Can we talk about bottoms?

[Charles Guest]

Regarding sticking boards, they really don’t need to be fancy and can be thrown together from scrap and a couple minutes. I don’t have the original photos and I can’t grab them from my Instagram. So here’s a link to my post on Instagram with two pictures.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWyHpCqrDvJ/

It’s literally just a random flat board with some screws put in one end, plus any reasonably straight board. Hold it down with holdfasts. It’s infinitely adjustable, cost nothing, and took only a couple minutes to make. I don’t require a sticking board very often, but this always works.

That's all you need.

It's also nice to have another work surface in the shop you don't mind putting a nail or screw into -- something made with cheap fir or MDF with a hardboard top.

If you let it, hand tool woodworking can be a respite from the elaborate jigging often required when running power tools. My favorite end stop is a Home Depot yard stick nailed to the bench top with a couple 4d finish nails. It's infinitely adjustable, where most are not. Get two or three yardsticks (or rip some battens when you get bored) and trap a workpiece for hand planing and other stuff in less than 20 seconds. Again, infinitely adjustable to whatever size component you're working on, and wherever on the bench you'd like to do the work. Beats scratching your head, or some other part of your body in the nether region, trying to make something work with a holdfast hole pattern that never seems to be just right.

Making hand tool jigs with a the services of a European sliding table saw along with a full complement of other power equipment at your disposal is a conversation for another day. Seems to miss the spirit of the thing.

[Graham Haydon]

Give that man a medal

[Jim Koepke]

Now, to potentially change the topic a bit...

Is there a reference out there for what irons are interchangeable with what plow/plough planes? A friend kindly offered me a spare Stanley 45 that is a spare for him for a price I couldn't pass up. However, I'll need to provide my own irons. Do the currently manufactured Veritas irons fit any of the vintage planes? What is the interchangeability between the Record 043 and 044? Interchangeability between Record and Stanley? And how about internal to Stanley? 45 and 55 fit eachother?

Here is an old post that may help answer some of this > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?251419

The Veritas blades may work in a Stanley #45 but they are of a shorter length which means shorter life over the time they are used.

The Stanley #55 uses many blades that can be used on a #45. Some of the standard blades for a #55 were available as special blades for the #45. One thing the #55 has the #45 doesn't is an adjustable depth on the movable skate. This allows the #55 to use non-symmetrical blades.

The #55 also has a fence than can be angled for use in certain situations.

Another use of the #55 gave me an idea about stopped cuts with the #45 > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?257497

jtk

[Derek Cohen]

David, the Veritas small plow blades work in the Record #043.

Regards from Perth

Derek