Getting old is tough on a neander

[Phil Mueller]

Volunteered to make a small kitchen table for my son (42x60). Using maple, the edge jointing and glue up for the top went pretty well. The top flattening is giving me quite the workout. wasn’t way out, but a slight high spot down the middle. 15-20 minute sessions, then break time. I love the spirit that goes into a neander piece, but just about now I’m wishing for a giant drum sander or thickness planer :)

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PS: loml is thrilled I’m using the finished side of the basement. Sorry, dear, it’s for our son.

[Jim Koepke]

Getting old isn't for faint of heart or weak of spirit.

It has lately set me to thinking about starting a "You Know Your Getting Old When _________" thread.

jtk

[Jack Frederick]

As my father said, “Getting old is everything it is cracked up to be.”

[Jim Koepke]

Saw a funny tee shirt this morning.

When is this, "old enough to know better" supposed to kick in?

jtk

[Ray Selinger]

While working the gun range clean up/build weekend , we had just this conversation. One fellow older than even me said "Getting old is for masochists ." We all laughed. How true.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

"Getting old is for masochists ."

Better than the alternative!

[Jim Koepke]

Just came in from emptying some barrels of compost to the compost pile and shoveling potting soil out of the truck into barrels and feeling a bit tuckered out.

Have to keep on keeping on…

Time for a short rest, my Metamucil and back to work.

jtk

[Dan Hulbert]

Getting old ain't for wimps.

[Mark Rainey]

I hear you Phil. Actually 42 by 60 ain't that small. I could see how that would be challenging. I think Warren commented on maple in a previous post, saying that it is a very challenging wood to hand plane. But it is looking good!

[steven c newman]

As long as I can see the top of the grass when I wake up....I'm doing good.

[Aaron Rosenthal]

My Dad used to say "If I get up in the morning and I don't hurt, I'll know I'm dead".
I refuse to succumb to old age. It's for people younger than me.

[Phil Mueller]

Thanks Mark, as I plane it, it feels larger and larger :confused:. The maple has some curl in it, so using the 62. I’ve been very happy with the results (following Derek’s suggestion to sharpen to 50 degrees) with frequent strops between sessions. No tear out at all, but certainly takes a bit more push to move it through the wood.

[Pete Taran]

Some nice looking maple there…!

[Phil Mueller]

Yes it is, Pete, thank you again. It’s finally being put to use!

[Joe A Faulkner]

Nice to see some one else using the finished part of their house for wood working. I usually only do this for finishing, glue-ups and some times sharpening. How are you holding the work while planing?

[Phil Mueller]

Joe, I put clamps at the end of the 4x6s it’s sitting on as stops. I’m planing cross grain at the moment. I shift the top when needed to miss the clamps. We do what we have to do, right 😉?! And this is likely where it will stay through finishing...so i suspect a lot more plastic drop cloths are in my future.

[Tim Andrews]

Nice job Phil! You’re getting your workout the old fashioned way.

Did you plane from the beginning with the 50 degree blade in your #62? Or did you start with something else? After experiencing some tearout when planing hard maple with my #62 with a 27 degree micro bevel, I ordered a new blade which I plan to sharpen to 45 or 50 degrees. I’m still learning about planes, and wondering if having a #62 with 2 blades, along with my block plane, will suffice for most work.

[Christopher Charles]

Good looking table top. And almost 2x the size of my workbench top, which tuckered me 10 years ago!

[Phil Mueller]

Tim, yes, the 62 at 50 degrees from the beginning. Zero tear out crisscrossing the grain. Takes a bit more to push it, but worth the effort. Not sure yet where I’ll go from here. Maybe the 62 with the grain, or a #7 with a higher angle, or maybe straight to some sand paper. Need to play a bit on the underside to see what works best. Right now, I’m within about 3 - 4 thousands flat…

And to your question; yes, I think a 62 with the two blade angles (and a block plane) could serve you well for many planing tasks. If you get into longer pieces, you may want to consider a jointer, but until then, you can do a lot with the 62 (IMHO).

[Meryl Logue]

It looks like you are doing that next to your bed. I had a sheet of plastic that draped my bed, with holes punched for the bedposts. I would roll it up, strip sash, roll it down to sleep. Roll it up to remove, clean, re-bed the old glass, roll it back at night, all with no bench. Rebuilding windows on the floor was horrible. This looks like you are on the floor as well. If so, I hurt for you and I’m sure sorry for those circumstances.

Good luck on this.

[Mike Allen1010]

Phil, like other folks here I feel your pain. Older I get, more I insist on using “hand tool friendly”wood. Maple need not apply. I very much admire your dedication and stamina with current project!
Cheers, Mike