The Far-Eastern Wood Butcher: Prime cuts from the far east.

  M ost woodworkers have at one time or another encountered the object pictured above. Some shy away due to the bad press accredited to these contraptions. Others seem to have rows installed on their bench without much issues. 3 words that worry more woodworkers more than " concealed mitered dovetail" , Taiwan is still better than modern China made hardware, in general. These came from a UK merchant on ebay. These used to be made out of steel. I've seen one by Wm Marples going for more than a song on ebay. The biggest issue with these stops lies in the material now being used: Cast Magnesium/Zinc/Aluminium Alloy. I do not know which of the 3, but I do know it is CAST. Yes, including the threaded rod controlling the lift of the jaws. Strength is the issue.   This even has a recess for any bulk buyer to put their trade label.   I recall countless times of needing something to butt against while planning a small, thin strip of wood, such as the sid...

T his little craft work is the result of a moderate-sized screw-up; I unwittingly positioned one dog-hole such that the dog will hit the bench leg when the dog is in retracted position. As a matter of fact, it cannot retract flush to the bench at all. The solution is to make a shorter dog out of hardwood. I like Krenov's idea of using a springy wood and a ballpoint pen's spring to hold the dog in position. What I do not like is the seemingly fragile nature of the contraption. In terms of spring mechanism, I've decided to follow an old European design: I would always prefer the spring force to be exerted in the same axis as the long grain of my bench. My bench is not glued up, but held together with threaded rods.   So where can I find a piece of metal for a spring?    I believe the bowsaw blade's main body is at least spring hardened, even though the teeth are impulse hardened. This worked to my advantage, since the hard teeth can be...