PDA

View Full Version : Try this on for size



Prashun Patel
04-01-2016, 1:42 PM
I purchased (for a way too low price) this try plane from David Weaver.

In my short time with wood planes, there is something about their lightness and ability (coincidence?) to take thick, straight up shavings that really speak to me.

The three I have are just so easy to push and scrub and joint with - even if they lack the ergonmics and knobs of my steely dan's ( :0)!

It was sheer joy jointing this piece of sycamore.

Luke Dupont
04-01-2016, 1:51 PM
Beautiful plane! I really like wooden planes from my limited experience with them. I've only used a Kanna so far, and a crude prototype that I just experimented with. I'm eager to try a western-style wooden plane, though, so I think that will be one of my next projects in the not-so-distant future :)

I don't know if I'm alone here, but I actually far prefer adjusting wooden planes to modern ones. I just find it easier and more intuitive to adjust with a hammer, and rather quick to do when you get accustomed to it.

Daniel Rode
04-01-2016, 2:12 PM
I can't help but to chuckle. Knowing this is woodworker porn does not diminish my enjoyment looking at it. That barely curling shaving is seductive :)

Very nice!

Prashun Patel
04-01-2016, 2:22 PM
I know! Serpentine, right?

I find that with wood planes, the shavings can come up thick and straight up, and still leave a glass smooth surface. Now if I can just find out where to place my fore hand. Still working that out.

Robert Hazelwood
04-01-2016, 3:06 PM
Jealous. Beautiful plane.

Brian Holcombe
04-01-2016, 4:05 PM
Nice! Those shavings are looking great!

Andrew Hughes
04-01-2016, 5:12 PM
That's just looks too good, are you sure it's not photoshopped.
Just kidding looks like a great plane to use!

Stew Denton
04-01-2016, 5:53 PM
Hi Prashun,

Super Cool! I miss David's comment's though. Anyway the plane is really nice, and the shaving is amazing.

Stew

Jim Koepke
04-01-2016, 7:07 PM
Would all my heavy metal revolt if one of those showed up on my bench?

Looks great.

jtk

Patrick Chase
04-01-2016, 7:56 PM
The three I have are just so easy to push and scrub and joint with - even if they lack the ergonmics and knobs of my steely dan's ( :0)!

Are you talking about the kind from Yokohama there, and do they run on steam?

Given the title of your post I suspect that was no accident :-)

EDIT: Hint: William S Burroughs

Chris Fournier
04-01-2016, 9:04 PM
I remember getting a fair bit of grief from David when I mentioned and suggested that laminated wooden planes are easy to build and effective and that I made them for specific tasks. Seems he has changed his purist tune quite a bit. Good for him.

Steve Voigt
04-01-2016, 9:10 PM
I remember getting a fair bit of grief from David when I mentioned and suggested that laminated wooden planes are easy to build and effective and that I made them for specific tasks. Seems he has changed his purist tune quite a bit. Good for him.

Umm, what? If that looks like a laminated plane to you, I recommend a visit to your local optometrist.

Steve Voigt
04-01-2016, 9:11 PM
Prashun, that is a great looking plane, and it sure looks like it works gangbusters. Have fun with it!

Steve Voigt
04-01-2016, 10:56 PM
Now if I can just find out where to place my fore hand. Still working that out.

OK, last post, I promise.

Look at the guy with the plane :

334994

Or this one:

334995

Or this one:

334996
Virtually any old rendering of someone using a wooden plane shows the same position of the off hand. Like many things in woodworking, it may seem uncomfortable and counterintuitive at first, but with some patience and practice, one eventually comes around to realizing that it is the most efficient position.

Chris Fournier
04-01-2016, 11:35 PM
Umm, what? If that looks like a laminated plane to you, I recommend a visit to your local optometrist.

I suggest that you click on the image for a full screen picture Steve. I mean even the cheek is obviously laminated and that is one step beyond a laminated plane in my opinion. The grain is screaming at us. My eyes are fine, how many fingers am I holding up?

Laminated means more than one piece glued up as an assembly to me. This plane is exactly that. What have I missed?

I don't have a problem with laminated planes, I made dozens of them. I have a problem with attitude...

