Random Thoughts On Tools

Ralph over at his blog mentioned something that made me think about sharpening and tools in general. First, I have too damn many. I can get away with it because living in the desert Southwest almost eliminates the rust and corrosion problem.  That's the reason you see airports in the desert with hundreds of old aircraft parked. 

If I had to deal with rust on a daily bases I wouldn't have time to do any woodwork or I'd have to shed most of my tools. Of course that led to trying to figure out what tools I really need and that led back to Ralph's original post about sharpening.

In my experience there are two to four major divides in approaches to sharpening. The first is mostly freehand vs. those that use a jig when they are able. The second are the folks that seldom return a tool to the rack that is not working sharp and will sharpen mid job vs. the ones that if a tool dulls will just grab another and set the dull tool aside to be sharpened when the sharpening pile reaches critical mass or they run out of sharp tools.

There is no value judgement of the four camps, it's just different ways of working. Because I'm in the freehand/sharpen when dull camp I expect in reality I could function at about the same level I do now with no more than a dozen or so chisels. Would I do it? Ain't no way as long as I'm in the desert. With a move out of the desert I expect a few tools would go.

Photos of my chisel racks to show the extent of my sickness:

First the rack behind the main workbench that holds most of my day to day chisels. BTW, if you went through the racks, with the exception of the "why do I keep these chisels" rack and a few new to me chisels that are still being set up, every chisel is sharp and ready to use.

The rack above the main tool shelf also behind the main workbench.

The rack over the sharpening bench where I store most of the mortise chisels and gouges.

And the rack where the"Why do I keep these chisels" are stored.

There are even more "why do I keep these chisels" in chisel rolls stuck in different coroners of the shop. It is a sickness but for the most part harmless, better than Porsche's and blondes and a little safer and cheaper.

ken

Spokeshave Sharpening Jig

Spokeshave irons are hard to hold for sharpening. Classic bevel up/tanged irons are really hard to sharpen.

This is not new, others have done the same but here s a jig I made to help hold spokeshave irons.

The thin end will be set up to hold short cutters. I wanted to see if it worked before investing the time to set up for short irons.

It works, the irons are still a PITA to sharpen but the jig makes it easier. I will add the cut out and holes for short irons and clean up the jig to finish it.

ken

Shop Dog

Not much in life is better than a good shop dog.

Sweet Maggie Dog:

Sam the Wonder Dog is gone and missed but Maggie is filling in. You can't see it but she is next to the bag of Rawhide Bones. Smart dog.

ken

More On #4 Planes

Yesterday I posted about four of my #4 planes, two "posh" and two not so "posh". Of the four my least favorite was a Record #4 from sometime in the late 1970's to maybe as late as the 1980's. OF's memories sometimes are not too reliable. Anyway to cut to the chase, Sparks replied that Record kept its quality up much longer than Stanley from the same time period. Bottom line I thought I'd take another look at the Record and the Stanley. The Stanley #4 is smack dab in the middle of the best planes Stanley made. I haven't run a Type check on it in years but IIRC it is a Type 13. The Record is from well past the War and all hand tools lost quality in that period, some more than others. When I bought the Record it was because Record was considered to have retained better quality than the Stanley planes of the same time.

As I posted yesterday, the Record was my least favorite of the four planes, mostly because of the tote and just overall cheesiness. That judgement was probably unfair because I was comparing it to two modern boutique planes and a Stanley that was made when Stanley was at the top of its game. The Record is a capable plane, it and post War Stanley's are very similar with few differences.

I made a few photos this morning to show some of the difference between a pre-War Bailey type plane and a post-War Baily.

Profile view:

Head on view:

Frog Differences:

Tote Difference:

Small differences but they can make a big difference in feel when cutter meets wood.

ken

More On #4 Planes

I sharpened 4 of my #4 planes and just for Mark I included my Record #4 (best I can recall it was bought in the late '70's early '80's). So the line up was the Record with a Hock iron, a Type 13 Stanley with a Japanese bi-metal cuter, a LN with a Veritas O1 iron, and The stock Clifton.

While the cutters were sharpened by hand so all things may not be equal the sharpness should be reasonably close, at least good enough to get a feel of each plane. Of course something like this is totally subjective.

