Lessons from the woodland
· 2 min read
I like hand planes that shows the marks of how it was made. A sharp chisel is safer than a dull one, and much more pleasant. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about shavings. I altered my mind about hand planes twice while writing this.
Second thoughts
The best advice I got was simply to slow down. Good walnut is chiefly a series of little, unglamorous decisions. I keep coming back to shavings, chiefly because it rewards patience.
Looking back, the simple approach was the right call. Most of the work happens before any cutting starts. Nothing here requires a block plane, though it does make things easier. I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer. None of this is new, and that is partly why it works.
The process
Nothing here requires a bow saw, though it does make things easier. The trick, if there is one, is to leave enough room for mistakes. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. Below are a few jottings, roughly in the order I worked out them. Here is what altered, and what stayed exactly the same.
It took me five attempts to see the pattern. I keep a short list of things to try next; designing a chair is near the top. It took me six attempts to see the pattern.
joinery