~ Our narrator, succumbing to the vain allurements of folly and fashion, steps into frame ~ The gross effects of holiday overeating are revealed and laid bare for comments, criticisms and judgment ~ A new sawing technique is demonstrated for the first time (in these annals) ~ A brother, unspoiled by praise or blame, heroically takes up the camera and performs admirably ~ A stout oaken plank is bent to the will of the craftsman ~ A dogsled is returned to trail readiness ~ And - Only Hand Tools Are Used!
Umm...sorry. Got carried away there. A combination of Rex Beach's "The Silver Horde" (1909) and "Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases" by Grenville Kleiser (1917). Dreadfully sorry. I shall endeavor to contain myself...
Earlier today I responded to a comment on a previous post where a reader had stated that I clearly enjoy all aspects of making something out of wood. I agreed, saying that sometimes I enjoy the process more than the product. This post is a perfect illustration of how the process can trump the product - which in this case was nothing more than a rectangular stick with a half-dozen holes drilled in it.
My brother Josh, a recreational dog musher, asked if I could help him fix one of his broken sleds, and I happily agreed. So, the week before Christmas, Josh and his daughter Kaija came over to visit the shop (Kaija actually had her own project to work on - but that's a future post). One of the oak sled stanchions had broken after an abrupt meeting with a spruce tree. Actually, it's more complicated than that, but Josh isn't here right now and that's my version of what happened.
Here's a shot of the part to be replaced:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiVfJASYjBK_47Kq_y8NjfPj0W8Qkpq0ReOQpIQQcTWf60ZbeiI6dHY8wTuyi5QpBmGa76jtSmPm4Vw81zbvv4KUIXyQyMaRL9vAmb4JYhctN80yRau7kDGfNQgq0YMqAHicgIWnCjz4/s400/Shop+Stuff+992A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
Josh brought a lenght of oak that was just big enough to form the new stanchion. The main job here was ripping, so the trusty Disston D-8 was called for:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsqvYalwK5cs576I6B75MubrO5OtDEG9T2zPAByiFsm4fVsXvMLCxXz9FdJlPjfhkqkt6u012FNHXZHex_bwR5wlaygAX13GZKhocj8OBtrnfI4wEZG4iUZvj78sZZWja5ci8w_hPyr4/s400/Shop+Stuff+999A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
This was one awkward board to rip - hard to hold on the edge of the saw bench, and too narrow for the slot down the middle. I ended up starting it at an angle across the bench and had to stop frequently to readjust - and avoid cutting into the bench.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1h235xhlHeiJ8R-jh1BNHceHs-WMowJVC6Ka_vt0Zo8JxVzjUPs2qOjr7AXCYKKimfJ2WCwxaMyUaRqCs3C1Qx2BQT-0nfTQi_znOI4yWO1tvXGl0rSzhTTcxS9n1HjBIyjh8_q-hw0/s400/Shop+Stuff+1000A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
As I got closer to the end of the rip, I reverted to my normal stance. When discussing the use of this saw bench before, I've tried to describe this position in words, but a picture is better:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2HI5YGUApcDOcH_gxK5nTaGcBggZtHTnfTcTeunISHi-CWcmYvPijLmEqoQUq89wO0gnetnlvUVzeWAVoY8767skKcoujxk_qVaqywDLos-CItRz1SK7F3UB8QBO16MECiPApqNSSwI/s400/Shop+Stuff+1002A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
At the very end of the board a chunk had been cut out for some past project. The gauge line almost, but not quite intersected this void. Of course, I could have stopped ripping and just planed this slightly wider section down to the line, but where is the challenge in that? Time to put theoretical knowledge into practice! I decided to flip the saw around, sit on the board, and try my hand(s) at overhand ripping:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0BdFg_E_I1g8dSbuYt08MFzN5yioLmaMPBhSiQx4wjBjpVhD1lwA9GwGJMzpBux2DeQ5dNvqGlV31GtAQkkabJOuRw4VUaJmWnePeIuPSPUF2XBjkoWQ5r27mD5Z1JYvsUkvLuFB72w/s400/Shop+Stuff+1004A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
Hmm, I have been eating too much...
Anyway, it worked better than I would have guessed:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavPmygK5IYCwQukTcVZ_lob_j4pMd8mP-CVZLhPBlBfq3ZhjMjShlRDXcucfrnVrHCK_eGLlAor7_3mOqdU0ksT2Y6kv65HNaZsEj-tr1BmoJW7qXUs_lOIWu1DvpfUg3RKf7uJ11G8I/s400/Shop+Stuff+1006A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
After that I cleaned up the rip and straightened the edge with a jointer plane.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3joRp24HxcA_CiHnWjhAHa6-zlblE8yTLcMEdJVZWsnA0Qco1Re4XUvt1LZ1u81eP1Ezag2B2zaefixjGs1VVnBIafU2blE2VsYHlW8tDNOkvHTnUdP7yAkukUkdK6wKdUwICcC0dA0/s400/Shop+Stuff+1009A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
Hey, isn't that a plump grizzly bear chowing down on an enormous cream cheese covered bagel on my shirt? Fitting - isn't it...
Josh provides the obligatory shavings shot:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifth1cvl771GkjCKp0IeRzSGaIGlNwJIpOVYBNRpLAeOI6PMfACjcpIc6oTeR0ILvfd-1FcyicUO-yG38oPAMN3jAydWOvqj2xBlJMBcgxM-yVhxXyfEVtepboDpiWi77rDb1PoEhqrMs/s400/Shop+Stuff+1012A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
I used an awl to transfer the holes from the existing part to the new one...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjfVnGSjFWYGWFLrwovTXrsJaF3bjzNGr3r8T8bN6Mfk98oWcop01DTatKtm23B8QM2lnExfHGf7lL83HY5xhAZ0FJePZPzUoD5j8wb-PISK6EBM2YQKc6yHQ0MIOZlItsObuBRnDGvc/s400/Shop+Stuff+1028A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
...and then bored the smaller holes with a hand drill...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTvIFUDufcp4NTj3XM-0O30Si4L8gYXNH-SLyPqiEADqceaui-1DjWr9FNiHUDdfb5p9RkdsBEO56Cw9b75s_8K2W0i4fePgz2o_fwag5Z9Tp06dd4Lh8SFSY61IjGElOYWGf_2-5tws/s400/Shop+Stuff+1042A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
...and the larger hole with a brace and bit:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNo1uoBv2y9cQ9KHNu6r4ayBR0m7IeW5gHi0b1LETkKqyyJr-3KQsm1xYTNR0ZhUGyLirafI1Wp5Hd_8Xt2zBWMBQE_naWFQEZ6QbAA8yEYw24oR1KDW8KCaWzEao0WZsl4imvxlQjDI/s400/Shop+Stuff+1047A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
After that it was just a matter of bolting it into place. Here's Josh working on that:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTPFfhW5gh-a7orC8eJ_0jzagOd7t-hV2KguSYjt0aWbInJ_mqdR1AUtgwKUsV-NITL4VzGXhTbXvmLeOtLwwX0M2PH0CZiCfsUQ3fA0xT87kk0qDWbjQyrNee2eFSaKcltiwE-7uknM/s400/Shop+Stuff+1054A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg)
So, a thoroughly enjoyable process that yielded a completely mundane product. Cool.
Of course, when joined to its other mundane friends, that part becomes a sled capable of the extraordinary process of mushing. Hmm.