Steve Voigt
04-01-2016, 11:53 PM
I suggest that you click on the image for a full screen picture Steve. I mean even the cheek is obviously laminated and that is one step beyond a laminated plane in my opinion. The grain is screaming at us. My eyes are fine, how many fingers am I holding up?

Laminated means more than one piece glued up as an assembly to me. This plane is exactly that. What have I missed?

I don't have a problem with laminated planes, I made dozens of them. I have a problem with attitude...

What you think is a lamination is actually a very crisp chamfer, about, 3/8" wide. That is what a hand-planed chamfer looks like…at least, one that is well done. Since the chamfer exposes a rift sawn view, which contrasts with the both the quarter sawn side and the flat sawn top, I can see how, to the untrained eye, it could appear to be a lamination. But it is obviously not, it is a one piece, mortised plane.

And as far as your comment about attitude is concerned…the entire purpose of your first post was to smack David down. Sorry that it backfired so spectacularly. But if you're going to bring attitude, don't be surprised if you get attitude back…

Matt Lau
04-02-2016, 12:45 AM
Was that the plane that Dave auctioned to help out the guy at wood central?

Stewie Simpson
04-02-2016, 3:35 AM
I'm with Steve. The plane is definitely single block mortise construction. The only criticism I would have with the design of the plane is that the rear tote is positioned too close to the double irons projection. imo

Kees Heiden
04-02-2016, 5:04 AM
I don't think I agree with you Stewie about the placement of the tote. I think it is the camera angle that makes it look closer then it really is, and there will still be plenty of space to swing a hammer. I like my totes to be as close to the blade as possible while still allowing enoug room for adjustement. Luckilly my hands are narrow so I can make a smaller tote. This handle looks rather large. Having the tote close to the blade somehow improves the balance of the plane.

Frederick Skelly
04-02-2016, 6:58 AM
Great stuff Prashun! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Looks like another great example of our friend David's ever-growing skill.

I sure miss Dave.

Brian Ashton
04-02-2016, 7:00 AM
I purchased (for a way too low price) this try plane from David Weaver.

In my short time with wood planes, there is something about their lightness and ability (coincidence?) to take thick, straight up shavings that really speak to me.

The three I have are just so easy to push and scrub and joint with - even if they lack the ergonmics and knobs of my steely dan's ( :0)!

It was sheer joy jointing this piece of sycamore.

And with a little wax, you'd think it was pulling itself over the wood. You'd almost feel like you have to hold it back

Pat Barry
04-02-2016, 9:33 AM
I find that with wood planes, the shavings can come up thick and straight up, and still leave a glass smooth surface.
There's no reason the same thing can't be done with a traditional metal plane, right? How much did you pay for this one?

Pat Barry
04-02-2016, 9:42 AM
It was sheer joy jointing this piece of sycamore.
It is nice to have this record of what the plane can do for future reference. Its my understanding that the person who made it is a sharpening guru. Hopefully you can replicate his results in the future ;)

Kees Heiden
04-02-2016, 10:31 AM
There's no reason the same thing can't be done with a traditional metal plane, right? How much did you pay for this one?

You forget the magic Pat. Some things just get better with a little magic mixed in.

Prashun Patel
04-02-2016, 10:41 AM
The picture is deceiving but it is indeed a solid body.

David took care to ask me about my hand size and I can assure you it's comfortable and there is plenty of room to adjust the blade.

I don't want to share the price because he was generous. Say what you want about David, but generous with time and advice and product and wood is something I know him to be.

Fwiw, steve, when I approached David, he advised he was strapped for time and suggested I approach you. I imagine you are probably back logged too!!

Chris Fournier
04-02-2016, 10:47 AM
I may well being eating crow for dinner tonight and will humbly do so if Prashun will post a pic of the end grain for us. I assumed that this was steamed Euro beech which is the only beech that I use in my shop but it is most likely domestic beech and then the colour variations would make sense. I of course would be entirely wrong in my previous posts and apologize to Steve.

Table for one please. You have a crow special tonight? Excellent. Appetizer? No, just crow but I may finish with humble pie.

And yes you can make shavings like that with a metal plane just pull the chip breaker way back from the cutting edge if you can.

