Efficacy of coffin smoothers

Re: Efficacy of coffin smoothers

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>Favid,

Good question! Wooden coffin smoothers are difficult to adjust maintain and use. They really don't compare favorably with new metal planes, whre fine adjusting is possible. Life is really too short to fuss with a tool when you already have something that does the job. I recommend you package up all those junk planes and send them to me. Just think of all the shop space you'll save.

Adam

Re: Now Adam...

Rob in Kansas

>aren't the woodies better when they don't change envirnments too much? Kansas weather is much closer to Iowa than New Jersey...I think they would be much better off if David sent them to me! :)

Re: Efficacy of coffin smoothers

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>Off the top of my head, there are four (at least) reasons to consider bringing those tools to functional tune.

1. A coffin has different ergonomics than your metal planes. Extended planing with any one type of plane can generate its own cumulative stress and a switch to another plane of different grip and weight (often resulting in shorter planing strokes as well) can be a refreshing change in a long planing session.

2. Those old thick laminated cast steel blades, sandwiched between two solid wooden surfaces (wedge and bed) can offer excellent performance due to all that damping and support. I find the higher the effective cutting angle, the more these features contribute to performance, so I'd suggest you put your tuning efforts into the planes with the highest angles first.

3. There is just something subjectively wonderful about the feel of a wooden sole against a wooden surface, particularly with waxier/oilier woods like cocobolo and lignum vitae. Combined with the light weight (think inertial mass) of the plane, and the different method of gripping the plane, the wooden planes often feel like like agile Formula One cars compared to Nascar Racers.

4. Unless you have a plane worthy of maintaining for it's collector's value, wooden planes lend themselves to easy modification. You can drill it out to add weight just where you want it. You can patch the throat to just the size you want. You can carve or texture the gripping surfaces to match your desired grip. On some, it is even feasible to change the bedding angle.

Re: Efficacy of coffin smoothers

Wiley Horne--Glendora CA

>Hi David,

General theory: All these planes which represent a high stage of evolution of their type will have some things uniquely good about them. Those planes were perfected over years by people with no safety net, other than wit and ability. The tools gotta be good.

The traditional coffin smoother is light and manueverable, and tends to ride on a shorter base than most metal smoothers of comparable blade width. The short base can be very useful in situations where you're more interested in smooth than dead flat--it follows the surface well.

Another thing I was reminded just today is that we're not always planing a board or panel in a straight line. Sometimes we're planing around a corner, like on a frame. Today, I was edge planing uphill and downhill--it was a cabinet top with a projecting front, so has 6 sides. The most perfect plane in mating to the wood in a situation like that is a woody, cause you can feel the contact with the work so well, and because it is light. A C&W 55 is what I used--it was great.

Come to think of it, here is another situation: planing drawer edges to fit. Ever plane the top edge of a drawer side with a metal plane, and clip the back or front? I have--and the heavier the metal plane, the bigger the dent it will make in your finished drawer. I only want to use woodies in that situation. Japanese or coffin smoother is outstanding.

Lyn is right. Look in your pile and pIck one with a high angle--perhaps an English one. And get it way sharp. Buy one of Dave Anderson's brass and lignum hammers--they're perfect for making adjustments (including your moulders, too). No, you don't have to buy Dave's hammer. It only helps a lot. I think that plane will find a niche somewhere in your work.

Wiley

Re: Efficacy of coffin smoothers

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>5. You can cut them up for some very stable beech marking gauges, etc. :)

Pam

Re: Efficacy of coffin smoothers

David Miller from Iowa

>Thanks for your responses. I believe that I will give it a go - there was a note, maybe by Jack Guzman (I can't recall) about using a dozen planes on a project - I can relate to that. Maybe one will have just the ommph to get that pesky workbench top smoothed. It's just that those thick blade take forever to get sharpened.