Japanese tools visual aid (just some youtube videos)

[Sam Takeuchi]

Since there seems to be re-newed interest in Japanese tools thanks to a few enthusiastic folks here and elsewhere, I figured I'd go gather up some Japanese tool videos on youtube that are in Japanese (hence they normally go unnoticed by non-Japanese speaking folks). Most of them are self explanatory.

I'm sure there are more. If there is any other tool video you want me to look for, let me know.

Planing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqfbg-eYcXw): Effortlessly planing a gigantic beam.

Smooth planing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWyTWpAGLM8): Smoothing a ceiling board roughly about 5 meters long. Notice the guy on the left, he's pushing the plane to accommodate the grain.

Rough planing guitar back (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZGFthUsq_4): This is a video of a guitar maker thicknessing E. Indian Rosewood (really hard and abrasive wood). Plane he uses is an interesting one. He found it on an auction site without knowing much about it. Blade wasn't in a good shape at first and it was ground at surprisingly low, bevel angle of 21 degrees. He decided to use that before changing it. Edge didn't fail at all planing 0.200" down to 0.100". He noted it digs in a bit going against the grain. Here is the pictures (http://kiyond.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post_28.html). He thinks blade is a laminated Swedish or Tsubame steel from circa 1900s. Also this guy has a series of sharpening videos, showing and giving feedback on a number of Japanese natural stones of all sizes, grade and price range.

Maple smoothed using a single blade plane (no wedge or cap iron plane) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzgeuN0N7F0): Same guitar maker showing the fiddle back maple, smoothed using a single blade plane. Video quality not so good. Pictures (http://kiyond.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-post_5355.html).

Planing ebony fingerboard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEZ7tKkhW_o): I admit I have never ever been able to plane ebony as effortlessly as he does.

Planing Japanese cypress (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOHpT84YO3Y): Planing a pillar (exposed piece).

Spear plane (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74yLuBUNGPQ): Japan's original planing tool, predates fixed blade planes. Still used today mainly by temple/shrine builders.

Chouna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aKf-8a5YmE): Japanese adze. There are few more videos but they are just as toe curling as this one.

[David Weaver]

I wonder if the user has put a steeper bevel on the back side of the plane he's using on ebony there.

I've never found anything I couldn't plane with a japanese plane, including cocobolo (at 45 degrees). I have not had a big issue with smooth planing curly maple with a standard bedded smoother, either, though in a heavier cut, at that angle, you can get some tearout.

I have never set the second iron properly so that it breaks chips, just haven't found it necessary.

[Sam Takeuchi]

One of the blog posts of his is talking about another old blade, probably one of Togo steels, he says he used it on spruce and ebony for a solid hour without edge failure. If you look at the post here (http://kiyond.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post_29.html), he's recycling an old blade from the long plane and fitted into a small one. You can see the blade in detail, nothing was done to it other than sharpening.

[Dale Osowski]

I think you will enjoy these videos: http://djofurnituremaker.wordpress.com/

[David Weaver]

I saw those yesterday. For those of us who are amateurs, and i realize all of us aren't, but for those of us who are, you can learn a lot about workflow just watching those videos, guessing how that guy is going to do his next task, and then watching how he does it and realize that his way is 3 times as fast.

No cheap shortcuts in that case, either - mitered hidden dovetails, and then all of the dados cut with a chisel and a knife - seriously nice work.

[Gary Hodgin]

Enjoyed the videos! Thanks

[Dale Osowski]

We can't forget this video from The Woodrights Shop with John reed Fox: http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2600/2608.html

[jamie shard]

I think you will enjoy these videos: http://djofurnituremaker.wordpress.com/

Wow. Okay, one thing that REALLY struck me was the use of the marking gauge to define deep finger joints which were then removed with hammer strikes. Can any say something more about this? I'm amazed at how deep the marking gauge cut through what looks to be a oak of some sort.

jamie