Ahh ha. After tinkering about inside the sewing machine foot pedal speed controller, I finally tracked down the source of the dodgy speed regulation.

As it just so happens I …Continue reading »

“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm” – Winston Churchill

Today I have broken things attempting to tweak the scroll saw / sewing machine with a splinter guard. The idea was that I would use a piece of transparent polycarbonate (scavenged from some old safety goggles) to sit between the presser foot and the work piece, both holding the wood down down and preventing any splintering of the edges.

Fail Number 1:

So to begin with …Continue reading »

All excitement here, as we undertake first testing with the ‘sewing machine to scroll saw’ contraption.  In the next few days we should hopefully be putting together a ‘step-by-step’ for you guys, but for now have a look at our very first tests.

Obviously the very first wood to be …Continue reading »

It’s all about the magnets! Check out the new project page on turning a regular, or even broken drill into a SUPERDRILL…

I’ve done a few of these upgrades/ fixes now and …Continue reading »

After a week of getting frustrated waiting for my source of seasoned oak to come through, I have been up to some other jazz, helping Sam with the ‘cubby-under-the-stairs shoe draws’, and doing a scroll saw to sewing machine conversion experiment.

Having had this old sewing machine sitting about for several years collecting dust (we have another one for actual sewing), it seems time to turn it into something fun and exciting. If you haven’t had a …Continue reading »

Here’s a bowl turning video for you. This one documents the use of the lathe to turn a nice little laburnum wood breakfast bowl for my mother-in-law. It isn’t mega fancy, but is a bowl that actually gets used for cereal on a daily basis :)

It is mounted on a faceplate for turning, hope you enjoy.

Second part:

This is the first Flowering Elbow video! Making it was strangely like giving a presentation to lost of people (a tad nerve-racking). It is a little tour of the wood lathe project, that is documented step-by-step style here.

More vids of turning in action to come…

Some of the door hardware arrived yesterday, which was exciting, particularly as we spent a long time researching and deliberating the selection.  Went for a five point locking system (FPL) in the end.  Not that security is a big issue, but the ‘five pointers’ spread the load better, maintain a better weather seal and help to resist movement in the timber (hmmm ‘timber’, the term makes wood sound so dead and boring).

The hinges which I got from the same place are quite beefy things, to support the weight of the triple glazing and the …Continue reading »

We have been thinking about making something to replace the horrible opening to our tinker room (or workshop), for ages now.  Currently it is a standard, let all the cold in, up and over style garage door.  What we want is some doors that let lots of light in, benefit from the south facing solar gain, and keep it snugly and warm. I have started making another step-by-step set of pages in the projects section of this site to detail the process.  For now I just thought I would share a little bit of this in the blog…

Using Sketchup I have been playing with designs today and have just about …Continue reading »