ROD BUILDING?

Wolfgang wrote:

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...

These days I use 3M "microfinishing film" for final polishing. You can
see it at: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...04&cat=1,43072

Back when I did more wood butchery in a shop than in someone's back yard, I
had two sets of chisels. One set, all steel Mayhews, I let no one else
touch. If someone needed a chisel I let 'em use the cheap crap. These
days, alas, I've gotten lax. Now I won't let anyone look at the Mayhews.

As someone who has ... er ... "several" chisels, I can relate. My
old Stanleys 750's are saved for special occasions. My set of recent
vintage Stanleys are loaned to people for opening paint cans, etc. ;-)

But be careful if you go to that website. I've seen people go in there
and never come back. :-)

After successful completion of a twelve step program, I'm no longer even
tempted......well, for now, anyway. I got another monkey on my back these
days.......goddamn the pressman!

Six of one ...

Just for fun, you might want to go back to their website and check
out the Veritas line of handplanes. They're ugly as sin, but really
nicely designed. I own ... er ... "several", and I can honestly say
that they have made some actual advancements in plane technology. (No
mean feat, given all the previous failed attempts over the last hundred
years or so.)

BTW, Lee Valley has come up with a sharpening guide that addresses lots
of the problems associated with them:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...68&cat=51&ap=6


Too many parts. Icky. Assuming it works.....and I'm willing to take that
on faith.....I still wouldn't be interested. As you know, there's a certain
sublime satisfaction to be had in doing some things well the old fashioned
way.

Absolutely. But it is nice to have a guide for heavy stock removal
(i.e., for a nicked bevel or re-establishing a bevel). But that
contraption is a bit Rube Goldberg, no?


Chuck Vance (of course, that's not to say that I don't own one)

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...
As you know, there's a certain sublime satisfaction to be had in doing
some things well the old fashioned way.

Wolfgang

I call them craftsman. I do admire anyone who is proficient (skilled) in
their craft without the use of modern-day tools.
I was riding my bike through the neighborhood a few years ago. There was a
family down the street having bricks laid in their front yard. I stopped
to watched two Mexican men, father and son, lay the bricks by using only a
string tied to two bricks for alignment. They hand no other measuring
devices, as they tapped the bricks in place with a mallet. They let me sight
down the rows of bricks. It was as straight as an arrow. They spoke very
little English, but they told me their craft was handed down by their Father
and Grandfather. I was amazed how they worked with such speed and accuracy.
-tom