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Become a MemberMarch 4, 2014
Part two of the Kerfing Plane project, continues along with refining the body.
Rasps, files, and finally, sandpaper are used to shape and smooth the quarter sawn cherry.
Both in the video and the book, I encourage you to stop every few minutes of shaping, and simply hold the plane.
This may sound a little strange but, do it- trust me!
Hold the plane and close your eyes, feel what areas need to be refined and which don’t.
Allow the plane body to evolve naturally into the finished form it will eventually become.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Trust your hands![/inlinetweet] ( Tweet that )
The fixed fence model Kerfing Plane complete.
I used Tried & True oil/varnish for the finish and after the blade was installed, the tool was ready to run!
In use, this fixed fence model works much like a plow plane;
I begin the cut at the far end of the work piece and gradually, saw my way back, to establish the kerf.
When the tool bottoms out, ( about 1/2-in. depth in this model ) I know the kerf is complete.
This video shows the very-first time this version of the tool was used.
I’ll break out some other details in later posts-
until then, enjoy the second part of the Kerfing Plane !
Cheers~
THE MUSIC AND THE TOOLS
The song in this video is called ‘Tar’ and is off of my Beyond Before CD.
You’ll find it here for purchase.
Some of the tools used in the video are:
Self-Threading Handles for the Above
**KERFING PLANE BLADES ARE AVAILABLE AT BAD AXE TOOL WORKS.COM
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Hey Tom,
how goes it maestro?
What can I say, from the earliest whiff of an idea some time back, remember when my friend? to this most satisfying, most gorgeous, most simple yet most useful of tools.
Good hands are the ones that are most used and the more you use your hands the more you use your good tools….this particular tool was a classic straight off from those early concepts…..good tools make very fine companions to the hands that use them…your Krenov plane, boy i wish i had one you lucky guy.
Well done again Tom it’s great to see it in good hands put to good use.
Looking forward to your trip to sunny England next year…cheers bro.
P.S. just love the sustain on that guitar!
Steve
Thanks for the comments Steve-
indeed, we’ll drain some pints in sunny ‘ol England in 2015!
Cheers~
Hi Tom,
I often end up doing similar a similar thing, in terms of creating a path of least resistance, and/or a nice clean edge as a precursor to using another tool, and I’m really interested in the kerfing plane/saw idea, and I’m thinking about making one.
However, given that you had to hammer the blade into the handle in this video, how do you plan on removing the blade for sharpening? A pair of needle nose pliers seems like it might be prone to bending the blade.
Have you thought about either making the clamping mechanism from 2 pieces of wood, or adding a hole/slot in the wooden handle, near the back edge of the blade so it could be pushed with a dowl, screwdriver, etc? I’m curious about your thoughts.
Thanks,
Russ
Russ,
thanks for the comments and great question.
The truth is, this video is showing the very first time the blade was installed in that particular plane body; it was a fairly tight fit. The saw I used to cut the kerf was the same width as the kerfing plane plate so it ‘just fit’ back into the slot.
Once it was in there, and used for awhile, it came out just fine. I placed a little block of wood on the end of the blade and easily tapped it out the opposite end. It really didn’t take any effort.
Keep in mind that I wrote my book back in 2011-2012 so this video is from a couple of years ago- I’ve removed that blade a dozen times since making the plane and have evolved the tool into different variations.
That said, your ideas are really good ones and when you make your own plane you may consider implementing them.
This version worked really well for me- some things have evolved but you’ll have to stay tuned for a bit to hear about them!
all the best
Tom
Is that kerf allow you to resaw entirely from one side? (without needing to flip the board around every 30 to 40 strokes)
Paul B-
great question. That’s definitely the idea, but in reality, I still sometimes flip the stock.
I find when re-sawing really difficult grain, you’ll actually be able to ‘feel’ the grain running out, much like you can when hand planing, and in those cases, I sometimes will flip the board around to get a smoother saw cut.
When the frame saw blade is well tensioned and sharp, and the wood isn’t too ‘un-friendly’, then yes, the kerf guides the frame saw and eliminates the need for turning.
Cheers!
Hi Tom. I was trying to order your Beyond Before CD, however, the drop down menu to select a state displayed Canadian Provences only despite selecting the US in the country menu. Is it available for download? I have enjoyed the contents and music in your videos. I love the book too.
Jose,
sorry to hear that. This ‘Store’ plug-in I’m using isn’t the best; I will try to fix.
In the meantime, you can still use PayPal to send money and just email me your mailing address-
Hope that helps and thanks for the support!
Tom