Frabjus Lady and The Screwy Carpenter

The Art of Wood, Finely Crafted

Shop Lamp DIY

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Wooden DIY Shop Lamp

I do all my woodworking in our barn and due to its large size light is a precious commodity. One of the areas I need plenty of light is at my lathe. I started out using a clip-on lamp but the pathetic thing didn’t give enough light and wouldn’t even hold its own weight so instead of spending money on an expensive but cheap store bought lamp, I decided to build my own shop lamp. It is mostly made from scraps I had hanging around.

It’s not fancy, but I am not planning on selling it or entering it into a contest. I just want plenty of light and I want to be able to adjust the light to the specific area I need it.

NOTE: I am making the assumption that you have basic carpentry skills and a basic working knowledge of electricity and how it works

This DIY Shop Lamp was simple to create and was just what I needed. [Read more…]

Rope Making Machine and Giving

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Since any kind of outside work has been on hold the Carpenter due to our crazy amount of snowy weather. The Carpenter has been able to focus on a new project. He has been making a Rope Making Machine for a Boy Scout group in Ohio. Here is a picture of the first finished machine:

Finished Rope Machine

The rope machine has several components.

  1. The main gears with handle to turn them
  2. The hooks to hold the separate strands and twist them in the same direction
  3. The stand and handle to hold it steady to a surface
  4. The Receiving hook accessory to hold the opposing side of the rope you are making
  5. The Strand Separator. This keeps the 3 strands from tangling while making rope

It has been a fun but challenging project. Getting the gears to work smoothly is the biggest challenge.  (But more about that soon)

He used plans purchased from Martin Korson for a starting point. The final project has a few variations from the original design.The first machine was completed using the provided templates and cutting them out. This didn’t work out so well.

He quickly learned that absolute precision on the gears was necessary for a smooth movement. The machine works off all three gears running smoothly. So, if one is off it gums up the whole operation. To fix the problem, he used a dial micrometer to precisely measure each gear to create 3 matching gears. The large gear also needed each tooth precisely created. The gears spin on the small metal post and the micrometer measures the height of each tooth.

Micrometer measuring gears

If you have been following us for a while you know that giving is something we do as a family. During harvesting season we glean in the fields for the food banks, we love to do Operation Christmas Child boxes, and the Carpenter uses his mad skills to help others. The finished rope machine is heading here soon to Ohio to educate young boys about rope making. Its fun to think of young hands cranking the wooden gears, watching them turn as they make rope for their projects.

Below you can watch a video of how the machine works. We used some basic gardening twine for our rope. You need 3 people when rope making; one person to turn the gears, one person to guide the strand separator and one person at the end to make sure the end turns at the right rate.

We donated this one to the boy scout club but we will be also offering them for sell at our store. If you are interested in purchasing one send us an email. (charitable organizations receive a 15% discount)

If You would like more information on Samaritians Purse and Operation Christmas Child here is the link for that:

Operation Christmas Child

Check out more of the Carpenter’s adventures:

How to make a French Style Rolling Pin

Square Pegs in round Holes

 

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Thanks for following us on our crazy adventure,

The Frabjus Lady and The Screwy Carpenter

 

Making the Best Clothespin: Small Improvements for Big Results

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WOW!!! The Best Clothespin is HERE!!

Best Clothespins

A couple months back we asked our customers an important question: Is there any way that we can improve Kevin’s Quality Clothespins? Our Goal is to make the Best Clothespin. A simple yet strong clothespin that tackles the hard work with beauty, strength and enduring quality.

Most of our customers came back with a Shouting “DON”T CHANGE A THING! WE LOVE THEM!” So, before anyone panics…take a deep breath… only  a minor change but you will LOVE it.

Each time we receive a remark or complaint we read them with an open mind and ask ourselves “Is this a one time fluke?” “Is this something we can change?” “Is this common?” There has been one critique we thought was worth addressing. Our pins slipped on the line when hanging thinner fabrics.

When we started making clothespins we honestly were not sure of the function of the second hole in the clothespin. You know this one:

hole label

I figured it was for holding items tighter….Well I was partly correct… The second hole in most clothespins is much smaller than the first hole to make it possible to hang items made of thinner fabric and not have that item slip on the line. Our original design did not take that into consideration. So, our goal this summer was to redesign our pin. Don’t Worry…We are keeping the same overall design. However, that second hole is smaller to allow our pins not to slip on the line.

Now you would think this would be just a simple change. It’s only one hole right? Well Geometry and Physics can be tricky things and with one minor change came a couple other tweeks. After several prototypes and testing we finally created the new design. It still has the same heavy duty stainless steel spring.

So with confidence We introduce to you THE BEST AMERICAN MADE CLOTHESPINS….

103226-large-labeled

I know they look different and we promise that only two changes were made:

  1.  The hole holding the spring was made smaller for aesthetics (Okay…Okay…The Carpenter didn’t like how it looked) and we were surprised to find that it made another difference… in our old style the pin would often close eskew. The new style stays in line much better.
  2. The middle hole was made smaller for holding thin fabrics securely on a clothesline. The new pins do not slip down the clothesline.
  3. And a bonus… with the changes the new pin opens wider than before: The old style opened 9/16th of an inch and the new style opens to 11/16th. That is just under 3/4″!

 Opening of clothespins comparision

We were pleasantly surprised at how these two minor changes make such a visual impact.

Best Clothespin ray

The new design is still made of solid maple with a strong stainless steel spring. The lifetime guarantee is still in force. You can still order with or without a linseed oil finish. We are hoping that you will enjoy the new design as much as we do.

Come try them out HERE

Shop here main banner

Also, our “Old Style” Factory First Clothespins are reduced for QUICK SALE. This is a limited time sale and is only available until the old style pins are all out of stock.

 

The Fair and a Dash of Silliness

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Attending the Mother Earth News Fair…and a little silliness.

Lady and the Carpenter Booth

We had a great time this last weekend at the Mother Earth News Fair in Albany, Oregon. Last year we came with only our Kevin’s Quality Clothespins and this year we had 9 more products to sell including our new Clothesline Bags.

We will also be attending the upcoming M.E.N. Fair in West Bend, Wisconsin on July 9th and 10th. If you are in the area we would LOVE to meet you.

fair-logo
Click Picture for more information on Mother Earth News Fairs around the country

These are by far my favorite fairs to attend. It really is more of a conference. People are attending over 150 workshops and learning anything from how to butcher a pig to how to use herbal remedies. Even the vendors are willing to share their expertise and knowledge. If you can’t attend one of these great fairs you can go online (click above picture) and find some great links to speakers, bloggers and businesses that are at the fairs.  [Read more…]

How to easily tighten a rope clothesline

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How to Easily Tighten a Rope Clothesline

I have in my backyard a wonderful rope clothesline but recently I replaced my wire (which was so old it was crumbling) with a rope. Unfortunately, it is hard to tighten a rope clothesline when the rope is also stretchy. Not a good combo for a clothesline.

So, the carpenter got me some clothesline tighteners. They are simple to install and fixed my problem right away. LOVE THEM!

Here is a short video we created for a demo/tutorial. You also get a peak at my clothesline. It’s not gorgeous but it is wonderfully functional now and that is all that really matters. ENJOY

[Read more…]

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