~  -----Original Message-----
~  From: owner-oldtools@l...
~  [mailto:owner-oldtools@l...]On Behalf Of
~  Mike Yazel
~  Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 3:54 AM
~  To: dshepard@c...
~  Cc: oldtools@l...
~  Subject: Re: PLANE SOLE FLATTENING AND NORM ABRAMS
~
~  ..........Maybe I just get turned off by all of the precision
~  tuning talk because I do that stuff all day and use
~  woodworking as an escape but I would rather use tools than
~  work on them.

I respectfully suggest that condemnation of the precision advocates
should be reserved for those who suggest that it is absolutely
essential.

If the plane takes a decent shaving of any kind, it will serve for
trimming door edges and many run-of-the-mill jobs.

However, if one wants to plane the surfaces of some hardwoods without
those tears that cause grief at the finishing stage, the effort can
sometimes be well worth while.

Perhaps it is time to reiterate that for tear avoidance (total
elimination can sometimes be another matter) the essential features
are:

Contact at toe, front lip of mouth and heel;
Fine shaving aperture;
Sharp blade;
Heavy downwards pressure from the user.

Jeff