Robert Goodwin
01-11-2004, 5:11 PM
I have only been woodworking for a few years, although I piddled in the shop of my grandfather when I was growing up. I just got a 4-1/2 for a recent birthday, and I am finally to a point to where I can use it on a current project. I am building a cradle for some friends of ours for their first child. I am to the point where I would normally put on the facemask, old clothes, and whip out the ROS. Followed by getting scolded for LOML for putting a thick layer of fine sawdust because I forgot to pull out the car before I started (you would think I would learn). Well last night before going to bed (This seems to be the only time to grab a few minutes in the shop with 2 young kids) I grabbed the hand plane and figured I’d attempt to smooth the 18 slats that make up the side of the cradle. WOW, that was fun, and even my wife was impressed with how smooth the wood was. Most of the time she just looks at me funny when I run in the house with some piece of wood wanting her to take a look J. If I didn’t have a deadline here at work, I’d be running around the shop finding all the cutoffs and smooooothing them.