Wheel Maintenance III

Wheel up and running. I have kept the old leather friction wheel, in case the smart new material proves to be not up to the job. I am now attempting, (on the advice of my lovely Uncle) to stop the wheel from making so much noise. This requires that I rest its four iron limbs on cardboard, so the rattling does not reverberate through the ancient cobble floor; plug the gaps between the sheet sides and frame with bolts separated by rubber washers (and bunged in places with old rubber inner tubes) to prevent the metal shell acting as a drum for the slightly less than soundless running of the engine. This should mean that I may stand some chance of listening to music whilst potting, instead of being lost in an all-encompassing world of rattles.
However, the (usually strong) lure of making things of clay is not high right now, as all the water in my potting area is frozen, and everything is taking forever to dry out.

Finally, always remove the friction wheel from under the fly wheel when finished potting, to prevent the weight of the wheel from bowing the edges of the new friction wheel.

Wheel maintenance II

This is a series of photographs






















of the internal gubbins of my Potters Equipment wheel, pre- and post-dismantled. I am indebted to my Uncle, who is always willing to advise and turn up in chic (and oh so clean) overalls to help with the latest plan and also 'Geoff-down-the-lane', who with his extensive experience servicing a range of ancient motorbikes (BMWs and Royal Enfields) provided sage advice and the new friction wheel, made from some super modern material used in car brakes.
I basically unbolted the shaft (attaching the friction wheel to the motor) and the whole mechanism could be pulled out of the arm which swings the friction wheel under the flywheel (and therefore alters the speed of the wheel head) and the shaft could be slid out from the base of the flywheel. More in post III.

Wheel Maintenance I

My wheel is a fairly simple mechanism; the main wheel (wheel head) is joined to a heavy fly wheel turned by a friction wheel (these terms may be incorrect, I am a novice when it comes to mechanical jargonese) joined to a motor. See the below diagram.


My wheel was slipping and slowing under pressure, part of the problem was due to the lack of contact between the friction wheel and base wheel. The leather friction wheel was too smooth and slightly bowed resulting in a lack of contact. The springs on the main shaft (see photograph) can be adjusted to increase the tension between the fly wheel and friction wheel. This did not seem to work for me, so I returned to first principles. Dismantling as much of the mechanism as I could, cleaning, greasing where needed.

My wheel

A thing of solid beauty, and now it works again. I am much indebted to Chip (John Chipperfield of Brockdish Norfolk http://www.suffolkcraftsociety.org/default.asp?p=4&type=3&user=323) for opening my eyes to the delightful practicality of Potters Equipment wheels, and giving me the courage to fix it. He has many of these wheels and uses them for much of his amazing work. He also runs splendid raku firings and is quite inspirational. Okay, enough gushing, and down to the mechanics of the wheel.

pine cone pendants

My beautiful daughter made me this pendant from the base of a pine cone found at Castle Rising. I love it, it is my second favourite necklace. The boys make endless cutlasses and swords with hazel twigs and masking tape (children and masking tape...sigh), but my six year old girl adorns things. Like a magpie she espies the brightest, the most vibrant and distinctive of natures largesse and accessorises her and my world with it, I am much improved by this.
With the window finished (and still awaiting glass), I am busy trying insulate my stable against the vagaries of winter and next I shall get on with the servicing of my potters wheel.

Madson Jam

Time of fellow mruitfulness. And the hedgerows are in abundance. So I have made jam; plum and damson, not especially well (as ever). One year I left for a walk, leaving it bubbling (it was taking ages to set), got waylaid by locals, and only remembered when a friend told me she'd popped round and smelt sugar burning. This year I transported the delectable Victoria plums that I had 'half inched' from my Ma and Pa's trees, in the top box of my (lovely) motorbike. Not a good idea it transpires, for they ended up somewhat battered, just as well I was making jam.

Here is a photograph of sloes, all about to be made into sloe gin (very easy: prick the sloes with a darning needle fill an empty gin bottle about 1/2 full, pour on a 1/4 bottle of sugar and fill up with gin, turn the bottle regularly until ready to drink). It is always a race to plunder the blackthorn in this part of Norfolk, I think all the villagers are particularly partial to sloe gin. Next I will make pear and apple chutney, to bring to the Hunter-Gatherer shebang.

Harvest Interlude

Another interlude. The full moon a little while ago (was it only last week?-school holidays are such a joyous blur), coincided with harvesting, and then a harvestmen showed in up in the house. Over a period of days I spotted it in all the rooms. Was it the same one, or part of a family, or an individual of many clones? I do not know. However, I find the sheer long-legged improbability of these arachnids, delightful and beautiful. Here it is (one of them anyway) on my limed clay-lump walls.

