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Really nice!! Something to consider, a rebated-dovetail would have worked perfect here. A 3/8” or so rebate in the leg where the seat meets the leg would allow you to distribute the vertical load across the entire width of the seat and leg. This way you can maintain the beauty of the joint exactly as you have it and still optimize how you carry the load.
With such a robust seat, I can’t imagine you’ll have any problems as is but if you were to build a similar bench with thinner material, hanging the weight off the tails might not be ideal.
Really nice work though. I’ve never tried a joint this large and imagine it could be quite finicky.
Hey Kevin,
I’m not sure there is a great solution to this. I think the normal approach of shooting for the sky while paring is problematic in this case. The extra torque created as you hit the top of the unsupported fibers increases the likelihood you will rip out the end fibers making it really hard to get a clean cut started.
The only time I’ve had much success with this is if the dovetail is large enough that I can come in from the top, bevel down, and then working parallel to the width, slowly bring it down until I have enough room to make a clean paring cut at the base of the fibers. Once I have a start I’d pair like normal. Although I make a lot of smaller pieces so this often is not an option.
Another thought, although I’ve never actually tried it, might be to use a needle file to take the waste down closer to a 16th or 32nd before you start paring. It seems like if you bring it down enough you could significantly reduce the issue with the unsupported fibers.
Mike
Hey Gregm,
This may not be exactly what you looking for but I experience the same challenges as you and have been following Paul for quite a bit longer than you. For me, a big part was resetting expectations. Sawing with Paul’s level of accuracy is hard and is developed over time. I know for me on a 24 inch rip, starting a couple mil off the line will always end in disaster. I just can’t keep it perfect on both axis over that type of distance. As an amateur that only gets a few hours in the shop per week I found I needed to come to terms with the fact that it is going to take time to build the skill to the level I hope to achieve.
It may sound like the wrong way to solve the problem but I have to say finally converting a Scrub Plane has transformed how I work. On a long rip cut I start more like 3/16 to 1/4 off the line. I still put a lot of effort into to accuracy and evaluate my results so I can continue to get better but at the same time the larger margin for error allows me to account for minor run off and still end up with a usable piece. The scrub allows me to take down extra waste in a few swipes so I don’t lose much time.
Mike
Hey Keith,
Paul has several blogs on hammers, in one he states that he has the Thor 712 with both wooden and nylon handles and likes them equally. In another blog about the nylon handled version he specifically states that although there are many weight options the 1 1/2 pound is his favorite.
That said, I purchased the Thor 712R 650g off Amazon and I love it. Slightly less than 1 1/2 lbs. but perfect for me. I also have the Vaughan SF12 12 ounce hammer and love it. It doesn’t pack quick the same punch as the Thor but provides plenty of striking power and a little better finesse. I think you can’t go wrong with either.
Mike
Hey Dave, regarding developing the camber, I agree with Ed but for me it is very deliberate and it took a little time to get the right feel. When first starting with hand sharpening it would feel like I was on the stone forever and still didn’t have a burr. This inevitably led to me raising my hand and inadvertently changing the bevel angle. To remedy this I started focusing more attention on taking down the heel early and then naturally rolling it until I get the burr. At first I started with very exaggerated strokes where I’d roll from toe to heel on the push and reverse on the pull. Once I brought the heel down I’d focus on getting the burr. Now it is a lot more natural and subtle but very much deliberate.
It didn’t take long and now I can sharpen a razor edge in no time. I find a lot of satisfaction when I can remove an iron, sharpen it up, and get the plane re-tuned in just a couple minutes. To me it is a skill I take pride in instead of feeling like a chore.
You might want to double check that the iron is bedding correctly with the frog. I had a similar problem, I bought an old stanley 4 1/2, cleaned it up and when I planed cherry or alder it worked like a dream. I started a project with oak and it just skated over the surface. It basically did nothing until I extended the blade to the point it would gouge. I eventually realized that a previous owner had replaced the lateral adjuster and the new rivet protruded and held the iron slightly off the frog changing blade angle by a very small amount.
It was just a fraction off but it rendered the plane useless on oak.
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