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Kale Vogt,
March 22, 2024
Although “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” book sale is coming to a close, the sales have stayed consistent. My time between Anthe and Willard has proven taxing on my body. I think back to the day when Chris shared with me the reason a beehive had been chosen as a symbol for Lost Art Press.
“Woodworkers are busy bees…” He said.
News to me, but the beehive has long been a symbol for the woodworking industry according to Chris.
It’s also served as a fitting visual for this past week. I began most days at Anthe, lifting and packing boxes until my wrists were sore. Then finished at Willard, where Chris and I filmed projects together and I edited journals for this Substack. Oh and supplied Wally (the shop cat) with adequate pets.
Amid the chaos, I’ve still managed to create time for my Dutch tool chest. The progress has been slow but deliberate. One by one, the car siding back pieces were nailed into place last week. Along with it, a lesson in pilot and clearance holes from Megan. Afterwards I shaped the lid edges to my liking. Using a rabbet and block plane to cut a thumbnail moulding turned out to be a wildly satisfying operation. I hope to have the chest completed by next week.
As always, I’m continuously blown away by the support I receive from LAP followers. Earlier this month I received three, THREE vintage Miller Falls planes from a reader. They came deconstructed, intended for me to put together myself. I walked into work one morning to find the metal guts strewn across a workbench. I set the puzzle aside for later when I had the time.
Cut to this week, with the gifted planes, Chris showed me how to test a plane sole’s flatness. Camping the plane upside down in a vise, we set a straightedge atop the sole. Using the natural light as a backdrop, we bent down to see only the slightest slivers of light passing through the space between the plane and straightedge. Apparently these slivers are the difference between cabinet-grade flatness and a banana.
Chris broke out his feeler gauges for me to test the thickness of the gaps. I ran one along the crevice where the plane met the straightedge. Here and there, the feeler gauge poking through indicated a depression in the plane. This particular plane will need to be flattened eventually, so we set it aside for future fixing and use.
Off to puzzle piece some planes together for now.
Editor’s note: Do you have a vintage jack plane that need some love? Here’s a 3-part series on the Lost Art Press blog that will help you get that plane fettled.
Set Up & Use…still to come…and you’ll find lots more handplane info on the blog under the Handplanes Category.
p.s. Thank you to the generous reader who sent Kale the planes, and to the many other generous readers who’ve sent other tools – and thanks to all of you for the encouragement. Kale has a full set of the tools they need for now, though – so please hang on to yours, or pass them along to other deserving new woodworkers. Please do keep up the words of encouragement!
Love it, Kale. So fun to view this learning through your eyes. Many of us are absolutely jealous of the tutelage you're getting from Megan and Chris. When the wrists and arms and back get sore, remember: pain is weakness leaving the body. :) My kids hated me when I said that. Best!!
Can’t wait to see the tool chest. What color?