Second handle in as many days. Manufacturers don’t really seem to care about the way the grain runs in the handles they pump out on a daily basis, therefore they aren’t really the best possible. I have had it with store bought handles at this point so there is only one thing to do!
Make my own.
I have had a piece of riven white oak laying around for a couple years, maybe four, that I have been saving for this. I knew the day would come.
I had to add something to make me smile every time I use it so a bit of carving on each side will do it. A bit of blue milk paint and oiled it up!
I carved it to fit my hand perfectly so I’d feel less fatigued at the end of my day.
It’s a beautiful thing to be able to use the materials around us to make functional and useful things.
“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work that our descendants will thank us for; and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time will come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that man will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, “See! This our Father did for us.”
These stones were not laid by my father. And I don’t think the man who laid them ever read Ruskin’s quote, for they were not laid with the next generation in mind.
Though they have “lasted” since the summer of 1959 they had long since settled a few inches lower than they started. I am very thankful to have that almost unusably small entryway demolished. The structure was “secured” to the house with a mere dozen 16d nails.
This one is a monster at four inches!
I like finding things in the walls from past craftsman. Shavings from a plane I think are the most relatable for me. I know how it feels to run a plane along a board, the sweet sound of the iron slicing the grain, it can be very enjoyable. I’ve been known to unroll a shaving to write something fun on it and put it in the wall for the next remodel.
Thankfully on this job the homeowner did most of the demo needed. He was having fun discovering all the items that were hiding. It was all we could do to keep home from destroying the whole house.
Love letters and poems, a school book, old tools, clothing, shoes, games, small cardboard boxes, dolls, kitchen utensils, shoot there was even a well hidden!
This home had the most I think I’ve ever seen hidden in the dark unaccessible spaces.
these are the lockers the broom cabinet is on the right. 
this is the broom cabinet with the partitions installed. A charging station was added on the right side with drawers under it.
this one is the base cabinet, it’s a pretty straight forward box with a horizontal partition.
here are the front and back of the island on the bench. These had to be spot on their dimensions because the total length had to be ten feet exact for the counter top.
A couple shots of the install. 
completed install
Note the paper towel niche.
One needed to be scribed to a brick wall and both have steel posts in their corners that were covered with paneled columns. 
one of two columns.
These sheets were carefully matched edge to edge to make the seams disappear. Then a domino joiner was used to cut mortises for floating tenons, these keep the sheets flat, and add strength to the joint. This stuff is pretty expensive so our utmost care was needed to keep these safe.
My favorite hook yet. Birch with milk paint and oil finish 
Serving tray, spreader and eating spoon
hiscarpentry 