Suggestions how to make this 23" krenov plane more usable/comfortable to hold?

[David Weaver]

(Like new furniture that's made to look old, or Shabby Chic that's really just shabby.)

Yeah, that's the worst. While I don't love nakashima or krenov's stuff, at least its bits are honest. Fake wear is just that...fake. And there seems to be no bottom to tasteless, like taking a single screw and banging it all over a cabinet or table with a hammer.

Poor people 150 years ago would've made fun of furniture (and the people buying it) that was new and then intentionally damaged.

[Steve Voigt]

Steve,

These are very wise words of advice. I read your post 3 times before responding. I kept the first plane I ever made, because it was the first plane I ever made. The mouth is all wrong, the 'wear' (ware.....whatever) doesn't exist, and it has other flaws, too, that make it a lousy user. But it was my first, so I kept it. The 2nd, 5th, 6th went right into the burn pile. We all learn from doing, and everything almost always gets better with experience and learning. I seem to keep my mistakes and fix them, when possible, and use them myself. The really good ones move on to other woodworkers, and it was quite a while before I felt comfortable allowing that.

In the end, as you stated so eloquently, it's just the start of the journey. Words that I live my life by, and have been for quite some time. Seeing you put it in writing struck a chord.....

Regards.

Jeff, thanks for the very kind words, I really appreciate it. I'm sure we've had some very similar experiences! My first plane was completely unusable. It was a while before I made something that broke into the starting lineup, so to speak.

[Jim Matthews]

There's real emphasis here on the finer end of the spectrum.

Sometimes I want to "hog off" a heavier shaving, and to do that I need something solid to hold.
If I'm pulling a plane, the workpiece is angled toward the ground so that gravity is my friend.

If I'm pushing a plane, it needs to be at about my belt line or I can't get my bulk engaged.

DSC_1748.JPG

In either case, heavy work needs to be done by larger muscles.
Finer work is done with finer shavings.

If every pass just takes off one half-thousandth, I would never finish most of my projects.
I'm slow enough, already.

[Pat Barry]

There's real emphasis here on the finer end of the spectrum.

Sometimes I want to "hog off" a heavier shaving, and to do that I need something solid to hold.
If I'm pulling a plane, the workpiece is angled toward the ground so that gravity is my friend.

If I'm pushing a plane, it needs to be at about my belt line or I can't get my bulk engaged.

DSC_1748.JPG

In either case, heavy work needs to be done by larger muscles.
Finer work is done with finer shavings.

If every pass just takes off one half-thousandth, I would never finish most of my projects.
I'm slow enough, already.

You enjoy reading that book Jim? I didn't realize you were so multi-faceted.

[Jim Matthews]

You enjoy reading that book Jim? I didn't realize you were so multi-faceted.

I like coloring the pictures.
No, I do not read NihonGo.

I was looking for a photo of (a very young) Toshio Odate demonstrating one.
I've had some decent results getting longer boards into shape, that way.

These days, I don't work with things much longer than 40".
I can handle that, right at my bench.

[Winton Applegate]

Pat,

What books did I pull from ?

Sorry to be so remiss. I just got around to looking into this thread again. I wish when I get a direct post to one of mine I would get a notice in my e-mail like FWW used to do.
Fume
. . . anyway there are three books by James Krenov worth at least checking out from the Library. I wore out the Library copies and wound up buying my own.
I can see both sides when it comes to Krenov now that I have more experience.
One thing I will say for the guy :
He sure knows how to romanticize woodcraft (all the while saying Don't romanticize this; it is hard work; you will starve; don't quit your day job !

WORTH READING just keep your feet on the ground; as he recommends.

OK I will stop blowing hot air and to the books :
http://www.amazon.com/Cabinetmakers-...s=james+krenov

http://www.amazon.com/Impractical-Ca...s=james+krenov

http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Art-Cabin...cabinet+making

there are one or two others but these talk about the how to.

[Winton Applegate]

Stanley no.5 I have to be awful, awkward and painful to use.