Nearly finished window

Right now the window has had one coat of gloss paint (but been preserved, primed and undercoated). Hinges have been purchased (probably cranked hinges-if that is the term), and I am ready to order the glazing units. Most important of all, and learned from bitter experience, always measure at least twice, if not more, and check with the glaziers, how much gap you must allow between the glass and frame. I stick the glazing units in with silicon sealant and then pin in glazing bars which have been preserved, primed and painted. I will post the in situ window, later. Oh, and because it will be double glazed, I shall also put in a vent in (easy to purchase from diy stores). A doddle, but also an on-going learning process...

now to the overlap

I do apologise to anyone reading, for the lack of correct terminology, I really am an amateur. In the past I have created sash openings which are flush with the rest of the frame. But they do provide a small egress for wet and wind. To avoid this I am attempting an overlap, hence the sash sitting proud of the main frame. I have attached a moulded piece of beading around the edge (mitred at the corners), I am not sure this is the best method, and I am sure I will attempt another in the future. In fact, I am disatisfied with the end result, and may well build a new sash opening, which has a routed overlap.

A fittingly hinged-sash

Once the sash has dried, trim back the joints and check it fits into the opening in the main frame. The picture here shows the hinged sash is slightly proud of the fame (maybe 10mm) more about this later. If the frame does not fit, plane a little so that it moves easily within the opening. I also plane a slant on the bottom (parring some off the inside edge), so any water inadvertently getting under the hinged sash, is directed back out, rather than inwards.

Here, I have also added the rebate for the glass to sit against. I have found the simplest method is to use lengths of mitred quadrant mouldings, as before.



Although it is possible to rout the rebate in, I have not chosen this approach (although I know a man who has). And I do know that gluing in extras does not improve the water-resistance of the frame. However, the solution is to fit everything together accurately, and failing that, fill in all gaps.

I also rout a drip channel (for want of better terminology) all the way around the inside of the hinged sash. Centrally placed, about 6mm wide and 3mm deep.

Hinged sash

Or hopefully, to call it by its correct name, a side-hung hinged sash (to distinguish from common or garden sash, or the even more plebian horizontal sliding sash). Anyway, finally I get round to posting about the 'opening part of a casement window'. Firstly, it is important to note that the mortice and tenons are jointed the opposite way to the main frame of the window. See the diagram to the right.

Measure the opening the sash has to fit into, reduce by a mm on all edges, to allow the window to open. Then cut the joints (with the elbows), drill slightly staggered holes to peg the frame together (see earlier posts for more details), glue, peg and clamp in place. In the absence of sash clamps I use my work bench. I would also recommend pegging the frame together on both sides (a message from experience) to prevent the frame bending.

Elderflower Intermission

As making the casement opening is taking some time, due to life, I thought I would add a hedgerow recipe which is so delightful, easy and cheap; elderflower cordial.

Dissolve about 1.8 kg sugar in 2 pints of water, take the rind off a few lemons (I use a potato peeler) slice the remaining lemon and put all in the pot. Pick 25 or so elderflowers, on a warm sunny day, gently shake to remove insects, but not the pollen, put in with sugar water and lemons, and leave to steep for 24-36 hours.

Strain through a muslin bag, add about 60g citric acid for a kick, and bottle. I use small water bottles and keep in the fridge. It lasts a couple of months before it starts to ferment. But I make heaps and freeze it, and then it lasts forever.

Annual car lovefest

Time has spun round and it is time to MOT the car. Car maintenance is not something I can claim any modicum of skill in, so our vehicle gets the professional treatment. I say car, but it is more of a bus, as I have more children than I know what to do with, we have an almost-people carrier, without much oomph (but in my dreams I drive an Alfa Romeo Spyder or Africa Twin, neither suited to a superfluity of passengers, hmmm, wonder why).
But, I always remember the advice of my Gruncle; make the car look as if it is loved and cared for, and then the testers assume I have bothered (on the infrequent occasions I drive it) to check the oil. So this is the poor cars time to shine, literally, as I muck out the bags of crumbs, rotten apple cores, endless plastic junk, half sucked sweets rammed in corners; the dingy debris of my delightful little darlings..

This year ants are making free with the soiled beets. As I empty sweet wrappings, I see a column of Hymenopterans, who have discovered the car is a boiled sugar paradise, delectable treats awaiting in every corner. I am afraid I hoover these up mercilessly, taking the view, that the hoover is full of so many food items, plus Lego they will not be hungry or lacking in activities. The ants are not so bad, considering a previous year when I noticed chewed sweet wrappings. I carried on feeding them to the kids, as and when car sickness dictated. However, the reason for the chewed wrappers finally struck me as I carted a car load of boys (some of them not mine) on an outing, I had just handed the last of the sweets out, and the empty, shredded bag staring at me suddenly said- mice, or worse, rats? Could they actually get in the glove compartment? Vermin are one of those things, when you start looking for the traces, you cannot believe you have been so blind as to not notice them before.

Maybe I should clean the car more often...

Casement Window IX

Once mitred mouldings have been added to to all areas to be glazed, the main body of the window is complete (wicked). I then lavishly smother the frame in a wood treatment (to hopefully) prevent rot, fill any gaps in joints and mitrings (no one is perfect) with exterior filler, and then prime, undercoat and exterior paint the frame (ready for the photo shoot...). Photo coming soon.

But next-the opening part of the casement, and to my mind the hardest.

