Thread: HNT Gordon or other brand Side-Rebate Planes?

Luke, you still there?

I know this is off-topic (apologies DomAU), but the glimpses of your bench-top in post #13 reminded me that you were talking about re-surfacing it, some time back. I think that was before it landed, so just wondering if it needed much/any attention since settling into its new home? At the time, I think I said the small bench I made from the same batch of Blue Gum was fine, but it must've heard me, because soon after that it developed a bit of a lip between the edges & the aprons. This was due to slight cupping, which is to be expected in a backsawn piece like I used, and particularly as it had had the minimum recommended drying time for the thickness. I planed it out, wondering if it would go back the other way when the weather changed, but it hasn't moved at all since....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by derekcohen

I modified a Stanley #79 to work this way. I would say that this probably works better than his simply because the #79 has a long fence and is more comfortable to hold.

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

On that note, why not buy the Wood River side rebate and save the extra cash

As a person on the verge of buying one or the other of these. How do they rate? It seems the Wood River is the same as the Stanley except its blades are on the same end?

TT

TT, my post must be seen in the correct context. If I was buying new, I'd go for Terry's planes in a flash. However, I am an inveterate bodger, and so end up with a retreaded rebate plane or a modified Stanley #79.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I get that Derek. This thread came along at a good time as I was considering the Woodriver before Luke posted. Then I saw your post so just wondered. Terry's planes are a bit out of my league.

TT

TT, I have a "Wood river" side rebate, or at least its identical twin, it's not branded as such, but is the same plane as far as I can tell. These side-rebates are based on the Record 2506S rather than a Stanley. I had a bit to say about it here.

My conclusion is it will do the job, but it has a bit of a flaw in that the blade ends are tucked under the retaining cap, making it a really fiddly job to get them adjusted. (The Record's blades sick out and are far more easily tapped with a small hammer). You can get one blade right, only to have it move while you set the other. I've found the best way to get on with it is to just concentrate on the blade I want to use and forget about the other, so I've ended up with a situation that is less convenient than having a pair. It's also a dinky little thing, full of sharpish edges, & gets rather uncomfortable if used for long.

Fortunately, it's a very occasionally-used tool for me, so I can put up with its shortcomings. If I were going to use a side-rebate a lot, and I won Lotto, I'd have Terry's in a flash too. Come to think of it, if I won Lotto, I'd buy a few more of his planes than just those two!

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Luke, you still there?

I know this is off-topic (apologies DomAU), but the glimpses of your bench-top in post #13 reminded me that you were talking about re-surfacing it, some time back. I think that was before it landed, so just wondering if it needed much/any attention since settling into its new home? At the time, I think I said the small bench I made from the same batch of Blue Gum was fine, but it must've heard me, because soon after that it developed a bit of a lip between the edges & the aprons. This was due to slight cupping, which is to be expected in a backsawn piece like I used, and particularly as it had had the minimum recommended drying time for the thickness. I planed it out, wondering if it would go back the other way when the weather changed, but it hasn't moved at all since....

Cheers,

Ian,

I actually was cleaning up my shop today in prep for a few weeks away from it (field work). In the rare instance that the benchtop is virtually free of dust, shavings, and tools, I always take a step back to admire. This time I was kind of fiddling with it.

Basically, everything has shrunk a bit... or a lot, depending on who you ask. You may recall that when we built it there was a bit of wobble in the end vise, and it didn't ride in the same plane as the benchtop. It still works, of course, but it's maybe 4 or 5mm lower than the benchtop itself until a force is applied against it, at which point it rides up. When I left Brisbane it was only a mm or so. I need to get in there and add a shim to the part on which it actually rides, which will be a very simple process. Otherwise, the bench dogs are all a smidge proud, so I need to spend some time with the block plane fiddling with them, but they're not proud enough so that things catch and bang on them or anything. The front vise, which you may recall has always had a bit of a skew since the bench started drying out in QLD, had to be fixed a while back, but I planed enough off to compensate, cleared out one of the travel holes, waxed it, etc. and now it works great.

So the short answer is that it's totally fine, but I do think about flattening it and doing some minor maintenance here and there. I'm lucky to have a large, flat table handy in my new shop, so for things like leveling my new coffee table (the four legged one I just posted, not the Walnut tripod), that does the trick.

I approach the flattening job with trepidation. Not because it's a big job (it is), but because I'm worried we may one day move to a more humid climate and I'll end up regretting it. When we move somewhere with an open ended timeframe attached to it I'll do it. For now, I'm content to still have the best workbench in Seattle!

And Ian N., while the opportunity to hang out with Ian and my other Aussie friends certainly will be a large factor if I ever decide to move back, I can assure you that getting away from a number of 'uge things on this side of the Pacific will be the real catalyst.

Cheers,
Luke

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

And Ian N., while the opportunity to hang out with Ian and my other Aussie friends certainly will be a large factor if I ever decide to move back, I can assure you that getting away from a number of 'uge things on this side of the Pacific will be the real catalyst.

you know, the border is only a few hours north of Seattle ...



And I can easily arrange storage ...

Thanks Ian. There's nothing like handling a tool before you buy it. That's why it was disappointing that Timberbits aren't going to the show. If I had my druthers, I'd buy one of Terry's planes too.

TT

Tying off some of my started topics. Thanks for the advice. I ended up getting side rebate planes from Terry/HNT Gordon at the wood show in Ringed Mulga to complement the 1/2" dado I bought earlier. I've honed the blades and made a couple of test cuts. The planes work well but I am still finding setting the blades a little finicky. Though once set it's all good. I'll be putting them to use on a hanging tool cabinet I plan to build to house my growing collection of hand tools. Just need to get through my Masters degree first - no time for anything at the moment. Finished in mid November and sooo looking forward to building things!!!! I think I'm buying things just to compensate for lack of time to actually make stuff!

20170911_093755.jpg

Very, very nice Dom and I see you went with the depth gauge too. All the best with your studies.

Regards
Paul

Thanks Paul, actually the fence is not a depth gauge but rather a 1/6 angle gauge to cut sliding dovetails.

Well done Dom. You just need to make the time to use them now.

Originally Posted by IanW

this kitchen/house renovation business has to be finite!) ....

Wouldn't that be nice! It's one thing on top of another here. "Can you help me...", "How do I...", and the worst "What are we going to do about...".

Oh yes, the royal "we."

I was left building today, a shed to house the new, twelve year old car, plus some ancillary instructions to go to the local op shop to source jam jars for (you guessed it) jam making, to buy some old shirts for use around the yard (it seems that my work load has worn out my shirts and they are now thread bare), to pick up some groceries from the supermarket (actually Millmerran boasts two of these, one of which is open from five in the morning to eight at night - beat that) and to do the washing up of dishes from last night.

This was while SWMBO went to Toowoomba to smell some flowers.

It's tough here in the Sunshine State.

Regards
Paul

PS: Before Simplicity steps in, yes this is a digression and in sentencing I would like at least three other transgressions to be taken into account.