TWA: Handplane Workshop

TWA: Handplane Workshop · 05-22-2006, 10:55 AM

Howdy all,

Well, after two days under the expert guidence of Bill Anderson, I can safely say I experienced some really close shaves (and I'm not talking about personal grooming)!

This was a TWA workshop hosted at Tom's Shop (aka, Airplane Hanger) with Bill Anderson leading a group of 12 woodworkers thru the world of planes.

I wish to thank Bill and Tom for all they did. The amount of effort Bill put into prepping the hand planes for the class is beyond comprehension.

Lets just say, the table of planes set out for us makes a K&W spread look limited.

We got hands on time with all the major planes and planeing techinques.

Thanks again to all involved!

Jim

Canuck · 05-22-2006, 11:08 AM

As a visitor to the last TWA meeting, I was very impressed with the collection of planes presented!!!

(Thanks to BobN for inviting me and to the TWA membership for permitting me to sit through the excellent presentation!)

Ever since the meeting, I have been looking for one of those small side rabbeting planes. I did see a couple of the Lie Nielsen variety - but they are way too pricey for a newbie like myself. Does anyone know of a source for the plane at a more reasonable price?

(My apologies, Jim if it appears that I am highjacking your thread.....not intended.

Wayne

DaveO · 05-22-2006, 11:26 AM

Jim, that does sound like an excellent workshop. If I didn't have a project deadline and a wife that needs an occasional break from child care duties I would have liked to been there. How's the echo in Toms shop, I hear it's a great place for yodeling

Dave

05-22-2006, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by Canuck

Does anyone know of a source for the plane at a more reasonable price?

I am glad you were able to join us! No consolation, but I too, have had difficulty finding inexpensive versions of those planes. I have checked eBay and even those prices are prohibitive for me. The #95 edge trimming planes had been going about $90 - $100. The new LN one runs $125. The smaller #98 rabetting planes are not much better - seem to run about $50 or so. If I find anything at a good price, (meaning they have AT LEAST 2

) I will let you know!

Travis Porter · 05-22-2006, 05:27 PM

It was good to listen to watch. I suspect I will be joining TWA. It reinforced some things I already thought were correct and taught me some things I did not know.

Caused me to go out and by a used Stanley #8.

DaveO · 05-22-2006, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Travis Porter

Caused me to go out and by a used Stanley #8.

Sure blame it on TWA, what ever makes you feel better about your Woodguy disease

Dave

Ray Martin · 05-22-2006, 06:22 PM

I didn't get to the workshop but did attend the TWA meetinglast week (it was my first and now I've signed up). It was a terrific meeting / lecture. I found out some of the things I've been doing wrong with planes... and came to the realization that I need a couple of new planes... Hey DaveO... it's a known medical fact that joining the TWA is one of the leading causes of Woodguy Disease.

Ray

DaveO · 05-22-2006, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Ray Martin

Hey DaveO... it's a known medical fact that joining the TWA is one of the leading causes of Woodguy Disease.

Ray

Actually, joining this site and seeing John's shop is the major cause of Woodguy disease, joining TWA is just a symptom of an advanced stage of the condition

Dave

05-23-2006, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Ray Martin

I didn't get to the workshop but did attend the TWA meetinglast week (it was my first and now I've signed up). It was a terrific meeting / lecture. I found out some of the things I've been doing wrong with planes... and came to the realization that I need a couple of new planes... Hey DaveO... it's a known medical fact that joining the TWA is one of the leading causes of Woodguy Disease.

Ray

Heaven help you next month when the meeting is a tour of the Wood Workers Supply operations in Grahm! I am thinking about including an "excuse" along with each member's newsletter that will get them off the hook with the love of their life in the event they came back with less cash and more tools than they had upon departing home that night!

toolferone · 05-23-2006, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by rcorne01

Heaven help you next month when the meeting is a tour of the Woodcraft operations in Grahm!

I think you mean WoodWorkers Supply!

willarda · 05-23-2006, 08:26 PM

Hey: this is my first time to look on a forum here and lo and behold I see some very kind and generous comments about the workshop I led last weekend. The workshop was a tremendous amount of fun. I learned a lot as well and was very gratified to see how every one applied themselves and how much excellent planing was done. Nothing is better than hanging around with a bunch of like minded fellows!

