On Jun 19, 2012, at 7:59 AM, Ron Harper wrote:
> For you guys that are primarily hand tool woodworkers. Have any of you
> made the switch from metal to wooden bench planes.
        I started down the path to GOON status with only metal planes.
        In my Acquisition Phase I accumulated a fairly complete array,
        learned to fettle them and use them, and that's what I got used
        to and satisfied with. When I started volunteering in the
        reenactment woodshop at Ft. Vancouver NHS I needed to get
        serious about woodies, because 'our period' is the 1830s-40s.
        After climbing up a short learning curve I have been able to get
        reasonable results with the few good rehabbed old planes we have
        in the shop, but it has been nearly all on easy stuff--pine, douglas-
        fir, western red cedar. For hardwoods in home projects I have
        found that I like the weight and mass (the same thing?) of my
        cast iron toys. But the kicker for me is still depth adjustment.
        I can place and extend the blade in a wood-and-wedge plane OK,
        but when I need to back off the depth just a little, I've had a
        harder time. I usually end up fiddling, tapping, too often
        ending up with no cut at all and have to start over. I know--
        it's my problem, I need to practice, learn a new skill, etc. But
        it's so nice to reach under the tote of one of my T-11 Stanleys,
        or Bedrocks, tweak the knob, and get just the cut I want, even
        ever-so-fine. Tom Holloway
        <http://furfortfunfacts.blogspot.com/>

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