Last minute gift projects

The Christmas projects keep rolling in. You still have a whole weekend left to make last-minute gifts, too. Then things can begin to get back to normal!
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When people ask for gift project ideas, I always mention candle holders. They make great gifts and you can make on in a couple hours! Heres a beauty from Bill Wilson. Made with paduik and okume, its scalloped edges make it unique.

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Train whistles! If you havent made any these yet, give them a shot. All you need is a scrap of 2x4 and a dowel. Here are two from John Schutz. He used a fine-point Sharpie to draw the design, then finished with polyurethane.

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But  Robert Mclennan took the whistle to a different level of creativity with this train train whistle! 

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Stocking hangers! Still time to get these made before Christmas Eve. Hey, Santa doesnt even mind if you dont have a mantel. Pantelis Beglis (???????? ????????) made these two on the balcony of his apartment in Thessaloniki, Greece. (His second woodworking project!) He donated them to his sons  kindergartens  Christmas Bazaar where they fetched 10€ each.

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High School art teacher Kevin Babcock, up in Maine, got very creative by making five stocking holders.

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Quarto! Its all the rage this year. Mike Stone cranked out a bunch! I like the inlaid circles and the storage. Made with birch, oak, and walnut.

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Finally, Alain Vaillancourt (The Woodpecker) just made his own version. Heres his video. 

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At Last!!!

Posted by chun | 0 comments | 6:26 AM

Well after waiting for what seems like months, sending several emails regarding UK availability and keeping a close eye on the Lost Art Press website & blog and finally monitoring stock levels of it on Axminster Tools, its finally mine - At Last!!!

The Anarchist Toolchest by Chris Schwarz - The Modern Day Godfather of hand tool woodworking.

I cant wait to get stuck into this book and I will do my best NOT to review it, as it seems the whole woodworking world and his wife has already done so...

So what else have I been spending money on ...

Just a few stocking fillers from Axminster Tools - not that I wear stockings...

• 2x Large Old fashioned Carpenters Hand Screws
• Veritas Card Scraper set of 4
• Veritas Gimlet set of 7
• Kirschen Burnisher to sharpen the Cabinet Scrapers
• Crown Adjustable Square
• 12" Center Finding Rule

I also purchased a set of 6" and 4" dividers on Ebay. These dividers have a more reliable screw adjustment. I was given my current pair which are from an old trigonometry set that move while in use, unless you are extremely careful with them.

 

Aside from a few luxury items, I should be able to control my hand tool fetish for a while - at least until I have read about the 50 essential tools in the Anarchist Toolchest...

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