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Lee Schierer
05-11-2006, 7:53 AM
As you may recall at the Indy Fest picnic last year there was a plane contest to see who could make the longest thinnest shaving from a board with the hand plane of their choice. The contest was quite competitive and there were some really nice prizes.

It is my pleasure to announce that we will be having a similar contest this year at the Five Barns picnic gathering at the Grumbine estate on July 22, 2006. I have been in contact with several tool companies and have been given some really nice items as prizes for this contest.

That’s right you heard it here first. There is going to be a plane contest at this year’s Five Barns picnic. Through the very generous nature of some of our woodworking suppliers and friends some really nice prizes have been donated for this contest. If you’ve dreamed of owning a really nice plane then this is your chance. Break out your most trusted hand plane, sharpen it up, practice with it until you can make shavings only microns thick and then come to the Five Barns picnic and show your fellow woodworkers how its done. You can walk a way with one of the prizes. The major prizes donated thus far are:

Bronze No. 4 Bench Plane by Woodcraft Supply Corp.
<img src="http://woodcraft.com/Images/Site/WSCLogo.gif">
38265
Iron Low Angle Block Plane 102I by Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Inc.
<img src="http://www.lie-nielsen.com/images/lnlogo_decklelg_usa.gif">
38264
Veritas router plane by Lee Valley
<img src="http://www.leevalley.com/graphics/LVTVeritas.GIF">
38267
Coffin Smoothing Plane by Knight Toolworks.
<img src="http://www.knight-toolworks.com/graphics/banner.gif">
38266

(Anyone wishing to add prizes to the contest may do so by contacting Lee Schierer)

Winners will be given their choice of available prizes in the order in which they finished. Any swapping, horse trading, arm twisting or outright thievery of prizes after the winners have been announced are not the responsibility of the judges and will be settled according to rule number 13 below.



Here are the rules:
1. The contest is open to anyone attending the picnic, including the judges, though they will not measure their own shavings.
2. Any size or type of hand plane can be used. You may borrow, with the owners permission, a hand plane from anyone to make a shaving. Rental fees or sharing of prizes in the event your shaving beats that of the owner is not governed by these rules.
3. There will be a contest piece of wood and a similar practice piece of wood for contestants to tune up their planes. The contest piece will only be used for making shavings to be entered into the contest. Shavings from the practice piece or prior to the contest start are not eligible for entry. Contestants are expected to share the availability of the practice piece of wood equitably among the interested contestants
4. The contestant will be given one 5 minute period to produce the longest thinnest shaving possible from the contest piece of wood. Each contestant can make and collect as many shavings using as many planes as they want during this time, but only one shaving may be submitted for judging per contestant.
5. Only continuous length shavings can be submitted. The contestant should select the longest shaving they can make for submission. Shavings that disintegrate or break on the way to the judging area are not the responsibility of the judges and in such an event only the longest single piece will be judged.
6. No lubricants can be applied to the contest or practice board. Dry lubricants such as paraffin or wax may be placed on the plane.
7.Judging of shavings will consist of measurements taken at 9 places (see below) on each shaving and a measurement of length. Points are assigned for thickness and length. The thinner the shaving the lower the points. The longer the shaving the lower the points. Points for thickness and length are added together to determine the winner. The winner would be the lowest point total.
8. The shaving scoring system:
a. The thickness readings will be taken near each end of the shaving and near the middle of the length. Three readings will be made at each point at the edges and middle of the shaving. These nine readings will be averaged to get the average thickness and assigned a point score based on a table. If a shaving is only partial width at the ends or in the center, readings will be taken at the nearest full width area of the shaving. A table assigns a point valve for average thickness ranging from .00050 to .00314 in .00001 increments, with a point value range of 1 to 265. (Example: Nine readings are left end = .001, .0015, .002; middle = .0005, .001, .0015; right = .001, .001.0005. the average is .00161, the table would assign a point score of 112)
b. Length will be measured as closely as possible by stretching out the shaving on a flat surface with out breaking the shaving. Points will be awarded inversely according to length. Shorter lengths are penalized 1 point for each inch they are shorter than full length of the board with an additional 20 point penalty for each 10 inches below full length. (Example: If the contest board is 61" long and the shaving is 61" long the point value assigned is 0 points. If the shaving were 1" long the point value would be 160).
c. In these examples the overall score would be 112 for the 61" shaving and 276 for the 1" shaving. The lower point shaving would win.
d. Copies of the scoring point tabulation will be made available in an Excel spreadsheet upon request.
9. In case of a tie, a run off will be held where the tied contestants will be given one opportunity to make the longest thinnest shaving they can from the contest piece in a single attempt. This run off shaving will be judged the same as before.
10. The contest is for fun and entertainment. The judging will be done as fairly as possible following the above guidelines. The judges are all volunteers and will do their best to be fair in their assessment of each shaving. Judges decisions are final.
11. These rules may be changed to insure fairness and to correct any errors or omissions discovered prior to the start of the contest.
13. Disputes will be handled out behind the woodshed and arbitrated by Bill Grumbine, after all it is his woodshed.


My thanks to Rob Lee, Polly McGrory, Janice Christman, Steve Knight, Ray Thompson, Bill Grumbine and John Weber for assisting me in this effort and making this contest possible.

Lee Schierer
05-22-2006, 12:31 PM
These fine planes and tools will be given to the winners of the planing contest at the Five Barns Picnic, so mark your calendars and start honing your irons and waxing your soles.

Lee Schierer
06-12-2006, 4:04 PM
There are only 35 days left for finding your hand plane and getting the iron honed to a razors edge for the Five Barns Plane Contest.

I was doing some work (practice runs) on a piece of 3/4" maple and I was able to get shavings down to .0015 thick.

Lee

Alan Turner
06-12-2006, 9:25 PM
Lee,
So that the possible contestants can pan accordingly, what will be the thickness of the wood to be planed? This may matter as to the weapon chosen for the competition.

Lee Schierer
06-13-2006, 12:56 PM
The piece (s) of wood haven't been selected yet. They are coming from a mill local to Five Barns. I'll let everyone know the species and width when I know. We're thinking 6/4 to 8/4 range.

Alan Turner
06-13-2006, 9:37 PM
Lee,
8/4, finished at 1 3/4", will require not less than a No. 4 or equiv. 2" smoother. But, if it is narrower, then more planes will be used. I have planes of various widths, and so this is not an expression of opinion.

Bill,
I am going to try like heck to make it up there this year.

Lee Schierer
06-23-2006, 1:22 PM
One month from today these planes will be awarded to some one will it be you??

Lee Schierer
07-10-2006, 1:28 PM
Just a reminder. Only two weeks left. There is still time to sharpen up your trusty old or new hand plane and win one of the prizes.

Chris Padilla
07-10-2006, 3:04 PM
Cool contest! Wish I could be there...everyone would hate me for winning! ;)

Lee Schierer
07-11-2006, 12:43 PM
Some of you asked about the wood we will be planing. Bill tells me he has aquired a couple of pieces of 5/4 hard maple about 6 feet long. Those will be the contest pieces.

I guess I need to hone my irons some more.....

Lee Schierer
07-18-2006, 1:09 PM
There are only 3-1/2 days laft to sharpen your hand planes and skills before the contest. Hope to see you at the picnic. The wood is 5/4 hard maple about 6 feet long. Should be a great challenge.