Mark Your Work
Once upon a time there was a gifted craftsman who made the most incredible products anyone had ever seen or used.
Sash Windows
Making Sash Windows Of all the tasks of the joiner, perhaps no other has exacted the most skill and afforded the most income, than that of the window sash maker. If you have never attempted to make a sash, I highly recommend it, if for no other reason than to test...
Axe Handle
Humans have been using handheld, rudimentary stone implements for some 2.5 million years, but it wasn’t until around 11,000 years ago that humans began to develop their tool production skills. Instead of simple, cone shaped chipped stones, tools became highly polished axe shaped implements, ideal for a hunter-gatherer life style. This was the beginning of the Stone Age, the period in human history that marks the advent of tool production. The name comes from the fact that most of the period’s cutting tools are made from stone.
Making a Step Ladder
In 1862, John Basely invented the first stepladder by putting a hinge at the top of two ladders so that they could be folded and easily stored. Born in Pennsylvania, Basely was a master carpenter and inventor, receiving the first US patent issued for a safety stepladder. Ladders had of course been used for millennia prior to his invention, but the changes Basely made to the design were hugely important, including the addition of hinges and using flat steps instead of rungs for safety. As you can imagine, he went on to become a very wealthy man.
This article will not make you wealthy, but it will give you a lift in life and an insight into the mechanics of making a stepladder.
I have at least 4 different stepladders ranging in height from 1-2m. Often when reaching heights for a project, a few extra centimetres make all the difference in reaching those hard to reach areas.
Father’s Day Gift
Atlas Obscura offers a look at a stranger collection of books. These books are housed at Padua University and are made entirely from wood:
Getting Hot Around the Collar – Making a Steam Bending Box
Several years ago a friend of mine approached me saying that he wanted my help to make a shaker rocking chair. After looking through several reference books, it was clear that in order to get the shape needed for the back legs and the splats we were going to have to bend the wood, a technique I wasn’t terribly familiar with.