Popular Woodworking 2007-04 № 161, страница 7

Letters

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along the way? I do have both the article that appeared in the magazine, along with the additional information you provided on the web site (popularwoodworking.com, "magazine extras").

And, finally, what are your thoughts on making a prototype out of secondary wood such as poplar?

Randy Moon Akron, Ohio

We're glad to help when we can; e-mail is the best way to ask these questions.

I think it's a great idea to make a practice piece. Woodworkers as a group are often reluctant to practice, but it's really the only way to improve skills. If things don't turn out, you haven't wasted expensive material, and if they do turn out well, you can paint it and then you have something nice to show for your effort.

— Robert W. Lang, senior editor

The Plane Truth or Not, Mr. T Haunts

I read with interest your editor's note on "When the Gospel Truth Isn't True."

As a 12-year-old student in the late 1930s in Montreal, I took a first course in woodworking called "sloyd," which started me on a life-long love of woodworking. We used only hand tools and were instructed never to lay a plane down on its sole.

Our teacher, Mr. Turnbull, was a crusty, tough veteran of World War I whose discipline was severe. A plane found on the bench on its sole would surely result in a good rap on the offender's knuckles with a ruler and a drill-sergeant-like tongue lashing. So to this day I can't lay a plane down on its sole - no way!

I believe that the reasoning behind the rule was that a stray nail or similar debris on the bench might cause a nick in the plane iron? Perhaps the reason why many pictures show planes on their soles is that they look attractive that way as tools. I agree with you that in general one needs to question authority, but gospel truth or not: I will never lay a plane on its sole for fear that Mr. T will come back to haunt me.

Don Davis Scotia, New York

Mike Dunbar asserts (and I tend to agree) that the admonition to keep planes on their sides was a product of manual arts instruction,

which began in the late 19th century. Sloyd is one example of the many ways woodworking was taught to children and adults. There are no earlier references to this practice with hand-planes in the literature that I can find.

And while I agree that planes look better when photographed when on their soles, I don't think that was the case from my research. One of the most tellingpieces of evidence was a series of sweeping photographs of a large German factory that made workbenches and wooden handplanes. These were action shots of a couple dozen woodworkers at work throughout the plant. None of the planes were on their sides anywhere in any of the photos.

And while I also agree that a nail could damage a plane iron on its sole, I know that a stray hammer or chisel or other handplane could damage the iron of a plane on its side. Bottom line here: We all should be in complete control of our workbench space, no matter how we set our planes down.

— Christopher Schwarz, editor

Blade Stiffener and Fence Advice

I just finished reading Essential Guide to Table Saws, (January 2007 newsstand-only publication) and I have a couple questions.

First, I didn't see any reference to blade dampeners or stiffeners such as the type that Forrest Blades makes. I'm wondering if you've noticed any value added to using one? The idea is that they reduce vibrations, but on my cabinet saw there is little vibration anyway, and the stiffeners will reduce cutting depth.

My second question has to do with adding hold-downs and/or featherboards to Biesemeyer-style fences. Because the fence is held down only at one end, would there not be some lift as the stock passes through? I have a large outfeed table attached to the saw, and it prevents clamping the fence at the other end.

Gary Fleck via e-mail

Senior Editor Robert W. Lang and I both feel stiffeners are unnecessary. In fact, the only place we would consider using them is with a thin-kerf blade. (And I don't think there's a need for thin-kerf blades unless you are using a greatly under-powered saw).

Regarding fence movement, Bob and I agree that it is possible. However, if you have

your fence set with a tight lever (where you need to apply pressure to close and lock) then the amount of lift is considerably less versus a loose-fitting fence. In fact, the end of the fence may lift a bit, but in the middle around the saw blade area the lift will be much less.

Our suggestion is to create an opening — a series of holes or a slot of some design — in your outfeed table that would allow "F"-style clamp use to secure the fence and prevent lifting.

— Glen D. Huey, senior editor

Mixing Wiping Varnish, Revisited

Several years ago, Bob Flexner wrote a great tip about finishing furniture with polyure-thane. I tried it and it was super. However, I have lost the tip. It went something like: "On the final coat of polyurethane, mix a certain amount of polyurethane with a certain other product and hand wipe the product on the furniture."

Obviously, I can't remember how much of each to mix and I can't recall if the other product was thinner.

Russell Dionne via e-mail

The tip was to make a wiping varnish from the polyurethane. Thin it about half with mineral spirits (paint thinner) so it flows out level and is also easy to wipe on. Sand the last coat of the polyurethane level with fine sandpaper and then apply one or two thinned coats to get a more perfect result.

— Bob Flexner, contributing editor

Tweak Shooting Board Beds to Compensate for Out-of-square Soles

I thought the article on shooting boards (December 2006, issue #159) was excellent; I need to make one soon for a project I'm working on. My bench planes are all vintage Stanleys that have been in my family for a couple of generations. They are excellent and I use them all the time.

However, none of them has sides that are perfectly square to the sole, and I don't even know how I would go about correcting this defeat short of finding a machinist with a milling machine.

Many craftsmen over the last couple centuries must have had the same problem. I can think of two ways the problem could be solved (other than lapping the sides of the plane): continued on page 16

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Popular Woodworking April 2007