Captain Slow

[LuptonM]

Move over James May, you have nothing on me. How long would it take to make a shooting board. An hour perhaps. Not me, I've already probably taken about 4 hours over a couple of days and I am not quite finished!!!

I just have to make the bottom hook and finish applying some tung oil that I think has a best before date of 2001 and has been open for at least 5 years. I guess once finished I'll have to work out how to use the damn thing. I've noticed the sides of plywood don't respond well to hand planing- can't really get it smooth

Sort of a mock up below;

It taken a fair while mainly cos I've cut it to dimensions with a builders diy saw, and my sawing technique is pretty rough. This means it takes a while for me to get the cut surface smooth and flat.
I am using my dad's pride and joy (cough cough), an anant no.3 smoother as a-kind-of-scrub plane- pictured below to get the surfaces sort-of flat

Workspace ain't to great to be honest. My workbench is sort of in the kitchen. My parent have decided that their shoe box of a kitchen isn't big enough and have knocked down the wall in between it and the 'spare room'. So lots of junk is sort of collecting round my bench while they do some work. My workbench was supposed to be in the garage but my grandfather (one of 2) has moved into a nursing home and my parents are having to sell his flat in order to fund his care, so all his unwanted possessions are occupying the garage for the time being.

 

[barkwindjammer]

Well, everyone needs a shooting board at some point, mines is used mostly as a bench hook, dont think you really need to be using a plane (cough, cough) to flatten ply ?
oh and its looking good btw

 

[LuptonM]

I used the plane to flatten the sides (not the top), after cutting it with a saw to the dimensions I wanted

The funny thing is that u need a shooting board to make a shooting board!!!

 

[OPJ]

Well, it's not about how long it takes to make the thing but how accurate and well made it is and the fact that it should make your woodworking life a bit easier from now on.

Plywood can be a b****r to plane even when you're using a decent plane and iron combination - I can only begin to imagine how much extra you are having to suffer with that Anant plane...! ;-) Like MDF and chipboard, it can knock the edge off your iron in seconds. Regular trips to the sharpening stones may be required.

Looks good, though.

I wouldn't try using any of that tung oil, if it really is as old and stale as you suggest. It's more than likely that what comes out will resemble a thick "gloop", rather than a smooth oil. It could make a sticky mess and ruin your otherwise fine work. Oil finishes in general don't tend to keep very well, regardless of the conditions they are stored in. Personally, I try not to keep an oil finish in the workshop for more than about a year.

 

[Harbo]

Looking good - though I tend to treat mine in a more utilitarian manner and make them out of scrap odds & ends and left "bare"
Here's one made out of an old kitchen door panel, veneered MDF and a strip of thin plastic cutting board:

Rod

 

[AndyT]

Hey Rod - where are those planes in the Anant catalogue?

 

[Vann]

My workbench was supposed to be in the garage but my grandfather (one of 2) has moved into a nursing home and my parents are having to sell his flat in order to fund his care, so all his unwanted possessions are occupying the garage for the time being.

There could be a silver lining... "hey granddad, mind if I use that set of Stanley Bedrock planes of yours from the garage..." :lol:

Cheers, Vann.

 

[jimi43]

Rod...you tease you!

Let's see that beautiful plane full frontal please!

LuptonM....I simply LOVED your story...I read it out to my wife!

You can't imagine how much leverage it gives me to take over the house!

I am starting with my son's bedroom now he has moved out long enough to think he may not be back sometime soon...

I agree with Olly about the tung oil....and in any case...you don't need finish on the ply.

I am also impressed with what you have done with so few tools...just goes to show dunnit!? :mrgreen:

Jim

 

[studders]

Rod...you tease you!

My thoughts too.

Let's see that beautiful plane full frontal please!
Jim

(Rod) " Oh that ol' thing, why I didn't even notice I'd left it there" (/Rod)

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[LuptonM]

The oil seemed to be ok- I tipped it into an old marmalade jar since the instructions tell me to mix the first applications with white spirit. The consistency looked good so I went with it.

With a shooting board I should be one my way to practice make some wooden boxes which should make great presents next Christmas- just got to get a dovetail saw and some marking equipment and I should be good to go

I only oiled it since I read here http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTo ... oard2.html
that the author finishes with a coat of danish oil- maybe to prevent warping?

I just asked my dad about the Anant plane and apparently it belonged to my grandfather. My dad has had it for at least 10years so it might be even 30 years old. The worst thing about it is the depth adjustment where u have to turn both of the wheels at the front. I only used the Anant plane because its blade already had quite a large radius on it so I thought it would work perfect for a scrub-type plane (plus its good for roughing since its not too bad if it gets wrecked). The radius of the blade was probably that of what most ppl use for a jack plane but it was plenty aggressive enough and was surprised when planing that it didn't leave grooves in surface. I know some ppl don't sharpen blades with a large radius with as a finer grit surface, but I do anyway since a sharper blade means I have to do less work.

