Blum plane review

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

For those who do not venture to other forums, here is a link to my review of the Blum planes. Different ,provocative, beautiful.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReview ... lanes.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[bugbear]

Derek raises a point of Jargon.

"foreplane" seems to cause difficulty, not helped by some people INSISTING that an anachronistic interpretation is the only one.

Once upon a time (Moxon!) foreplane meant the first plane; in modern jargon we'd call it a scrub, or "coarse jack", or "cambered jack" or similar.

Foreplane today (and for the last 50 years IMHO) has been used a synonym for try-plane. In the same period it is a near synonym for "panel plane".

In the same period a Bailey #6 is commonly called a foreplane (and equally often a try plane).

Using the term foreplane in the older sense, without qualification or explicit contextualisation is at best unhelpful, and at worst pretentious and deliberately deceptive.

Derek is most definitely not guilty of this - his text is most helpful.

BugBear

 

[woodbloke]

Derek - interesting review, many thanks - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Excellent and very interesting review, Derek. I've also found the Veritas small blade holder the best commercially available solution to honing very small blades.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[kenneth cooke]

For those who do not venture to other forums, here is a link to my review of the Blum planes. Different ,provocative, beautiful.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReview ... lanes.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Well I think they look ugly- but I guess the acid test is performance- Didn't someone already invent the wheel?

 

[MarcW]

Derek raises a point of Jargon.

"foreplane" seems to cause difficulty, not helped by some people INSISTING that an anachronistic interpretation is the only one.

Once upon a time (Moxon!) foreplane meant the first plane; in modern jargon we'd call it a scrub, or "coarse jack", or "cambered jack" or similar.

Foreplane today (and for the last 50 years IMHO) has been used a synonym for try-plane. In the same period it is a near synonym for "panel plane".

In the same period a Bailey #6 is commonly called a foreplane (and equally often a try plane).

Using the term foreplane in the older sense, without qualification or explicit contextualisation is at best unhelpful, and at worst pretentious and deliberately deceptive.

Derek is most definitely not guilty of this - his text is most helpful.

BugBear

IMHO a #6 is called a fore plane and a try plane, because it can fulfill both functions. Nowadays fore planes have commonly been replaced by machines and aren't needed that often. If one hasn't a planer, often enough a scrub plane makes the job today, but it isn't at all suited.

As Neanderthalers and mere handtool users come up again and don't use machines, they often rely on scrubs. Look at the blades of new and old scrubs - they are heavily cambered, right from the toolmaker. Look at a fore plane and you'll see a straight edge on the blade. Nothing but the name reminds its function.

The merit of fore planes have been forgotten for some decades. My point: I'd like to invite people planing everything by hand to grind a medium camber on the blade of their #6 and use it the first plane on the boards. Maybe they will be impressed by heft and power of a real fore.