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i am told that there is A2 and then there is A2 by the person who first introduced it as a steel for plane blades. In my experience, his blades don't crumble but some others do, which fits with your hypothesis that there are significant variations in quality. Jim

Jim, Are you planning to relieve the sole as in japanese planes? i have been experimenting with a Japanese smoother from Dictum over the last few months and really like it. Jim

I have cryo and non-cryo A2 blades and hone with a guide but i am really not a fan of either. I find the dge obtainable is nothing special either in sharpness or longevity. I use water stones up to 12,00o grit or sometimes diamond paste, depending how the fancy takes me. I find Japanese...

Good on yer, Blister, I am sure you won't regret it. I bought the Oneida Super Dust Gorilla (stupid name) before Axminster's version became available, and I'm very pleased with it. Shame the importer went bust. You have a couple of refinements that would be good on the Oneida - the viewing...

Douglas, It certainly looks like a Kity. I had a 613 for some years. It was OK for the price but the guide assembly was a bit lightweight, the fence was as you say, graunchy and you had to allow for the fact that it would move slightly when you tightened the locking lever. The fence wasn't...

I periodically have to cut small dowel (up to 3/4") in batches and have cut many hundreds. I always do it on the bandsaw with a mitre fence. I hold it firmly and feed steadily and have never had even a hint of a problem. You should have no problems as long as you are sensible - firm grip...

Polyx is OK but I have to say I am not a big fan of it for furniture. Having done some side by side testing I find that lack of clarity in the can does translate into some reduction of that all important qualty, lustre, compared with a nice clear Danish oil, shellac or pre-catalysed lacquer...

You probably know that Remscheid is (or, at least, was) the Sheffield of Germany, so I'm not surprised it is good. I'm a big fan of laminated blades, saves the bother of messing about with double bevels. Jim

A good pair of ear defenders is surely a better solution than running without extraction. Jim

I never strain mine becayse any bits left tend to sink to the bottom and dissolve over time anyway. I tend to apply it with a cloth which saves the faff of cleaning brushes. You will probably find the first coat raises the grain slightly, just cut back with a fine paper between coats. If you...

Several years ago when I happened to have a spare morning in London, I took the opportunity to have a look round his showroom in Pimlico. It was full of what was, at least to me a lot of rather clunky, very square furniture with aluminium stringing which I loathed. No idea what he has been...

That's just the point, choice of finish is not clear cut. It depends on tha application and what suits the individual. Jim

I understand what you are saying, Eric. I am not easily provoked but.... and Alf is, as usual, right. There is as you say, much to be said for diversity of opinion and it is something I too enjoy about this forum. So far as getting off topic is concerned, I find that many of the best insights...

Only go with wax if you are happy to keep on waxing it. Otherwise, use a finish with the level of sheen you want. The sheen from wax is transient and will be even more so in a warm dry situation like a mantlepiece.. Jim

...and unbelievably boring. Jim

Rumour has it that it's your birthday, Alf. If that's true, hope you have a good time. Jim

A joke, but I do have the greatest respect for the very fine work that you do. However there is a serious point here. In my opinion it is unquestionably the case that, historically, master crafstmen produced wonderful work often with what would today be regarded as inferior tools and...

I too can confirm the efficacy of diamond paste, but Icertainly would not use it for flattening water stones. For that, you need something where the abrasive is captive and cannot contaminate the water stone. I my opinion, by far the best tool for that is the DMT 120grit continuous diamond...

Just because it comes from someone in the business who really knows what he is talking about (and having read his advice here for years, I know that to be true) it doesn't mean it is bad advice. Jim

Looks great. An entirely appropriate situation for staining. Jim