awlawson

[awlawson]

I finally got a website!! Don’t know why it took so long, but no matter.  It’s here now!  Have a little look around and see what you can find.

[awlawson]

Here’s my latest project finished!  This one took a month to put together, and I’m really pleased with the outcome.

#andysworkshop #sgt pepper #the beatles #50th anniversary #album #album cover #drum skin

[awlawson]

That didn't take too long. Just a bit of refining and the we can fit the head tomorrow maybe! #andysworkshop #woodworking #carpentry #axe #elbowgrease #london

#carpentry #axe #woodworking #andysworkshop #elbowgrease #london

[awlawson]

Let's see what we can do with this! #woodworking #table #carpentry #floorboards #andysworkshop

#table #carpentry #woodworking #floorboards #andysworkshop

[awlawson]

Holy Moly this looks cool!

Sitting up or laying down it will fit perfectly to you!

It’s a prototype dynamic bench designed by Brian Lee.

[awlawson]

I’ve been working on a new swatch of logos for my soon to be published website.  Here’s a few of the many many ideas I’ve been playing around with.

[awlawson]

Dewalt Drill Review

Today I took delivery of my new Brushless Dewalt drill driver set, which means I can now lay to rest the best drills I have ever used.

My old drills have been faithful servants for nearly 6 years now and I use them every single day at work, so I feel I’m in a good position to give a fairly comprehensive review of them.  

The Dewalt DCD785 Type 10 18v

Upside

This drill rocks! It does everything you ask of it and just keeps going. It has two gears and a pressure control trigger which means you can go as fast or as slow as you like. It also has 14 torque settings, drill and hammer action for when you need to get your masonry bits out!!  I haven’t found a wall it can’t drill through.  There’s very handy belt clip on the left side and a magnet on the right.  Now that magnet is what sets this drill aside from the Makita or Bosch.  It’s such a small thing, but it is perfect for carrying your pilot bits or PZ1 bits. And my favourite part about these drills is the battery.  Mine came with 2 18v XR 1.5aH Li-ion batteries and they go all day long.  They charge in an hour and they if you’re in the workshop they can probably do you a couple of days.  If you’re drilling into walls they’ll last a good couple of hours, but if you’re doing that much wall stuff you should get an SDS anyway.  And the size/weight of it is perfect.  It fits into most tight corners you’ll need it to.

Downside

Really there is only one downside to this drill and that’s the light on it.  It’s in completely the wrong position, so if you are doing anything with this drill the light doesn’t have direct line of sight with what you are actually doing.  Giant shadow right where you need there to be light.  I work in theatre, so it’s always dark where I’m working and this is quite a big downside, but at least it has a light.  And the fact that it has a brushed motor means it has a shorter life expectancy than I’d like. Still 6 years is a really good innings for a drill I use daily I think.

Dewalt DCF885 Type 1 18v

Basically I can’t fault this drill.  It’s perfect.  It’s a dream to use and has never let me down in 6 years.  There’s no downside to it other than the brushed motor which is why I’ve got new ones today.  It is also even smaller than the driver so it can reach into even smaller gaps.  

First impressions

So I’ve gone for the Dewalt Straight out the box they look exactly the same which is exactly what I want.  These have brushless motors now so in 6 years time I’ll come back and let you know how well they’re lasting.  Apparently longer.  They still have the belt clip and magnet, result! And they have added a battery charge reader which is gonna be a god send.

And best of all, they’ve moved the light!!

So now we’ve gone from this:

To this:

The driver now has a metal chuck handle on it as opposed to the plastic one before and the rattle gun now has 3 settings which I assume is for torque.  I’m gonna be playing with that in the next few weeks to get to grips with it.

Price

I bought both these kits for £249.99 6 years apart and if the new ones are anywhere near as good I’ll be very very happy.  Dewalt have dealt with the most annoying part of the drill driver and because of the brushless motors I should be sitting pretty in the next 6 years.

So all in all I couldn’t be happier with my new purchase because they’re the same drills as before only improved.

#dewalt #drill #driver #screw #gun #ratchet #review #battery #18v #brushless #motor

[awlawson]

Here’s my latest time lapse from The Girls fit up. It took us 3 weeks to build this one, I hope you like it.

#time lapse #theatre #musical #fit #up #phoenix theatre #west end #the girls

[awlawson]

I finally managed to fit a base onto this old tractor seat I've had kicking around for almost 6 years. I'm sat on it right now in fact and it's a really nice workshop stool. Thanks Pete for the seat and thanks Jackson for your help today.

[awlawson]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ4l5R4C-yI)

Here’s the Christmas present I made for my sister and my brother in law so they can measure their daughter Annie as she grows up. It matches the one I made earlier this year.  Merry Christmas one and all!

#giant #ruler #wood #carpenter #carpentry #stencil

[awlawson]

Today I made a picture stand. Sadly it is for a funeral for Pat Westwell who worked for my theatre company for many years. Her first job in theatre just so happened to be at The Phoenix Theatre where I work now and I was asked to build this picture stand. So I made this using old floor boards from the stage floor (Mahogany). I used a brass rod through the top of the A frame as a hinge and a brass chain at the bottom. My thoughts are with Pat's family and loved ones at this sad and confusing time.

#carpentry #theatre #Phoenix #mahogany #woodwork #workshop

[awlawson]

So here’s something I’ve not tried before. I was asked to make an engagement ring for someone. I had previously given them one of the wooden blocks and they liked it so much they wondered if a wooden ring was even possible. I was more than happy to have a go and this is the outcome. Super pleased with them. Let’s just hope they say yes! Good luck!!

#wooden #ring #engagement #engagement rings #carpenter #carpentry

[awlawson]

One day later and we have a kitchen cabinet to keep the crew happy!

[awlawson]

A tidy workshop, a new sheet of birch ply and an empty schedule ahead. Oh the possibilities!

[awlawson]

I made a hand plane stand this week, something I’ve been meaning to get done for a while.  I had an off cut of 9mm ply which had a nice grain pattern and I milled up some small strips of teak for the edging which was a nice colour match.  I finished it off with some Briwax, which is swiftly becoming my favourite finish.

The plane in the middle is my Stanley Bailey No 4 1/2 which I am in the middle of refurbishing.  Expect a set of photos soon.

#hand #plane #carpentry #carpenter #stand #rack

[awlawson]

I had a perfect shaped off cut this week and a length of dowel that enabled me to make a quick welly boot rack that my wife has wanted for some time now.

I’m pretty pleased with the result and so is my wife, which is obviously the most important thing.

#birch #plywood #carpentry #carpenter #dowel #welly #boot #boots #rack #stand #wellington

[awlawson]

I recently had to give a presentation about my passion.  And for those that don’t know me my passion is making things for people.  And to help illustrate that I made everyone in the audience a small wooden block.  But they aren’t just any old wooden blocks.  The darker wood you see above is Teak and it comes from the stage floor of the Phoenix Theatre and the lighter wood is Red Pine from the old grid at the Garrick Theatre.

#wooden #blocks #carpentry #carpenter #theatre #phoenix #garrick