I couldn't get used to the weird tearing buzzing sound when taking heavy cuts with a highly cambered blade. Feels cheep and out of it's depth. I was practicing on bubinga flattening this mini table top before the big go on the dining table.



Blade dulled quick, the surface was rounded rather than flat because it was taking deeper cuts at the start than in the middle.

That was a plane I bought brand new back in 1976 or so and fettled best I could. It had wood handles, a Stanley. I had been hauling it around with me half my life. When I got into REAL wood working she got to sit on the shelf and watch.

I figured if I couldn't get this little thing flat I had no hope with the big table.

ALL THAT went away when I BUed.
Never looked back.

That was just for dimensionoing/flattening the top.
I had a similar experience with my LN #4 for smoothing the purple heart but to be fair I never set the chip breaker closer than probably a 1/100th inch

Back bevel got 'er going. BU LV made it a pleasure.
Then I discoverd the scrub plane and going cross grain and diagonal if that was tearing too much. No chip breaker there so I was happy.

Back beveled him for the Bubinga big table.
Love that big thick blade. No buzzing and digging in at the start.
I can't imagine I will have as much fun with a bed rock jack plane cross grain ONCE I FIND THE SWEET SPOT. Hey something to explore right ?

[Winton Applegate]

got . .. carbon steel to make tool blades, . . .a two brick forge, and now a proper anvil (if by anvil you mean a big old sledgehammer head stuck in a stump). . .. home heat treating . . . seems to have worked very well

THERE YOU GO ! THERE YOU GO !
That's showing 'em.

[Winton Applegate]

Kees,

Steve Elliotts website

Bless you !
Thank you!

[Winton Applegate]

design style that is unique pulling from Scandinavian, Eurpoean and Asian influences that stands on its own, collected by Museums around the world,

thanks for saying that I couldn't quite get that together in words.

The majority of his case construction was veneer work

I would be a little careful there. I seem to remember he EXPLORED veneer but rejected it and went back to solid wood for most of his work.
Thick assed veneer like I used on the front of my bench but still.

Anyone want to elaborate on that one ?

Well he used dowels so what does HE know right ? The longer I am around the more I hate the idea of dowels. I almost bought the latest FWW for the desk gallery article. Nice piece over all but . . . you guessed it . . . lots of dowels.

Still WAY TOO MUCH "this is a hand plane" . . ." it cuts wood". What ever happened to FWW in FWW ?

I understand that the majority of the FWW reader ship may not build world class furniture but don't they still want to read about such and the people who make it ? And the people who buy it. I remember an article, in some magazine, about a guy who built a mansion then went off and found a team of dudes that specialize in world class american period furniture and hired them to fill his house.

NOW THAT IS A MAGAZINE ARTICLE.
I can read about basic dovetail cutting in a book,
many books,
many, many, many books. Why would I buy the latest top shelf woodworking magazine to read old news. More like no news.

[James Conrad]

I would be a little careful there. I seem to remember he EXPLORED veneer but rejected it and went back to solid wood for most of his work.
Thick assed veneer like I used on the front of my bench but still.

Anyone want to elaborate on that one ?

From the people I have talked with who worked directly with Krenov and/or studied under him, the casework of his popularized cabinets was indeed veneer work, and yes dowel construction. He made his own thick veneer and veneer core, but experimented with different substrates. The examples of his work that I have seen in person, his cabinets were veneered and these were completed late in his career, but one coopered door piece was of all solid wood construction. Not claiming to be an expert on Krenov, but I feel pretty confident in my original statement. It would be nice to see a book done by historians/museum on him, and his contemporaries who all passed right around his time.

[Brian Holcombe]

I built an outdoor table for my house using mostly dowel joinery, it was right after we moved in and we needed a couple things right away. It's in the worst possible conditions for dowels to survive in, ie tons of moisture or extreme cold/hot, often time I'll leave ice or snow on it for weeks. In fact this winter it's had 12" of snow on it for a couple weeks.

When it finally fails I'll rebuild it with more appropriate joinery, but for the time being I'm impressed with how well they've held up in real life, less than ideal, conditions.