Today is the most enjoyable part of building a plane; I get to make shavings. I took the plane assembly out of the clamps and laid out the shape I wanted for my smoother. The advantage of a wooden plane is that as I work with the tool, I can change the shape to fit comfortably in my hand. After a demonstration from our instructor, I spent most of the day getting the shape and tuning up the mouth of the plane. The tune up is the most important part of the process. If done carelessly, the plane will not work to it's full potential.
Finally everything is ready to go. I have the iron in the plane and the wedge set. The tool works almost effortlessly and draws a beautiful thin shaving. The performance of the tool fills me with joy. I never thought I could achieve such precise control with something that I have built.
I have two other planes in the works. One is a Jointer plane, made of Maple. This plane is used to straighten edges and true up surfaces. The second plane I am currently assembling is a Coopering Plane. This one is used to smooth curved panels. The Coopering plane is made out of an African Hardwood called Jatoba. This is the same material as my smoothing plane. The next few days will be spent completing my planes. My tool cabinet at school will soon house three new tools that will help me complete my first project; a small "practice" cabinet made of simple poplar.
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