the slippery slope and a gloat

[Justin Cavender]

I just recently got onto the slippery slope of hand planes. today a friend at the local music shop gave me an old #5 bailey and I brought it home and took it apart and cleaned it up and shapened the blade. then I checked the sole with my precision strait edge and found it to be flat. Then I started re assembling the plane and when doing so I got the feeling I used to get when I would score some drugs. (I am a recovering addict clean for almost 4 years now.) And I Thought to myself this is sick but I shook it off because this is a lot more constructive than throwing my life away to drugs. But I just thought I would gloat on a free old bailey cheers everyone.:D

[Brian Kent]

Planes are the high that drugs could only pretend to give.

[Craig Johnson]

I just recently got onto the slippery slope of hand planes. today a friend at the local music shop gave me an old #5 bailey and I brought it home and took it apart and cleaned it up and shapened the blade. then I checked the sole with my precision strait edge and found it to be flat. Then I started re assembling the plane and when doing so I got the feeling I used to get when I would score some drugs. (I am a recovering addict clean for almost 4 years now.) And I Thought to myself this is sick but I shook it off because this is a lot more constructive than throwing my life away to drugs. But I just thought I would gloat on a free old bailey cheers everyone.:D

Good for you on being clean for so long!!
My brother is now clean and has been for 6 months.
I too have the high associated with hand planes.
Not sure its gonna quit any time soon.

[Craig Johnson]

Planes are the high that drugs could only pretend to give.

I must agree...

[Billy Chambless]

Planes are the high that drugs could only pretend to give.


Well, let's see...

With one, you're broke all the time, you're up all night hoping to score, your family worries about your irrational behavior... and with the other, you might get arrested.

;)

[Justin Cavender]

I love them I am contemplating selling my power planer and jointer to buy a high end jointer plane not sure about it yet but I know the surface is much smoother after hand planing as opposed to power planing and I dont waste wood to snipe.

[Craig Johnson]

Well, let's see...

With one, you're broke all the time, you're up all night hoping to score, your family worries about your irrational behavior... and with the other, you might get arrested.

;)

lol. i must agree again! :rolleyes:

[Zahid Naqvi]

Let's just say you picked the right slope this time.

Congrats on the plane.

[Jim Koepke]

Sometimes I have to stop myself from planing the wood too much because the curly wisps of wood coming out of the plane can be almost hypnotic.

It is also much better for the mind and body.

jim

[John Keeton]

I love them I am contemplating selling my power planer and jointer to buy a high end jointer plane not sure about it yet but I know the surface is much smoother after hand planing as opposed to power planing and I dont waste wood to snipe.Justin, let me get dangerously close to a personal comment here. First, I see the impact of drug use all the time in my profession - so I applaud your success. I am sure you daily offer thanks for the changes in your life.

Having said that, we all joke about the slippery slope of handtools, and I have just recently ventured over the edge as well. I don't consider myself as having an addictive personality, and I still struggle with resisting some purchases.

You may not have an addictive personality, but if not, you would be one of the few recovering addicts that does not.

If you do, be very careful here. Don't make rash decisions on your tools. Take this slow. Selling your power tools to buy a jointer may seem to be the right thing. But, I would encourage you to save up the money to buy the high end jointer plane. That will give you time to reflect on the purchase, and may keep you from regretting selling your power machines. You can always do that afterward.

Again, please do not be offended here. It is just that I see so many recovering addicts transfer their addictive nature to other facets of their life that can also become controlling - albeit in a less destructive manner.

Now, welcome to the world of handtools, and congratulations on the new Bailey:D

[Wilbur Pan]

I love them I am contemplating selling my power planer and jointer to buy a high end jointer plane not sure about it yet but I know the surface is much smoother after hand planing as opposed to power planing and I dont waste wood to snipe.

Three things to consider:

1. You can adjust your planer and jointer so that you get rid of the snipe issue.

2. Speaking as one who just loves using hand tools whenever possible, and as one who has jointed and planed really large boards by hand, initial milling of lumber happens to be one of my least favorite activities, so I still use a powered jointer and planer to do the first steps in milling. No harm in that.

3. If you got that #5 plane up and running, you could find a Stanley #7 or #8 and get that tuned up too, which will save you some cash.

[David Keller NC]

Justin - Unless you're quite young and strong (say, less than 35 years old), I'd caution you against selling the power planer. While it's true that it's fairly easy to surface and true lumber with a jack/fore plane and a jointer plane, there are plenty of times when the lumber yard doesn't have the 1/2" thickness you might need to get your project done, or the piece needs to come out of some specially figured (and not matchable) stock.

Obtaining this thickness without power tools isn't a piece of cake. If you've a regular and dependable shop helper, you can construct a frame saw and re-saw the plank, or if you've a large bandsaw you can do it that way. In days gone by, a cabinet shop would likely have taken the board down the street to the local carpenters with a pit saw and asked them to re-saw it in two.

But removing 1/2" thickness or more from a board of hard cabinet wood is hard, slow, sweaty work with a jack plane. Power planers are a Godsend in this regard (but you can do without the powered jointer).

[Justin Cavender]

Just kicking around the idea probably wont do it. I only build electric guitars and basses I buy my lumber rough though and I am 29 and pretty well sized. I did a piece of hard ash with my hand planes the other day from rough sawn slab to smooth all four sides I did break a good sweat in my unheated shop in 40 degree weather lol. I just like the thought of more handmade less power tools wont sacrifice my router ever though.:D