Random slightly cool stuff you built but not worth its own thread, thread

[nzstato]

This is a bit of a different project for me, and my first real try with carpentry.  I set the goal to make a workbench using all wood joints - no nails/screws.  Every piece means something:
Rimu (laminate top) - recycled from 1880s biscuit factory
Rimu (frame) - from a large beam left in the garage when we bought the house.
Rata (laminate and legs) - saved from the lintels from a greenhouse I had to take down (the beams were heavy)
Macrocarpa (frame) - milled from a work colleagues house site overlooking Otago harbour.
Wood vice (Record 52 1/2) - ex Otago Girls HS (c. 1950s)
Blacksmiths vice - from my pops workshop (still more restoration needed)
 

[nzstato]

Just now, nzstato said:

This is a bit of a different project for me, and my first real try with carpentry.  I set the goal to make a workbench using all wood joints - no nails/screws.  Every piece means something:
Rimu (laminate top) - recycled from 1880s biscuit factory
Rimu (frame) - from a large beam left in the garage when we bought the house.
Rata (laminate and legs) - saved from the lintels from a greenhouse I had to take down (the beams were heavy)
Macrocarpa (frame) - milled from a work colleagues house site overlooking Otago harbour.
Wood vice (Record 52 1/2) - ex Otago Girls HS (c. 1950s)
Blacksmiths vice - from my pops workshop (still more restoration needed)
 

[chris r]

That's sexy! Did you pin/glue it together? 

[nzstato]

32 minutes ago, chris r said:

That's sexy! Did you pin/glue it together? 

Yes the top is all glued.  The frame is held together mainly with mortise + tenon joints (+drawboard pins) with a few housed dovetails.  The lower shelf is handcut T&G in a housing joint, same with the 'trough' between the benchtops

[chris r]

Not my work but my brothers. He makes fancy leather slings and I was complaining about my spanner roll being fucked so he made this. 

Should outlive me

[Bearded Baldy]

Very nice work. Would he be interested in doing a couple of knife sheaths? In 30 years when i get onto that project.

[chris r]

5 minutes ago, Bearded Baldy said:

Very nice work. Would he be interested in doing a couple of knife sheaths? In 30 years when i get onto that project.

Potentially but he's in Germany so shipping etc might be spenny

I'll ask him and let you what he says. 

This is the sling he makes 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/blackthornballistics/?etsrc=sdt

 

[Bearded Baldy]

Very cool, i was thinking rifle slings. But this is the distraction i did not know i needed.

[chris r]

56 minutes ago, Bearded Baldy said:

Very cool, i was thinking rifle slings. But this is the distraction i did not know i needed.

He said can do sheaths etc, flick him a message on the etsy site (saves me playing piggy in the middle etc) 

[Bearded Baldy]

Legend. Will save the etsy site for a later date. Always good to see peoples work beforehand though.

[deankdx]

just came across this fun project i did a few years back.. (replica ish of what i made as a teenager) 

the Vbrake adaption was due to not getting the bike with any brakes, so cut them off the cheap donor bike 

lots of bodges on this one, I think starting with one of those 20" mountain bike frames would be the go (back wheel/derailleur /chainwheel etc would fit for starters)

wheelie at walking pace is the result.. (this bike ended up scrapped due to a mate left it in the rain too long)  

 

 

[h4nd]

On 05/09/2025 at 16:57, h4nd said:

From V0 to V1, works and fits now.

I mean, it's not rocket-appliances

Ah: I didn't tick the thing when i ordered:

 

Edge plating means $2 boards require ENIG

(yeah literally gold plated - I should do a Trump Parody PCB),

so goes to USD$18,

then when ticking the thing, goes to USD$65. interesting.

I wonder if that's needed for plated internal slots too?

[SOHC]

I was making hammers and a hot cut set this week when I was sick as a dog.

[nzstato]

Doing lots of little tool restoration at the moment - the shed cant take any workshop machinery. 

I really dont like cosmetic restorations of tools or 'collector only' stuff- my preference is to keep whatever age/patina is there and then get it working how it should/straight/sharp etc. 

Kinda worked out my own process for derusting stuff like this (FYI for anything else).  I tend to go with the brass wheel on a bench grinder to knock off the major stuff, then dunk in a tub of water/oxalic acid for a few days, back out and on the wheel and repeat untill the rust is gone and any exposed bits have a black iron-oxalic acid complex to them.   Nickel plated stuff I'll scrub any excess off with a tooth brush and steel buff off on the wheel - coating in CRC or linseed oil keeps them fresh. 

You can buy oxalic acid as 'bar keepers friend' from bunnings for cheap.

[Willdat?]

Great Uncle has a Triumph Mayflower that he replaced a Datsun 1200 Coupe with in the 90s, he wanted a display piece for a hood ornament and model.

[tortron]

got an old pianno accordion. 

BROKEN

has been misshandled, probably dropped or something, one of the bass valve rods had jumped out of line and was laying over another at one end, so some valves were always open, buttons were stiff and sticky, and generally no good.

easy enough to just realign those. This let me otherwise test it and other than a small air leak in the bellows, that will come right with some fabric tape, it seems to play fine.

other than that there is one button that is always out, and one button that was missing along with its linkage rod. (both on the same bass valve rod, so probably related)

sticking out one is easy enough, just some adjustment bending of the linkage rod and it sould sit just right

For the missing one, i made one out of some 1900 villa wood

and the rod was about the same as the broken lawnmower control cable that i left on my bench from yesterday

 

Thats lovely, the originals are casein.

[tortron]

 

this here is great. the bit of pin sticking out appears to have held a spring clip for holding your ciggy, as the ash drops down and burns the (highly flammable) celluloid shell

[Alfashark]

Nice!  There's a guy somewhere here in NZ that has them shipped to him for repair/rebuild from all over the world.

You could end up being the next Mario Batkovic...

 

[tortron]

i used to play great grandads little button hohner accordion, apparently it was the only entertainment grandma and her siblings had growing up

 

(and an orange once a year for christmas)

[Thphantum]

 

 

Please learn this song

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1740470733181970&vanity=BritainsGotTalent