Steve's Shavings in March

Steve's Shavings

Last month we were privileged to have Christopher Schwarz, hand tool woodworking aficionado and Editor of Lost Art Press, visit the Triangle Woodworkers Association. He discussed his Dutch Tool Chest at our regular meeting on Friday. Amazingly, the tool chest fits (barely) in the back seat of his Scion Sports Coupe he drove down from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky near Cincinnati.

On Saturday, Chris led a handplane tuning workshop. Participants were able to adjust their planes for scrubbing and fine tune other planes for making gossamer shavings. He also took time to demonstrate his well-researched method of tuning a hand scraper. Sunday was a real work out for the TWA Workshop participants. Chris coached us through the creation of three layout tools. We started out making a mahogany straight edge that, believe me, took a significant amount of hand planing to get all the surfaces flat and edges true. Then we turned our attention to making a pair of winding sticks out of cherry with maple inlay. The third wooden hand tool was a Roubo design, try square in maple.

We made bushels of shavings and learned from an incredibly talented individual. I think everyone left the workshops with a better appreciation of hand tool working and some very nice layout tools. I must admit, at times, it was tempting to just turn on the power jointer to obtain straight edges or the thickness planer to obtain parallel surfaces. However, with the use of sharp and finely tuned hand tools, the tactile marriage to the wood made this experience gratifying. Maybe we can talk Chris into visiting us annually.

I would be remiss without thanking Jeff Leimberger for coordinating the visit by Chris Schwarz and preparing workshop materials. Jeff was assisted in the workshop prep by Mike Payst and Allan Campbell. Mike also coordinated the use of several leg vices made by TWA members. TWA sponsor, The Hardwood Store in Gibsonville, NC, supplied the lumber used to make the layout tools at a discounted price. Finally, a special thanks is extended to Allan & Joyce Campbell for housing our guest, hosting the workshop, and preparing some delicious food.

Since joining TWA and participating in club sponsored workshops conducted by Will Neptune, Chris Gochnour, Garrett Hack, and Chris Schwarcz; I have become a convert to picking up a well tuned hand tool when possible as opposed to flipping the switch on a dust generator. In my early years of woodworking, I was most fortunate to have a grandfather (B. H. Bailey) who could sharpen any edge tool. With his passing, I not only lost a friend but my woodworking mentor. I could not sharpen my plane blades, chisels, or hand saws to the degree necessary to make using hand tools a pleasing and safe woodworking experience. As these tools dulled, they were put on the shelf to develop that special patina old tools gain through non use. I suspect other woodworkers have had a similar experience until they have the opportunity to use a hand plane that makes gossamer shavings or pare dove tails with a mirror finish and razor sharp chisel. Sharpening is truly a gateway skill. Sharp and finely tuned hand tools are necessary to make precision joinery and finely finished wood surfaces. Additionally, really sharp tools are easier and safer to control, plus it is healthier for you. There are several sharpening systems available to today’s woodworker. Some are as simple as a jig with training wheels on sand paper affixed to a flat surface to a slowly rotating special wheel for sharpening and honing.

Until you pass through the gateway into the world of truly sharp tools, you will be missing out of that special tactile marriage between wood and the human hand. The difference is like carving wood with a chain saw or a dedicated set of wood carving gouges and chisels. Yes, you can create some awesome woodworks with a chain saw but you will be missing that special feeling of a sharp gouge or chisel slicing wood. Learning to work wood with properly sharpened tools will open unlimited avenues. Sharpening is not hard. Woodworking with really sharp and finely tuned handtools can be a wonderful experience. Try it, you might like it.

Please bring a friend who shares our passion for woodworking to our next TWA meeting, Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at Klingspor’s Woodworking Shop at 3141 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh beginning at 7 p.m.

Now ~~ let’s go make some shavings~~

President: Steve Steinbeck