While shopping at the supermarket, as I passed the shoelace rack I noticed a polish brush that boasted pure horse hair. It was only $5, so I bought it for use in the shop. It’s about 6 inches long and a very handy bench denizen for getting rid of saw dust or quickly clearing shavings, etc. It’s made by Kiwi, who seems to make all the shoelaces and polish at my supermarket at least. http://www.shoetreemarketplace.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=577001
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Replies
Samson,
And you'll have the shiniest shoes in the woodshop!
Seriously though, I have a large horsehair one with a handle on it that I use. I especially like the horsehair cause it doesn't take a gazillion swipes to get the fine stuff.
Don't remember where I got it, have had it since they made dirt.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 12/5/2007 11:42 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 12/5/2007 11:42 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Yeah, I have a bigger one too, but it's size keeps me from leaving it on the bench, and there are many smaller jobs (whisking saw dust away from contour lines as you shape a piece with a rasp, for example) where the 6" size is nice.
That also looks suspiciously like the Liberon buffing brush, which naturally costs much, much more than $5.
-Steve
You mean like this $23 beauty:
http://www.thefurnitureconnoisseur.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=295
I love the description where it says " with side grip hand grooves. WOW! "
But, Steve, I'm sure they Liberon horse hair is from the manes of thoroughbreds and the Kiwi brush hair is from the tails of nags. ;-)
Edited 12/5/2007 12:09 pm ET by Samson
Edited 12/5/2007 2:54 pm ET by Samson
Samson,
I'm surprised at you. Cheapin out on that brush! You're totally going against a golden rule - buying the most expensive too you can find.
Steve - Should we turn him in?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"Should we turn him in?"
Nah. Lynch 'im.
I've got some rope. You got a tree?
-Steve
Hang me as high as you like; tar and feather me; waterboarding, whatever. Just please oh please don't throw me in my workshop and force me to finish building by current cabinet project!!
Brer Samson
Awe, this sounds way better'n a hangin. Whatcha got big guy?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I'm working on an orignal design that is not really like anything that I've ever seen elsewhere in certain respects (that's always a bad sign, right?! ;-). It's a 5 compartment cabinet on 12" legs. The unsual aspect is the layout of the compartments. Best shown in a rough drawing I made early on (I've tweaked and changed it in many ways since):
In case it's not obvious, I'm calling my "Pinwheel Cabinet" not only for the pinwheel inlay on the center piece but due to the pinwheel aspect of the carcass divider panels when viewed from the front.
Edited 12/5/2007 12:57 pm ET by Samson
I like it, sort of an extreme Shaker assymetry.
John W.
Thanks, John.
Samson,
I think it looks really nice. I was immediately struck by it to the point that I may have to plagiarize the idea if I ever get done with the designs I already have on deck.
Bob, If you think that visualizing a piece of wood in a project or a project in a space is tough, you should see me struggle to explain what I see in my head to my wife when I am trying to sell her on a piece I want to build for the house. Her standard response, thank goodness, is... "Just build it. You know that I will love it."
Rob
Rob, thanks. And I'd love to see your version, if you ever decide to give it a go.
Cheers!
Samson, It's the color that throws me off. With second and third visit to the pic, I tried to visualize mahog, deep cherry or a rich walnut and it looks "MARVELOUS" .
BTW, I use an open loop handle brush that I picked up at garrett wade way back when I had dark hair everywhere. It's like a long draftsman's brush that I can hang on the end of the drill press fence or the extended york dog on the edge of the twin screw vise--very handy. Paddy
I'm tickled you like it, Paddy. I guess that orange -y color is kinda distracting. I was going for deep oiled natural cherry reds. Probably should have stuck with grey tones!
Oh my, that must be one powerfully ugly design ... I've never seen you struck speechless, Bob!
It's okay if you hate it. It's only gotta make me and mine happy. It's a quirky piece given where it has to go and what it has to hold. I like how those kinds of constraints can lead you to things you'd never consider otherwise.
