Bugyotsuji Posted March 16 Report Posted March 16 About a year ago I bought a bronze oil pot for an Edo period Japanese andon lamp. A fine-looking thing, but as is often the case, it had lost its lid. Rather slim in silhouette, it needed a small lid. Round and round the antiques fairs I went, rejecting most but buying occasionally, only to be disappointed once more by the lack of a proper material or age match. Months passed. One dealer who has several weathered antique lids on a string handed me a nice one yesterday that he had been saving for me. “Cut this down to the correct size, using an angle grinder.” “Tin snips?” I ventured. “Definitely not. Grind it down to size!” Gulp. Never really been happy working metals. A delicate thing with definite age. What if I ruin the old lid? Still, lonely hearts club, etc., so a potential new life for the pot I reckoned, and got to work shrinking the thing. Hand files and sanding papers though. Getting close to the right size? About 6.7 cm across… Hmmm… . 2 3 Quote
Matsunoki Posted March 16 Report Posted March 16 29 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said: Never really been happy working metals. Nor me, too damned hard! Looks like a perfect job to me Piers. Patience pays🙂 2 Quote
Brian Posted March 16 Report Posted March 16 Looks great. Having a full workshop here with lathe and knife belt grinder etc, I'd make short work of that. But you did awesome and it looks great. 1 Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted March 16 Author Report Posted March 16 Hmmm… a ‘full workshop’ sounds nice. Kind words from both of you much appreciated. Anyone else have some cultural refreshment they’re tempted to share? Quote
John C Posted March 16 Report Posted March 16 3 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said: cultural refreshment Getting there. I'm about a week or two from finishing a suzuribako tansu. Started with just the door with all the ornate metal work, locking mechanism, hinges, etc. Long process due to making all of the supporting hardware from scratch (sheet copper), unfortunately without a full workshop, and trying to mimic the grain and color of the wood. I'll post pics when finished. John C. 2 2 Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted March 17 Author Report Posted March 17 Loving those old iron reinforcing fitments. Quote
John C Posted March 17 Report Posted March 17 Here's a teaser. I wanted to mimic the "feeling" of the design without copying it. The corner braces in their raw form. I will patinate them black to match the old iron. The flowers were stamped in with one of my leather leaf tools (the wife's idea. She thought they looked plain otherwise). John C. 4 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted March 17 Report Posted March 17 On 3/16/2026 at 12:13 PM, Bugyotsuji said: ....Anyone else have some cultural refreshment they’re tempted to share? Well, you asked for it: On Sunday on a local flee-market, I bought a traditional tool that I will restore (very lightly as it is in good shape and as museum piece, I don't want it to look like new) in the next few days. It has a very solid hand-forged blade of 210 mm length and a max. spine thickness of 8 mm. Similar tools have been used in many cultures world-wide, called "billhook" in the English-speaking parts of the world. In my region, it was traditionally used for forest and agricultural work. 3 Quote
Bazza Posted March 17 Report Posted March 17 A BILLHOOK!!! How very fitting your 'traditional tool' should appear on NMB. As I'm sure many of you know, the billhook has a long career as a weapon. BaZZa. 4 Quote
Matsunoki Posted March 17 Report Posted March 17 2 hours ago, ROKUJURO said: In my region, it was traditionally used for forest and agricultural work. Blimey, that image brought back long buried memories. We had these on the farm where I was born. As a kid I used them to cut hazel spears and arrows in the wood. I think their intended function was to trim sugar beet and mangolds when harvesting was largely by hand. Gentler days. 1 1 Quote
Viper6924 Posted March 17 Report Posted March 17 I think you did a smashing job on that lid, Piers. Looks like it’s been part of the oil pot from the very start. Great work on a great oil pot. Jan 1 Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted March 19 Author Report Posted March 19 Looking forward to your ‘finished’ pics, John. Next month I hope to show the dealer the refreshed oil pot with its new lid, thanking him for his help and advice. Conscious of this scenario, I did make an extra effort to get it ‘right’. Might even buy something from his stand! 2 Quote
John C Posted Saturday at 08:19 PM Report Posted Saturday at 08:19 PM Update teaser number 2. The metal reinforcement pieces after patination. Captures the look of the iron pieces well enough, I think. John C. 2 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted Sunday at 06:35 PM Report Posted Sunday at 06:35 PM My next project in this field will be the restoration of woodworking tools (NOMI). It will probably take a short while.... 3 Quote
John C Posted Sunday at 08:13 PM Report Posted Sunday at 08:13 PM The bane of my existence...sharpening! John C. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted yesterday at 08:04 AM Author Report Posted yesterday at 08:04 AM Just for a moment there Jean, I thought I saw a spot of rust… 1 1 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted yesterday at 09:28 AM Report Posted yesterday at 09:28 AM Noooooo, impossible! 1 Quote
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