Thread: Kanna - Adventures in dai making

Hope you don't mind if I jump on this bandwagon, but it fits the thread. I just finished a dai (out of elm) for an ebay user (Munehide, I think - the one I chipped doing uradashi a while back).

I'm donating it to a fund-raising auction in Ontario. Its a group of Iaido-ka (Japanese sword martial artists) so hopefully there will be some interest in a Japanese tool.

Steve that's a beautiful plane, I hope it finds a good home.

My next challenge is to repurpose some old blades to make a soridai-ganna (spoon-bottomed plane), dainoshi ganna (scraper plane), and a high-angle dai for tough grain. I'll post whatever successes or failures I encounter along the way.

I'm still tweaking the dai, but its working pretty well. The angle is about 40deg and I want it to be a finish plane. The shaving is from poplar.

I don't know if you follow Chris Hall's blog "The Carpentry Way", but he did a couple of posts on making a high angle dai (the Carpentry Way: Ramping Up for New Action) which might prove worthwhile reading (and lots of pictures )

I've still got a few more kanna waiting on me to get around to making new dai for them. At least, having finished this latest one, my queue is getting shorter as I've avoided buying any more lately.

The kanna I donated to the auction sold for $70 CAD. Not too bad for an ebay refurb. I asked the fellow who bought it if he planned on using it - he gave me an apologetic look and said, "probably not because he didn't know much about woodworking". Too bad I used my best stones to put a really nice edge on it. Hopefully he'll pass it on to someone who will use it (or learn how).

Steve, I can sure understand how you want the plane to be put to use, ornamental though it may appear!

I just finished my first project using the new rokudai, as well as a hira kanna with a new kuchi ire insert made of ipe. Closing up the mouth made a world of difference for planing uneven grain.




I put together a blog post for this build, and have more photos on flickr.

That's very nice work! For me, there's an interesting contrast between the natural beauty of the top (grain, colour and shape) that's balanced by the detail in the legs (design, proportion and workmanship). I'm sure its even more stunning in person. Is it all your own design?

Steve

Thanks Steve, I really appreciate the comment.

It's my own design, and not so changed from the small sketch it started out as. Along the way I used sketchup, cardboard, and pine templates to refine the shape. It was a good exercise as it helped me to visualize thicknesses and proportions.

I'm pleased that you can see the balance I tried to strike between the curves of the top and the base. It was important to me to find a suitable form, in part because I have seen many examples of natural edge tables that don't have much harmony happening between top and bottom.

Originally Posted by fissionchips

Thanks Steve, I really appreciate the comment.

It's my own design, and not so changed from the small sketch it started out as. Along the way I used sketchup, cardboard, and pine templates to refine the shape. It was a good exercise as it helped me to visualize thicknesses and proportions.

I'm pleased that you can see the balance I tried to strike between the curves of the top and the base. It was important to me to find a suitable form, in part because I have seen many examples of natural edge tables that don't have much harmony happening between top and bottom.

Well, you did a great job. I think you nailed the balance between top and bottom. I agree, there are too many who think the top is everything and don't realize that the base can detract from the overall impression. I think its the sign of a superior craftsman who thinks through the complete design and doesn't rely on a slab of wood with multiple coats of some glossy finish plopped on 2x4s or bolted together angle iron for a base to denote quality craftsmanship.

I looked at the close-ups on Flickr, and I would be inclined to spend a lot of time just staring at that top. It must have been really satisfying to watch what emerged when you planed it. Well done

Gorgeous, Fission. The bottom of the table appears a tad rounded in the flickr photos. Is it?

Pam

Thanks Pam. The bottom of the table is flat. The photo from underneath may be a little deceiving due to lens distortion. There is a little twist present in the top, but I couldn't remove or constrain it given the design.

I'm thinking that it may be cool to make the bottom a little rounded, sort of a shallow half barrel. Might just do that if I come across the right piece of wood.

Pam