Teaching hand tool skills

[Bob Jones]

Next weekend I volunteered to give a free demo on Bench Plane basics. Admission - I have never taught anyone anything in woodworking and I have never really used planes in front of others. Any tips from experienced teachers would be appreciated.

I have about 1.5 hours. I plan to cover the very basics, so this will be geared for beginners. I think I will focus on 2 things.
- First, the basic pieces of a plane. I know it is hard to believe that anyone would not know the “frog” from the “tote”.
- Second, bench planes for a power tool shop. That should reach the people in the shop on Saturday, since it is basically a power tool shop. Since I use very few power tools, what should I cover here? Obviously smoothing, but what else do power tool users need most from bench planes?

Thanks for any tips! Oh, if anyone is near Memphis, TN feel free to stop by!

See details of the class here -

http://thechristiantoolcabinet.wordp...-this-weekend/

[Joe Bailey]

don't have answers to all your questions, but ...
the few times I've taught (small groups a few times, many other one-on-ones) I've found that one thing in particular is both a revelation to them as well as serving to demystify the whole plane experience. That is the notion that a plane is a glorified chisel holder; the brilliant and (initially) complex mechanism serves only to hold the "chisel" (blade/iron) in place, adjust it laterally, and adjust the amount of protrusion from the holder.

[bridger berdel]

power tools handle the midlevel work effortlessly, but tend to be less effective at the top and bottom. that is, a power jointer is great for flattening boards up to it's width and 2 or 3 times it's length. beyond that not so much. with some skill and a straight edge a hand plane has no such limitation. a jointer leaves a *pretty* smooth surface- definitely better than rough sawn, but not as good as a well tuned smooth plane.

[Mark Baldwin III]

When I first started with a hand plane, I also picked up Jim Kingshott's handplane video. Some of the most useful stuff was: how the blade angle, back iron, and mouth work together; the different sizes; basic sharpening.
He goes into much more detail than that, and does the basic dimensioning of a board. The video is about 1 hour, so you will have plenty of time to get the basics across and pique a beginner's interest.
Not saying you have to copy Mr. Kingshott, but those were the bits that helped me understand what was really going on.

[John Coloccia]

Most power tool users would benefit fat more from a couple of good block planes, to be honest...

Here's a couple of ideas:

1) jointing an edge to get it perfect....it's rarely perfect off the jointer.
2) knocking down some high spots so you can run a piece through the planer without wobbling. You may need to do this if you don't have a jointer, or if like most people your jointer is smaller than your planer. Most would just rip a wide board to the size of their jointer.
3) shooting miters. They're so much better off a hand plane than off a power tool, typically.

[Jim Koepke]

If your "students" are mostly power tool users, the scope of the class will be mostly show how a hand plane may be effective in their shops.

You may have to do a few minutes on plane use safety.

You may want to bring the basic set of a #4, 5 & 7 to use and explain their general performance. If you have a piece of wood that looks great on all sides from planing, bring it in to pass around.

Spend a few minutes talking about the importance of a sharp blade. If you have a few other sized or spare planes, bring one in with a dull blade to show the differences or maybe if you have a spare blade set to drop in. (If need be, buy one of the $3 blades at Home Depot.)

Discuss the chip breaker, how it is set and how it has to seat across the full blade.

Discuss the lever cap and setting it so that it isn't too tight to prevent adjustments on Bailey & Bedrock styles of planes. You might also explain how this may be different on other types of planes where the lever cap has to be loosened to make an adjustment. They should understand that over tightening is not a good thing.

Then there is the depth adjuster and its backlash. This would also be a good time to explain that some planes may have right or left handed threads and that some planes are in fact plane shaped pieces of junk that should be avoided.

Put the plane together and show how you go about setting the blade depth. You may want to show how the LN videos show this with a small scrap of wood and sighting down the sole and the method of using a piece of scrap secured in a vise while moving the plane on the surface. Then show how to adjust the lateral setting. Set the lateral off a bit and make a fat shaving from one side and a thin shaving from the other. Make a few like this and pass them around for the attendees to feel. It will also keep them engaged.

If you have a smoother set up for a minimum shaving that can make a smooth surface, have them look down the length to see the mirror effect.

If you can, let everyone take a pass with a plane. Then rub some wax on the sole and let them have a second try.

If there is time, give a quick demonstration on shooting boards. If you can find some pictures of other shooting boards for angled work, that might be one of the main areas power tool users would find a hand plane useful.

