Friends, Neanderthals, Countryman...

Lend me your ears...

Fellow Neanderthals, I would like to introduce myself to this august
body of tool using animals.

My name is James Gemmill, living in York, Pennsylvania, doing the
work of a "Computer Aided Drafter/Designer" (i.e., CADD) and my
interest in hand tooling derived from practicality/necessity.

The house that I own lacks the necessary space to accommodate
large, noisy tailed apprentices.  Having found some ratty, but never-
theless challenging lumber at the company where I work, I wondered:
"Surely there must be a way to prepare this stock without having to
resort to a th*ckn*ss pl*n*r or j**nt*r."  Power tools are not some-
thing that I've had much favor for lately, in any event:  Too noisy,
too dusty, and there's something about still having all of my fingers
when the task is completed. This led to looking into the other of side
of tool use:  Hand tooling.  I had tried, unsuccessfully I might add, to
locate suitable handtools at home centers, hardware stores, depart-
ment stores, etc. but saw only junk being offered.  I had even pur-
chased a Sears Craftsman hand saw before I new any better.
Since that time, I have added numerous bench planes, specialty
planes, handsaws, mortise gages, etc. to my collect....er, arsenal.

The greatest epiphany realized was when doing a test cut with a newly
tuned older Stanley #78 rabbet plane.  I wound up rabbeting the poor
board to death.  (It was scrap, anyway.)  The astonishing relevation
was that the total time elapsed from set-up to completion of cut was
only on the order of 15 or so minutes.  Since that time, I've squared
up scrap lumber with the help of a Stanley #6, did rough dimensioning
with a #5, finishing with a #4, rabbeting the tried and true #78, mortise
and tenon joints with a newly aqquired #92; what fun!  (This has been
too much fun...Is this legal?)

One of the few rough points remaining is trying to get that Stanley #77
mortise/marking gage working properly.  (It just doesn't seem to want
to cut a straight mark, but rather follow the grain, even after a
sharpening).

I'm hoping to be able to contribute something of value to this list, but
my interest in handtools is somewhat a latent awakening, I'd expect.

The only question I have to post to the list is:  Are five #5 Jack planes
enough, or should I keep going...

Regards,
James Gemmill

"Man is a tool using animal.  Weak in himself and of small
stature, he stands on a basis of some half square foot, has to
straddle out his legs lest the very winds supplant him.  Never-
theless, he can use tools, can devise tools; with these the
granite mountain melts into light dust before him, seas are
his smooth highway, winds and fire his unwearying steeds.
Nowhere do you find him without tools.  Without tools he is
nothing, with tools he is all."

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

__________________________________________
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html