Frederick Skelly
04-02-2016, 11:25 AM
Say what you want about David, but generous with time and advice and product and wood is something I know him to be.

+1 +1 +1 +1 I've never seen anyone on this board say anyhing negative about David. And I strongly agree with you Prashun - he is unfailingly generous with his time and knowledge.

Brian Holcombe
04-02-2016, 12:09 PM
Chris,
I have two of David's planes, my Try plane being of the same run of planes that Prashun's was a part of. They're solid stock.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/F7AA217C-5637-46EF-9580-7C0DF7995C28_zpso8uoiapj.jpg

Chris Fournier
04-02-2016, 12:46 PM
:oThanks for confirming my ignorance Prashun and Brian and to Steve my apology for being a jerk. I will be one again, I am not trying to eliminate this behaviour entirely just reduce the event frequency.

Kees Heiden
04-02-2016, 12:51 PM
;)

If you really want to know how David makes these planes, and you have nothing scheduled for the next week, you can watch his youtube series of making a double iron beech try plane. All in all something like 15 hours of small talk, David's opinions and all the tricks of the wooden plane making trade he can think of.

It starts here, there are about 20 episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qjHMwL-dj4

Steve Voigt
04-02-2016, 1:07 PM
No worries Chris, I could have been more polite myself.

Prashun Patel
04-02-2016, 2:15 PM
Gosh Chris, don't be so hard on yourself. It's just a plane! This is hardly worth a helping of crow. I'm just happy to have a bunch of guys who get as giddy about this kind of stuff as I do.

I feel like the little girl in the blind melon video for no rain when she finds all her bee people.

Mike Holbrook
04-02-2016, 2:38 PM
Nice Prashun!
Maybe one day I will get my wood jointer working that well. I'm think the issue with mine might have to do with my lacking a few of David's and Steve's skills, but I am working on it.

So are you selling that new LV jointer now Prashun ;-)

Prashun Patel
04-02-2016, 2:58 PM
mike, I am sure you are asking in jest, but even as I am acquiring more tools, I am feeling the pull to pare down the herd.

Mike Holbrook
04-02-2016, 4:52 PM
I hear you Prashun!
The wife and I are now empty nesters and it has recently occurred to us that we don't need so much to look after now.

My challenge is paring my shop and tools down. Some things will be easy to get rid of as they simply want be needed. I want be ripping 500' of trim for moldings, so I want need the table saw...Apparently like you, I am more about less these days, does that even make sense? Abe Lincoln was suppose to have apologized about the length of a speech once, he remarked that he just did not have time to write a shorter one. I think paring down to a compact tool set might take even more time and experience than paring a speech down to something terse but explicative.

Jerry Olexa
04-02-2016, 6:10 PM
Love the curled shaving!!! With envy...

Jeff Heath
04-03-2016, 12:36 AM
That's a very nice plane, Prashun. Congrats. How long is it, and how wide is the iron? I'm guessing it's a vintage double iron? ;)

Allan Speers
04-03-2016, 1:10 AM
Chris,
I have two of David's planes, my Try plane being of the same run of planes that Prashun's was a part of. They're solid stock.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/F7AA217C-5637-46EF-9580-7C0DF7995C28_zpso8uoiapj.jpg


That chamfer is interesting. I must admit, I thought it was laminated myself.

What is the purpose? surely not just ornamental, since t's only on one side. Does it make the plane easier to grip with the left hand?

Stewie Simpson
04-03-2016, 2:39 AM
Allan. Both of Brian's woodies that David built have both sides fully chamfered.

Jeff Heath
04-03-2016, 10:37 AM
Allan. Both of Brian's woodies that David built have both sides fully chamfered.

Yep....the angles of the photo's are deceptive. George could probably answer this question best, but my take (and I am not a historian) is that the chamfers provide two services. Sharp corners are hard on the hands, so the chamfer certainly makes the plane more user friendly. Second, it just plain looks great, and keeps dings and other wrong-doing physical contact with harder objects from chipping the corners.

Prashun Patel
04-03-2016, 12:50 PM
Here are closer pix of the plane body. Not meant to whet the appetite for crow, but just for clarity.