You may want to make a set of note cards to help you keep on track and not miss anything you want to convey.

Here is a post of mine:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...th-Hand-Planes

Here is a post on a Donkey Ear shooting board of mine:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...t-Eared-Donkey

I would be honored for you to use any part of these you like.

You may also want to print up some handouts so the attendees can have a reminder of the safety considerations, some of the basic points and plane components.

Good luck and shave a leg,

jtk

[Russell Sansom]

I agree whole-heartedly with Joe. Understanding that a plane is basically a chisel holder helps demystify things from the start.

I think back on the first time I took an industrial arts class in college. The instructor had us spend a WEEK sharpening! The funny thing being, it was obtuse, wrong, and resulted in not sharp. This was with India combination stones and a a strange lubricant whose spelling I can't quite remember. ( Was it "phelan's solution?" ).

So, If I were doing it, ( aside from naming the parts ) I'd show them two freshly hollow-ground irons and I would show them how to go from there. 5 minutes at ( say ), 1000, 4000, and 6 or 8k stones and they can suddenly and forever know what sharp was and how to get it. One without a sharpening jig, and one with. Even here on the forum, half the questions about the planes can be answered with "learn what sharp is."

Secondly, I would pull out a short shooting board and show them how to shoot an edge. Then an end! People who haven't seen this are usually dumb-founded. They have never dreamed of it and they think it's cheating. It is one of the reasons planes are so important in hand work. Since you probably want to show them WHY they should bother with hand planes. You can also let them shoot a short board themselves. You will do them a favor that will last a life time.
Finally, a survey of Block, Smoother, Jack, and Jointer will help them understand what they want for their shops and why.
Good luck,
Russ

[Bob Jones]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I had not thought about wide boards. I just so happen to have a 18in wide plank that I'm about to flatten for my next project. Perhaps I should flatten it and take it.
I like the chisel description. I'll definately use it. And the notecards. Thanks Jim. I tend to forget stuff when on the spot. Thanks for the info Jim, I read all of those posts when I was first learning but I have not read them since. Great references. Lots of great help here, I hope the class goes well.

[Jim Foster]

A suggested 1.5 hour presentation.

1) I'd bring a plane fresh out of the store like a harbor freight $10 plane and have someone try and run it across a board, and then have that person run a tuned plane across a board (with a waxed sole).
2) I'd show how to quickly hone a blade on the 10$ fixture and a stone (not necessarily at this time, might be better later, between 6,7)
3) I'd put 3 planes on a table, 4, 5or6 and 7or8 and explain what each is for and have them set to demo them on a board, maybe mention or show other types
3A) run a smoothing plane across a small scrap of wood and pass it around so the class can feel the finished quality of the planed surface.
4) after the above visual demonstrations (as short and sweet as possible) show an exploded view of a plane with all the pieces of a plane and explain what tuning issues make them work well.
5) discuss how a hand plane offers far more accuracy than any home shop power tools, and demonstrate the idea of shaving .002 off a board, show how to tune a 45 degree mitered corner or a 90 degree corner on a shooting board
6) Talk about and show the idea of touching up a board with some lumps in it before using an power jointer, also the benefits of edge jointing by hand in some cases over a power jointer.
7) Show a list of places to acquire good planes, and brands if it makes sense
8) Show a chart that list the skills (in order) and how to achieve those skills (classroom, books, online (free and for a fee))
9) Mention the a few of the most important tools that go hand in hand with planes, sharpening stones, shooting boards, etc, and touch on what they are used for. (maybe have pictures)

Seems like 1.5 hours is just long enough to get people excited about how a plane can improve their woodworking efforts and turn them on to potential paths of learning

[Roy Lindberry]

Next weekend I volunteered to give a free demo on Bench Plane basics. Admission - I have never taught anyone anything in woodworking and I have never really used planes in front of others. Any tips from experienced teachers would be appreciated.

The biggest thing that I would say is that people learn more from hands on. Make sure they can feel the difference between a board sanded to 220 grit and one off of the smoothing plane. Let them see the difference between a well tuned plane and a poorly tuned one (most people I've talked to have had a poor experience with hand planes and think that all they can do is chatter and tear out).

I have about 1.5 hours. I plan to cover the very basics, so this will be geared for beginners. I think I will focus on 2 things.
- First, the basic pieces of a plane. I know it is hard to believe that anyone would not know the “frog” from the “tote”.

