Knuckle dragging weekend

[Anonymous]

My grandson and I had the opportunity to spend last Saturday in the company of a half dozen other galoots in an orgy of hand tools. Here are a few of the planes on hand:

As you can see Clifton, Lie-Nielsen, Lee Valley and Knight Toolworks were represented along with the vintage iron. This shot didn't include Jr. Strasils 3 tool chests full of goodies (Jr. owns but doesn't use newfangled metal planes). There were also saws, drills, chisels, etc. on hand.

Jr. is a 3rd generation blacksmith who also woodworks and he carries an entire woodworking shop in a small enclosed trailer that is a study in itself of organization. He makes most of his woodworking tools and has literally hundreds of neat gizmos in his parquetried tool chests. His framed saws were the most impressive things to me. I have never encountered saws that ate wood so rapidly.

 

[Alf]

Roger,

Sounds from all reports like you guys had a ball, even if Ernie did try to get some work out of you! :lol: I hope you've got a little map to identify which tool is which, 'cos I'm gonna start trying to work it out and I may have questions... :wink: :lol: Actually I already have a question. What's the little plane to the left of the boxed router plane at the front? It seems to have a couple of fence rods and it's perplexing me more than somewhat.

Cheers, Alf

 

[DaveL]

Roger,

I'll second Alf's comment, I have no idea what a lot of those loverly looking tools are how about a key for the slow ones here :?:

 

[Anonymous]

What's the little plane to the left of the boxed router plane at the front? It seems to have a couple of fence rods and it's perplexing me more than somewhat

Hint: it looks like Stanley's smallest bench plane :twisted: .

 

[Alf]

Hint: it looks like Stanley's smallest bench plane :twisted: .

Well I know, except Stanley's smallest bench plane didn't have fence rods... :?

 

[Anonymous]

I couldn't find a good picture of it. It is the fake Stanley #1 Rob Brophy made for a drawer pull foir Ernie Millers bench. Those aren't fence rods, they are bolts. :lol:

I'm working on a key for the pic....

 

[Alf]

Ahhhhhhhhh. Of course! I'd forgotten all about it :roll: For those of you who haven't a clue what we're on about, here 'tis.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Pete W]

Ingenious . I've seen pictures of old chisels used as drawer handles, but never a plane before.

 

[Anonymous]

Weekend pix are posted here.

 

[Alf]

Ooo, good-oh. <dashes off to look> Right, more shooting boards to add to the list, for a start. Excellent. Thanks, Roger.

Cheers, Alf

 

[DaveL]

Roger,
Thanks for posting the link for the pictures.
Nice to see other peoples workshops, even if the size does make me jealous. :wink:

 

[cambournepete]

Hi Roger,

The pix are very interesting but I notice that some of the benches in them are very narrow - this one shows this very clearly. Why ? I don't remember seeing this kind of bench in Scott Landis' "The Workbench Book" and they look inherently unstable. Could you enlighten an ignorant Englishman please ?

I'd also be intrigued to see more pix of said bench and even plans...

Thanks,

Pete

 

[Pete W]

Pete, I'm not sure you can conclude it would be unstable. I'd guess it should be fine for chopping and chiseling, and I'm sure you could plane on it if you keep the force along the length. It certainly seems to have seen plenty of action .

I think it's Ian Kirby who recommends bench work without clamps and holddowns on the grounds that you need to feel the balance and control (or lack of it) as you work the wood.

If we're allotted three-score years and ten, I've got a couple of decades to master that. So all is not lost .

Another Pete

 

[Anonymous]

No, you won't find Jr's bench in The Workbench Book but it should be in there. Jr. made this bench for his traveling demonstrations and it works very well for that purpose. He doesn't build casework (except small boxes) on it so it can be narrow. It is too high (about 1 meter) for power planing but that makes it good for detail work such as sawing joints, chopping mortises, etc. When you watch Jr. work, you realize the bench is part of a system that includes several other items. Many saw operations can be done while sitting on a stool that is a perfect height for the bench. The wide front apron make the bench very sturdy along the long axis and the open back side lets you pull the stool up for crosscutting on a bench hook. You can also sit on the stool to cut dovetails while sitting at the end vise.
Jr's setup emulates that of an 18th to early 19th century travelling country craftsman who could drive up to a place and have a fully equipped shop set up in an hour. It is a real treat to observe.

http://www.traditionaltools.us/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=50

 

[cambournepete]

No, you won't find Jr's bench in The Workbench Book but it should be in there....

Thanks for that Roger - very interesting.

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

Ok here goes, planes with (owner)

Top row: Steve Knight coffin smoother 50º (Randy), LN #4 Bronze (Rob), Clifton #7 (Rob), ? block plane behind complex moulder stood on end (Ernie), a pair of Stanley #6's (Randy), Steve Knight coffin smoother 45º (Roger), Stanley #46 (Bill), Stanley #72 :!: (Jr.), Stanley #113 (Jr), Stanley #148 (Jr), Stanley #140 (Jr)

Middle: Stanley #66 (Bill), LN #66 (Rob), craftsman made panel raiser? apple? (Ernie), LN #62 & LN #40 1/2 (Bill), Millers Falls #7 (Bill), Stanley #95 (Jr's or Bill's), Rapier 043 in front of #7 & #95(Bill), Stanley #79 (Jr), Stanley #50 in box (Bill)

Bottom: Stanley Bedrock #607 (Bill), Stanley #148 (Bill), Stanley #78 (Roger), Stanley Bedrock #604 1/2 (Randy), Stanley # 4 1/2 (Randy), Stanley #192 in front of 4 1/2 (Bill), Stanley #5 (Randy), LV Scraper plane (Ernie), Steve Knight smoother (Ernie), Ernie's homemade infill, Fake #1 drawer pull (Ernie), Stanley #71 in box (Roger), in front of #71: 1 1/2" rabbet (Roger), Stanley #40 (Roger), Sandusky moving fillester (Roger), Record 044 (Bill), Stanley #4(Roger), Keen Kutter K7 (Roger), Stanley #5 (Roger), Stanley #5 (Ernie)

I probably made a mistake or two in there. I'm not sure which Steve Knight smoother Ernie brought but it could be the infamous garolyte plane that cause such a ruckus on the old Badger Pond (remember that Alf?).

 

[Alf]

Rapier 043

I think Rapier just called it a #3, didn't they? BB?

I'm not sure which Steve Knight smoother Ernie brought but it could be the infamous garolyte plane that cause such a ruckus on the old Badger Pond (remember that Alf?).

Ah yes. Memories are made of garolyte... :lol:

Thanks for doing that, Roger. Good fun.

Cheers, Alf