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I am in the process of building a new workbench (‘shakerish’ style) and it has a total of 14 drawers. I would have to say I would not have designed it this way without this plane. It is a joy to use and works very well.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.To date, this has been my favorite build. It has challenged me to a new level and I have learned a lot along the way. I love the way Paul teaches in his videos and it allows me to learn at my own pace.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.Are you sawing from both sides? Paul has a couple videos where he counts his strokes, following the knife wall, saw handle angling down further with each stroke and then switches to the other side and repeats the same task. It allows you to cut to the line on each side. Just a thought…
Steve, the rule of thumb around here (U.S.) is 1 year per inch (25 mm) of board thickness.
(the following is from the wood database website: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/drying-wood-at-home/
Process logs in a timely fashion. If a tree has just been cut down, or there has been recent storm damage, it’s best to process the logs into lumber as quickly as possible; doing so will help to open up the wood and aid in drying, which can prevent rot or stain from marring the wood. Bark on whole logs can act as a natural moisture-barrier, and if left unsawn, can contribute to fungal decay and deterioration in some species. A hallmark of poorly processed, do-it-yourself lumber is the presence of spalted or partially rotted wood.
Cut the wood slightly oversized. Remember that wood shrinks as it dries. This, along with the material that will inevitably be lost when the boards need to be jointed/planed smooth, mean that green wood should always be cut larger than the desired finished size. (And you usually don’t need to bother jointing/planing the wood prior to drying, since it will no doubt distort at least slightly during the drying process, and the edges should be dressed after the wood has dried to EMC—an exception to this is that two surfaces of a log should be jointed level to facilitate getting even and predictable cuts on the bandsaw.)
Seal the ends. In addition to processing logs in a timely manner to prevent stain and decay due to excessive moisture, the opposite is also to be avoided: allowing the wood to dry out too quickly will result in splits and endgrain checking. It is important to remember that moisture escapes from wood about 10 to 12 times faster on the ends than through other surfaces. Sealing the endgrain forces the moisture to exit in a slower, more uniform manner. If this is neglected, the ends will tend to shrink faster than the rest of the wood, creating tremendous stresses on the piece that’s ultimately only relieved with endgrain checks—a very common drying defect. (Although there are specially formulated endgrain sealers on the market, just about anything will do in a pinch: paraffin wax, polyurethane, shellac, or even latex paint can be used to seal the endgrain surface. The key is to build up a thick, obstructing film that will inhibit moisture from escaping at the ends of the board. In order to minimize the risk of checking, it is best practice to coat lumber ends within minutes—not hours or days—after coming off the saw.
Stack and sticker. Having lumber of uniform lengths and thicknesses greatly aids and simplifies the stacking process; once a log is sawn up into planks of satisfactory dimensions, it’s crucial to stack them in such a way that they will be exposed to air on all sides—stickers are typically used for such a task. Stickers are small pieces of wood (usually about 3/4” x 11/2”) that are used to add space between sawn planks, which increases ventilation and aids in a more uniform drying process. Sticker spacing varies depending on the species and thickness of the lumber being dried; a conservative spacing scheme would be every 12”, though usually 16” or 24” spacing can be safely used on thicker pieces.
Add weight. Once the stack of wood is stacked and stickered properly, it’s helpful to add weight to the stack. The lumber at the bottom of the stack is probably weighed down sufficiently by the wood on top of it, but boards near the top greatly benefit from added weight. Weighing the stack of wood down helps to prevent warping or distortion, which is especially important during the initial drying phase when going from green to an ambient EMC. Neatly and properly stacking, stickering, and weighing wood will go a long way towards ensuring that the drying process will result in flat, stable, and usable lumber.
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