Casement Window VIII

Decide on the thickness of your glass or double glazing units, because this will affect the size of moulding used for the recess in which the glass sits. I really am not sure if this is the right approach, but it is one that works for me. I buy lengths of quadrant (this is 25mm quadrant) sometimes I plane a flat surface, or I have used a router on a 25mmx25mm to get the moulded shape I want. Mitre the ends. I always allow extra, because I always mitre the wrong way, several times, AND mess up, as the saw slips. Liberally apply water resistant wood adhesive, and clamp.

Casement Window VII

A dowelled mortice and tenon joint on my window.

And the completed window frame, after the extra tenon lengths had been sawn off. I thought I had photographed a before and after, but obviously not. Here I am also starting to add the moulding for the glass to sit against. See next post.

Casement Window VI

Check all the mortice and tenons fit (assemble the whole window) they want to be a good fit, but not too snug. Before gluing every thing together, holes have to be drilled so that dowelling pegs (I use 6mm) can reinforce the joint, if the hole in the tenon is drilled slightly closer to the inside of the frame, then the dowel acts to draw everything together. Then all sides of the tenon and mortice are liberally glued with a waterproof wood adhesive, assembled, hammered home, pegged with the dowel, clamped if you have long sash clamps and left to dry. Sorry, I swear the photo was in focus when on the camera, I really must get a better one.

Casement Window V

Maybe not the best photographs in the world (I do only have a pint and shoot), it is not my metier. But hopefully the idea is clear. Scribe the mortice and tenon using the marking gauge, cut tenon using a tenon saw, and mortice using using chisel/drill router combination.

Casement Window IV

Tools are vital. I use these. Plus a saw, a mitre saw, drill and a router. Thanks Pa, for recognising the need to 'share' your tools with me. My first mortices were made using a drill and chisel, the router has made it so much easier. But it is still necessary to pare the ends of the mortice square with a chisel. A sharp one. As I have discovered a blunt chisel is no good. I tend to sharpen mine every couple of mortices cut.

Casement Window III

Next I did a brief sketch of the window I was intending to replace. Essentials like width, length, depth. I made an approximation of the wood I required, allowing extra for the tenons, and a small 'shoulder' on the sill and top rail (this is probably not its true term) which is then sawn or pared after the window has been assembled, so all joints are flush with the body of the frame.

Then I took myself down to the nearest timber merchants (I am so lucky to have a delightful local one) and checked the quality of the wood. I purchased planed softwood which was as near to the dimensions that I required. A brief digress here; I know hardwood would last longer, but it is also much more expensive-I take the view that as I am likely to make mistakes, and I also intend to protect the window and repaint every year, this is an unnecessary expense. One of my village friends very thoughtfully loaned me a monstrous but wicked machine, which enables me to accurately plane wood to the appropriate measures. This is far better (in so many ways) than planing by hand.

Casement Window II

Okay, so it is a sketch, many books and wikipedia will show more accurate drawings (even ruled). I made a few practice M and T joints. Learned from other very valuable village friends, that a 'shoulder' should be added to a M and T joint, particularly in a window to prevent the frame from twisting. See the rough sketch above for an M and T joint with a shoulder. Strictly speaking the proportions of a tenon joint should be one third the thickness of the rail, something to bear in mind when marking out the joint.

Next I did a brief sketch of the window I was intending to replace. Including essentials, like the height and width of window, depth of rails etc.

Building a casement window

First posting is about building a casement window. I live in a 180 year old mud house, and have done for a while. The windows need continual maintainance, sanding, painting, filling, cutting out of rotten wood, replacement with filler, until finally I had more plastic wood and wet-rot hardener than I did original window. I abhor PVC windows; where would all my cute, friendly woodworm live? So on looking into replacement bespoke wooden windows, I discovered how very, very expensive they are. Secondly I was inspired by Dave who used to live in the village, and every day, taking my kids to school, I would pass him slowly replacing all 10 of the windows on his house (and he did the back). Finally I plucked up courage to ask him the hows whys and wherefores, I then discovered that he was not a professional, but enthusiastic amateur and did it in his spare time. Armed with this knowledge and the passion I have for creating things, I set about finding out how to put a window together. For sash windows this is not too difficult, there seem to be sites and books showing you how to build one, blimmey, there are even kits. Casement was a lot harder (and it is in response to this I am blogging). Firstly I looked in books, DIY ones have exceedingly small bits on how to repair parts of casements, even books I ordered especially from my lovely local library; their titles suggesting all answers would be held within, proved of little use. For once in my life, answers were not contained within tomes. So then I examined the windows, and the parts that had fallen off, discovered the joints that they were held together by. Now books did come in handy at this point, naming the essential woodworking joint as the mortice and tenon. And here is a picture of said joint.

Declaration of intent

I have always been of practical bent, enjoying getting dirty while creating something functional. More so recently. Like many like-minded chapesses and chaps, particularly in this economic age, I have been driven to attempt things that I might not have considered in the past, although please keep schtum about the house rewiring. So this is my DIY record to be put on public display, in the hope that it might inspire people to attempt daunting deeds, resulting in cost effective personal satisfaction (and time to play with serious power tools), and also I hope it may bring in constructive criticism, so that I may learn and improve upon existing skills (truly).