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Thread: Eureka Moment

  1. #1
    Scribbly Gum's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Eureka Moment

    After all the wet weather we have had, several of our outside doors had gotten wet and the timbers swollen so that they were pinching as they closed.
    I thought that with the advent of drier weather they would shrink back to near their original size - no such luck.
    So today was a door easing day.
    A thousand blessings on the man that invented loose pin butt hinges.
    Now my stock in trade procedure for this, has always been to reach for my trusty Stanley Number 3 plane and have at it - I can't remember why I have always used a number 3, but I'm guessing that it was originally because it fits so easily in the toolbox, and probably because of its handy size and the fact that it happened to have a sharp blade when the first door easing took place some decades ago.
    Anyhow it has become my habit to reach for it for this job.
    But alak and alas, it has had a workout recently and the blade is dull. For no other reason, I reached for the 5 1/4.
    Eureka!!!
    Why didn't I do this years ago?
    The extra length in the toe on this plane, made seating it on the bottom of the doors a snap, and it's extra mass just powered through the job.
    I know - everybody has likely discovered this a couple of generations ago - but I am a slow learner.
    Anywho this made my day. I was even found to be singing as I toiled at the tasks. I'm sure that the perfect weather had nothing at all to do with it either.
    I'm so proud of my 5 1/4 that I've taken its photo for you all to see.
    Oh happy day!
    Singing in Tele Point
    SG
    .... some old things are lovely
    Warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them ........................D.H. Lawrence
    https://thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com/

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    Hey Scribbly - I wouldn't be embarrased about making a discovery however obvious it may sem to you now. Becoming wiser is supposed to be one of the compensations for getting older (& by George, we do need compensation for that! )

    Your post has taught me something new. I was utterly ignorant that there was such a thing as a 5 1/4 - had to go check Patrick's Blood & Gore to see if you'd made a typo, although from the pic it certainly didn't look like a 5 or a 5 1/2. So Patrick tells us it was originally made for schools as a more manageable jack for smaller hands, but became very popular with adults & was made up til 1983 in the US. I'm surprised I've never stumbled across one before either in Nth America or here. So there you go - I just learned sommat myself. I'll probably see several of them in the next few weeks.....

    The 5 group must must be just about the most versatile of the range. My favourite plane is my 35 yr old (plus) Australian-made Stanley #5. It must have been a production mistake, 'cos it was a pretty good machine even before I fettled it & fitted a decent blade - it's on its second replacement now. But I recently acquired my dad's old (pre WWII) 5 1/2, and it is growing on me at a rapid rate - I find myself reaching for it more often than the #5, lately. My old favourite is becoming an overgrown smoother.....

    Cheers,
    IW

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    Thanks for the encouragement Ian.
    One of the great things about this forum is the way members freely give of their knowledge and wisdom. I have learned heaps from folks who wouldn't consider themselves gurus, but have shared their experiences with us all.
    Anyway I thought I would take a couple of snaps of the two planes side by side so their similarities and differences could be more easily seen.
    So here they are. They have the same sized blade 1 3/4 inches, and their generally narrow base suits some projects very well - eg door easing.
    The real differences are in the length of the base and the length of the toe.
    The thing that I really like is their ability to be used one handed if needed.
    Hope this puts the 5 1/4 into perspective for you.
    Regards from Tele Point
    SG
    .... some old things are lovely
    Warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them ........................D.H. Lawrence
    https://thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com/

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    Thanks SG, you made me feel guilty about leaving my 5 1/4 on the shelf for so long. It got some use this weekend. I find it very useful for honing in on small patches that need attention. But my 5 1/2 still remains my favourite, sorry.

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    I guess not many of us can resist the fascination of planes, can we - now that SG has alerted me to these 5 1/2s, I'm curious to have a fiddle with one - pity youse two are so far away! I can't believe I've never seen one anywhere, must've looked too quickly at all those fleamarket tables - or do all owners like 'em too much to on-sell?

