Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i Australian Wood Review

Sharp out of the box is every tool lover’s preference and these handcrafted spoon and whittling tools from Hillbilly Forge don’t disappoint. Opening the kit, the urge to immediately grab a piece of wood and test them was irresistible, so I did! Wicked would be a fitting description for the two knives with blades that are relatively short for their genre, one very short. The tip of a blade is best for tight curves and tricky grain and offers less resistance for fine and accurate work. If you’re looking for more of a brute whittling tool with length these knives won’t suit. Spoon tools with only one sharp edge suit me better because I can control the pressure and direction with my thumb. Small, medium and large, these fit the…

Last issue we looked at techniques of burnishing surfaces and using a mix of shellac, wax and pigments to create finishes with depth. In this article we’ll look at creating charred and painted surfaces and how these can be further treated for different effects. Shou sugi ban This is a Japanese technique of charring the surface of wooden buildings and then oiling it to make it stronger and more resistant to weather and fire. It hardens the surface and creates a very pleasing effect. I have found this process works beautifully on small wooden objects. The feature of the grain comes through strongly after oiling or waxing. It’s a very striking technique, perfect if you want form and texture to dominate. I use a small refillable butane torch that lets…

When I am teaching interstate and don’t have access to the workshop, I like to have the ability to do some green wood preparation, shaping and carving. The shavehorse shown is the one I showed how to make in the last issue. However, add a holdfast at the back and a comfortable seat, and make yourself a little worktable to hold tools or the other end of a longer piece of wood, and the hours you spend shaping will be even more fun (photo 1). Holdfast and V-jig Most holdfasts need 50–60mm of bench thickness to grip well, so I glued a 15mm thick offcut of Vic ash under the seat (fig.1). Check the grain direction is the same and then drill through with a 19mm forstner bit (for a…

Better than sex. That’s what someone said to me on trying out a spokeshave for the first time. Now I don’t know about you, I do like a good spokeshaving, but for me it’s not that good. However the point here, is that spokeshaves are both practical and a pleasure to use. A spokeshave is virtually a chisel held in a small metal guide with handles. As the name suggests they derive from 16th century wheelwrights using them for forming wheel spokes. In archaeology though, a spokeshave is an instrument for cutting stone. Traditional wood-bodied spokeshaves have the blade at a low angle. The blades, fitted bevel up, have two tangs that fit into the body with adjustment done by tapping the blade. You can still buy versions of these…

This is an affordable cabinet saw with some good features. With a 2.2k watt (3hp) single phase 10amp induction motor, the saw runs a 254mm (10") blade on a 25.4mm (1") arbor. This yields perfectly respectable cut capacities of 75mm at 90° and 60mm at 45°. For review purposes, the test machine was supplied with a quality Leitz 80 tooth crosscut blade and was able to make super clean and effortless cuts in some 45mm thick kwila. The rip fence is a solid arrangement and comes with a detachable accessory high/low fence attachment which would come in handy for different types of cutting operations. The rail is solid and has a ruler attached. The capacity of the rip fence is a respectable 950mm. The machine comes with a simple but…

If you’re looking to upgrade to a full size lathe that provides plenty of power and drive, this could be the one for you – but what sets it apart from others on the market? To begin with, there is its name which raises the question of what a DVR is, especially as it is used on other Nova machines including a pedestal drill. Digital Variable Reluctance (DVR) is a computer controlled system that detects extra pressure on the workpiece and increases power to ensure the lathe retains constant RPMs. The lathe has a direct drive motor so speed variation is all electronic, from 100 to 5000 rpm, however many variable speed lathes lose torque especially in the lower rpm range. The DVR system detects resistance to the workpiece and…

First Hammer CNC With the new HNC 47.82 portal milling machine, Austrian-made Hammer machinery is now offering its first CNC router. Three and four axes options are available. At 1111 x 762 x 682mm high the machine is compact and arrives fully assembled. Purchased as accessories, Hammer router motors come in four variations. www.felder-group.com/en-au/ Super Setup The ProRouter Fence is a solidly constructed, fully featured router fence that’s easy to set-up and adjust, and safe to use. Lever ratchet knobs give smooth and secure adjustment, T-track permits featherboard mounting, clear polycarb guard is adjustable. The fence is 800mm long, 160mm high with max 90mm opening. Outfeed fence offset 0–1mm with offset 1mm shims. Currently $325 from Professional Woodwork Supplies. www.woodworksupplies.com.au Stay Connected It doesn’t get better. 3M WorkTunes are a…

It’s said that learning from Michael Fortune is like drinking from a fire hose. For the eight who participated in his six week open studio residency in New Zealand at the start of 2020, it was definitely a case of immersion. Michael Fortune is the ‘anything but square’* furniture designer maker and educator from Canada whose work is known and collected all over the world. During the six weeks, participants were encouraged to step out of their comfort zone, and to use their time as an opportunity to experiment freely. Michael is a wellspring of energy and radiates positivity. He smiles readily and an eyebrow may arch when he comments on a student’s work: ‘How about if we did this?’ ‘Have you thought of putting this on its side?’ There…

It’s nice to be able to carry tea, coffee or cakes for your guests in a sweet little tray. This one even looks good sitting on a table waiting for those guests and is a great project to learn some new woodworking techniques. We’re going to veneer the base highlighting the beauty of wood. It’s not that difficult and doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The joinery is on the smaller scale and easily accomplished using dovetails, half laps and even a pair of bridle joints. We’ll also curve the handle using bent lamination with an easily built form and then add a contrasting band. Lastly we’ll use some leather cord to create a wrap around the handle. Start pressing Select the combination of woods you want and machine…

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As an extension of their hardwax oil finish range, Whittle Waxes now have various colour and neutral stains available. These stains use natural pigments in a base of hardwax oil so if needed they can be thinned with clear hardwax oil. After applying the colour you will still need two or more further coats to complete the finish. When staining wood I try and begin sanding at 150 grit and work up to 180 grit and higher. If I need to sand with 120 grit I only use a belt sander then switch to my random orbit for the 150 and 180 grits as I find the 120 grit in a random orbit sander always leaves swirl marks which, if not carefully removed, will be highlighted with a stain. For…

The edge defines a boundary, a change, a meeting of elements, the beginning and the end. The edge is what delights and engages the eye, providing the mind with an object to analyse, decipher and understand. For the makers represented in this exhibition all boundaries and limitations have been pushed and explored The vocation of designer makers necessitates a journey of continuum – whilst a design language evolves, an occasional disruptor to this thinking occurs. Such was the brief of this exhibition to the contributors. Each maker had their own definition of the ‘edge’ and explored its relevance to them in deeply personal ways, through applying a design approach, construction method, or working on a subject that has touched them deeply. The 27 makers represent a wide spectrum of the…

The Experimental Design Lab, or ExLaB, is a design laboratory at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, that explores, researches and creates design through an experimental process focused on the materials and machines things are made from. Playful experimentation and prototyping lie at the core of the ExLaB pedagogy, encouraging designers to re-examine everyday materials and invent new ones. Designers are required to get out of their sketchbooks and get their hands dirty. Process driven design suggests an alternative ‘bottom-up’ approach that places materials and the way things are made at the core of the conceptual process. Designers are hereby compelled to uncover latent opportunities that only become evident through open-ended experimentation, while also readdressing our relationship with the planet by requiring a deep understanding of what things…