Archives

Below you can see pictures of the restoration of the rosewood knob, which belongs to my Record SS plane (read part one here and part two here). After gluing a piece of rosewood onto the knob’s [...]

As I mentioned in the previous post, one of the primary reasons for a missing knob base is a traumatic fall that results in the bending of the knob screw (or threaded rod, depending on the plane) [...]

As a collector and restorer of numerous bench planes, all stemming from the classic Stanley Bailey design, I can confidently say that the two components most prone to breakage or damage over the [...]

Match the size to the job–that’s the key Hand planes come in a bewildering variety of sizes. Why are there so many? I’ll help explain this mystery by dividing the field into four groups, in order [...]

If you follow woodworking news, you might have noticed a new player in the plane market: the Melbourne Tool Company from Australia. They’ve been promoting their line of planes, spokeshaves, [...]

Tool: HP-10 Foxtail Plane Shop Now Manufacturer: Bridge City Tool Works MSRP: $999 Several years back, when it was announced that Bridge City Toolworks had been sold, I will admit that I was [...]

The aftermarket bench plane blades market is brimming with quality options, from Hock to Veritas to WoodRiver, and now, Taylor Toolworks Premium Blades. A common feature of these premium blades [...]

Tool: Low Angle Jack and Block Plane Kit Shop Now Manufacturer: Melbourne Tool Company MSRP: $269 The premium hand tool marketplace is a much different place today than it was in the dark days of [...]

Tool: Optima Chisel Plane Shop Now Manufacturer: Blue Spruce Toolworks MSRP: $119.99 It goes without saying that a chisel is a staple in almost any shop. However, there are some operations where [...]

Shooting boards are one of those hand-tool jigs that people talk about (a lot) but few people actually know much about. Whenever I teach, students always clamor for a demonstration of the device, [...]

Most bench planes come equipped to eliminate tear-out. Handplanes are great tools for creating a smooth, finish-ready surface on a board without the dust and noise from a sander. If the board is [...]

Introduction In recent years, the market has seen an influx of high-end planes in the Bedrock style. Initially, Lie-Nielsen planes took the lead, followed by Clifton, and later the Chinese-made [...]