Samson,
You know me only too well. Actually I was following the doors/drawers around the design and fell off my chair!
Reality is, we had a sort of emergency. It seems the driver of the front end loader tried to make it down a steep bank covered with snow and well........... He didn't get hurt, actually had a good laugh once we got him back out again.
Anyway, that surely is a unique design. Please don't take this the wrong way as I like it. I just can't figure out what it is though. You see, I have this spatial deficiency that doesn't allow me to see the final product a lot of times. Another thing is the color which I assume isn't the final color but rather what is in the drawing program. Sketchup?
I'm curious if the design in the center is a drawer/door? I know I'm not expressing myself clearly so that piece obviously has some sort of impact on me.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Another thing is the color which I assume isn't the final color but rather what is in the drawing program. Sketchup?
Just the basic accessories Paint program. The color was intended to be a quick and dirty approximation of cherry - primarily to allow me to alter shades to see depth a bit better.
I'm curious if the design in the center is a drawer/door?
Right now I keep vacillating. It's 6x6" and was initially a drawer with secret compartment behind, but it could just as easily be a door with a pressure latch.
I know I'm not expressing myself clearly so that piece obviously has some sort of impact on me.
I get the sense the "impact" is something like wretching or perhaps nausea.
Sorry for the vertigo. Feel better.
Samson,
I get the sense the "impact" is something like wretching or perhaps nausea.
Sorry for the vertigo. Feel better.
No, no, no that's not it.
It's just so unique I can't say as I've ever seen a design quite like it. As I alluded to B4, these things take me a bit longer to see clearly. I really don't know what I mean but it is in no way nauseating or wretched.
I've seen several of your designs B4 but I think this is a departure for you? I'd be curious as to what prompted it. Not as to utility as I feel a cabinet should stand on its own merits.
When I saw your little stoll it hit me right between the eyes, but I think the fact that I could see it in real wood makes a lot of difference, at least to me given my shortcomings visualizing.
You know it's funny, but I can look at a bare wall in our house and hold up a drawing of a piece and see it in place. Maybe I should go back to drinking!?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I'm enthusiastic about the project. I think that you may well like it better in wood, unless uniformity or at least orderly graduation are requirements for you. The grain choices make aspects more subtle and others more harmonious or interesting. I found a couple of crotch wood pieces that I plan to use on the raised back on the top, for example. It's still early in the process, and I could easily be wrong, but I think it will be pretty cool looking. It's definitely not going to look like anything available in stores!
As far as what "drove me to it," it was, as I said, the nature of the planned contents and the place it has to sit in my home. It's sort of like a painter working with a limited palette - the limits can push you to new places you'd never have thought of otherwise. In short, it's no departure, as I have no defined style to depart from.
Now then! Let's get back to brushin'!!
That Liberon brush is worth the extra dollars, of course, as they employ a little bloke who's job is to shape the end of each and every hair so it fits purfeckly into the open grain of English oak. This is how the stuff can be given a purfeck sheen - no other brush will do.
Of course, the brush does not perform quite so well on American oak, as the grain is shaped rather differently (shorter, fatter). :-)
As to shed-sweepers - I have one found in a skip. It has nylon bristles of a fine, floppy kind so is good with the fine dust. However, it also has a plastic handle which, with the bristles, does generate a bit of static..........
Lataxe, an electrified shedmaid.
Lataxe,
I read your response and it has been several minutes since as I am having a difficult time typing, read convulsive laughter interruptus! My boss at work thinks I'm crazy and he jusy=t might have something there.
an electrified shedmaid
Oh my, I hope it didn't curl your hair!
Reards,
See, I can't type either!Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I think you missed the reason for the high price of the Liberon brush. The hairs can only be collected by the light of a full moon from wild horses where they are not allowed to be aware that the little man is stalking them. It usually requires a Druid priest who paints himself blue. The one problem is the conflict between the orthodox Druids who still believe in human sacrifice before taking the horse hairs and those who only do it symbolically.
