Working green wood

[MarcW]

Hi all,

I started a bench ( not for working, just sitting on :lol: ) in green wood yesterday with my class, i.e. kids from 10 to 12. They had much fun drilling with my Millers Falls brace and 1 inch holes were no problem. Even with a gent's saw they cut off the wood with great enthusiasm.

In consequence I will stock up the tools, above saws, braces and drill bits. My question now is, in order to cut the tenons I used a brake and a spokeshave which is very slow. I would use a drawknife, but for children, this is too dangerous I guess. What do you think? Should I go for a dowel pointer? Do I need a hollow auger? I did not find information on these old pointers in the web, except those by Jon Zimmer, i.e. pointers are used to form a tip in which I can introduce the hollow auger.

As my budget is small, I tend to buy used, so new tools can't be considered

Regards,

 

[MarcW]

Back again,

No reply, I guess my problem was a pretty rare one After reading a little bit in "Wooden Planes and How to Make Them", I came up with a shop made witchet. The blade comes from a #53 spokeshave, the slot is all you need for depth adjustment. The blade is secured by a metal fitting. First I thought I'd need two, avoiding the blade spinning around. But experience proved one is better for lateral adjustment. I spent no cent from the class' budget, just 3 hours of shop time and fun.

Other lesson learnt, next time I will take first a look in the books. :roll: :lol:

Have a nice weekend,

 

[Chris Knight]

Marc,
That looks like a pretty good solution!

 

[AHoman]

Marc,
That is a tool in the true spirit of the Adirondack furniture builders! Nice work!
-Andy

 

[Paul Chapman]

Great solution, Marc =D>

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Paul Kierstead]

Ah, you have made a rounder plane! Nice solution, and the one frequently employed.

 

[MarcW]

Thanks all for your nice comments.

There is yet a misunderstanding of the correct term. In the book by David Perch and Robert Lee, the authors say, these planes are often named witchet or widget, rounder plane or stail engine. (BTW what are stails, I didn't find in the dictionary?) Garrett Hack names the witchet a rounder plane which can make different diameters of dowels and tenons. It has two irons. So far the one I made is a rounder. Am I correct or could I call it witchet too? :?

Again another slope,

 

[Alf]

Sorry, Marc, somehow this one slipped by unseen although you seem to have managed just beautifully without being told how to suck eggs. As far as the name goes:

I'm not entirely certain, but I think rounders may have the greatest number of alternative names of any tool ever made:

Rounder Plane, Fork Shaft Rounder, Fraze, Jack Fork Staff, Jack Fork Stail, Ladder Rounder, Moot, Nogg, Rung Engine, Stail Engine, Stave Block, Tap, Thole Reamer, Trap, Turning Plane, Witchet or Widget (US)

All in all a pretty good reflection of how many trades used them and how wide-spread their use once was. My godfather has one that his father used for rehandling his farm tools, for instance.

Cheers, Alf