This sounds like a good idea. If they aren't familiar with the jargon, following anything else you are saying will be a struggle. It would also be prudent to have a brief discussion on the importance of a sharp iron. When I was a power tool user, I had no idea what sharp was, because the machine could power through the work.

- Second, bench planes for a power tool shop. That should reach the people in the shop on Saturday, since it is basically a power tool shop. Since I use very few power tools, what should I cover here? Obviously smoothing, but what else do power tool users need most from bench planes?

With an hour and a half you will have to be judicious with your time. There are two different tacks that I think would be appropriate.

1. Focus on the smooth plane and the block plane. The smooth plane is pretty straightforward. But most people don't realize how versatile a block plane can be in a power tool shop. Anything from making a door/drawer reveal consistent to chamfering an edge, to trimming end grain. Even in a power tool shop, the smoother and a good block are essential in my opinion.

2. Alternately (or in addition), you could bring the full array and discuss/show their different purposes to help the power tool users decide what operations they might like to try by hand. Bring a scrub/fore plane to show how aggressively and quickly stock can be flattened on one side to run through the planer. Show how a jointer can readily shoot straight and square edges down even long stock (many people only have 24-36" jointers and aren't equipped to handle long boards).

Thanks for any tips! Oh, if anyone is near Memphis, TN feel free to stop by!

Depending on your teaching style, this may or may not be any help. I find it helpful to nail down the bare essentials of what I absolutely have to put out to the students. I try to make this as small a list as possible, and then let the class' questions and curiosities direct the flow. People learn much better when their questions are being answered and their curiosities are being addressed.

Two cautions with this method: 1) Be prepared to reign people in when they get two far afield for the scope of the class. 2) Have plenty of supplemental things to discuss if it isn't a particularly inquisitive bunch.

Also, I would try to be available after the class for additional questions and assistance. These types of things are not always answered or understood by some people in group settings or if time constraints lead to rushing.

Hope this helps (I've never formally taught woodworking, but most of my teaching has been in the scope of pastoral ministry, homeschooling, and training others at work, so I hope my advice is pertinent to your situation.)

See details of the class here -

http://thechristiantoolcabinet.wordp...-this-weekend/

[Jacob Nothstine]

I teach photography classes, I find a time line helps a lot. I break the hours up into topics, I want to cover and how long it should take for each topic. I also make a list of the most important topics and ones I can cut if I'm running out of time.
I think you ideas are good. I would focus on how to use a hand plane for fine detail work when finishing a project. Removing jointer or tool marks, cleaning dovetail corner, breaking sharp edges, fitting parts when you just need to remove very small amount, squaring corners, etc...

[Jim Matthews]

When I attend a class, I like having an artifact to bring home.

I would suggest making a bench hook, with a mitering attachment.
If you do the milling in advance, it could teach squaring with a plane
and crosscutting with a saw.

They might even use what they make, at home.

[Gary Hodgin]

Lots of good suggestions. One thing I would suggest to allow each person to take a shaving or two. I'm a firm believer that any wood shop can benefit from bench planes, but what go me into hand tools was the feeling I got from using a well tuned hand plane. I was amazed at what the plane could do.

[James Owen]

I've been teaching hand tool classes for about 6 years and have been teaching classes of various sorts for about 35 years....
Some suggestions:

1. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse again!
2. Try to tailor your class to your audience and its interests.
3. Try to set your class up as an interactive class -- get your audience involved. There are many ways to do this, so, again tailor it to your audience.
4. Keep it simple: focus on a couple of ideas and drive them home in detail!
5. Be dynamic and entertaining (this goes back to rehearsing)......even if you don't pass along all that much information, if you are entertaining and dynamic, people will remember you and what you said.
6. Relax and have a good time....if you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, your audience will enjoy your class, too.

Most of all.....have fun!
Good luck and best wishes for a successful class!

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

James is right on with the rehearsing - I actually find I need *more* rehearsing on subjects that I know well, because it's easy to start rattling off and add more and more as I talk and find out I've gone well over the time limit. Even if you're just talking to the cat, going through the subject with a stop watch makes a big difference for me in being able to figure out what I can fit in a given time and how to stick to it. Last time I had to present, my rough notes had some times next to them, so I had an idea of how far along I should be, say, 15 minutes or a half hour into things, so I had a better idea as I was going through things when I needed to move faster or could slow down before hitting the time wall or running out of material.