Sharp Is As Sharp Does

[Jim Becker]

Friday night I spent some quality time with the recently purchased water stones and my planes. That was the good part. It was also a good time to evaluate "what I got"...that was the not-so-good part. The only plane in my present collection that's a long-term keeper is the L-N low-angle adjustable-mouth block plane. It's never let me down, but then again, I bought it once I learned a bit about planes. It will produce shavings that are like a bee's wings with little trouble.

The others, well...they cut a lot better now with truly sharp irons, but I'm not happy with them. The old and cheap Stanley block plane is a rough construction tool, if that. The Record #4 cuts well if it's adjusted right, but there is so much play in the mechanisms, that getting the edge deployed "just so" is like fighting a war in flip-flops. The old Stanley #26 transitional is usable, but will not stay flat. I think it will become a decorative item once I pick up a jack of some sort. But they all ARE sharp at this point...:D

[Tom LaRussa]

Friday night I spent some quality time with the recently purchased water stones and my planes.
Hmm...

Looks like you've jumped out ahead of Chris P in the neo-neander dept. I don't think he's even received his stones yet. :D



The only plane in my present collection that's a long-term keeper is the L-N low-angle adjustable-mouth block plane. It's never let me down, but then again, I bought it once I learned a bit about planes. It will produce shavings that are like a bee's wings with little trouble.
Well at the prices they charge I would hope so!




The old and cheap Stanley block plane is a rough construction tool, if that.
How old? What model?



But they all ARE sharp at this point...:D
Well that's something at least. :)

[Charles McKinley]

Hey Jim,

What about the cute little compass plane? I used a wooden Crown compass plane in class the other day. What make is yours and do you like it?

[Jim Becker]

What about the cute little compass plane? I used a wooden Crown compass plane in class the other day. What make is yours and do you like it?
Oopss...forgot that one. It's an ok tool, but not easy to use. It's the Woodcraft model and I bought it to help with my chair project that I will be getting back to "real soon now".


How old? What model?
Maybe eight-ten years. It's a cheap hardware store model that I bought for home improvement tasks (from Hechigers when they were going out of business) and before I started woodworking.