Price reductions:
Effective from the end of September 2010 we start a discount of 30% across the whole Stubai carving tool chisel range. Site prices reflect this discount now.
We have also recently reduced prices on the full range of US sourced Brusso products and our woodworking books.
New Kelton Industries Shear Scraper
The latest in a stream of highly innovative products from Kel McNaughton's fertile Kelton Industries has been released.
The holy grail for turners is how to clean the bottom of deep forms, like bowls, while avoiding tearout. This tool allows extravagant negative shear (enough to rival some practising politicians!) and, as usual for Kelton, is not in the slightest bit penny engineered.
Stocks in mid July. Search HERE for detailed info and user advice.
Skewed Bench Chisel Sets
A paring chisel with the blade in shear to the material is much more efficient at cutting. We now offer skewed Left & Right Hand pairs in 5 ranges of our premium Stubai bench chisels. They are available in the 3530, 3550, 3543, 3560 and 3570 series in around 18 sizes in each series generally ranging from 4mm to 40mm.
See HERE for the 3530 series.
Joseph Marples Tools Available
The Marples family name in Sheffield UK is justly famous over many generations for the production of layout tools for woodworking. Now after many years of company takeovers, mergers and outsourcing to South and East Asia we can now source genuinely Made in Sheffield products again.
Better still East Indian Rosewood - Dalbergia latifolia - is now available from certified renewable plantation sources and it looks lovely - not a poor version of the old growth wood such as is the case with plantation Teak.
The Rosewood Marples range looks especially nice.
Search on site using the search word Marples.
Antique Woodworking Tools, Their craftsmanship from the Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century
Buy details HERE
Just listed, the sumptuous new tool history best-of-class title on the history of woodworking tools.
Amassed over nearly forty years, the David Russell collection brings together a stunning array of edge and boring tools from Britain, continental Europe and North America, thus providing a broad survey of hand tool-making from prehistory to today. All the tools are illustrated with James Austin’s photographs, with details and marks shown where appropriate. Special attention is given to planes, and the great British makers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are discussed in depth. The book will appeal to a wide range of readers, including collectors, craftsmen, industrial archaeologists and social historians.
Blue Paper Steel Chefs' Knives - Arata hocho
We've just added these to our offering because we love quality in the kitchen as well as the workshop.
They have rust resistant cheek steel beautifully hammered and with the maker's chop. The edges will discolour if not cared for - we recommend keshigomu blocks for this end. The cutting steel is around 63 Rockwell and lethally sharpened. We suggest only waterstones for these. Please also be mindful of where and by who these are used - they should only see use for people who know what a sharp knife is. Packed in Japan with a band aid included - a bit of Japanese drollery.
Japanese Abrasives
Just added these. The abrasives market in Australia doesn't usually see these which rarely seem to get out of Japan.
Cloth Back Emery
Kovax® emery cloth is thin, efficient and extremely flexible and shows extraordinary wear endurance. There is no equivalent for this product - it is an absolute must for makers of musical instruments and fine furniture. Can be used wet or dry. Super durable.
See here for Rolls
See here for Sheets
Cork Abrasive belts
These belts, in which the grinding particles are applied to a thick layer of cork, are used in Japan by leading manufacturers of knives and shears to produce their legendary hollow grinding and high-quality finishes. They are watered before sanding. The belts respond more elastically than conventional textile belts, delivering concave surfaces with considerably fewer visible ghost lines. - 50 mm x 2 m, 3 pcs. per pack. See HERE.
Citric Terpene Drought
The very popular thinner we sell to thin Tung Oil has gone up in price to the point nobody will stock it. Citric terpene is derived from citrus skins and the major manufactureres are all in drought. We'll switch across to Gum Turpentine in the New Year - an equally good thinner and also 'naturally' derived'.
If this rings a bell you are correct, shellac prices have recently jumped 30 to 50% for the same reason - a bad or non existent crop across South Asia.
'Skarsten' Style Scraper Available
This style of scraper was once made by Skarsten in the UK - haven't seen them for years and we are often asked if they are available. Can be honed or packs of spare blades available. SEE HERE.
