Ben Harkins
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lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Ben Harkins
@lefthandhawk.bsky.social
220 followers 200 following 87 posts
Woodworker, outdoorsman, ttrpg gamer. He/him
Trans rights are human rights
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lefthandhawk.bsky.social
I am learning an incredible amount trying to get this carved chest built.
#woodworking
A small chest sits on a workbench. It has carvings on its vertical faces, but these are hard to see. A closer look at some of the carvings. The large front panel has a tessleated hexafoil design, while the side has a trefoil pattern and some waves engraved. An inside look of the chest, showing an open till suitable to hold the lid open (if the lid was actually attached yet)
April 29, 2025 at 5:17 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Haven't had time to do too much in the shop, but a little chip carving while the wee one is at sports practice makes the time go quick.
A board with a continuous hexafoil pattern rests across my lap, with a scandi carving knife on top. It's mid process, with some of the pattern cut into the board and some of it traced out with a compass.
April 21, 2025 at 11:32 PM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Chair is done! Proudly taking it's place in my kindergartners room, so now I have a comfortable place to sing lullabies from.
This was Chris Schwarz' bull💩 chair, made entirely with supplies from the big box store. The next one will be a bit different.
#woodworking
A yellow stick chair is set outside among many fallen leaves. A yellow chair is shown inside, on a stair landing. There are two cats on the seat of the chair, but mostly you can only see the tawny 2-braincell cat in front. A yellow stick chair is pictured on a cement and brick background. On the chair is a piece of paper explaining that this comb-back chair is from the book "Build a chair from Bull%$t"
March 8, 2025 at 1:25 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
First coat of paint! My son chose the color, I'll be putting a dark wax on this too, should dampen the color just a tad.
#woodworking
A chair is set on a work bench, painted a bright yellow
March 5, 2025 at 4:49 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Had to work my dayjob today, but still had time for a glue up. Next up, a comb I like! (Also paint, this is a painted chair)
A stick chair, minus the headrest (called a comb). In the background is a messy woodshop with lots of wood shavings in piles on the floor. A stick chair, at a different angle. Still minus the headrest (called a comb). In the background is a messy woodshop with lots of wood shavings in piles on the floor.
March 2, 2025 at 1:22 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
The world is gross right now, so I'm going to make something*
*Sticks for a stick chair, which need kerfs.
#woodworking
Many oak dowels on a workbench, awaiting saw cuts to place wedges in .
March 1, 2025 at 1:11 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Gods above I need to get myself a real leg vise. #woodworking
A chair seat is held awkwardly vertical to a workbench using a metal holdfast.
February 25, 2025 at 12:42 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Chair day!
A very messy garage workshop, with a joiners bench in the foreground and bandsaw in the background. On the bench is a seat blank with a brace and auger on top.
February 22, 2025 at 11:26 PM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
It's a mega-wheat morning
A bowl of cereal, with three shredded wheat biscuits filling the bowl.
February 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Not time for my "real" projects tonight, so instead I'll get a lid on this coffer.
A small coffer stands on a very messy work bench, surrounded by hand tools.
February 15, 2025 at 12:55 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Yeah, I think that's where I'm going to go for this project at least. I found an old guide on various shooting boards and there is one they refer to as a donkey-ear. Seems like a good strategy is to cut the rabbet and then plane the miter in with one of these.
A page from a woodworking manual, showing three different setups for a jig called a donkey's ear shooting board.
February 6, 2025 at 1:52 PM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Sky help! What is the best way to make a mitered rabbet joint for a small box? Specifically, how to do this with hand tools? I have some power tools but I'd like to do this quietly, even if I need some specialty Stanley no. XX. Or would it be better to just cut a miter and use splines?
#woodworking
A hand drawn representation of a joint that combines a traditional rabbet joint with a miter joint.
February 5, 2025 at 11:01 PM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
I have run into that too! My solution has been to keep a sheet of blotting paper in my journal to set my hand on as I write.
A travelers journal, pages held open and covered in terrible cursive writing. On top is a sheet of blotting paper with many little squiggles and spots of different colors.
January 16, 2025 at 4:58 PM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Gonna be a good night, after a long terrible week. Today I had to face my totaled work truck after it was released by state patrol, but now I have a new woodworking book, a new cabinet scraper, and a weekend off.
Skol!
A book "American peasant" and an envelope with a cabinet scraper inside. In the background is a cocktail in a low rocks glass.
January 11, 2025 at 12:47 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
At this point I feel like I'm still working on a basic cursive, but I aspire to an illuminated calligraphy one day.
A horizontal sheet of white paper with 9 different rows of text. Each row is written in a different color. This is an ink sample sheet. A small notebook used for ink samples
December 19, 2024 at 4:07 PM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Now playing in the woodshop.
A screenshot of a music app, showing Bob & Doug Mckenzie from great white north singing 12 days of Christmas
December 18, 2024 at 3:11 AM
lefthandhawk.bsky.social
Sounds great! I made this dice tray not so long ago. I've got other projects in the works now but can't post em because they are yule gifts.
A hexagonal box with an inner and outer compartment, meant for a space to roll dice or keep them separated. The lid is nearby with alternating stripes of dark and light wood, inside the box is a leather pad with botanical shapes etched into it.
December 16, 2024 at 3:07 PM