Recent content by Martin Cash

Well, these are found on the toe and the heel of the plane. Hyperkitten actually says: Types 15-19 Do the toe and heel have a raised, broad, flat rib casting? Sometimes hyperkitten can be a bit confusing, but it is easy when you get the hang of it. A more visual type study for Stanley...

Ray Gardiner has a very useful site on backsaws that he maintains. Here is a timeline from that site: http://www.backsaw.net/timeline/ The London pattern - flat bottom saw handles started in 1700 but saw making in Sheffield not until the 1750's. So there is a start for you. Somewhere between...

Alf is right about forming an intimate relationship with handplanes. My first handplane was a Stanley 4-1/2 and I learned to do quite a lot with it. It was my only handplane for many many years followed by a 220 block plane and a number 7. For around 25 years these were my arsenal, and there was...

I have found the following pages to be helpful: http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/glossary.html and http://www.backsaw.net/index.php?option ... &Itemid=74

I disagree. The forumites who post here are not your market. None of us will use it and no-one here will embrace it. But - there are likely tens of thousands of would be woodworkers who will. Bring it out in time for father's day and it will be cheap enough for every kid to be able to afford...

Correct. However this "new" one is going to be cheap to make and will be bought by people who would not consider a Topman. A different market altogether. MC

Well, I think that it would likely be successful with a couple of modifications. The problem of scoring by the teeth of the handsaw can be solved to some extent by offsetting the edge guide with a rebate at the bottom to accommodate the teeth. Of course this will only work when the saw is...

This seems like it could be a nice plane to use. It isn't clear, but that looks like a tapered iron from a wooden plane. One of the problems with tapered irons in user tools, is that as the iron wears and is re-sharpened, the width of the business end of the plane iron shrinks in thickness. This...

Here is a LV LA Jack for sale if you are interested: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=129900 Cheers MC

I am a bit late to this discussion but agree with most of what has been posted re the Veritas. I have tried both and find that where it counts, the Veritas is ahead. One thing that irks me about the LN is the difficulty I have with my large hands/fingers of using the little depth adjuster. Now...

This is a good question and has been addressed fairly comprehensively by Derek. Have a look at these reviews and see if they shed enough light on the differences for you to make a decision. http://inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/index.html If you are going to use the plane for removing saw marks...

First of all my commiserations. It can be heartbreaking to see the damage that someone has inflicted on good tools. It brings to mind the Japanese tradition that a man has to be worthy of his tools and if he is not then he should not have them. I agree with Derek here. His is the best advice in...

I have to agree with the assessment of the Record 405. A much better plane and far better value. Here is one in your neck of the woods that is complete and as good as they come. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Record-405-Multi ... 1c0dad4815 Might be worth exploring. Cheers MC

Happened to me as well a long time ago. Anything that comes into my workshop that needs initial planing now gets a brush down first with a stiff wire brush before I have a go with the jack plane. I actually have two jacks. One has an old radiused blade that does the initial roughing and the next...

Greenlee made outstanding chisels at a time of high quality in both steel making and chisel making in the USA. Those would be as good as or even better than the Stanley 750 series, and up there with makers like Union, Buck and Peck Stowe and Wilcox; and there isn't that much difference between...