New tool

[kiwigeo]

I picked up this from the US for $30. I plan to use it for making glue up of the lute top a bit easier. The iron is ideal for reheating hide glue under a joint.

[Puff]

Lime green Commodore (even with the four cylinder Opel engine) any day

[auscab]

what is it ? an iron for pockets ?

Rob

[Puff]

Hey -it's just something you can buy for $30. Martin likes keeping the money roll going.

[Kim]

what is it ? an iron for pockets ?

Rob

Robin said: "Holey Toledo Batman, is that ur heated cod piece or are you just happy to see me?"

[kiwigeo]

Its a friggin' sealing iron. Used mainly by model plane enthusiasts and photographers. It's ideal for heating up hide glue along a top joint.

[woodrat]

It looks like a great piece of kit Martin for exactly what you mentioned... Where did you get it?

John

[Kim]

Oh is that what Barbarella's are selling them as now....I wondered how they would move them once Dark Angel went off the boil...50% off too..must be 2nd hand

[DarwinStrings]

I've got a new tool too, not as flash as your Bat Boat Martin but still a cool tool. Well a new old tool as I guess it was a pre 60's and I know it used to be a socket firmer. I had these two old socket firmers hanging around in draws and boxes for years and as I have not done much guitar building lately I finally got around to converting the first one. I forgot to take a before shot but it was the same length and style as the 1/2" one you can see in the pic. First I had to soften it to work it, I cut a bit off the length and a bit off the socket as well but the width is almost original. If you look at the pic of the tip in the centre you can see that because I am not a metal worker and don't have a huge heat source I could only re-harden and temper about the last 25mm (you can see a feint line where the hard steel meets the softer steel about 25mmm back from the tip given that it is 20mm wide), that should be all I need though as I don't do much dovetail work anyway but as I have a stack of bevelled firmers anyway I though these would to well as dovetail chisels, it was tempered to the dark straw colour which is a bit of a guess but seems good enough. They are more a push chisel than a striking chisel but I put a leather washered strike handle on cause I like the old school look of them.

The first pic is roughing out the shape with the 100mm grinder, the second is final shaping with a file, the third is the finished front and the fourth is the finished back.

new tool too.jpg (82.7 KiB) Viewed 9003 times

Jim

Life is good when you are amongst the wood tools

[Lillian]

Nice work Jim. Looks like it will be a great chisel to use.