Bill Schmitz
06-27-2009, 4:20 PM
After getting alot of good advice from this board, I bought my first hand plane, a Record No. 5 jack plane with a LN replacement blade.
For its first real test, I used it to flatten and smooth my first cutting board (lots of firsts, as I'm a true newbie). I made it using Mike Schwing's tutorial: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/articles/2/.
I used a combo of hard maple and African mahogany. I deliberately left the pieces pretty rough and uneven in thickness as a test of my new plane, and as a learning opportunity. My new plane was a joy to use and doing it this way taught me alot. The cutting board is far from perfect, but I'm overall very pleased with the result. I'm planning on doing several more for Christmas presents.
Thanks to all who provided such great advice.
Bill
P.S. On the advice of many, I also bought the Veritas MK. II honing guide, and re-sharpened my blade at the end of the project-it was very easy to use and with some wet-dry sandpaper on a piece of granite, restored it's razor edge very quickly and easily.
For its first real test, I used it to flatten and smooth my first cutting board (lots of firsts, as I'm a true newbie). I made it using Mike Schwing's tutorial: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/articles/2/.
I used a combo of hard maple and African mahogany. I deliberately left the pieces pretty rough and uneven in thickness as a test of my new plane, and as a learning opportunity. My new plane was a joy to use and doing it this way taught me alot. The cutting board is far from perfect, but I'm overall very pleased with the result. I'm planning on doing several more for Christmas presents.
Thanks to all who provided such great advice.
Bill
P.S. On the advice of many, I also bought the Veritas MK. II honing guide, and re-sharpened my blade at the end of the project-it was very easy to use and with some wet-dry sandpaper on a piece of granite, restored it's razor edge very quickly and easily.