Where the Krenov sings,
it must be spring –
The wooden throat waving
these less-than-paper-in-thickness curls of soft maple.
Almost dancing, the tiny, transparent ribbons -
an origami sway you might say…
“Well it’s not always like that…
’the throat can be a cranky ‘ol bitch on some mornings! “
Here in my wood shop, the Krenov smoother is ‘singing again’ for anyone listening.
A little winter-hibernation and now it’s seems to be ‘set for another season’.
Those humid summer months be here before you know it-
just a few quick blinks between the drought and the flood.
(they prayed for rain right?)
krenov smoother, angelique and brass stock hammer- haBinet side table panel in curly maple
Wooden bodied hand planes may indeed ‘flex a little’ during those autumn-evening-cools
and straight on through to the dry roasted, New Year months of late winter.
These changing seasons (where applicable) can really make it tempting and I can certainly understand when economics dictates the need to try ‘bettering’ a tool in some vain attempt to make it work throughout the entire year- but sometimes…
you just have to wait and be patient.
In some scenarios it just doesn’t make sense to start ‘messin’ with it’.
Some hand planes sure, in a heartbeat…always adjusting and setting, tuning and fettling…
guitars are the same but we’ll save that for another day.
I have a couple of wooden bodied hand planes that I expect, almost welcome the inevitable, mid- season tune up…but not this Krenov.
”…just gonna let it sit for a long winters nap.”
Believe me when I say this-
every spring time comes around just when you thought it may never,
and like some kind of magic the sole tightens up and it gets ready to sing for another season-
Maybe it’s me and just my imagination but it feels like winter slides directly into summer ’round here-
I’ll never get used to that…
where did the spring time go?
The wood, always moving-
from rock maple cradles
to the pine box days of summer-
April one tomorrow…already-
almost there.
9 Comments
Hi Tom,
Nice plane and video. I made my first krenov style plane a couple weekends ago, it cuts like butter. Oh and while your on that winter to summer thing, I mowed yesterday……….yep already.
Tim
Used mine for the first time in quite a while this winter. Not sure if it was moving it from the sub-zero conditions in the shop into the relative warm of the house or the nasty maple but it just tore and fought with me the whole way. Have to spend some time with it I guess. A nice piece of straight wood and a good tune-up and we’ll see how he hums in spring! Wet, wet spring.
Hey Mike-
I’d be willing to bet if you sit with it for an hour it’ll be as fine as it ever was.
Guess this topic alone is why our tool cribs are so full of metal bodied hand planes.
But the wooden sole on a nice piece of hardwood….hard to beat that!
talk soon..
yeah I’m starting to hear the mowers and leaf blowers around the neighbourhood here as well…
thanks for the comment.
Hi Tom,
Great piece on the planes. I’ll have to read this to my class next week when we build our Krenov style planes. This will make some where over 50 planes we have built in classes over the last 25 years.
Hi Tom Congrats on the book. We only met once or twice, once at your wedding. I am trying to get a hold of Carolyn…tell her to email me please!!!
Beautiful work BTW. I am really impressed you have some really nice pieces. Have you ever tried to make your own guitar?
thanks for stopping by Charlie-
I appreciate the comment.
If I’m ever in your neighbourhood you can bet I’m coming by to make some shavings !
-for any one else visiting here at the unplugged woodshop- follow Charlies link back for some great hand tool inspiration.
He does incredible work and has an amazing story to tell as well.
cheers!
Will do Shelly-
thanks for the comments as well.
I’m always thinking about building a guitar…. have been for 15 years now!
A close friend of mine, Scott Brown builds guitars in Cape Breton- Google Brown Guitars and you’ll see some of his work.
cheers!
Thanks for the kind words Tom.