Jim Krenov

Saw that a while ago

Jim in Burlington On

>It's sad apparently he has a cabinet he started. Who know's they seem to be making strides with macular degeneration.

Re: Jim Krenov

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>RJ

I wish that I had met JK, so in this I am envious. It will always be a fantasy that I could attend the College of the Redwoods and absorb the atmosphere and ideas. JK's work and words have had a profound influence on my thinking about wood and design.

I recently had the opportunity to obtain one of his planes, and it serves as a reminder for me as to what is important in woodworking. It is really not a pretty plane, but it is very functional, which is what counts in the end, not so?

Regards from Perth

Derek

A true giant

KokomoRon

>He has changed the craft forever. One doesn't even have to agree with all of his approach to things to benefit from the way that he forces you to think about what you are doing. His reliance on hand tools to leave the imprint of the craftsman forced me to rethink how I make furniture, and more importantly.. why I make furniture. We will not see the likes of Krenov or Maloof again

Ron

Re: Jim Krenov

Glenn Madsen near San Francisco

>I live in the SF Bay Area. We're about a four hour drive from the College of the Redwoods campus in Fort Bragg. Over the many years of the school, there have been dozens of students from there who have graced our woodworking community. And I've only been in it, as a hobby guy, for 7 or 8 years at most.

My wife and I drive up to Fort Bragg each February for the show of the first semester's student work. There is always something of interest there, and a new challenge for my meager skill set. We've met some of the folks from the school, including some of the faculty, post-Jim, and been pretty pleased with them. I wish I could allocate some time for a summer session...

But no cabinet-on-stand in my home. I've got grandsons who visit regularly. They (both) would not survive.

Re: Jim Krenov

"RJ" Whelan

>Glenn - how about a cabinet-on-stand for the work shop?

rj

Re: Jim Krenov

"RJ" Whelan

>Derek ... kind of a personal question, but ... how much did you have to pay for Jim's plane; and, where did you find it?

When I visited the school I got to try out (and examine) one of Jim's planes and was very impressed. I changed my plane building method to more closely match his and must admit that the planes built, since that visit, work better.

I too, dreamed of attending the school. I knew I was retiring in 2002 and planned to apply (no guarantee of getting in) the following year and attend in 2004. By the time I was ready to apply I learned through a friend that JK was retiring too. No slight intended to the instructors who have carried on his teaching, but the whole idea was to learn from JK, so I decided to just spend time in the shop and re-read all of the books for (probably) the 4th or 5th time.

Thank for sharing the picture ... rj

Re: Jim Krenov *LINK*

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Hi RJ

I posted my account of the JK plane recently on this forum. The link is below.

I think it is worth the read.

Regards from Perth

Derek


Link to JK plane

Jim Krenov

"RJ" Whelan

>Very cool Derek.

Did you determine the angle? When we were talking to Jim he said he didn't know and I got the impression that he wasn't too interested in talking about the specifics of individual planes. The one I used looked very much like yours (definitely hornbeam - a favorite of mine) and the angle appeared to be close to York pitch.

rj

Re:a far greater chance

Glenn Madsen near San Francisco

>of a cabinet on cabinet for the workshop. The garage is terribly overcrowded right now. And I already built a 8x12 shed for the gardening tools and deep storage.

No, not for me. I admire 'Krenov delicate', but we're NOT delicate folks when it comes to furniture. ;-)

Jim Krenov "reviewed".

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Hi again RJ

I measured the bed angle at 45 degrees. This is a bit low for some of my hardwoods, but I have used it on more straight grained timber. Set finely, the plane ROCKS!

The only tuning involved a minute amount off one side of the wedge. Then it set with firm finger pressure.

Here some of the observations I posted on the Old Tools List:

It has been extremely well done - the jointing is first class and the joins hard to see. This Krenov guy seems to know a thing or two.

It is indeed super easy to hold and push. What is not apparent in the pictures, and may have missed in those of others (I've not read of these features in descriptions of JK's planes) is the asymmetry of the toe and heel. The toe is rounded more on one side so that the palm of a left hand is tucked more into the side.

On the heel, the palm of the right hand is similarly considered as there is more wood removed in that section. Not must removed, but enough to fit the palm. These features are only evident when holding the plane.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Your comment on asymmetry...

Glenn Madsen near San Francisco

>...caught my eye. I built a couple of these planes four or five years ago, one of them a gift for an old friend. I used the plans from the College of the Redwoods site, and some Hock blade kits.

And I set them up asymetrically, because that's what felt good. It's not in the plans, or in the book I read, or the magazine articles from the B&W days of FWW, but it works. At least for me. And that's what's important.

Thanks again for the pictures, and for all of your contributions to the discussions in cyberspace.

German planes

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I was very disappointed when I realized that ECE planes come set up asymmetrically for right-handed folk - the horn on the front of the plane tucks quite nicely into the left hand, but feels very awkard tucked into the right hand. I don't know if they offer leftie planes; I made my discovery in an anteek/junque store.

Different strokes.....

Wiley Horne--So. Calif.

>ECE smoothers come in right- or left-hand version.

Dept. of Unexpected Right and Left Handedness: Clark & Williams toted planes are made right or left, as are Auriou rasps.

Wiley

Re: I've never seen an ECE

Glenn Madsen near San Francisco

>in analog life - only in print or cyberspace. But they look pretty cool.

I'm a bit overwhelmed in handplanes right now. The last two additions to the stable haven't even been honed, let alone used yet.