A Re-Helve

Just before New Year I decided I needed to straighten up the helve on my Axe.

The first incarnation was a lovely curved affair.

But I wanted to change it for a straight helve, much like my H.Roselli Axe.

With a straight helve, the cutting edge is presented to the work at the same attitude no matter where your hand is on the helve. 

I like this idea.

There is a full helve replacement tutorial here on my blog.

My-work-cut-out-2.

It is important to recess the helve to allow for a curved cheek.

You can make a nice accurate recess if you mark out with a compass or something similar.

The Poll needs seating as well.

Once a good tight fit is achieved it's time to saw a slot for a peg.

I chose a piece of Mahogany from the 'Cutty Sark' tea clipper.

Making sure it will be a good tight fit

When confident the peg is at the right dimension...

Hammer or press it home.

Then remove the excess.

A good fit !

It looks great.

 And now it feels part of me when I rough out spoon blanks.

I'm very happy indeed.

You can buy very handy and useful axe heads from

Nic Westerman.

If you wish to purchase any of my work.

Drop me a line at...

firststeps@thewood.eclipse.co.uk

Enjoy.

J.

Spoon carving.

Well, we've moved on and left the shortest day behind us. By tiny increments the days are lengthening and it will soon be spring.

We have had snow here up on Dartmoor, enough for us to be snowed in from time to time.

It's been chilly, even in my studio with the wood burning range roaring.

Recently I have been carving some spoons, experimenting with refining old shapes.

I don't know about you, but I have a spoon filter...

I may carve something, and enjoy the process.

I may like the object I've carved.

But I have noticed that after three days there is a point where the carved object becomes either a keeper, or a floater.

The Three day test.....

I am lucky that I now have a handful of designs locked away in the brain cell that I can re-visit knowing they will pass the test.



It's surprising the difference a little detail will make.

These little chunky spoons are great fun to carve.

These three are carved from a Yew that stood in the garden of my friends when they were little girls.

The girls have grown, and moved on to become top professionals in their chosen fields.
A neighbour who lives in the area, and is still in touch with all three, noticed that the old Yew was being felled, and saved some wood from the growing pile of logs....

Eventually a piece of the Yew arrived here in Devon.
At first I tried to carve a set of long flowing spoons, but the Yew wasn't in the best of shape.
I decided to revert back to an old, more robust design.

The old yew is now re-united with the three sisters...

If you like my designs and wish to purchase one of my spoons.

Or if you have a piece of historical wood that you would like carved.  

Drop me a line at...

firststeps@thewood.eclipse.co.uk

You can find my quick posts at...
Pinterest.
And
Tumblr.

Happy New Year....

J.

MacEndy Ranger Beads.

This afternoon I supplied my good friend Kevin Endicott with

the latest batch of MacEndy Ranger Beads.

 As you can tell, he's one happy chap...

These beads are a useful 'Aid Memoir' for all you navigators out on the hill.

A length of paracord with ten beads one end and four beads the other.

When walking on a bearing you will be counting your paces so as to determine distance travelled

along the bearing.

I will count 58/64 double paces for each 100 meters, approx.

You will need to find out what you own ratio is, I am very tall with long legs.

At 100 meters, move a bead.

At 200 meters, move a bead.

And so on until you reach a point when all ten beads are moved.

Time to move one of the upper four.

A great addition to your navigation kit.

I used to use this system when navigating at night or in bad weather with the Search and Rescue Team.

The MacEndy Ranger beads can be bought online from Kevin Endicott at

Endicotts.

Or call him on

01392 433331

The price ?

£4.95

+pp

Enjoy.

J.

Posted with Blogsy

Spoon carving hook knifes.

My preferred hook knife is available from my good friend and edge tool supplier 

Nic Westermann.

This spoon knife has a long compound curve to enable you to smooth out the bowl of a spoon, it is capable of larger cuts but perhaps suited to the more experienced user if it is going to be used for the entire hollowing process. When mastered however you are unlikely to ever want to use sandpaper again. Although a great finish is possible with one of these blades having a matching left and right handed pair will allow full use of the compound curve to allow you to really hunt down the last remaining facets in the bowl of a spoon.  

 Available in left and right handed, left handed version pictured. All of these blades are supplied unhandled, the tang can be easily glued into a handle with epxoy resin . Made from bearing steel heat treated to give a hard durable cutting edge and a tough spine. These blades are now forged to give a hollowed cross section on the inside face as can be seen on my Twca cams, this allows easier sharpening. The Bevel ( cutting face) is now convexed on the back edge to allow tighter radius cuts with less chatter, new pictures will follow soon, hand honed and stropped for a perfectly smooth, polished cut.

N.B.   I have renamed this blade as Jon Mac has been so taken with this blade he has added it to his select collection of tools (which will include the soon to go into production MacNic axe.)  It made sense to have coherent naming with the added bonus that customers were often confusing this blade with the Fawcett blade that I also produce.  

I am very taken with this wonderfully useful hook.

For me it is three knives in one.

1. A beautiful hook that removes heavy waste wood quite simply and without fuss.
2. A hook that is precise and produces fine slithers when finishing.
3. And a straight blade knife for carving the transition between handle and bowl.

This hook is made with 52100 bearing steel.

The same steel used in my MaChris and MiniMac knives.

Due to Nic W's unique compound curve this knife will turn out of the cut without any fuss, leaving a beautifully curved, smooth piece of carving.

I call it Nicatronics !

I use this hook exclusively for my Kuksa and spoon carving.

This hook retails for £35.00 approx.

Its the best 35 pounds you'll ever spend.

It is supplied without a handle, which should pose no problems as you can find a tutorial here...

How to handle a MacNic Hook.

Enjoy.

J