Ledge and Braced Garden Gate

Following my post earlier this week, here is the video showing how to make a simple ledge and braced garden gate. It's quite a long video but it covers all the relevent parts.
In a few days time I will be hanging the gate so I'll put that video up as well.
If you have any questions, drop me a line and I will help where I can.

Workmate Mountain !

Following on from my earlier B&D Workmate post: Iv'e just come across this great site! Rupert Blanchard's 'Styling and Salvage'

Rupert searches the boot sales and auction houses of the South East to find second hand furniture, storage items and general materials that he can 'hack' and turn in to really useful pieces of furniture. He uses old doors, delapidated cabinets and drawers to create some briliant results. Check out his site by clicking the image above.

What really caught my eye was his collection of B&D Workmates. He collects these second hand benches and currently has a pile of 13, nainly 625's but a couple of very early silver framed models as well.

Check out some of the recycling Rupert has done especially his fashion store refits. His work has a distinct style ...... well worth a look.

New Garden Gate Urgently Required

Follow me to see how I go on remaking the garden gate. Wet rot has set in and it really is beyond repair.

We have had it for about 12yrs now but its starting to look way past its best.

I'm going to be making a new one and upload the photos and the video on YouTube.

 

Thanks for looking in.

Black & Decker Workmate refit

First made in the early seventies, the Black & Decker workmate now has worldwide sales topping 35 million.
 Invented by Ron Hickman, the workmate was rejected by many companies as being not commercial enough. It was famously rejected by Stanley tools as 'Sales possibly being in the dozens'. Ron had that rejection letter framed and mounted in his office.

The workmate is superb, well, I say the workmate, I mean the original aluminium framed WM625 workmates, that were manufactured in Ireland in the 70's. They are robust, adjustable, great looking benches, something I feel the later models lack.
Originally in powder blue these workbenches sold in their millions all over the world and made Ron a multi millionaire. I own two 625's an early alluminium model and a more recent steel framed one. I use them all the time, they really are a versatile tool and I would reccommend every DIYer to get one (or two)

An early WM625 (right) and the latter all steel version.

I bought the latter at a car boot sale for a fiver. The wooden bench tops were shot so i replaced them with solid oak jaws.

One of the damaged jaws.

The solid american light oak jaw replacement.

Oak WM625 bench top

Having a pair of workmates allows you to work really long pieces of timber and also they're great as a portable working platform. Clamp a couple of planks across them and you can do indoor decorating, easily make repairs to garage gutters, tall fences and hedges etc.

HotPod update .....

Late last year I was fortunate enough to be invited down to St Ives in Cornwall by Dan Harding, the inventor and manufacturer of the fantastic HotPod stove. I had contacted him through a link on YouTube and he said if I should find myself in his neck of the woods, I should pop in. I didn't need asking twice and when myself and my wife planned a week away at Sennen Cove near Lands End, Dan's workshop was on our list of places to visit!

We took our 'NotPod' along to show him and he gave us some very useful tips. (Mine is the smaller one in the photo)
Dan has his own smithy/blacksmiths shop in Cornwall where his hand built stoves are made and it was great to see him at work. Dan produces the hand made stoves to order (now in a range of enamel finishes) and also produces a cast iron version that is just as good looking and efficient but easier on the wallet.
If you fancy a HotPod you can contact Dan on    Tel: +44(0)1736 797 285

The Kreg K3 master system I bought recently in the USA

On a recent holiday in the USA I bought the Kreg Jig. This is a superb tool that allows woodworkers to quickly and easily create strong and accurate joints without the need for dowells, biscuits, glue or clamps.
It really speeds up the build process and after the initial purchase (about £100 plus screws) will start saving you time and money.
I'll be posting some pictures soon of a few items that I've made using the jig. Check out the video to see how I modified the jig to suit my bench.

Bird Table in White Gloss Finish

This is my latest project just finished. Its my dads birthday in a couple of months and he wanted another bird table as his last one rotted away.

This is made from PreVac treated redwood with a gauranteed non rot of 10yrs. It's made mainly from 2X2 and 4X1 with the feeding table made from Ply. The two cross pieces for the feet are 24" accross with 45 deg angle supports on all four sides. Each of the feet has two or one 4X4" pads.

The roof is made from two 500 X 250mm slates which were very tricky to cut, in the end I used a 'dremel' with a cutting disc to get through them. They sit on two 30deg angle pieces cut from 4X1 and lightly screwed in with Black Japaned screws.

The central ridge piece on the roof lifts out to allow nuts to be put in to the mesh food container. The whole table is fastened by four M6 coach bolts and wing nuts to a plywood top on the stand, which allows for easy removal.