Re: Bench Plane Rack, too.
todd stock
>Don:
The rack is 27" high with a 7" (approx) kick out, so about 15 degrees - enough to keep things put but still easy to get at. I used two 3/4" birch ply supports for sides and 1/2" birch for the base. Ledger strips are 3/4 x 3/4 stuff or 3/4 by 5/8 between tools.
One option might be to top-mount the bench plane section on a heavy piano hinge to give storage for extra blades, frogs, etc. Another might be to extend it in width to 36 or 48 inches, but I'm one of those guys that is fairly content with the 8/5/4 plus specialty mix.
That said, I still left slots for another 5 (an additional set up for York pitch), maybe a 4 set up for common, and possibly a bronze 3 (I think it's the best smooth plane for inboard joinery work on boats).
I use the Record 9-1/2 for carpentry where nails are a threat and the LN 9-1/2 for finer stuff. I've beat the Record to death since 1980, and it's still hanging in there. The old style Hock blade seems to chip less on nails than any of the others I've tried, so it's my choice when trimming near fasteners.
FWIW, I use the LN LA jack and the 60-1/2 almost exclusively on softwoods or stuff like mahogany where the low bedding angle seems to work. For tough stuff, I've been really impressed with my old pre-production LN #4 retrofited with the new HA frog, cryo blade, and improved cap iron - ultra curly maple now planes like rift cut plain vanilla cherry.
Todd
