Such a great example of the relationship of twist to a sawn plane. I’ve found spiral grain to be the most difficult for people to understand in relation to a boards sawn plane especially how it relates to the radial plane like you mentioned about the edge grain.
Choosing only logs with no twist for our chair parts takes effort. Taper can be accounted for on the saw but twist cannot.
Jeff reminded me that you'd reached out on this topic, but my addled brain lost the thread. I hope this helps. I'm so excited for the new benchtops you're making for the shop, it's going to be a game changer
What?!? How could I have taken a class with you and not realize you don’t paint the bottoms?!? I’m just about to paint my continuous arm (from your class) and now I have to totally rethink my approach!
this is a weird one, it's a pain not to paint the underside, but I have this strange empathy response, like if I paint the bottom, the chair can't breathe. So odd!
Well I can agree with Sam. I have a “Peter Galbert” designed rocker but it doesn’t sit the same as one you made. 😆 How you make your rocking chairs so comfortable is something I still can’t wrap my head around.
Great explanation to wood twist. I try to look at the bark side of the wood. A Chris Schwarz tip when laminating boards for a joiners bench. Nothing is harder for me to look at than wood grain. This selection of wood pieces to making chair legs worries me to no end.
You're such a great teacher. I'd not seen the cardboard tube teaching aid before but its very nice. If I may make a small suggestion: make the twist drawn on the tube match the board you actually split and then what your're illustrating becomes immediately clear when you go to the board.
Also, I love what you said about perfection. "It's fine to shoot for perfection, but to be content once we hit beautiful". Hobbiest like me get wrapped around the axel thinking things have to be perfect. I know two members of my woodworking club who are paralyzed by this and never make anything. On the other hand, I think for professionals the work has to get out the door, so beautiful takes precedence over attaining perfection. And, really, civilians (i.e, non-woodworkers) only care about beautiful. They don't want to hear about your mistakes.
From a class ideas perspective, I’d love to take a class on building planes, 18th century style side escapement planes, or on making other traditional (not the Krenov style) bench planes like a coffin smoother, or Jack. IDK, something on making the tools we use would be interesting. I lucked into a Clark and Williams try plane and I always reach for it before the Stanley 607, making a jack to go with would be fun.
Or another class that would be fun is something on white oak basketry, from processing the material for making the splints or rods and processing them, to the actual basket making, and a little thing on traditional dyes used in basketry, those three legs of the subject would make for an interesting class.
I'm kind of new to this so I apologize if this seems obvious to most of you. Once you have split out blanks, how is this kiln dried wood worked further? Do you need to soak it prior to shaving? If soaked, how do you deal with staining like with red oak?
Hey Peter thanks for all the posts and details on sharpening. A question I have is about the steel tool edges for Fro and axes and spliting wedges. My experience is some wet woods are more difficult when a too sharp axe is used. Your thoughts? -Bruce from Edge City Woodworking School.
Such a great example of the relationship of twist to a sawn plane. I’ve found spiral grain to be the most difficult for people to understand in relation to a boards sawn plane especially how it relates to the radial plane like you mentioned about the edge grain.
Choosing only logs with no twist for our chair parts takes effort. Taper can be accounted for on the saw but twist cannot.
Shea,
Jeff reminded me that you'd reached out on this topic, but my addled brain lost the thread. I hope this helps. I'm so excited for the new benchtops you're making for the shop, it's going to be a game changer
What?!? How could I have taken a class with you and not realize you don’t paint the bottoms?!? I’m just about to paint my continuous arm (from your class) and now I have to totally rethink my approach!
Christopher,
this is a weird one, it's a pain not to paint the underside, but I have this strange empathy response, like if I paint the bottom, the chair can't breathe. So odd!
Looking forward to the rocking chair series!
Well I can agree with Sam. I have a “Peter Galbert” designed rocker but it doesn’t sit the same as one you made. 😆 How you make your rocking chairs so comfortable is something I still can’t wrap my head around.
Great explanation to wood twist. I try to look at the bark side of the wood. A Chris Schwarz tip when laminating boards for a joiners bench. Nothing is harder for me to look at than wood grain. This selection of wood pieces to making chair legs worries me to no end.
Peter,
You're such a great teacher. I'd not seen the cardboard tube teaching aid before but its very nice. If I may make a small suggestion: make the twist drawn on the tube match the board you actually split and then what your're illustrating becomes immediately clear when you go to the board.
Also, I love what you said about perfection. "It's fine to shoot for perfection, but to be content once we hit beautiful". Hobbiest like me get wrapped around the axel thinking things have to be perfect. I know two members of my woodworking club who are paralyzed by this and never make anything. On the other hand, I think for professionals the work has to get out the door, so beautiful takes precedence over attaining perfection. And, really, civilians (i.e, non-woodworkers) only care about beautiful. They don't want to hear about your mistakes.
Hope you enjoying your summer.
so true, I think it's a great topic to commiserate about, thanks for your input
From a class ideas perspective, I’d love to take a class on building planes, 18th century style side escapement planes, or on making other traditional (not the Krenov style) bench planes like a coffin smoother, or Jack. IDK, something on making the tools we use would be interesting. I lucked into a Clark and Williams try plane and I always reach for it before the Stanley 607, making a jack to go with would be fun.
Or another class that would be fun is something on white oak basketry, from processing the material for making the splints or rods and processing them, to the actual basket making, and a little thing on traditional dyes used in basketry, those three legs of the subject would make for an interesting class.
Isaac,
I'm bringing in Amy Krone who makes amazing split oak baskets, I can't wait. I love the idea of plane making, maybe I'll try to badger Caleb James!!!
Looks perfect from here!
The train whistle is a nice effect…
I'm kind of new to this so I apologize if this seems obvious to most of you. Once you have split out blanks, how is this kiln dried wood worked further? Do you need to soak it prior to shaving? If soaked, how do you deal with staining like with red oak?
Deke, it depends on. Some species can be rehydrated and shaved, such as ash, and others are best turned on the lathe
Thanks Peter, just to clarify. If you are going to shave, do you need to soak? And, if you can't soak, you go to the lathe?
You can shave without soaking but it’s harder and takes more care, mostly I turn the parts but ash acts like green wood after soaking
Hey Peter thanks for all the posts and details on sharpening. A question I have is about the steel tool edges for Fro and axes and spliting wedges. My experience is some wet woods are more difficult when a too sharp axe is used. Your thoughts? -Bruce from Edge City Woodworking School.