Unfortunately both of my grandfathers (and my dad for that) are pretty oblivious to woodworking so them owning some stanley bedrocks might be a bit unrealistic

I actually have a Veritas LA jack plane in the workbench cupboard (21st b-day present ). However due to the blade radius (or lack of it) its kind of in shooting-board mode at the min (I haven't bought any other blades for it yet). The thing I am unsure about it is the lateral adjustment- I think I prefer the standard bailey type one as its much easier to adjust it by minute amounts. I used my workbench with this plane as a sort of a temporary shooting board, to plane the guide edge (the one that counts)

I think its good to slowly collect good quality pieces as you'll just end up buying twice. For instance, my silverline square, isn't particularly useful since one side is not quite flat (the wooden side), so I'll have to buy another one in the future. However it did not present much problem with setting the shooting board stop for drilling since it should have a little bit of play in it with the screws such that it can be aligned square against the plane sole before use and then the screws tightened

 

[jimi43]

I actually have a Veritas LA jack plane in the workbench cupboard......

Now that you have been bequeathed the Anant...I think you should ditch the Veritas and in the spirit of recycling...in my direction....

Boy...I love this thread! 8)

Jim

 

[lanemaux]

Jimi , Got an ancient no name plane that was so poorly made that a rusty Shelton was taking better shavings (using shavings very loosely) than it was. And being the cheapo that I am , I still found a use for it. A while back a retail store was re-doing their shelving and I scooped the discarded MDF, lovely great slabs of it. Only problem was that the displays were joined with great gobs of construction adhesive. Turns out that Monstro the no.5 was wizard at removing same . Even butt ugly nearly useless hunks of kit can be useful. An Anant is luxury by comparison. Hang onto it Lupton , no telling what else it could manage.

 

[bugbear]

I am using my dad's pride and joy (cough cough), an anant no.3 smoother as a-kind-of-scrub plane- pictured below to get the surfaces sort-of flat

Wowza I think that's a cheap knock off of a cheap tool - the Stanley SB3!

Get thee to a car boot sale!

BugBear

 

[Harbo]

Jimi - sorry it was not meant to be a plane gloat - it's just a common or garden LN No.9 - one of the best planes for shooting?

I have not got any full frontals to hand but here's some more shots with a Robert Wearing type mitre board:

Rod

 

[LuptonM]

c'est fini

I ended up cutting a little too much off the end of the stop as it was slightly interfering with the path of the plane sole but hopefully it won't make too much of a difference

 

[yetloh]

I see Rod's LN N09 has the black turd on the side whereas my old one has a nice cherry knob which can be scewed onto either side. I suspect that the turd may work better but it doesn't look as nice. It's a shame that they do not still make the threaded holes so the user can have the side knob if prefered. I do agree about the No 9; it is one of my favourite planes and I am not generally a big LN fan, preferring the innovation of Veritas.

Jim

 

[Harbo]

The black turd or Hot Dog as they are called work very well and are relatively easy to swap from side to side.

I've just looked at the prices - mine cost about half the current rate 3 or 4 years ago - though I did buy in the States. The Hot Dogs can be bought for older planes at £50!! :shock:

Rod

 

[Paul Chapman]

I ended up cutting a little too much off the end of the stop as it was slightly interfering with the path of the plane sole but hopefully it won't make too much of a difference

You really need to have the stop flush with the edge of the plywood. The purpose of the stop is twofold - it supports the workpiece and it stops the end of the workpiece breaking out as you plane it.

You could either unscrew the stop and move it along a bit or screw another piece to it. Either way, fit it a fraction over the edge of the plywood and run the plane along the board so as to plane the end of the stop flush.

Hope this helps,

Cheers :ho2

Paul

 

[barkwindjammer]

Or do what I had to do (I made the same mistake) screw the plane blade out and take shavings the full length of the fence until it just starts to make contact with your stop, as there is a small gap between the plane blade and the side edge of the plane you might have to trim the little step that occurs-I used a small shoulder plane to do this

HTH

 

[jimi43]

Hi Rod

There's nothing "common" nor "garden" about the lovely Lie Nielsens.....I love their mitres in particular.

Good old work horses...I will design my first mitre on one that shape soon...lovely stuff!

Nice one LM! I am in agreement with Paul...you really need the backing for breakout prevention...though yours is only a tad out.

Great job though given the tools.

Enjoy!

Jim