Damascus Knife With Knife Stand

The Damascus Knife

There is no quick or truly reliable answer as to what really defines a Damascus blade.  In fact, the name does not come from the city of Damascus, Syria.  It is believed that the Damascus blade originated in India and perhaps Sri Lanka.  Metallurgists who did research on it, at one time or another, believed that the original steel and the source of it no longer exist and so is the process of producing the distinctive wavy, water-like pattern of the blade. Today's Damascus blades produced with modern processes are supposed to be completely different from the original way of making Damascus steel. Needless to say, original Damascus blades that date back to the 1500s  remain in collectors' hands and beyond the reach of ordinary knife enthusiasts like me. 

So, I settled for the next best thing - a bare blade knife kit; mass produced by forging two different kinds of steel, welded and folded over as many as 32 to 64 times. The series of folds under high temperature and pressure by hammering produced the distinctive wavy patterns. I read that that is not necessarily how the old Damascus blades were made. 

I bought one online. For the wooden handle ("scales"), I used a section of scrap saved from hardwood flooring material of white oak.  I picked the scrap with the most distinctive grain pattern. Shown below is blade that came honed and sharp.

I've done this before in a few knife projects in previous blogs. One difference this time is that I had the pins hidden between the scales by not drilling all the way through.

For the knife stand I used scrap wood as well and a see-through acrylic (Plexiglass) face.

Shown with earlier knife stand projects (from earlier blogs) where I also used acrylic (Plexiglass). 

Let There Be Soft Daylight

DIY lighting can and should be a home improvement project that does not require a workshop to accomplish, with minimal tools required.  Today's LED technology makes it easy and energy cost-effective.  Sconce lighting add-ons, often "on or against the wall", have these advantages: (a) wall installations are far less difficult than ceiling installations; (b) will not take up additional floor space, pedestals or desk or table; (c) though a ladder is needed, eye level installation is far easier than having to look up when working on ceilings that can cause strains on the neck and back; (d) wiring extensions from existing outlets (usually a foot above the floor) for connections up the wall are far easier than adding outlets or junction boxes on the ceiling.  Even if you need to hire an electrician to add the outlets or junction boxes, the cost is a lot less compared to ceiling installations.

My aim with this project was to allow for soft but sufficient daylight type of illumination. The effect is achieved by indirectly propagating the light by bouncing a good amount of it off the ceiling and walls.  Shown below is the family room and breakfast area.

Ordering them online allows for a wide variety of options. The ones featured here allow for three different temperature scales. With  a built in toggle switch, you can go from yellowish lighting that mimics incandescent light bulb to  fluorescent white or a combination of the two.

 

Typically wired for direct connections to junction wires (black, white and green for ground) but you can wire with a 3-prong plug for outlet connections.

Tip: Instead of using commercial plugs that needs wiring, I used power cords of old printers, monitors and computers. If you must get rid of old electronic units to recycle centers, keep those cords for later.  Three of the installations were direct wired and controlled by standard wall switches.  The rest were wired for outlet connections controlled by remote switch, shown later.

A remote controller in this case (purchased separately) controls five lamps  plugged to an intermediate receptacle that the remote controls. They're numbered 1-5.

Provided with two remotes with magnets, I have one on the refrigerator door and on one wall corner that usually have steel corner support brackets behind the sheetrock.

Shown below without the acrylic cover.

Shown below, lighting the library/study with the same soft white light. 

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Adjoining the family room is the kitchen, also illuminated by indirect soft white light. An overhead LED fixture can be turned on for more lights if needed.

Sconce lighting also serves best as wall accent lighting and for illuminating along stairs for second level homes or for stairs to the basement.  It is the perfect add-on DIY project that requires only a few tools - a drill, screw driver and wire stripping pliers and electrical tape (hardly needed, really, because plastic connectors are already provided).

Bed Assist Apparatus for Seniors

As folks get to a certain age - particularly those with physical issues - they may find getting in and out of bed a bit of a challenge.  My wife's Parkinson's is one example of that.

Per recommendation by her physical therapist I ordered the much highly rated commercially available contraption. I returned it once I put it together because I didn't believe in its stability, let alone the complicated way of its installation, particularly on a king size bed. 

So, I came up with my own version as a woodworking project. One significant difference is in the two support legs. I designed mine with feet - a prominent heel and extended feet, which adds to the stability. The horizontal platform - the tongue - inserts in between the bottom of the top mattress and the top base of the bed frame.

It is stable enough but  a nut and bolt (see next photo) secures it to the bed frame. The apparatus can be conveniently moved away when the need to change the bed sheets arises.

I did a rough sketch, changed the dimensions a few times to arrive at a truly customized version.  I actually revised it several times in my head as I figured the best, yet simple way, for constructing it - using screws all the way.

A friend had given me a while back some leftover wood flooring pieces -solid oak pieces with one side finished.

Tapering the feet (below).

I created the notches on the legs to which  matching notches on the feet will allow for a strong joint (using screws only)

Drilling the pocket holes for pocket screws

Below - shaping the heel of the feet

The short piece across and parallel to the "tongue" makes for a secure, precisely located as to act as a c-clamp to the bed frame.

The grab bar is commercially available.  I've used several in each of the bathrooms for my wife's use mainly.

Note below the t-bolt and knob and a backer board that acts like a washer behind the bed frame.

To make an accurate positioning of the apparatus, I drilled through to the bed frame using the hole I drilled earlier on the rail as shown below to accommodate a 5/16 inch bolt. A knob secures the attachment.

My wife can now hold on to the grab bar as she slowly gets up on the bed. It also allows her something to hold on to in getting up and out of the bed.