The first shavings are always nice...

That moment when the blade just starts to peek through.

The time you think, ummm perhaps this steel and wood have become a tool now?

We are at about 2.5 hours work at this stage.

Most time is spent on fitting the blade!

Antique Japanese Kanna - restoration in progress.

Sometimes I really like small planes.

They are much better extensions of your body sometimes.

 

I worked with someone once and he uses a No.7 Lie Nielson for everything.

I mean everything....

 

WOW that plane is heavy, he is lucky he has not got a

Repetitive Strain Injury (perhaps that is to come)

You must beware over working your hands.

A RSI ruined my life. I had to give everything up for a very long time.

 

Japanese Spokeshave in Jarrah.

 

I wish I had a nice saw to cut these grooves...

 

My favourite bit now - slowly making a perfect fit of the blade.

Patience my young Padawan..

 

Now we are getting there.

I don't like the graphite on the back approach.

Graphite is basically a lubricate - it is messy and gets everywhere.

I might change my mind - but I think its best kept in pencils.

 

I have a massive tin of powered graphite.

Sprinkle that on wheel axles and watch them go...

 

I go for the Camellia oil in a Kurobara (applicator) approach.

Seen a few Japanese Dai makers do this - if its good enough for them...

and the Kurobara has been used for centuries.

 

Now what shall I use for the sole / mouth insert?

Here I have Pink Ivory (very hard stuff) Ebony, Box, Cocobolo, Rosewood?

Mind you I have lots of Lignum Vitae as well...

Japanese Mallet - Completed.

 

Green Holm Oak.

My first piece turned on a Pole Lathe.

(with a little help - thanks David!)

No fussing -  a quick make, wedged with Ebony.

Do I need another plane adjusting Mallet?

Probably not...

Japanese Mallet - in Holm Oak

 

I really like the hammered finish on Japanese Hammers.

So I thought why not do a woodworkers version?

Leave all the chisel and plane marks on it?

Make it fast, leave it off the tool.

 

The head is the off cut - for the string on the pole lathe.

I showed this being turned in green Holm Oak

on a previous post...

 

Drilled at an angle, off centre, to bring the weight into the blow.

Feels nice - time to finish and stamp it now.

Japanese Spokeshave - Tsunesaburo Blade

 

Working in Jarrah - about an hours work so far, marking out, cutting out.

 

I think I might use some box for a mouth insert.

Box is far to unyielding for a wedge based system like a Japanese plane blade.

Jarrah has better elasticity, OK density, but...

Yes I think I might use some of this spalted Box.

Thanks to David Barron's fantastic articles in Furniture and Cabinetmaking.

They really have been inspirational to me.

 

Giving great coverage to tool makers helped me believe it was a worthwhile pursuit.

I used this issue to double check blade angels.

I have decided to go with 58 degrees, just liked the number...

Sort of between 55 and 60 degrees.

I got an antique Japanese plane the other day - it had a 60 degree blade!

Even with a dulled blade (I had to tune up some kanna of course)

It takes a nice shaving with no skidding or skipping.

The blade is set exactly at 90 degrees with a 10 degree skew.

Blade is sharpened at about 28 degrees.

Took approx 3-4 hours start to finish.

 

Tachi Kanna Complete

Finished, ready to polish.

 

Notice big crack down the front.

But really I don't care.

I Love all the dents, saw cuts, nail marks and cracks in this old kanna.

 

I use wood planes to make more wood planes.

The Japanese moulding plane on the right does the rounded curve on the top.

Tachi Kanna in Antique Japanese Oak & Blade

Had this one on the cards for awhile now.

About time to 'get it on' as my old friend Stuart used to say.

 

 

I cannot find exact information on all of this.

Same as my Mitre Plane, educated guess work.

I have therefore skewed the blade by 10 degrees.

 

Notice the nail holes from the previous owner.

It is quite common in Japan to 'tack on' fences to your plane.

 

I wish I had an Osaehiki Nokogiri nearby..

 

At last my chance to use the Saw John and I made.

This is what it is all about...

Cutting tough Japanese Oak like butter.

The handle has so much more texture than rattan.

Feels better to me, more grip.

Recycling Japanese Oak

If you cut up some old knackered Japanese Kanna...

There is some great wood for mouth inserts,

and if you are lucky another Dai for a small Plane...

 

Watch this space!

 

Dai Adjusting Square

So much of what i do starts with making a square block.

In this case a perfect square block of Mahogany.

Takes awhile to do this, as you know?

 

I feel like I test my self every time I have to go through this simple process.

It is a meditation for us woodworkers, a familiar place to visit.

Face side, face edge, scribing thickness, saw and plane, repeat and check, etc.

 

I have chosen Mahogany for 3 reasons:

1. It is very stable and I had a piece perfect size awaiting...

2. It is clean and pleasent to work (an under-rated reason to work a wood!)

3. It will contrast nicely when working on Japanese White Oak.

Stamped with the addition of a non-slip piece of rubber matting, very handy...

 

This is how it is used.

Clamped across the body of the Dai, for the Tachi-Kanna (scraper plane)

 to slide against, this ensures accurate sole relief.

 

It also means you can get very close the blade without damaging it.

This Kanna has a blade at 95 degrees, A2 Cyro, hold us well to abrasive scraping!