> On May 4, 2021, at 20:27 , Andrew Heybey  wrote:
> 
> Agreed, I have *used* a #40, but don’t own one.  I could try grinding the iron
to a smaller radius…

As I learned from this list, a German jack is worth acquiring as a scrub, and
last I looked, could be found for a small fraction of the cost of Satanley's
#40. They have a front horn, are lightweight, very nimble, and can hog off big
ol' frito-like chips of wood without a galoot's arms falling off. Mine have a
heavy single iron with a very pronounced radius, and wide open mouths. It's
shocking how fast you can remove wood.

For flattening a slab, I like to wedge it on my bench so it's stable, then use a
surface gage (or hold a pencil on a piece of wood, etc) to draw a line around
the perimeter and define the top. Plane a bevel down to that line, then work to
it without constantly stopping to fart around with winding sticks. Shown here
with a wide, twisted board, rather than a slab, but it's the same idea.

https://maxwells.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Kitchen-Lights/i-4cS7VJp/A

Probably too late for all this, but I never pass up a chance to promote the
German jack.

Adam
doing more shoveling than woodworking lately, in Benton City, WA