bench is almost finished!
Kudzu
>I planed today till my shoulders hurt. I recieved my replacement blade from Walt for my #7 today. I sharpened it and went to work on the bench top. I have been planning on it for a couple weeks now off and on but my blade was so pitted it left groves in the top. I fnished it up and then smoothed it out with a sweet #3c Sarget I bought from Jack E. Top is now slick as a babys bottom!
I waxed the sliding deadman because it kept sticking. Now it slides like it is on ice. Clamped in a board and took the trusy #7 set to "too deep" to it and see how it would work. I don't think I could move that board in that leg vice if I had too! Plane would finally come to dead stop and bench or the board never moved.
I then turned my attention to the end vice. I had cleaned it up and painted it intending to sell it. Because of the suggestions I received on anotheer board I decided to give it a second look. After a little measuring I discovered if I was carerful I had about an inch of travel to spare with the my dog hole spacing.
Since the vice was too short I made a block out of some scrap and put in a dog hole. I had a couple of oak dogs I made for the bench as a first attempt that were too small. With just a some minor planing they worked perfect in the vice dog hole. It works perfect so far!
I made a couple of oak dogs for the bench with some maple for springs and they seem to work really well too.
All the time I spent planing the top made Sadie one happy dog. (I woke her up taking her picture) She seems to like the hand planed shavings better than the power planer shavings. I think because they are bigger and curlier. Regardless that is one smart dog that shows an appreciation of hand tools.
