Cutting Board

 

 The cutting board is as simple as useful auxiliary device in any woodworking shop. Its construction is very simple and does not require special materials (scrap wood will be fine)

The main piece consists of a 1 inch thick board, 10"  wide  and 1 foot long. At both ends, on opposite sides, two square holders (1 1/4" x 1 1/4" section)  are screwed and /or glued (of course these sizes can be customized as needed). While one  is located on the backside and firmly holds the tool  against the workbench edge, the other is on the top face and  holds the workpiece in place during cutting.

This holder is shorter than a couple of inches in respect to the tablet width, in order to provide room to the saw action  (typically we will use a backsaw).

The cutting free hand (in my case the right one, more often the left one) will hold the workpiece firmly pressed against the  support. At the same time this force will push the tool against the bench,  blocking everything very efficiently.

Using a free-hand cut, the cutting board, usually, is delegated  in the preliminary stages of  cutting job, remanding  later  the fine squaring process, but ......... surfing the net, I saw a  Roy Underhill and Chris Schwarz video and..... I discovered a truly amazing trick which helps you to get a much better result. This method exploits the ability of the saw blade to reflect items, including the workpiece. If you look carefully, you will see how the blade may cause image distortion when it is out of square and how easy is, however, to place the saw in the right way just following the optical effect of mirror surface. Well ...... I tried it and really works!

Here are pictures of the first piece I just cut in this way without marking it. Only one cut dimension (first pic) is slightly out of square.

Really promising!

In small barrel......

....... there is good wine!!

The Stanley 101 is a plane that escapes the attention and consideration of many. It is just  long 3 1 / 2 inches and has a blade only 1" wide. It was produced from 1877 to 1962.

When put on the market  it was offered as a toy plane, failing to provide the considerable success it would have. In fact, I too have not considered it for some years, parking on its shelf  until I had the need to use it. In fact, I had to finish the corners of a frame fixed with glue and nails. Lacking room for using a classic block (my 9 1 / 2 plane) without danger to ruin the cutter edge on nails, I decided to use the 101, which carried out its first job to my service in the best way . Of course it needed the classical  basic treatment : iron sharpening (I made a single 30° bevel ) and sole flattening.

I tested the plane onto mahogany and ash. Passed with flying colors!

Old chisel

I found this chisel during a visit to a flea market. What caught my attention was the shape of the handle and the short blade. I initially thought it was a butt chisel—particularly suitable for cutting hinge mortises, working in tight spaces, or when extra control is needed, since the handle fits perfectly in the palm of the hand. However, I noticed that these chisels usually have chamfered (beveled) edges, not square sides like this one.

The chisel is about 15 cm long, and the blade is 25 mm wide. It was probably a firmer chisel that had been adapted for this purpose. This theory is also supported by the position of the brand mark, which would typically be placed further from the edge on an original butt chisel. Still, given the good quality of the blade—marked 'Kirschenwerk' (Two Cherries)—I decided to restore it for reuse after years of dust and rust.

First, I separated the blade from the handle. The old ferrule was clearly damaged, so I took the opportunity to replace it with a new brass one. I made it from a piece of hydraulic brass pipe cut to the appropriate size. To support the new ferrule, I inserted a wooden rod into the handle, which also helped redo the hole for the pyramidal tang. I drilled it using a set of decreasing diameter drill bits.

The drill bit diameters must fall between the minimum and maximum diagonals of the tang’s cross-section. Between the blade and the ferrule, I inserted a hydraulic seal to help absorb the impact of mallet blows.

The blade was fortunately only lightly pitted, mostly on the bevel side. The back was in good condition, so flattening it was quick and easy. After an overnight vinegar bath, I reground a 25° bevel. To preserve a vintage look, I applied a coat of 'antique walnut' varnish, followed by two coats of wax.

I’m satisfied with the result, and I’m sure this chisel still has more to add to its long history.

Record "Testa Rossa"

When I decided to turn this Record 4 1/2 into a 'super' plane, I immediately associated it with a racing car—specifically a Ferrari—so choosing red was a natural consequence.

It's equipped with an old wooden plane blade, which is significantly thicker (about 4 mm) than the original. It has a 10° back bevel, resulting in a 55° cutting angle*, excellent for working with difficult grain.
This modification significantly improves performance and fully justifies the time invested.

*While using the plane, I found it very hard to push, so I decided to reduce the back bevel to 10° instead of 15°. The latter works better for a narrower plane like a #4.

Lesson in carving

 

We met Salvatore Mastrangelo at one of the many pleasant gatherings we organize in our friend Daniele’s shop (he’s on the left in the first photo). Salvatore is a truly delightful and unique person, full of life experiences. A true professional, driven by an uncontrollable passion for everything related to woodworking. 

He expresses his outstanding artistic vein most skillfully through the art of carving. 

This time, we convinced him to teach us some good techniques to develop better skills in this craft. Under his guidance, we tried a few exercises. The quality of the carving tools—and their sharpness—are fundamental prerequisites for achieving the best results.

In this regard, it's very useful to keep a sharpening stone on the bench to frequently hone the cutting edges of the most commonly used tools. In the photo, you can see a concave-shaped oil stone, which fits the profile of certain edges particularly well. Unfortunately, the time available is never enough, but we managed to remember some valuable advice on work strategies, the importance of a solid initial design, and respecting the layout of the various elements to achieve a good sense of perspective.

Finally, we’ve added a couple of pictures that showcase Salvatore's work. I think they speak for themselves.