Book advice, please.

[whiskywill]

I'm thinking of getting this book. New, of course. :shock: Anybody read it?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/making-and-mast ... 0806961635

 

[como]

Hi Will

I've thought about buying the same book recently. You can get it directly from David Finck's website, with postage it comes in at just under £27.

http://www.davidfinck.com/book.htm


Cheers
Mark

 

[whiskywill]

That's a much better price.

 

[AndyT]

I've read it (but don't have a copy to sell, sorry). It describes how to make a plane which is built up from thick angled blocks inside thin glued-on sides (as shown in the cover picture) - a method popularised by James Krenov.

It shows this method in comprehensive detail, including digressions into some fairly basic woodworking techniques. I think he must have intended it to contain all the information someone would need, all in one book, even if they were quite new to the subject. It includes chapters on the use of planes, shooting boards and scrapers.

If you just want the basics on making a built-up plane there must be plenty of blog posts and magazine articles which would give you the essentials.

If you want to know about traditional wooden planes (where you drill and chisel into a big solid block) you will need something else, such as John Whelan's book but the automated pricing software has been at work there too! I bought my copy from Classic Hand Tools - you could check if they still have any.

 

[whiskywill]

you will need something else, such as John Whelan's book

That's £11.30 a page. Does Bill Gates make planes?
Thanks for the tip.

 

[MIGNAL]

Try:

http://linuxplane.awardspace.com/

Don't bother with the adjustable mouth. I've gone off the idea. :?
There are other wooden plane making sites on the web.

 

[Silverbirch]

I bought it some years ago (when it only cost a few quid). Andy`s summary is pretty accurate.I would thoroughly recommend it as a guide to making planes in the Krenov style.

Ian

 

[jimi43]

If Mr Barron's work is anything to go by....Mr Krenov had it down to a fine art.....

This little baby has been used more than a few times since I bought it recently...and it's a real darling.

You can clearly see the lamination...and I am convinced that with today's modern glues there is little difference between this method and the traditional. I do however fully appreciate the traditional methods...there are skills there beyond first glance....

Any book by the grand master is worth it in my um....book! if it encourages building more tools.

Jim

 

[bugbear]

I bought it some years ago (when it only cost a few quid). Andy`s summary is pretty accurate.I would thoroughly recommend it as a guide to making planes in the Krenov style.

Ian

It became super-expensive because the intial print run (a while ago now) was quite short.

People then realised it was rather good, and s/h copied became sought after.

Eventually Finck made a second edition, with improved and expanded content, and a longer print run.

DO NOT PAY the big price for a s/h first edition.

BugBear

 

[marcus]

It's a great book as he goes into detail about the finer points — not just 'cut this, sand that'. He knows the sort of process needed to do very high standard work and takes you through it. I learned a lot from it. My copy is five or six years old, not sure if it is the new edition or the old one.

It's a good and pragmatic approach to making planes (at least some kinds of planes), not least because you can easily tune the bed to perfection before you glue it all together, and you can easily make the mouth as tight as you like.