Some wooden needle cases and other textile working tools

At our woodworking course we have a new electric lathe, and I wanted to try this machine to make some wooden needle cases. Such needle cases existed in bone and metal forms in medieval times, and likely as well in wood - but this is difficult to prove as the items are rather small and relatively fragile. The needle case consisted of a hollow wooden cover, in which a hollow wooden bobbin sits, in which needles can be stored. In fact, it is a complete sewing kit.

Some sewing stuff. Three wooden needle cases with bobbins: two made of walnut, one of cherry, as well as three loose wooden bobbins of cherry and beech.

Making the needle case was a wondrous experience. It went smooth and fast on the new machine. I used some walnut stock to make the basic wooden rod (around 25 mm) on the lathe. Then I divided the rod into four pieces: two cases and two bobbins. A relatively simple task to do. I hollowed the turned cases out using a drill press with a 15 mm forstner bit, but this could also have been done on the lathe. In fact, making the holes for the needles in the bobbin was done on the lathe with the bobbin fixed in the chuck and the drill in the dead centre of the tail stock.

Here the two parts of the needle case can be seen; The bobbin with the hole for the needles, and the wooden case for the bobbin. Ideally, a cord can be attached the the bobbin and the case, so the complete set can be attached to a belt.

The two walnut needle cases closed. The top one is finished with beeswax, bottom one with linseed oil. 

Previously, I had made such a needle case from cherry wood on an old unstable lathe, and made the holes using a centre bit on a hand drilling machine. This was a far more tricky process with an only 50% success rate.

 The cherry needle box. A piece of wool is used to plug the needle hole of the bobbin.

Previously, I also made some more bobbins from beech and cherry.

  Three empty bobbins.

And two full ones.

And a wooden pin or stiletto of beech. The pin is used as a help for making eyelets. Pushing it through the fabric creates a hole for the eyelet by forcing the weave apart.

Some other textile working tools shown on the first photo are a pair of scissors (bought at Glimmingehus in Sweden) and a ring thimble. The thimble is a 14th century original, now put back into use.

The ring thimble has retained a nice patina.

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Thompson Turning Tools Up for Review

Over the years of exploring wood turning forums, a name began appearing, Thompson Lathe Tools.  

You know how it goes, you see a reference of a new tool and think "Huh, wonder if its any good?"  After seeing this brand pop up more and more, I visited his website and took a look around.  I realized that Id been missing out.  Id read others rave about the extreme edge holding ability of these tools, but I didnt realize that a lot of the professionals that make a living by turning more and sharpening less were using these tools too.  Thats when I told myself that when I could, I was going to check out these tools for myself.

I still had a few questions before my decision to purchase was set.  

Such as: 
Do I have to have a CBN wheel for sharpening these tools? 
Which 3/8" spindle gouge with a fingernail grind is used for small finial work?
Whats the advantage of the U shaped or V shaped bowl gouge?
Ill be turning some large platters.  What scraper would you recommend for cleaning up the inside?

I called the company owner, Doug, on a Friday at a quarter to five and had to leave a message.  I figured he was doing the same thing I was and had called it an early day.  To my surprise he called back that evening around 6 and answered all of my questions and then some.  He said that sure, some people use CBN, but you dont have to.  Youll get a finer edge with a CBN wheel, but that the edge created by a 80 or 120 grit aluminum oxide wheel will serve you just fine.  Doug recommended his regular spindle gouge with a sharp fingernail grind for creating delicate finials.  He also recommended the V shaped bowl gouge for the large pieces I was planning to make.  The V shaped bowl gouge is a bit more stout than the U shaped and has proven to be an excellent choice.  I also have a fingernail grind on this tool and have enjoyed every minute of it.  We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the three larger sized scrapers that Doug offers for some time and decided on the 1 1/4" scraper. This size is large enough to reach a fair amount over the tool rest and flatten a big platter, but not so big that I cant use it for 5" plates or bowls.  

After mulling it over for a while, I purchased the 5/8 V shaped bowl gouge, the 3/8 spindle gouge, and the 1 1/4" scraper.  Upon the arrival of these tools, I was quickly impressed.  I feel that packaging says a lot about a person, and while this has nothing to do with edge holding ability, it does enforce the message that Thompson Lathe Tools sends.  These tools are of utmost quality and pride is reflected by each item being shipped in sturdy plastic tubes or sleeves.  Of all the tools Ive purchased, these are the most sturdy.  Even before placing these tools in handles, they just have more presence than any other gouge or scraper Ive handled.  The bowl gouge and spindle gouge both have a heavier cross section than my other gouges, which makes them incredibly sturdy and resistant to chatter.  I cant say enough about the 1 1/4" scraper though.  Wow, just wow.  Its made from 5/16" thick stock and doesnt even attempt to fuss when youre cleaning up the bottom of a big platter or bowl.  It should be noted that this isnt the heaviest scraper that Doug carries.  The two larger scrapers are made of 3/8" and 5/8" steel.  WHAT?!  