Thanks for setting me straight, Axe. It was my assumption they were assembled by nekid verjuns and maintaining a trained workforce was driving the cost.
Live and learn,ONWARD! THROUGH THE FOG.
Chuck
Samson,
Man I wish I could do that.
I can visualize a piece in a setting but have a real difficult time doing it the other way around. And to have pieces of stock and be able to visualize them as a finished piece to boot is way out there, at least for me.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
How about some cherry burl veneer for the raised panels? Straight grained frame, all going in the same direction. That would be a challenge.
Do you envision any kind of profile for the top edge.
Yes I'm still looking at it. You create these pieces just to get me going doncha? That color just has to go..........
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 12/6/2007 2:53 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
LOL, can't stop looking - just like when you pass a wreck on the road! ;-)
I'm not veneering anything (feel free to when you build your version!), but the panels will be interesting. I've got several ideas for when it comes time to finally commit ranging from quartersawn red sycamore to some curved grain cherry to some sap and heartwood cherry that I might arrange in a diagonal manner to have the pin wheel's arms a spun blur if you will.
The top edge will definitely have a profile - it's a curly hunk 'o cherry 1 and 3/4 thick. I'll likely keep it simple, with some sort of large cove on the lower edge.
You antagonizing SOB! You know my weakness doncha?
Cherry, my absolute favorite wood! Well, maybe a bit more than birch, yeah like flame birch! Got some really interesting white birch last weekend. Now I could really see that piece with white birch frame and curly cherry panels.
And that nasty 1¾" curly cherry top. I'm drooling now. What about the arched top? I suppose you're going to taunt me with that too!?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 12/6/2007 3:18 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
The arched back has been replaced in the design by two board arrangement of mirrored feather grain cherry crotch slices like these:
Ok wise guy! :-)
We'll take this up off-line, where the foul word police won't catch me!
Anatole, Matt, Ray, Mel, anybody - HELP! This guy is getting out of control!
Regards,
P.S. That is some nice looking cherry!
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Samson,
What happened, did you run out of taunton material for me? I was just kidding with that last post. Where do you come up with all that beautiful wood?
I've got several loggers looking for all manner of figured wood for me. It's winter up here so it's the best time to harvest wood as it's at its driest point in the year.
One called me last night and he thinks he has some figured birch and several burls. He said one piece is a crotch birch tree! I'll be looking at it this weekend.
By the way, wouldn't milk paint for your project look nice? :-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
I never meant to gloat or boast about some of the wood I've gathered or pulled fromt he pile forr this project. I don't think any of them are particularly unique or rare.
Like most woodworker, I would assume, I'm a wood hound. As such I'm always on the look out, and may pick up wood a piece at a time in all sorts of places. I've found the internet has helped expand my horizons a bit as there are now several mom & pop type mini-milling operations that are on the net. They tend to have slightly unusual species - spalt - and wood that has what others would call "defects" but others would see as "character." I live in the DC area and have several good (but expensive) commercial wood sellers around along with mill type set up if I'm willing to go a bit further. All that said, I lack storage so my pile of on hand materials is not all that big by many folks' standards.
I love Milk Paint. Seriously.
Samson,
Yeah, I hear ya.
I've been hounding several of my friends who work at a local Ethan Allen factory to get odd sized pieces, even what they call defects which to me are trasures, or can be. Over the years I've managed to get a good sized collection of furniture part seconds, drawer fronts, sides and bottoms.
Also, I'm getting to be known around town as a woodrat of sorts so every once in a while I get a phone call from loggers and such, when they have a piece or two of what they think is figured wood.
Right now I'm resawing some cherry burls that a friend of mine found out in the woods. By the way, would you like a piece or two?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 12/7/2007 10:01 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob, It's very kind of you to offer me some burl, but frankly, I wouldn't know what to do with it. My woodworking experience in veneering is thin (pun intended - ba dump dump), which I believe is how burl is usually used, right?
Anyway, thanks for the generous offer!
