What is happening to me

5/28/05, 1:38 PM #1

Hub in Ontario
Guest

What is happening to me

Hub in Ontario

>I recently attended the "Training the Hand" course taught by Rob Cosman. We used nothing but hand tools and for most of us, me included, I very seldom used hand planes and certainly not this sharp or true.

The problem is that I can't seem to bring myself to cut close to a line anymore. I seem to want to wander so I can "just clean it up" with my 4 1/2 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 60 1/2 or 140 or .....

I find myself purposely making projects with non-standard thicknesses. As a result I need to plane it down to the thickness "I want" by hand of course. What is that machine in the corner with rollers about twelve inches wide that used to spew so many chips and make so much noise?

Should you be using a block plane this much?

What is that design I see on the wood after planing I now see that I didn't see afetr sanding? I have heard of this thing called "grain" but... Speaking of sanding, I walk by my sanding equipment and I find myself looking at them with distain.

I have a Leigh dovetail jig, but I now find I want very thin pins and my jig won't do that. I am mesmerized by thin straight lines cut with a dovetail saw.

What is this? Where am I? I can't find the dog under all these shavings. Help!!! Is there anything that can be done about it?

Damn you Rob Cosman!!!

Hub

Remove 7 from address for e-mail

Re: What is happening to me

5/28/05, 1:44 PM #2

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
Guest

It is too late!

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>You have slid too far down The Slippery Slope.

Re: What is happening to me

5/28/05, 1:45 PM #3

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
Guest

P.S. Tell us about the class!

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>

Re: What is happening to me

5/28/05, 3:03 PM #4

Hub in Ontario
Guest

Re: P.S. Tell us about the class!

Hub in Ontario

>The class was amazing and you certainly get your monies worth. Never been to anything quite like it. Rob wants to ensure that you have the time to practice so as a result, we started every day at 6:30 A.M. and usually went to 6:30 or 7:00 P.M. at night except one night when we stayed to 10:00 P.M. (5 days)

I honestly questioned whether I would be able to cut dovetails by hand but I must admit, I cut

some pretty nice ones including a hounds tooth dovetail.

Day one was sharpening and for those of us that work on our butts all day, this was hard on the hands and back but a very nice pain in the end and most gratifying when it came time to use the tools.

Day two was hand planing including taking a rough board to a dimension and we measured this in thousands of an inch. Mine was to within .003 but others were closer.

We then went on to hand cutting dovetails, mortising, cutting tenons and all of it was very enjoyable. He has incredible talents as I am sure you have probably heard and seen.

In the end we decided to make a candle box, all from rough stock with dovetailed ends and a top relieved with the skew plane. If I can ever figure out how to include pictures I will post somethng.

Met some great people and I will be meeting up with them on a advanced class.

Highly recommended but watch the slippery slope!

Hub

Re: What is happening to me

5/28/05, 4:07 PM #5

alan womack
Guest

Re: What is happening to me

alan womack

>Ah Hub!

A friend of mine, and myself, are waiting word they've got a Training the Hand all Set up for July with some openings. Making the short 9 hour drive up there.

Could you elaborate more on the sharpening, I plan to bring my tools all prepped up. Recently made the change to Shapton and they are difinetly sharper than what I ever got with scary sharp. In June I'm buying the new Veritas MKII.

Did you have a full compliment of tools? It appears I need a carcass saw...

Alan

Re: What is happening to me

5/28/05, 4:40 PM #6

Hub in Ontario
Guest

Re: What is happening to me

Hub in Ontario

>The flatening/sharpening was done on Norton 1000/4000/8000 stones - no power, no jigs. This worked better that I could have imagined. There are grinders there for the intial angle. He will teach you to use that. My power sharpeners are now under my bench in storage as using the stones are quite theraputic.

It is better if you have the tools. He will have some there to purchase, but in all honesty, he will lend you a saw and for the amount you will use a carcase saw, if you don't think you will use it much more (I don't have one.

Have fun.

Hub

Re: What is happening to me

5/28/05, 5:46 PM #7

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond,CA
Guest

Sound like you found the

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond,CA

>Slippery slope! Throw your dog a bone to get him out from under the shavings and enjoy the ride!

Re: What is happening to me

5/28/05, 11:49 PM #8

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(
Guest

Sounds like you're......

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(

>making a transition from Machine Operator to Craftsman to me. Congrats! :~)

Todd O.

Re: What is happening to me

5/29/05, 2:03 AM #9

Dan Donaldson
Member
Offline
5,264 posts

Registered: 9/17/01

Re: P.S. Tell us about the class!

Dan Donaldson

>What do you need to know about including pictures? If you have digital ones, then you can just reduce them to 40K or less and use the optional graphic upload to put them on the site. If you have problems, or other questions, please feel free to ping me and I will try to help. If all else fails, e-mail me the pictures and I will prep them for you and either send them back to you so that you can post them, or post them for you.

- - -

I have been woodworking for about 25 years now, and would consider myself an enthusiastic amateur. My claim to fame (or infamy) has always been fixing stuff. I spent time in the Air Force in the 60's then went to work as an electronic technician for civil service. I finally got my EE, and being fed up with the civil service nonsense, took a job with Ford Motor Company until I went with the split to Visteon last year. I got interested in music and started playing in a bluegrass band. I wanted a new guitar, and that kind of led me into woodworking. I bought some books, a few tools, and built a guitar. Luckily, I didn't know any better than to try that as a first ever project. I still play it when I get a chance, so it must not be too bad if it can live for over 20 years. After a stint in Mexico for my job, I moved into a new house and built a small shop. Since then I have been collecting tools and skills, probably more of the former than the latter ;-). Finding this site has done more for my skills and enjoyment than anything else. I have learned a lot and really enjoy the friendships that I have made here. I have been married to LOML (Lori) for 32 years now and have 6 kids. When they are all gone, I want to get a 1 bedroom house (so there is not room for them to move back in) and at least a 6 car heated/air conditioned garage for a shop. (Dream on...)