Doug Thompson sells his tools unhandled, which keeps costs down.  If youre a do it yourself kinda guy like I am, you can make your own handles and save some cash.  However, what if youre too excited about trying out your new toys?  Cough cough.  Sorry, tools.  You can purchase interchangeable handles from Doug as well.

So, I quickly made some metal handles to try out my new gouge.  The first victim that fell prey to this awesome 5/8" gouge was a piece of hickory that was 21" X 4".  I was absolutely amazed with the results.  I had to sharpen my gouge once after starting this piece and had never had so much fun burying myself with shavings.  I was floored with the edge holding ability of this tool and knew that the other tools were sure to be just as amazing.

About a month later, it was time to get started making ornaments.  I pulled out my new 3/8" spindle gouge and went to town making finials.  This tool has great control and quickly felt like an extension of my body to shape wood with ease.  Again, I was impressed with this tools ability to retain a sharp cutting edge.  Making small finials requires a lot of repeated cuts with the 1/8" tip of a fingernail ground spindle gouge.  I could complete numerous finials per sharpening before performance was even noticeably compromised.

Like most scrapers, these are equipped with a rectangular tang.  For this tool, I made a wooden handle and enlisted the tool for active duty.  Anyone who has used a scraper knows that the heart and soul of a scrapers viability is the burr that creates the cutting edge.  With my standard M2 HSS scraper, I was constantly going back and forth to the grinder or burnishing the edge to bring the burr back to life.  Ill never go back!  You cant make me use an M2 scraper.  Maybe Im over reacting, but geez, this thing just keeps going.  Now, youre not going to see that same time interval as you would with a gouge, but its a scraper, people, and the Thompson scrapers are the ones you want next to your lathe.

Thompson Lathe Tools doesnt just provide tools, they provide satisfaction and excitement.  These tools are just fun to use.  They respond as expected and seem to become an extension of your body that acts and responds instinctively.  Doug is a great person to do business with and I will happily continue to support him with future business and reviews.

Also, I was not compensated in any way by Doug or Thompson Lathe Tools for writing this review.

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Kölner Minnekästchen

The Museum fur angewandte Kunst in Cologne, Germany has a large collection of small medieval caskets, often called Minnekästchen, especially when the decoration has scenes of courtly lovemaking. These caskets were used to hold letters and documents or jewellery.

Below are some images of Minnekastchen taken during our visit to Koln.

Carved casket made of linden of around 1200. Painted  reddish brown  fastened with bronze rosette bands. Lock and hasp are missing.

Casket made of oak panels nailed together by iron nails dating of around 1300. Carved linden inlays

This casket dates from the third quarter of the 13th century and is thought to be a bridal gift. The casket is made of oak, with a beech bottom. The carved decoration with figures of dragons, stag and bird hunting scenes, knights, lions, musicians, Bacchus, between foliage is of made of linden and painted in green and red, and remnants of gold. The planks of the casket are nailed together with iron nails, whereas the hinges are made of gilded bronze. Lock-plate and hinge are missing. The inside has a small side box on the left and is painted red.eight 12.8 cm, width 47.4 cm and depth 14.8 cm.

   

Casket dating from 1350 made of wood from a fruit tree and oak. The panels are nailed and banded together with bronze straps ending in rosettes. The box is carved and painted red.

Small casket made of wood covered with leather and metal straps. The leather is decorated. 14th century.

14th century casket made of pear. On the lid of the casket carved scenes of a Wild Man. Highly decorated metal straps and lock.

Casket decorated with geometric patterns. Inlays with wood from fruit trees and softwood. 15th century.

Casket made of wood covered with painted parchment and metal straps and lock, dating from the 14th century.

Italian casket made of walnut dating from the 14th century. The casket is painted with heraldic shields. Construction of the wooden panels is with dovetails..

Casket made from oak, linden and iron with painted scenery. The casket is standing on iron duck-like feet. The lock is missing. Third quarter 14th century.

Oval painted wooden box from Florance, Italy, dating from the 15th century.

Small casket of painted wood and iron, bearing heraldic shields. 15th century.

South German casket from the 15th century made of painted softwood.

Ivory casket, with brass straps and hinges  from the 15e century. This type of casket can be found throughout the middle ages. A very similar casket is found in the catalogue (part 2) of the exhibition "Die Zeit der Staufer" and has more information on the construction. This casket dates from the second half of the 12th century and was made in Sicily The ivory (thickness 0.5 cm) is nailed to a (linden) wooden inner box. Straps were of gilded copper which ended in small bird heads. The inside is filled with red damask.The casket stands on iron stylised feet. Originally these were turned feet.

 

The 12th century ivory casket from the Bayern National Museum, Munchen. Image from the exhibition catalogue "Die Zeit der Staufer".

Ivory boxes and an ivory polygonal reliquary towercasket.

An ivory Minnekastchen from the exhibition in the Schnutgen Museum dating from 1350-1400. The casket is highly decorated with courtly love scenes. Straps, hinges and lock of silver. Inside covered with (18th century) textile. height 8 cm, width 24 cm, depth 11.5 cm. (Koln, St. Ursula Church).

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