf and leveled for assembly tables, and they are infinitely variable to meet the requirements of each job. Only the essential tools are brought along and if anything can do double duty all the better. I will admit I couldn't give up a biesemeyer type fence and have modified one to fit my Rousseu table. I did pick up a 6" Delta jointer because it easily separates into two parts that a person can move easily, but with a well tuned table saw it just didn't get used much and wasn't worth the hastle of taking everywhere.
Almost all my finishing is done outside, but Boise has a dry climate so it's easier here than many places. A Graco 390 airless is compact and sprays latex or acrylics baby butt smooth, and for lacquers I have a smallish hvlp conversion gun that runs off a portable compressor. Since I'm battling what's outside I've been using more fast drying finishes, such as lacquer or acrylic over oil based poly or other slow finishes.
In Colorado or Wyoming we had a lot of afternoon thundershowers so tool boxes should shed water and work tables should have dedicated high quality tarps of the right size since they go on and come off so often--nothing is faster than simply putting a clamp on each corner of a table to hold a tarp down.
The setup below was for scratch building some oak doors in a size unavailable from the manufacturer we used for most doors in this house. I am currently building a cherry entertainment center with 99% of the same setup, and don't have to vary much from job to job if I'm doing scratch built stairs, trim, cabinets or furniture. It all fits in the back of my pickup along with two 2'x4' greenlee lock boxes for bags and bags of small tools.
eView Image
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Edited 8/14/2009 12:21 am ET by IdahoDon
I read this with envy at your skill-set.Cheers,Peter(a puttering amateur)
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
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