Cut to the chase: the order of comfort/pleasure/ease of use was: Stanley, LN, Clifton, and sorry to say Record. The Record sucked hind tit mostly because of its tote, by the time this one was made both Record and Stanley were not producing well made planes. The tote is almost unfinished and rough, add in the bent metal adjuster and if it weren't for sentiment the Record would walk the plank.

The LN is just heavy, it brings a little to table because of quality of build but that is not enough to beat the Stanley. The Clifton I wanted to love but no joy. The quality of build is great, as good as the LN, but the screw head on the knob extends above the knob making it uncomfortable to hold and it really is too damn heavy.

The Stanley, while not as well made, fits my hand better. The sum is greater than the parts. I know everyone would have a different opinion but whatever the Stanley blows my skirt. Of course I kinda knew that going in 😇.

ken

Clifton Planes

The human mind is a wonderful thing, if you want it to, it can rationalize almost anything. Let's see if I can set up the story: I'm going through my annual or even shorter push to "clean the shop out" to get back to just the tools I need and use. Yep, Bubba, sure you will do that just like the last time. Only this time I mean it, really, pinky swear it will happen, mean it.

In looking at my tools and trying to decide which ones will end up on the Ark and which will go I realized there wasn't a Clifton plane in the lot of 'em. How could I make a decision as important as who stays and who gets thrown overboard without having tried one of the major players? Good question with only one answer. "Hello Tools For Working Wood could you send a #4 Clifton down Tucson way". BTW, I've already sent my Veritas planes down the plank. They are nice, beautifully made planes but I just can't develop any love for Norris adjusters and I have really tried.

It is a nice plane. Better than the other two, not really, just a little different and not much of that. Of the three it is the heaviest at a 2137 grams,   the LN with a Veritas O1 cutter weights 2001 grams, and of course the Stanley with a Japanese iron is the lightest at 1654 grams.

I like the "bun" knob on the Clifton and the plane feels good, if a little heavy. in hand. Its one advantage over LN is a OEM O1 cutter. For some of us that is a big advantage.

ken

Playing with Iron

Well the vise install was a bust. I've put all the wood back in the wood pile and there is no project other than MsBubb's kickwheel pending and the kickwheel build will require a woodstore trip.

Time to work at the sharpening bench. First up was the Steve Voigt double iron coffin smoother. Steve is making some of the best (and maybe only) double iron wood stock planes you can buy and he is a nice guy. If you have any interest in woodies show Steve some love, you will not regret it. Anyway the other day I noticed it was dragging a little and sure enough when I looked at the cutter a couple of spots looked back.

Iron sharp, I usually don't "test" a sharpened iron but the little smoother is such a joy to use I had to take a pass or two. The cut is slightly heavy on the left side but other than that this is how I like a plane to work.

I also dug out a couple of Veritas planes, the old style smoother and the new modular smoother. I really want to love both planes but I can't get past the Norris adjuster. Doesn't mean I will not keep trying but so far no joy. At least their cutters are sharp when I put 'em away.

Of the new Japanese chisels from Stan all are now sharp and ready to work except the two smallest bench chisels. I used one of the larger chisels to split out the tenon cheeks on the vise backer board the other day. A really nice chisel.

Off to Costco to spend my paycheck😁,

ken

Installing BenchCrafted Classic Screw and CrissCross

As I posted earlier the new BenchCrafted screw and crisscross was waiting on me when I came home last night. To install it on the shop Moravian bench will require making a new backer board and chop. I found a 12/4 hunk of what looks like Red Oak that is long enough and wide enough to make both the chop and backerboard buried deep in the wood pile. Otherwise I would have had to do a couple of glue ups or made a wood store run. Of course once I replace all the wood I had to move to get to the Red Oak I may wish I had just made a wood run.😅

Both pieces are cut out with a true edge and face. The bottom tenon on the backer board is next. Here is a photo of splitting out the tenon.

I'll probably bore you'll with a tick tock of retrofitting a Benchcrafted screw and crisscross on an existing Moravian bench. That is if I can remember to take photos as the job progresses.

ken

Update: It ain't gonna happen. The backerboard is about 6mm too short. The only way to make it work is major mods and it is not worth it. The wood screw works fine, just not a fast as the BenchCrafted with a crisscross. Oh well I now have a vise screw looking for a bench. I guess there is only one answer, build another bench.