Hey Everyone, it’s been a while… oh well. I just thought I’d share this with you.
I would consider myself primarily a power tool user. My experience with handplanes has been limited to breaking or rounding over the odd edge with a block plane, anything more would be met with absolute disaster. That is, until this past weekend.
I was all ready to start jointing about 30 feet of rough maple when the unthinkable happened, the switch on my jointer snapped. After an initial breakdown I collected myself and focused on a solution. A while back, I remembered reading about using a thickness planner, a sled and shims to plane the face of boards wider than your jointer. This worked out pretty well but there’s still the crooked edge to tend with. I just needed to get one edge flat enough to safely run through my table saw. So out came the handplanes. All I have are two old wooden planes from my grandfather and a block plane, none of which I’ve had any luck with… the tools fault OBVIOUSLY! But I had no other option so I went to work. I started with the smaller wooded plane and took down the high spots. Then I switched to the other wood plane which I guess would be a jointer plane. This one was super awkward because of it’s size, it’s a good thing squareness wasn’t an issue, just flatness. This plane seemed to undo all of the work that the smaller plane did but I kept going despite my reluctancy. To my absolute surprise the board was pretty flat after about seven or eight good passes! I have to admit, it was fun, a lot of work, but fun… and satisfying.
Anyways, I know this all sounds very obvious and simple but I made some pretty huge messes with handplanes before so this one felt good and who would’ve thought, it wasn’t the tools fault… it was mine!
Thanks for listening.
-- Blair
17 comments so far
Brandon
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3775 posts in 1124 days
#1 posted 535 days ago
Glad to hear of your breakthrough! You had better watch out because the slope on which you’re standing tis a slippery one. :-)
-- "hold fast to that which is good"
ShaneA
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3974 posts in 771 days
#2 posted 535 days ago
Yeah, full blown restorations are next. Great post, good luck with future acquisitions.
canadianchips
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1775 posts in 1170 days
#3 posted 535 days ago
Good start. Just keep going !
-- "My mission in life - make everyone smile !"
Don W
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9974 posts in 740 days
#4 posted 535 days ago
its sounds like Brandon’s advice may be to late. There is a pride that comes with using a handplane you can NEVER feel using power tools. The sound of a jointer annoys me now, while a handplane has a soothing swish that relaxes to the core.
-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)
Blair Helgason
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169 posts in 1587 days
#5 posted 535 days ago
I don’t know that I’m quite there yet but I have been looking at new planes online… ahh crap!
-- Blair
Don W
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9974 posts in 740 days
#6 posted 535 days ago
http://lumberjocks.com/replies/353928
-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)
Bertha
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13115 posts in 866 days
#7 posted 535 days ago
You’re screwed, dude. Welcome to the disease. Treat yourself to a good vintage Stanley jointer, tune it up good, and you won’t miss your broken jointer switch. I can’t remember the last time I’ve powered up my pretty yellow Powermatic;)
-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog
Dennisgrosen
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10854 posts in 1288 days
#8 posted 535 days ago
congrat´s by discovering the satisfaction of using your hands as a gentleman …. working in silence :-)
you better increase your shopbudget for a periode of several years now to buy handtools for …. lol
there is no way back from the bright side
may the force be with you … :-)
Dennis
Mike
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63 posts in 555 days
#9 posted 535 days ago
I to am facing this addiction and am restoring one ane looking for others these is no escape.
-- But hon I need this tool.......
Manitario
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1862 posts in 1056 days
#10 posted 535 days ago
Sorry my friend, but you’re a goner. You’d have more hope if it was crack you tried than starting into the dark underbelly of handplanes…
-- Rob, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Blair Helgason
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169 posts in 1587 days
#11 posted 535 days ago
Wow, you guys are serious! I feel like I should turn around run away. Just kidding, thanks for reading.
-- Blair
amagineer
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1027 posts in 770 days
#12 posted 535 days ago
I know the feeling. It happened to me a couple of years ago, so I bought an old Stanley and a Keen Kutter hand plane to restore. There is nothing like vintage tools.
-Don
-- Flaws are only in the eye of the artisan!
RGtools
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2842 posts in 827 days
#13 posted 534 days ago
Another one bites the dust. Enjoy making shavings, the wooden planes have to be tuned to work right, but they are sweet when they are up and running.
Some of my best tools are over 100 years old.
-- Make furniture that lasts as long as the tree - Ryan
ABQJohn
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12 posts in 1033 days
#14 posted 534 days ago
I have several planes on the shelf to be restored (but mostly just sharpened & tuned) “someday”. Posts like this help get me in the mood to take action.
Thanks!
Dave
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9217 posts in 1013 days
#15 posted 534 days ago
The cleanup is so much easier when your floor is covered with shavings not dust. I use mine as kitty litter. Welcome to the world of galoot.
The setup was a heck of a lot easier I bet.
-- Superdav "No matter where you go - there you are." http://chiselandforge.com
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