Popular Woodworking 2007-11 № 165, страница 18

■Letters ¹

Veritas

Lie-Nielsen

Block-plane Purchase Advice

I am considering purchasing a low-angle block plane for use in trimming hand-cut dovetails and for some rank cuts. What is your opinion as to which is the best to buy: one with a lateral-adjustment lever for the blade or one without that feature? ( I am looking at the Veritas, with lateral adjustment versus the Lie-Nielsen, without the lateral adjustment.)

— Don Putman, via e-mail

Believe it or not, I think lateral-adjustment mechanisms in block planes are mostly a non-issue. All block planes can be laterally adjusted using small hammer taps or finger pressure. In fact, I find that I'll adjust the iron this way even if it has a lateral-adjust lever because it's afiner, more sensitive way to accomplish the task.

So bottom line, you can't lose with either plane on your list. Both are high-quality tools that will last several lifetimes and will not disappoint you in the function department.

— Christopher Schwarz, editor

Pen Finish Advice: Wax On

I have been turning a lot of pens, for which I want your finishing recommendations. I go from plain paste wax to a mixture of turpentine, shellac and boiled linseed oil.

— Greg Just, Blaine, Minnesota

I'm not so sure about your combination of wax, shellac and oil. I'm not a chemist, but Ijust wonder how compatible all that different material is — wax, alcohol in shellac, and oil? Generally, I'd stay away from film-forming finishes on pens because it will wear through if the pen is used regularly. I like the idea of wax and oils. It brings up the wood color and will combine with the oil in one's hands after use, and that will tend to enhance the patina. Because you can buff at high speed right on the lathe, it's easy to bring up the luster. Another thought is using hard stick wax

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(HUT wax is one brand). This actually offers more protection than the softer paste wax and can be brought up to a good shine when buffed at high speed. You actually need the speed to generate some heat from friction to work with the hard wax. It is especially good on extra-hard woods after sanding the piece to #400 grit minimum or #600 grit, and sometimes higher if you want.

Don't forget the old burnishing trick, too. Grab a handful of shavings in the palm of your hand and rub the work while it's turning on the lathe. Do this before any finishing.

— Steve Shanesy, publisher

Do Diamond and Waterstones Mix?

I read about using diamond stones to flatten waterstones, but was concerned that even a diamond stone would start to wear hollow at some time. I know diamond stones don't last forever, so do I need to worry about their flatness during their lifetime? Am I wrong or are these stones different in some way?

— Mike Lingenfelter, Bothell, Washington

I've used diamond stones to flatten waterstones for many years without any problems with them dishing or wearing out prematurely. And while there is a school of thought that insists on getting waterstones as flat as a machinist's granite surface plate, I'm not a student of that school.

You just need to remove any hollow in the waterstone to get consistent results. If the entire surface of the stone is a little convex or concave along its length, you won't have any problems.

That said, there is one area of concern when using diamond stones to flatten a waterstone. And that's the grit of diamond stoneyou use. You need to use one of the coarser grits (60 micron or 45 micron — the black or the blue in DMT's color scheme). The finer-grit diamond stones will self-destruct if used to flatten waterstones.

— Christopher Schwarz, editor

Bedeviling Compressor Moisture

I'm having a lot of trouble with moisture in my 25-gallon, 175PSI two-stage air compressor. I know that no matter what, I'll get moisture in the tank. The problem is that I'll empty the tank after closing up shop, shut it down, then first thing in the morning turn it on and have to drain it again. I have a filter and air dryer (that I have to replace every other week) all connected and everything seems to be working properly. My question: Is this moisture problem due to

high humidity (thanks to living on the Mississippi coast) or is there something I can do to stop or reduce this problem?

—James Swisher, Biloxi, Mississippi

You're better off with the moisture ending up in the tank than in your air lines. This is a result of moisture in the humid air condensing as the compressor operates. There are a couple things you can do with the way you run the air lines to help, but all these methods will do is give the water a place to go.

The first thing is to make sure that all the lines run slightly uphill from the compressor, letting the water run back to the tank where you can drain it.

The second thing is to install some drops with drain valves at or near the air outlets. All you need to do is install a pipe with a drain valve at the bottom wherever you can plug in an air line. When you shut down for the night, turn the compressor off and open these valves. Leave them, and the drain, on the tank open overnight so that any moisture that has condensed in the air lines can drip out.

— Robert W. Lang, senior editor

Line from compressor

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16 ■ Popular Woodworking November 2007