hand plane

[Jacob]

Sounds like your having fun. If you had stairs to do on a regular basis do you think a brace and bit would be viable? I can't see it. A jig and a heavy duty router although noisy make quick light work of this task. If I was doing it for fun for sure I would grab some hand tools.

A brace and bit is certainly viable if you are having to drill to a mark rather than something you can set up with fences etc. But yes next time (if there is one) I'd look more closely at jigs. It's not something I've done so I wanted to get hands on with this one - the biggest prob (for me) was getting my head around the geometry, which with hindsight isn't difficult at all.

 

[G S Haydon]

Jacob you are indeed right. Although winders look a bit menacing they are in fact no problem. Most things with straight lines are just fine. Curves and wreathes are when the brain begin to steam. I personally have not made many, my Dad is our stair guy but I did make the stairs for my home which are winders around a half turn. I personally found it useful to draw a plan view rod which makes positioning and location of components very simple.
I also have found it useful to walk through an initial job with simple tools which you can then relate to the machines or power tools next time. Looking forward to seeing the finished results.

 

[yetloh]

Gary,

Sounds like I have touched a raw nerve which was absolutely not my intention. Of course I am fortunate to have a planer thicknesser and many people are less privileged in that respect than me. I do not for a moment seek to denigrate any woodworker or their methods; I simply put forward my own methods of working which work for me. I too enjoy working with hand tools but the pieces I make are (for me) complex and challenging and I am not a quick worker. At the age of 70 I have neither the time nor energy for hogging off large amounts of timber by hand, so I use my machines, even though I dislike the noise. For me it is drudgery, but it saves me time for the fine handwork which is what I really enjoy.

One of the irritations of all woodworking fora is that there are always people (and I am not suggesting that you are guilty of this) who seem to want to insist that the only valid method is their own. I only join in these discussions to make the point that there are other ways and everyone has to find what suits them from the full range of possibilities. Some get pleasure from maximising machine work so as to finish pieces as quickly as possible, others like to do everything by hand, still others enjoy the finest tools or devoting time to fettling old tools or machinery. It's all valid because we are all different with different likes and pressures. I am very fortunate; I don't have to earn a living from my woodwork and I have enough money to buy the tools and machines that enable me to work in the way I like best. Would that all woodworkers were so lucky, but it is an imperfect world.

Jim

 

[Kalimna]

Jim - a very succinct post. Thank you.
Adam

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Cambered plane irons work, that is of no doubt, but I also do not camber my plane irons, except very, very slightly on my smoothers. Jack, Fore, Try, everything else I hone dead flat. (scrub obviously very convex). I find no disadvantage in this at all. Bulk stock removal with a scrub (if not by machine) followed by a flat bladed jack is no problem whatsoever. Camber if you like and if that is what you are used to, but flat irons work. If you have flat stones and Japanese waterstone users will have, your rebate planes, shoulder planes, chisels etc. which need, or preferred to be flat will always be flat, so keeping a flat stone is an advantage (and easy and quick to do) A flat stone does not preclude cambering smoothers (or anything else you might want to) so no probs either way. I just like my irons flat.

David Savage actually states that it is not possible to correct angled planing back to square unless your iron is cambered. I get his method of doing so, but his statement is untrue, there is a quick and easy way to correct for square with a flat iron (not had a probelm in 30 odd years). I actually find it easier not to plane an edge in wind with a flat iron, which is one reason for my preference.

Mike.

 

[bugbear]

David Savage actually states that it is not possible to correct angled planing back to square unless your iron is cambered.

There are many approaches. In Jim Kingshott's jointing video he uses a straight blade (in his famous giant infill jointer!).

BugBear

 

[woodbrains]

David Savage actually states that it is not possible to correct angled planing back to square unless your iron is cambered.

There are many approaches. In Jim Kingshott's jointing video he uses a straight blade (in his famous giant infill jointer!).

BugBear

Hello,

Yes, that is some plane insn't it, 30 inches long, I believe!

Mike.

 

[lurcher]

well wat a good response to the post
i am just your avrage jo woodworker who enjoys the it. i spent most of my working life as a painter and decorator .mostley covering up the wood alththo the last 6 yrs i did alot of work in the english herritage area that was a good place to be. worked with some topnotch craftsmen i am still learning now have a nice 22 ft x 14 ft small workshop and work 95% handtools and i am willing to ask for help and advice from you lads

 

[GazPal]

Gary,

Sounds like I have touched a raw nerve which was absolutely not my intention. Of course I am fortunate to have a planer thicknesser and many people are less privileged in that respect than me. I do not for a moment seek to denigrate any woodworker or their methods; I simply put forward my own methods of working which work for me. I too enjoy working with hand tools but the pieces I make are (for me) complex and challenging and I am not a quick worker. At the age of 70 I have neither the time nor energy for hogging off large amounts of timber by hand, so I use my machines, even though I dislike the noise. For me it is drudgery, but it saves me time for the fine handwork which is what I really enjoy.

One of the irritations of all woodworking fora is that there are always people (and I am not suggesting that you are guilty of this) who seem to want to insist that the only valid method is their own. I only join in these discussions to make the point that there are other ways and everyone has to find what suits them from the full range of possibilities. Some get pleasure from maximising machine work so as to finish pieces as quickly as possible, others like to do everything by hand, still others enjoy the finest tools or devoting time to fettling old tools or machinery. It's all valid because we are all different with different likes and pressures. I am very fortunate; I don't have to earn a living from my woodwork and I have enough money to buy the tools and machines that enable me to work in the way I like best. Would that all woodworkers were so lucky, but it is an imperfect world.

Jim

No raw nerves Jim. Just a simple response to your comments.