I am teaching a series of workshops over at Woodcraft in June and July. This is the announcement that is going on the TWA newsletter:

Handplane Workshops

TWA Club member Bill Anderson will be conducting three workshops at the Woodcraft Store on Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh in the coming months. Contact Tom Ferone at Woodcraft (781-1911 or 274-350

for further details and to sign up. All essential tools and materials will be supplied, though participants may be asked to bring some tools of their own.

Make a Krenov Style Smoothing Plane, June 25 and 26

This will be a two day workshop on making a smoothing plane in the James Krenov style. We will make the plane from well-seasoned maple, with a dense hardwood sole. Each plane will have a Hock blade. Participants will make a plane blade adjusting hammer as well. The class will conclude with instruction on sharpening the plane blades and will include some hands on practice with the plane on hardwood.

Rough to Ready, July 8

This will be a one day workshop on developing handplane skills to surface and dimension a piece of rough stock and bring it to a state ready for a finish. The class will include instruction on plane types, tuning, and sharpening of plane blades. Participants will use scrub, jointer, smoother and block planes as ell as various layout and gauging tools including winding sticks, straight edges, marking and panel gauges.

Sharpening Handtools, July 16

This will be a one day workshop on all aspects of power and hand sharpening of handtools including planes, chisels and specialty blades. We will have hands on work with and evaluate the slow speed grinder, Tormek, and Makita systems, as well as all types of sharpening stones (Japanese, Shapton, Norton oil stones, diamond stones, ceramic stones). Participants will have the opportunity to sharpen several of their own plane blades and chisels using the different systems and stones. There will be some demonstration and discussion of tool steel, bevels and care and maintenance of sharpening stones.

DaveO · 05-23-2006, 09:46 PM

Welcome Bill, it's good to see you here. We all will appreciate your input into the forums especially Hand Tools.
A question that I meant to ask you after the meeting was. Can you recommend any where to find a reasonably priced shoulder plane 3/4" width or smaller. I have finally realized the need for one after trying to trim the shoulders of a tenon with a chisel just a 1/32". By reasonable I mean under $100. Thanks,
Dave

sapwood · 05-23-2006, 11:08 PM

Bill, glad you joined us! Although I missed out on the Workshop, I did attend the TWA seminar. You did a great job

Hopefully I will be able to attend one of the future workshops

Sapwood

Ray Martin · 05-23-2006, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by rcorne01

Heaven help you next month when the meeting is a tour of the Woodcraft operations in Grahm! I am thinking about including an "excuse" along with each member's newsletter that will get them off the hook with the love of their life in the event they came back with less cash and more tools than they had upon departing home that night!

I don't know what the concern is. I can go to Woodworkers Supply and not buy a thing. DaveO is wrong. I do not have an advanced case. I can stop buying tools any time I want. Really. I am not in denial. You must be talking about someone else.

Ray

willarda · 05-24-2006, 10:13 AM

Dan: on a shoulder plane, you need a tight mouth (really tight), and as low a bed angle as possible because you are cutting endgrain and you want little or no tearout if/when you pass over the outside edge of the shoulder. Therefore other planes (such as a rabbet plane (wooden or metal like the #78 or #190-192) will not work as well. Stanley make another series of semi-shoulder planes called cabinet rabbet planes (90, 92, 93 and 94). The first three are still available commercially for about $100 each, the latter is not made anymore and generally the antique costs about $300. However, those planes are more suited for long grain rabbets (particularly stopped rabbet) than end grain shoulders, mainly because the planes have an odd profile and not as much surface area when you lay them down on a tenon. So, the long and short of all this is that you really need a dedicated shoulder plane. However, most shoulders are probably not taller than 1/4" unless you are making a massive bench. So I would look seriously at Lie-Nielsen's pocket shoulder plane (wooden wedge, etc). I have one of these and find it absolutely invaluable, not only for tenon shoulders but also because it fits in the bottom of most dadoes I cut and I can clean them out really nice. Traditionally, the tongue of a tenon is trimmed with a wider shoulder plane (3/4 or 1"), but I recently saw that Lie-Nielsen sells a skewed rabbet plane (looks like a block plane) which would have the advantage of being able to trim tongue widths on one pass. I do not have one, but that is on my hot list now.

Dave: do not forget to send me some digital photos of your jewelry box for the TWA poster. I am getting to the short end of my timeline on this project and I want your picture on the poster!