Re: What is happening to me

5/29/05, 2:26 AM #10

Mike G.
Guest

Re: Sounds like you're......

Mike G.

>When you stuck yer foot over the "precipice", did you feel a not so gentle nudge in the back?

Mike G. in SC

Re: What is happening to me

5/29/05, 2:30 AM #11

Hub in Ontario
Guest

Re: P.S. Tell us about the class!

Hub in Ontario

>Dan,

Thanks - check your e-mail.

Re: What is happening to me

5/29/05, 2:39 AM #12

Hub in Ontario
Guest

Re: Sounds like you're......

Hub in Ontario

>I do have the bug. We just ordered a new dog from the kennel and my wife wants to know why I would want to call a dog Lie-Nielsen.

Re: What is happening to me

5/29/05, 3:03 AM #13

Robert R. Clough - Thorncraft
Member
Offline
255 posts

Registered: 4/25/05

Re: Sound like you found the

Robert R. Clough - Thorncraft

>Well I don't have the excuse of taking a class, but I,too, am on the same slope. (I am 74.) I am not as far down - yet. I only plane. As I have said previously, I use two of my Grandfather's planes, I have a decent Stanley 4 1/2, a smoother I made myself ala Krenov, I just bought a LN low angle block, I plan to make a . . . . . and so on. I fear I am lost. Seriously though, it is excellent therapy for my nerve damage and it is fun to plane correctly. Oh yes, I have a Stanley 45, complete, C 1896. It was never used!

Isn't it fun?

Re: What is happening to me

5/29/05, 5:19 AM #14

Dan Donaldson
Member
Offline
5,264 posts

Registered: 9/17/01

Box picture #1

Dan Donaldson

>

- - -

I have been woodworking for about 25 years now, and would consider myself an enthusiastic amateur. My claim to fame (or infamy) has always been fixing stuff. I spent time in the Air Force in the 60's then went to work as an electronic technician for civil service. I finally got my EE, and being fed up with the civil service nonsense, took a job with Ford Motor Company until I went with the split to Visteon last year. I got interested in music and started playing in a bluegrass band. I wanted a new guitar, and that kind of led me into woodworking. I bought some books, a few tools, and built a guitar. Luckily, I didn't know any better than to try that as a first ever project. I still play it when I get a chance, so it must not be too bad if it can live for over 20 years. After a stint in Mexico for my job, I moved into a new house and built a small shop. Since then I have been collecting tools and skills, probably more of the former than the latter ;-). Finding this site has done more for my skills and enjoyment than anything else. I have learned a lot and really enjoy the friendships that I have made here. I have been married to LOML (Lori) for 32 years now and have 6 kids. When they are all gone, I want to get a 1 bedroom house (so there is not room for them to move back in) and at least a 6 car heated/air conditioned garage for a shop. (Dream on...)

Re: What is happening to me

5/29/05, 5:20 AM #15

Dan Donaldson
Member
Offline
5,264 posts

Registered: 9/17/01

Box picture #2

Dan Donaldson

>

- - -

I have been woodworking for about 25 years now, and would consider myself an enthusiastic amateur. My claim to fame (or infamy) has always been fixing stuff. I spent time in the Air Force in the 60's then went to work as an electronic technician for civil service. I finally got my EE, and being fed up with the civil service nonsense, took a job with Ford Motor Company until I went with the split to Visteon last year. I got interested in music and started playing in a bluegrass band. I wanted a new guitar, and that kind of led me into woodworking. I bought some books, a few tools, and built a guitar. Luckily, I didn't know any better than to try that as a first ever project. I still play it when I get a chance, so it must not be too bad if it can live for over 20 years. After a stint in Mexico for my job, I moved into a new house and built a small shop. Since then I have been collecting tools and skills, probably more of the former than the latter ;-). Finding this site has done more for my skills and enjoyment than anything else. I have learned a lot and really enjoy the friendships that I have made here. I have been married to LOML (Lori) for 32 years now and have 6 kids. When they are all gone, I want to get a 1 bedroom house (so there is not room for them to move back in) and at least a 6 car heated/air conditioned garage for a shop. (Dream on...)

Re: What is happening to me

5/31/05, 11:40 AM #16

Todd Stock
Member
Offline
577 posts

Registered: 1/21/04

Re: Sounds like you're......

Todd Stock

>Don't forget the range of other companies making great handtools...might be interesting to see a house full of pups that answer to Veritas, Blue (Spruce), etc.

Might want to consider adopting an older dog to more appropriately handle the Stanley or Disston moniker.

Todd (who had a dog named Slick many years ago)

Re: What is happening to me

5/31/05, 1:40 PM #17

Dale Lenz-Tahlequah, OK
Guest

Re: Hub, that is some...

Dale Lenz-Tahlequah, OK

>kinda of a decent looking box, Wonderful, and all hand tools to boot!

Good job and congradulations,

Dale

Thanks Dan, for processing the photo's

What is happening to me

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