So I’ve been sitting here thinking and thinking and thinking about woodworking. An amazing hobby to be sure and certainly a great way to make a living if you so chose. But honestly, it’s the pits as far as a hobby when you find yourself sidelined and unable to use your tools. They just sit there mocking you, calling your name, making noise to get your attention and yet to no avail. You can’t use them. Well at least I can’t – not just now. Come this Fall though, watch out——- there won’t be a bit of wood safe from my reach.
Until then though – what to do, what to do. Can’t let those tools sit idle—after all you must protect your tools from rust and the best way to do that would be to use them. So I’ve come up with some ways to use my favorite plane.
So the first——pretty easy—a paperweight for all those bills that you keep around for no particular reason after they’ve been paid.
And who needs a pretty cloth covered brick when you have a plane for a doorstop.
Of course, who can’t relate to trying to keep a book open on the table while you use it as a reference. Hence – the book keeper opener.
Then, naturally, there’s the purely decorative uses.
ohhhh – here’s a woodworking application——- a sandpaper cutter!
One of my best ways to use this plane is as a prop to keep the lid of my jigsaw puzzle upright while I spend countless hours trying to figure out the latest jigsaw puzzle.
Then, last, but most certainly not least, use it to keep the other tools you aren’t using company on the shelf.
Yep fellow LJ’s I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself. Trying to stay upbeat while I wait for my surgery and the healing time to take place. It’s going to be a long summer.
So what other alternative uses for this plane can you come up with? Entertain me!
-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.
15 comments so far
SteveKorz
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2030 posts in 613 days
posted 504 days ago
LOL… That’s hilarious….
I’d put it on the endtable and put the remote on the front, sitting on the Iron….
Maybe under the “clip” for the lever cap you could put a photo… lol….
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †
Russel
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2068 posts in 838 days
posted 504 days ago
Betsy, I like you’re ingenuity. I know that you’ve been using hand tools longer than I have so it’s only natural that you would know things that never occurred to me. But the depth and breadth of your knowledge is remarkable. With so many uses, I’m sorry I only have three planes.
As for the summer, as long as you’re looking forward to what you’ll do when you can, then it will be like the frog said, “Times sure fun when you’re having flies.”
-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com
Sac
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236 posts in 533 days
posted 504 days ago
Hehe, nice post Betsy. Well it could be used as a straight line marker from point A to B I suppose. Remove the blade and fill the emptyness with a strip of wood with bristles glued to the wood and brush your dog or cat. That may help to keep your arms worked up for the time when you will use it for woodworking once you start back. Attach it to a wall for a hat rack maybe. And ohhh yeaaaa, What an Awesome BACON PRESS!!! No Rust will build up on it for sure! :-)
-- Jerry, Set in the foothills of the Smokey's
Mark Shymanski
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1555 posts in 612 days
posted 504 days ago
...you’re supposed to pay them? I just use them to keep my plane busy… this is such an educational site! LOL
How about heating them up and using them to iron your clothes, or I my two #4 make great matched bookends, the ever popular straight edge for drawing straight lines (of course it hasn’t helped my Sketchup any :-) .....
-- ...it's rennovation time!!!
Al Navas
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289 posts in 774 days
posted 504 days ago
Betsy,
How about a “curlie-holder” ? Good for when the high winds kick up… lol
-- Al Navas, St Joseph, MO, http://sandal-woodsblog.com
Eric
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784 posts in 683 days
posted 504 days ago
Cheese slicer anyone? Ever seen paper-thin cheese slices? (Well, you won’t with mine, heh.)
-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com
lew
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4509 posts in 655 days
posted 504 days ago
Shaved Ice for rum and cokes?
FlWoodRat
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589 posts in 808 days
posted 504 days ago
Betsy, It’s plane to see that you have way too much time on your hands. Glad to see you still have a sense of humor. Please keep posting, I look forward to seeing what clever things you have to say.
-- I love the smell of sawdust in the morning....
Betsy
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2386 posts in 795 days
posted 503 days ago
You guys have good ideas. As to those uses involving food——humm me thinks not so good. Of course, I cook very little so the chance that my planes would be used in the kitchen is not very high. :-)
Woodrat—- if I didn’t joke around about my situation—- I’d be in the looney bin!
Thanks for humoring me!
-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.
moshel
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479 posts in 583 days
posted 503 days ago
Oh! the trivial use! if you hone the iron to P8000, shave your legs with it! i am using my #4 to shave my face when my electric razor run out of charge. real smooth results, and i think my nose is getting smaller.
-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...
Betsy
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2386 posts in 795 days
posted 501 days ago
Shaving – YIKES! I’m too curvy to shave with a flat iron of a plane!!! :-)
-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.
moshel
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479 posts in 583 days
posted 501 days ago
spokeshave?
-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...
Allison
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653 posts in 698 days
posted 496 days ago
I love this post Betsy, Thanks for the smile today!
PEACE!!!
-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic!
Keith Cruickshank
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41 posts in 544 days
posted 493 days ago
funny!
-- Keith Cruickshank, www.woodtreks.com - on-demand woodworking videos
MsDebbieP
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14188 posts in 1060 days
posted 488 days ago
brilliant :)
keep smiling during this little “hickup” in your life.
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)