A Few Interesting Planes

cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:34 pm

Get out your checkbook.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... =1&p=41182

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/index.php

Sometimes we look to power tools to do a job that is better for hand tools.
I use to struggle with my belt sander to get tabletops flat. Keep purchasing sanders because the one I had would not do the job. I was starting to think I need to drop $1K + on a drum sander of some kind. It was taking me hours to get things flat or close to it.
I picked up some hand planes from the 1940's-50's at a flea market. I read online how to sharpen and tune them up. The first time I used it to flatten a glued up top I thought "You got to be kidding me" it was like swish, swish and it was done.

holsgo · Post by **holsgo** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:15 am

I agree. Once you learn, you can't ever go back to sanding. Next thing you know you're getting a #8 because you "have to have it". I'm guilty. Of my great granfathers originals I was missing an 8 and 6. Had to have them so I got a 8 Siegley with a tapered blade. Awesome condition and I won it for $39. Unreal.

ddvann79 · Post by **ddvann79** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:46 am

holsgo wrote:I agree. Once you learn, you can't ever go back to sanding. Next thing you know you're getting a #8 because you "have to have it". I'm guilty. Of my great granfathers originals I was missing an 8 and 6. Had to have them so I got a 8 Siegley with a tapered blade. Awesome condition and I won it for $39. Unreal.

I'm fascinated. None of my family has hand planes like that. At least, not that I'm aware of. But most don't do furniture work either. It's all structurally oriented stuff. Granddad is the only one and he builds kitchen cabinets.

holsgo · Post by **holsgo** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 1:41 pm

It was an honor to get them. I did also get all of his other tools like his brace and bits, original Nicholson files, buck brothers chisels and on and on. I have patent dates on some of the stuff from the 1800's. I learned to use and often do, all of his tools even the saw set.
Back to the planes, I had pieced together the story of their use via my grandfather when he was alive. Those stories are what make me chuckel when I hear of guys doing hours of sharpening. He never had hours and the reference to him sitting on a bucket sharpening his blades then comes to mind. Then again, he'd probably get a laugh out of me having no project to actually work on other than to prepare my shopsmith for the "ability" to do something later.

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 3:09 pm

holsgo wrote:It was an honor to get them. I did also get all of his other tools like his brace and bits, original Nicholson files, buck brothers chisels and on and on. I have patent dates on some of the stuff from the 1800's. I learned to use and often do, all of his tools even the saw set.
Back to the planes, I had pieced together the story of their use via my grandfather when he was alive. Those stories are what make me chuckel when I hear of guys doing hours of sharpening. He never had hours and the reference to him sitting on a bucket sharpening his blades then comes to mind. Then again, he'd probably get a laugh out of me having no project to actually work on other than to prepare my shopsmith for the "ability" to do something later.

According to my Dad (God rest his soul, who apprenticed under his Dad) it was often the advanced apprentices job to do the daily sharpening. An apprentice could not become a Journeyman until they mastered sharpening. Many a journeyman and craftsman started their day with a cup of coffee and their stones sharpening their tools for the day and then they would touch up during the day as needed.

I do a similar thing now, if I know I'm going to use hand tools that require sharpening, I start with the sharpening and get my mind and attitude (patience truly is a virtue and shifting from the often faster pace of power tools to hand tools requires a shift) in tune with the tools, this also serves as a warm-up both physically and mentally. Personally, I find spending time on the stones sharpening to be very relaxing and satisfying. Once you have a good angle set on a blade it doesn't really take that long on a good oil stone to maintain the edge. I still use Grand dad's oil stones. I tried switching to the scary sharp method using a flat sub straight and sand paper but then I saw how fast you go through sand paper. This turns into a recurring cost that will only escalate. So I switched back to the oil stones. (after dressing and lapping them flat of course)