Using my new "old" planes..

[Scott Parks]

I spent the weekend cleaning up a couple of my grandfather's planes. First, I cleaned and lapped the Stanely 78, and the 020. Next I lapped the irons starting at 220 grit going all the way to 2000 grit. Those things are mirrors now! Sliced my arm hairs off just to prove it!

So, yesterday, I did the same with the Bailey 26. I then used it to plane a sticking door top in the house. It made shavings like butter. I tried to use it a few years ago and couldn't get a good cut, so I put them in a box and forgot about them. I didn't know a thing about "Tuning". Now I have to learn how to properly use them.

So next, I went out into the garage and started attacking a peice of hard maple. The 26 took some nice long shavings off. With the 020, I planed some transparent chips off the end grain. I couldn't beleive it! Have the time a could harldy get that plane to cut!

So with my new-found hobby, I opened a new can of worms... I don't have an adequate bench for planing! Oh dear, what do I do now???

Thanks to everyone who has posted plane tricks here, or these gems would still be buried in my garage!

[Alan Turner]

Scott,
Yup, a neander bench is in your near horizon.
Alan

[Dave Anderson NH]

As for the what to do now question, it was rhetorical wasn't it? Most folks don't realize at first just how complex and sophisticated a hand plane really is. It's hard to make it work if it's not tuned and set up, and it's even harder if you've never done it before or had someone to show you or walk you thru the process.

[Roy Wall]

That's what happened to me..........:cool:

I fettled around with a couple planes.........now I'm in too deep.

The Force is strong - do not resist:D

[Scott Parks]

Oh, I'm not resisting. I started with the force... many many years ago...