Mouseman

[Blackswanwood]

I think I have posted a link to a video about Robert Thompson previously but someone sent me this one today and it’s well worth a watch.

It seems to have been recorded in 1935. Other than not wearing brown coats/smoking a pipe while working (and I doubt they have a bloke casually knocking in wedges when they are using the table saw) they still make furniture in the same way today.

The carving reminded me of MikeG’s roses!

 

[Lons]

Thanks for posting Robert, an interesting video.
I called in at Kilburn a couple of times when I lived in Beverley in the late 70s. It was a much nicer drive across the moors than via the motorways.

 

[AndyP]

We too visited late 70s . I was just a teenager back then but I still own some mouse-man napkin rings, an ashtray (which I still have not removed a burn mark from) and a small chopping board.

 

[Mike G]

It's unfortunate there's no sound, but it's a wonderful little film.

Did anyone see the scraper technique, halfway through?

 

[Stargazer]

We visited a couple of years ago, unfortunately the visitor centre is currently closed but the shop and museum were still open when we visited. Now we have a refectory table complete with mouse around which to arrange all my windsor chairs.

 

[Cabinetman]

Quote "It seems to have been recorded in 1935. Other than not wearing brown coats/smoking a pipe while working (and I doubt they have a bloke casually knocking in wedges when they are using the table saw)"

Can’t say I’m much of a brown coat man, and it’s 35 years since I smoked a pipe, but just how else do you deal with the Oak planks closing up on the riving knife? Always have a wedge tucked away on the table saw.
Just curious if I’ve been doing it wrong all these years?
Ian

 

[Richard]

... just how else do you deal with the Oak planks closing up on the riving knife? Always have a wedge tucked away on the table saw.
Just curious if I’ve been doing it wrong all these years? Ian

No, you've not been doing it wrong. In situations where I've had a helper available when ripping stuff, especially if there's lots of it and it's thick or otherwise predictably likely to be sort of material that might pinch or otherwise misbehave, I've armed said helper with a hammer and a couple of wood wedges, preferably something hard like oak but they don't have to be.

As far as I know that sort of working routine is pretty normal in a two person operation much as described above.

I've also been in situations where I've been working on my own and something pinches badly enough to almost stall the saw, or actually stall it. It happens. With the saw stopped it's usually possible to drive a couple of wedges into the saw cut beyond the riving knife, restart the saw and finish the cut. Slainte.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Looks like my doubt on that point was wrong then!

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Did anyone see the scraper technique, halfway through?

You mean the one-hand miracle, or, (what I suspect is) the blunt chisel scraper a la Bill Carter? Both equally impressive!

 

[Richard]

... where I've had a helper available when ripping stuff, especially if there's lots of it and it's thick or otherwise predictably likely to be sort of material that might pinch or otherwise misbehave, I've armed said helper with a hammer and a couple of wood wedges, preferably something hard like oak but they don't have to be.
As far as I know that sort of working routine is pretty normal in a two person operation much as described above.

I've just remembered I have a very poor low resolution decades old photo of what I described earlier, see below where a helper's arm plus hammer in his right hand are visible: the wedge in the guy's left hand isn't really discernible, unfortunately. Slainte.

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