Now that I have joined the ranks of those with nothing to do all day (!) workshop projects that are cheap become quite attractive so here are a couple of jobs that while time consuming cost nothing in the way of financial outlay.
Cabinet Catches: I have some friends who live in a remote French farmhouse, the kitchen is furnished with ‘reclaimed’ furniture and they were short of some ‘old’ cabinet catches so I offered to make a couple.
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Original in cast brass
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The hinge part was made by first milling a round slot in some 1/8” brass flat.
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Thick-walled brass tube was then silver soldered into the slot.
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Profile marked out from card template
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| Parts ready for final assembly & polishing. Staples made from square brass bar bent & silver soldered to oval plates. | Finished catches. They are now ‘weathering’ before being fitted, ie., hung in a French orchard for the winter !. |
Old Saw: Saw this saw (?) on an auction site and rather liked it (not enough to bid though.!) so I thought I would make one. It has an unusual blade tensioning by a turnbuckle. I later learned that it is in fact a surgical bone saw !.
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Original
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Here's mine
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There was no indication of size so I made it to fit a Junior hacksaw blade (6” pin to pin).
All mild steel apart from the ebony handle and nickel silver rivets, I used what was in the w/shop so the frame ends are from pre-used 1/4" hot rolled plate, the rest from bar & flat stock.
All hand filed apart from milling the various slots and a bit of turning on the turnbuckle & blade holders. The turnbuckle threads could be a bit finer but the only left hand tap and die I had was 1/8" Whit. so used that. The blade holders fit in broached square holes so the blade can be turned through 90 degrees. The final finish is just draw file - emery cloth and Scotchbright.
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Handle section marked out
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Handle section cut out
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Setting up to mill slot in handle section
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Blade holder & square broach
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This retirement is great - should have done it years ago. Too cold and wet to get in the garage and play with the bikes so into the workshop, turn up the Ipod speakers and turn 'stuff' into 'things'.