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 Post subject: Just an Observation
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:58 am 
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Sometimes I feel like I am an incomplete Woodworker. I check out when someone post a tool Gloat and they are excited and happy about a new or even old hand plane they purchased. I look at them and I can't seem to get as excited as they do. Now I am not knocking them. I marvel how some use them religiously and make beatiful things. I think that my lack of excitement is due to the lack of skill and knowledge using them. I think that I am a little intimidated by them. I also feel that my Electric tools are faster and just as good. Maybe I am just too impatient to use them.

I have I think maybe 5 or 6 planes but they hardly ever see the light of day. When I get any Woodworking magazine and there are articles about planes I usually don't read them or read them lastly. Maybe one I will take the time to learn to use them and appreciate them more. :)


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:13 am 
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It's wasn't until I learned how to sharpen an iron correctly that I became more intrigued with them.

At the same time I was taught about cabinet scrapers and wow they work great.

If you don’t know the proper way of sharpening I would suggest you learn. I took a class at woodcraft.

If you already know, well then maybe your just not interested in them. Go with what you know.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:20 am 
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Tools...are a personal thing!

Kinda like my wife...you can look...but don't touch!!

Bob


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:12 pm 
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builder-bob wrote:
Tools...are a personal thing!

Kinda like my wife...you can look...but don't touch!!

Bob


BADDA BING!

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 Post subject: Re: Just an Observation
PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:25 am 
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Robertd wrote:
Sometimes I feel like I am an incomplete Woodworker. I check out when someone post a tool Gloat and they are excited and happy about a new or even old hand plane they purchased.
SNIP
I also feel that my Electric tools are faster and just as good. Maybe I am just too impatient to use them.



Product over process. Though I'll wager that a selection of edged "fitting" tools and a few extra minutes will make your projects look and fit a lot better.

Sometimes the hand tool is actually faster!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:23 pm 
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Hey Robert,
That "sometimes" feeling you mention is the one that motivated me to seriously investigate planes and other hand tools. The more I investigated, the more impressed I was with their function and usability in my projects.
Like Jeff said, you might just need to learn how to sharpen correctly to develop an appreciation of hand planes. Now I can't imagine woodworking without hand planes. I use them constantly .... and enjoy it much more than turning on a switch.
good luck,
Don


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:37 pm 
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One plus is they are quiet, or as a rule quieter!

eric


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 7:40 pm 
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They're such a challenge to learn to use them :D :D

And, yeah, just ask TT how much of a challenge they are to me to sharpen them...... :oops:

Verna

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:41 pm 
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Location: Tucson, AZ
Like anything else, what one derives pleasure from is a personal thing. Some folks enjoy making beautiful works of art with few tools that they master
Some (like me) find that half of the enjoyment is buying new tools, tuning them, learning them, etc
Some get pleasure from using as many hand tools and as few power tools as possible
Some like only doing woodturning and only do flatwork when it is required... and vice versa

I guess my point is that only your brain, guts, and heart will know what makes you go all weak in the knees and makes you happy. Half of the journey is in discovering what those things are--

Good luck and I wish you all the best...
Lawrence


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:04 am 
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Verna wrote:
They're such a challenge to learn to use them :D :D

And, yeah, just ask TT how much of a challenge they are to me to sharpen them...... :oops:

Verna


But, Verna, you are always improving, grasshopper! :-)

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:11 am 
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One thing for sure. I can appreciate why people get excited aboout getting a deal on an old used plane. I choke when I look at the prices these companies want for them. I did buy a Stanely #92 a few years ago. This past week I used it probably for about maybe the 2nd time. I also have a few old planes that were my Grandfathers. I downloaded an article on tuning them up and I have started flattening the sole and plan on learning how to use them. But as far as me using a hand plane to flatten a board, I'll just let my power planers do that. It is just one of the many woodworking skills I need to master.


Bob D


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:20 am 
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I'll echo what others have said. It's a personal thing.

I felt exactly like you for a long time. Once I really knew how to sharpen them, I found out why people like them. For some jobs, it is faster than electric tools. And it is definitely more forgiving, IMO.

But, I'd never flatten a long board with a hand plane. And there are several here who would never do it with an electric jointer. To each his own.

I usually use my electric powered tools. But occasionally, I enjoy the stress relief from the hand planes.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:19 am 
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Scotman wrote:
But, I'd never flatten a long board with a hand plane. And there are several here who would never do it with an electric jointer. To each his own.



I believe the original long board problem was jointing, since flattening would be done on the completed glueup. If you've got a wide enough jointer or planer for that kind of work, use it. I've just got planes.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:21 pm 
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Hey Robertd,

I think that much of the appreciation of hand tools comes from how you learned to do woodworking. My Pop wouldn't let me use the machines when I was younger. However, he did teach me to use hand tools and how to take care of them and sharpen them. The men who's skill I admired, as I was growing up, were boat builders and used hand tools extensively. They consistently demonstrated to me that if you had the skills, hand tools could often do the job quickly and more efficiently than machines. As with any form of education, manual skill is something that is exclusively your own, and can't be taken from you.

Tom

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