We also offer the 4 sided German scraper which is good enough to be fettled up as a cabinet scraper. To sharpen, loosen the screws, align the edges of the scraper on a honing surface, tighten screws and hone the flat on both blade at once. SEE HERE.
Pure Tung Oil On Stone & Marble
We've had some good feedback that tung works well as a sealer on terra cotta and marble.
Test first to see if you are happy - leaves a 'wet look'.
Some Kiwi Humour
"After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, British scientists
found traces of copper wire dating back 200 years and came to the
conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more
than 150 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the Brit's, in the weeks that followed, an American
archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story
published in the New York Times: "American archaeologists, finding
traces of 250-year-old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors
already had an advanced high-tech communications network 50 years
earlier than the British".
One week later, the New Zealand Herald, reported the following:
"After digging as deep as 30 feet in his backyard in Onerahi, Bill Paku,
a self-taught archaeologist and avid Motorhomer reported that he
found absolutely bugger all. Paku has therefore concluded that 250 years
ago, New Zealand had already gone wireless."
Just makes you bloody proud to be a Kiwi!!!
Wider range of Cabinet Scrapers
We have added more options for this most essential and affordable tool. These are especially nice for fine work. Swedish steel.
Shavings Club Gift Vouchers
Vouchers for the period ending October 2010 are in the mail. Remember 6 months validity.
Order Hassles - December 7th and thereabouts
Our site has had some problems placing orders for a couple of days. Apologies. When all else fails remember to email and I'll call you.
Stubai are seeking a larger share of the Australian carving tool market and have offered factory bonus pricing which, combined with the strength of the Australian dollar (for however long it lasts), allows for this sales campaign.
Stubai maintain a tradition which for them is several hundred years old. They still make their carving tools by hand forging and grinding whereas other manufacturers have moved to CNC manufacture. Each tool is hammered out on a drop hammer powered by an in-house hyrdo-electric generator. The shaped tool then goes through many processes to finish as a hardened, honed and ready-for-use carving tool. There are no fewer than 980 tool options making it the largest range in the world.
| Hammering the tang | Shaping the blade |
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150,000 Holes (not in Lancashire)
Customer needs to drill 150,000 holes in green eucalypt logs with depth stopped countersink.
I'm suggesting this in an 8mm version.
Any better ideas?
Click HERE
ChiselKnives for Dovetailing etc.
We've just launched our chiselknives which use a Stubai 'Spezial' steel alloy blade ground with a skewed tip and around 45mm or so of blade along each side of the chisel. We make and fit a hardwood paring style handle fitted with a heavy walled brass ferrule. The extreme skew provides shear in cuts and helps with clearing joints. There is no vertical side face along the ground side edges. Available HERE in 12mm left and right hand skew and in pairs.
HEGNER Scrollsaw Dust Hose Retrofit Kit
Hegner in Germany have released a long awaited retrofit kit for their Multicut 1, 2S, SE and Quick machines. It is an articulated top dust hose which either puffs dust away or vacuums it up depending on the arrangement you have. Stocks due in a couple of weeks. It will be fitted standard to machines from the end of this year. For a peek at more detail see HERE or search using S6914.
Shellac crop failure
Unfortunately there will be a steep rise in shellac prices due to a seasonal crop failure. The standard orange grade will rise around 30% - ouch!
Joint Genies
Joint Genies are causing a stir - Just been discussing the merits of dowelling systems and a customer strongly held the view that a ganged array of well aligned dowells, preferably across two adjacent rows, used with a quality glue and quality hardwood dowell is unmatched for joinery strength. The amount of side grain to side grain adhesion is so in excess of any other system.
King Arthur Power Carving
We're now agents for King Arthur power carving tools. These are accessories for an angle grinder - circular chain saw blades, flap sanders and carbide burrs - all USA made. Use with care no prisoners taken with these tools!
June 13th 2010 - New line of dowelling jigs available in late June. Check out the Joint Genie.
Very cool tools. See the You Tube video on the Home site.
June 1st 2010 - Australian GST Glitch - Apologies to our overseas buyers who have had order confirmations which include the Australian domestic goods & services tax. We're getting the site tweaked so that you will see GST exempt pricing soon. In the meantime we will subtract the GST component for all overseas customers.