The jack plane wouldn't win a beauty competition but it's actually a pleasure to use. Clearly, the original handle had come adrift at some time under its previous ownership and the quick fix had been to ram a sturdy piece of dowel in its place, a simple solution which works extremely well. Compared to the usual type of handle, this one has the advantage of making the plane as easy to use with a pull stroke as a push and thus very adaptable to the contrary grain directions of a glued board. Likewise, the old coffin smoother in the background is a battered old campaigner but very user friendly. I find its smoothly contoured body very easy on the hands - certainly more comfortable for a job like this than the cast iron type of smoother.
This small one looks very handy. I wish I had one. Today, I finally sharpened my plane blade to the right sharpness and planed a beech board just for fun. It was real fun :) It's one of those tools you can be really proud of. Humanity, thank you for planes!
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Szymon.
Yes, I agree, the feel and sound of a sharp plane is a pleasure. The small one bears the stamp of the tool merchant Hy. Osborn of Southampton which makes it about 140 years old, I think, and still working well.
DeleteThanks Szymon.
Dear Rob, I so like learning the names of these tools you use. To think that the small plane--the coffin plane--is 140 years old. So much of what we use today was made to become obsolete in a few years. And so a tool that has enough pride in itself to serve humankind for years upon years upon centuries is a treasure beyond words. Peace.
ReplyDeleteHello Dee, Some old tools are named after their jobs but I think the 'coffin' smoother is so-named because of its shape which is also a bit boat-like, so some may call it a 'boat' plane.
DeleteBest wishes, Rob
Rob, it's nice to see tools that have obviously been used with love. Sometimes I think it's easy to focus on the beauty of a tool and forget that the important thing is how it performs. I look forward to seeing pictures of the bench.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the beauty and performance, Michael. The bench is a stop-go project so reports may be few and far between!
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