The Craftsman's Path #12: The joy of a well tuned hand plane

Better add a Jointer plane to your list. : ^ )

Enjoy the slippery slope.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Wayne,

It’s possible that a Jointer plane could be not too far down the road as well. However, I think that the smoother is first. I am still pondering between a cast iron and a wooden smoother. I’ve considered making a wooden smoother. Any thoughts?

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com

Mark,
They all work, from a $12 Stanley Bailey #4 to a$4500 Norris. Tune ‘em up and learn to use them. REad Wayne’s blogs on how to rehab planes. Start with a flea market special and when it works like it should you have earned the good ones but probably won’t need them. Until you understand how they work you can’t keep the best of them working. Good luck on the slippery slope.

-- Thos. Angle

I’ve got several nice metal smoothers (Stanely and LN). I’ve not played much with the wooden smoothers. I have in my near term project plans the intent to build a couple of wooden smoothers. I have all of the materials including a couple of Krenov style Hock blades. I’m just not as productive as Tom these days.

Have you gotten or looked at this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Mastering-Wood-Planes-Revised/dp/140272022X/ref=sr_1_1/102-3415546-3882525?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192650447&sr=8-1

It is a great book on planes in general. A must read.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Tom,

I’ve tuned up a couple of older Record planes and they work well. I do like the Veritas block plane that I pictured (and used for this task) so I’m also looking at the Veritas bevel-up smoother and the low-angle smoother. I don’t have any wooden planes so I have considered making one – thought it would be a quick fun project.

Wayne: I don’t have that book, but I’ve seen it mentioned favorably several times. Maybe I’ll see if I can pick a copy up for reference. The last hand plane book I read was Garrett Hack’s book.

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com

Wayne showed me a video on Ron Hock making a plane and there is a set of instructions from The College of The Redwoods that Wayne found. Maybe he can highlight them for you.

-- Thos. Angle

Can do – Video

http://www.hocktools.com/kf175.htm

and Plans

http://www.crfinefurniture.com/1pages/sitelinks/howplane.html

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Here is a better video link….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLNRkyCTlT4

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Thanks, Wayne! I was looking at the Hock kit.

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com