Horizontal axe block

 

 

This is my new horizontal axe block, that the axe does not not get stuck in. It was also a very functional use of an half stump (that was way too heavy to move around) Actually this is the block that I hurt my back on a while back.

 

Squaring and stock prep from Maple Logs

 

Stock to become lumber, smaller and square on the left and wider and large on the right. But all were quartered and rived with the sap wood and pith taken off.

First real go at a spoon. home made sharpening paddle for knives and axes.

Still a little more logs to go, one decent one left and few weird forks.

 

 

 

 

Longer but thinner.

Maples makes me happy to plane and mortise.

I found some firewood online and my guess turned out to be some kind maple tree with purple sap. Some big pieces and the best is that is fresh. Makes it nicer to rive or split since not all pieces that long. But to square up, plane and to mortise it is very friendly, and best of all is free.

Hopefully my choice in splitting for quarter sawn pays off when it is dry.

  

A few pieces to dry up a little.I am basically split then squaring and I guess in the end I will have lots of legs.

The top of a chair mortised through from both sides in lest than 5 minutes. Love that green stuff, cutting this is hard maple would kill my edge and my shoulders.

3 more legs.

Below is my inside chopping block for after work , again is some nasty and very hard storm gumtree stump. I guess I will end with some fun and probably some firewood too.

New Axe block

So this monster has become my main axe block and has great inertia, and will last a long time. I picked up a few other which may also become secondary axe blocks. The great width makes it very safe to use as you have lots of room to put the work and the head of the axe further from your legs.

 

 

Squaring up the swamp oak

These timbers were split from the previous oak branch with froe and previously made beetle.

Then rived into rectangles

Below early construction of a shave horse, made from recycled Oregon from under the house and some random branches.

an new fence post club and some cleaned up local oak.

Eying off nice trees in Botanical Gardens.

This old piece of fence post from

my father cleaned nice as a club for splitting.

Cleaned up a splinter off one the older and not so straight pieces of local oak.

Could become a nice hatchet handle. This cut radially, then on to the draw knife.

Oak discovered.

So the oak I found in an unknown park is actually Swamp oak or sister to Sheoak, and grows everywhere is Sydney. Well one of them was split in two and clean up on both sides ready for the froe to arrive. The other find could not be split, the axe did not ever mark it, nor did the sledge and cold concrete chisel. I guess I will have to get proper wedge to split that one open. I am yet to examine the grain but found a nice discussion these here on these sheoaks. Well I guess when I get to split them up we’ll see. My front pine lost another limb thanks to my mother in law, but it shall not be wasted.

Making of my club from smaller limb.

intro to green wood

Well a few updates, the bench is looking more like a bench, still need a front rail, and some dog holes and still considering vise options. I have split apart the oak find and started to make a axe block (which will probably been replaced when I locate a larger one).

Bench has four legs now

 

Oak in two and hardwood block with legs (still to be assembled)

Oak find in two

Hardwood axe block

 

chop of choice, small single bevel hatchet.

 

Old hatchet

 

 

Scoping out the local plane trees.

 

fast is slow, slow is fast

This is what I keep telling myself but slow is just slow and time is like water in my hands. 80% of the ceiling insulation and some of the tears in sarking are fixed. 3/9 windows are under coated and a few door frame painted.

Changed all should height door handles to modern door handles Macy can reach. Scrapped down the garage door 70% for repainting. Under coated bathroom window. Painted around mother in law’s skirting board for new wardrobe build. Still in process of removing old spiral balances but they are not easy to do (in sense you need to break window operation while getting it sorted).   Garden coming along, mother in law has probably kill every plant/tree/shrub we had when first moved in but in her deference we have veggies and roses to show for it.

Found some nice English Oak in a walk in known park, looks like very straight grained, I just need to split it to do so.

Still have a load of work to be done. Still waiting 2 months for awning people to pull to install back security door and front awing (guess I won’t find out how effective it really is till next summer). A birthday just passed and each week is psychological mind field … anyway this is a Friday so …. I should relax

A little further on my new bench. but still have the other main stay around for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set up my sisters old play set, but Macy is still a little small to use it.

 

 

New year a little bit more

Yeah well finally got to put back the door way after deciding I should not fill it in. Got a nice snap of Macy excavating too 🙂

Have been working on insulating, that is checking window spiral balances work ( have found some that need replacing, will blog on that when I order them )

Roof insulation is not easy to do with no morning time and also it being such a very low roof.  Also looking to draft proof the sash windows with routed, brush inlays which will stop more cockroaches than cold..

I have a awning for the front on order from me nai blinds, and security door for the back. Also looking fixing up some of the broken mortar areas.