Spool

On a kick of projects involving splitting wood and making stuff out of it.  This project fell in line with a handfull of other projects recently done using wood from a friends pear tree cut down last fall.  The branch you see below was my starting piece.

I used a hand saw to cut about a 2 inch section. 

One good wack with an axe and we have a split.

I wasn't bold enough to wack it a second time.  I placed the axe along the line I wanted cut and tapped with a hammer twice.  Three hits to make three sections below.

I took the middle section and did a little smoothing with a small hand plainer.

After smooth I used a hand carving knife to cut into the shape you see below.

More shaping, but no sanding.  I used a carving knife to ensure that all the sharp edges were gone and no spliters would snag my thread.

Done!  Oiled it up a bit with some olive oil.  I let sit a while and then filled up the spool with 50 meters of white linen thread.  I made a small V-cut in the end to feed the end of the thread through.  this will hold the end in place when not in use.

Finished Bone Thimble

Not much of a write up on this one.  Just some pictures of the finished thimble.  I sketched some lines on the thimble with the hopes of using that to guide the location of the dimples, but then after reading a little more about thimbles in a book I have, I found that the random location of the dimples was more likely the process used.

I cheated here... I know,  yuck!
I used a Dremel at this point.  Up until this point I had only used hand tools, but I gave up and decided to wrap this project up quickly.  A decision I'm sure I'll regret.  I have more bones in the basement so perhaps I'll make another some day all by hand.

Bone Thimble

Here is s quick little project that has been in the back of my mind for a while and was recently stirred into the front of my mind by my spouse.  When she is out for the evening and has taken the kids with her, that often leads to a particular favorite type of dinner.  I generally like a large portion of good steak with a small side dish of lamb chops.  All cooked very rare on the verge of raw.  OK, I know.  I'm a carnivore, what can I say.  Well last week my wife had such an adventure and I had such a dinner.  Here is the result.  I decided to boil the lamb bone for about an hour, scrape it clean and let it dry in the sun for a week.  I picked it up from the side table while I was watching a movie and thought "what the heck.... here goes!"

I started using some hand files to shape this very well fitted bone thimble.  I still plan on drilling some holes in rows around it, but for now this is what I have.  After I finished it I really wished I had some "before" pictures so that you could see how much fitting it took.  Oh well.  The bone and files were within reach, but alas, the camera was not.

More brass pins

Well, I’ve been in sort of a slump lately.  Lots of projects on the list, but little in the way of motivation to move any of them along.  The other day I picked up on a project I had started a while back.  Was watching football and needed something to keep my idle hands busy.  Probably the only Bears fan who was watching the football game while making pins.  This new set of pins is mostly done.  Still need to sharpen them up a bit more on sharpening stone, but for now they work well enough and look pretty good.

 

Measuring Stick (Wooden Ell Stick)

As a tailor I use a measuring string which is a simple string at least 1 Ell long.  As a tailor I use the string to take measures from clients and then simply hold the string against this wooden Ell stick with marked measures on it.  The measures are in increments of 15/16th of a modern-day inch which the Ell Stick are broken down into.  The Ell Stick is broken into 48 sections which equate to a total of 45 modern-day inches.  My period measuring string is two Ells long (7 1/2 feet).  The plan for this Ell stick to not only be practical, but also decorative.  I want this stick to perform its function well and look nice.  So far I have carved the notches into the 48 increments for measure.  I plan on embellishing my Ell stick, I just haven't finalized the design yet. 
You can also refer to (Tailors Pattern Book 1589.pdf) Page 8 has great wood block print of tailor with ell stick.

Here are a couple photos of the stick in progress.

Small Leather Draw String Pouch (For Bees Wax)

This is a small leather pouch for my sewing kit, to keep the bees wax from melting all over everything. This pouch was made from lamb skin. This seems rather simple but took quite a bit longer than I would have liked. I made three attempts before coming up with a pouch I liked. I started by cutting some leather into three long thin strips and then braiding them. I was hoping to use a braided leather line for the pouch closure. That's the portion which took the most time. I tried three differant weight leathers before I found the one I liked. When I decided on the weight leather and had the braided line, I simply cut a circle of leather of the same material and then punched holes along the endge of the circle. I wove the braided line through the holes to complete the pouch.