    It's probably just as well - over the years I've acquired too many of the damn things. It was with this mindset I set out a few years ago to downsize my collection - yep, that's right DOWNSIZE. Apart from having too many specialty planes that were either not used at all, or only every few years (usually to show someone what they do!) I had at least three #5's, and three or four #4s, for e.g. So on a big job I would start with the least 'good' plane & work through to the best for final finish. A fairly logical system, perhaps, but it meant I frequently ended up with a toolbox full of dull planes and a job I wanted to finish in a hurry, & I'd find myself going through the lot looking for one that would cut reasonably well. (Reminds me of some of the less-than-fastidious blokes I used to share digs with in student days, going through their dirty jocks looking for the least objectionable pair to put on for the day. )
    So I made this pact to cut down drastically & keep a much smaller number of constantly-used tools in fine tune all the time. It's been PARTLY successful. I got my benchplane 'core users' down to a 7, a 5, a 5 1/2, and a pair of 4s. The 5 and one of the 4s (a Clifton) are set up only for very fine cuts, while I've kept the mouth wider on the others so they can be used for heavier cuts when required. I agree with you here, Socrates, the old 5 1/2 is a real pleasure to use for general preparation work, & is rapidly replacing my faithful 5 in that role.

    But an extra smoother has snuck in, followed by my newest, a LV BU, and I'm contemplating making at least one metal bodied infill.......

    Cheers,
    IW

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    Ian, you are right. Our planes just keep breeding don't they. One of the reasons for this must surely be that handplanes are one of the most satisfying tools to use, as well as feeling so wonderfully sensate in the hand. Of course they also look great, so it's not hard to add another one for looks alone.
    Well my trusty 5 1/4 got a birthday present during the week.
    The rear tote has had a repaired crack in it ever since I got it, and it sits right on the heel of my palm. A minor annoyance but for those seeking perfection ..................... well..you know...
    I was lucky enough to score a nice Wenge handle from Blackapple Toolworks a little while ago and it is a great fit.
    I notice that the new handle has a little more beef in the base, and feels a little bit thicker in the hand. This suits my ugly paw and I am very pleased with it.
    Here it is.
    Regards from Tele Point
    SG
    .... some old things are lovely
    Warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them ........................D.H. Lawrence
    https://thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com/

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    Hey SG, better go check your Turners, I think they all just up and left your shed becasue they were feeling betrayed

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    Quote Originally Posted by Burnsy View Post
    Hey SG, better go check your Turners, I think they all just up and left your shed becasue they were feeling betrayed
    Sadly Turner never made a 5 1/4.
    In fact their line of planes was quite short, and I guess, aimed at the popular sizes.
    They offered a 4, 4 1/2, 5, 5 1/2, 6, 7 and 220. That's it. Hence my ambition to own a full set of Turners.
    Still working on that.
    Also, I can't imagine a Turner with a set of wooden handles.
    Just love those red translucent handles.
    Regards from Tele Point
    SG
    .... some old things are lovely
    Warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them ........................D.H. Lawrence
    https://thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com/

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    I'll probably get banned from this thread but...

    When there is pressure on to unstick a door and more urgent issues are at stake, I call upon the trust Stanley 78 which manages to take just that whisker off that is sticking, keep the piece and you don't need to take the door off. gets into the corners too with the bull nose.

    Only to be used in extreme circumstances though.

    CP

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    Quote Originally Posted by Carry Pine View Post
    I'll probably get banned from this thread but...

    When there is pressure on to unstick a door and more urgent issues are at stake, I call upon the trust Stanley 78 which manages to take just that whisker off that is sticking, keep the piece and you don't need to take the door off. gets into the corners too with the bull nose.

    Only to be used in extreme circumstances though.

    CP
    Yipee - another eureka moment!
    Thanks for that Graham.
    Sadly all my doors were sticking at the bottom.
    I'll remember your tip though.
    Regards
    SG
    .... some old things are lovely
    Warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them ........................D.H. Lawrence
    https://thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com/

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    That looks like quite a nicely-shaped tote, SG. A lot of the replacements I've seen look pretty ordinary, but this looks like it might even have had a bit of handwork done on it.

    I certainly agree with you about wanting a tote to feel right - I can't stand a poorly-shaped tote, and absolutely detest the plastic things - the shape is usually ok, but the plastic feel just doesn't cut the mustard in my paw.

    Cheers,
    IW

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    I agree on the plastic
    picked up an old 7 with a plastic tote, got to make a new one, because it's galling

    only one's I won't replace are on the 4 1/2 as this was my first plane and must stay as is. Took me years to get it to work proper

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