Samson,
I would think that it could be used anyway you want depending on how thick it's sliced. For example, I sliced some of it ½" thick for making keepsake boxes. I also sliced some 1/8" thick for inlaying.
One idea I had/have is to make shells out of some pieces. This could turn out to be difficult as this wood is hard and the grain runs every which way but loose!
My thought was to perhaps inlay it in place of your design on that controversial piece that you're making. :-) Just a thought.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Let's see some pics of those boxes and the sliced burl!
My ideas for the center compartment of my "controversial" piece remain in flux. I found an internet page of really intriguing quilting square designs, almost any of shich would be very cool.
Keep warm.
Here's some pics of some of the slices.
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=38685.1
I got these nearly 3 years ago and they are still a bit on the wet side, at least the ½" thick slices are. The 1/8" ones are dry due to a session in the microwave.
I have 3 more that I hope to slice up as soon as it gets above 20°, hopefully this weekend. We got 20" of the white stuff starting this past Sunday night. Since Tues. it's been buuuurrrrrrrr!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Yo Bob,
You said you got these 3 years ago. Your post on resawing them was from November. Did you saw these in November? I assume you did. How long do ya figure it will take to get them 1/2 inchers dry? Do ya have a moisture checker? Does your checker have 2 prongs or is it a "fancy wancy" no prong moisture checker model? Is your resaw bandsaw a single purpose devoted resaw or do ya use your main band saw with a wider blade? Sorry for so many questions. I wanna learn. That's why I'm here.
Happy Holidays,
Don
Hey Don,
Did you saw these in November? I assume you did.
Yup, near the end of the month. I've had them for nearly 3 years. They have been standing on end in the woodshed all that time. Didn't get much of a chance to dry a whole lot in there.
How long do ya figure it will take to get them 1/2 inchers dry?
They are pretty much dried around the perimeter of the pieces, about 4" in the centers are still damp to the touch, for lack of a better description. I'm guessing they should be ready early summer. I might bring them inside the house to speed things upa tad. Typically, as the saying goes, it takes a year per inch.
Do ya have a moisture checker? Does your checker have 2 prongs or is it a "fancy wancy" no prong moisture checker model?
Nope, no moisture checker. My uncle is a master with the water witch. When the stick don't bend anymore, the woods dry!
Is your resaw bandsaw a single purpose devoted resaw or do ya use your main band saw with a wider blade?
Nope, no dedicated any machine; the shop's too small to afford me that luxury. For resawing I'm using an Olson ½" 3 TPI hook tooth blade. It's tensioned to just a hair above the setting for a ½" blade with the stock tension indicator. The BS is a Delta 28-206 14".
I've only had one issue with the saw since I bought it a little over a year ago. When powering it down it vibrates like it hits a harmonic just B4 stopping. I've fiddled with it numerous time but to no avail. It doesn't appear to be causing any problems so I've pretty much forgotten about it.
As for usage, I use it for just about any application that I need it to perform. I've cut dovetails, curved pieces, you name it. If I have a cut to make that one would typically use the TS to perform, but in any way makes me nervous as to safety, I'll crank up the BS instead.
As to all the questions; ask away. Virtually everyone in here acts like its Christmas, 365 and 24x7, they're always ready to give!
It's a beautiful thing.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 12/8/2007 8:07 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
I know an architect, Greg La Vardera, who likes to do that kind of thing with windows:
http://www.lamidesign.com/plans/planscat/0380/0380pg.html
-Steve
Even better:
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=LB-433&Category_Code=
Clearly, the brush costs $5, and the shapely handle costs $40.
-Steve
Morning Samson..
Your brush can be used for more than a bench brush for saw-dust. I used one for several years to get a high quality shine on "jump boots" before the spit shine. So....
I have a 5"... a 6".. and 8" horse-hair brush also made in Brazil but all under $11 if you purchase them from a reputable shoe or boot shop. They get the call on buffing wax after it hazes on my projects. The smaller sizes gets in tight spots and the larger 8" gives you quicker coverage in the open.
Sarge..
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