Router Plane

[Birdhunter]

I recently got into hand tools and hand cut dovetails. It’s been a fun ride!

I splurged on some very nice chisels, planes, scribes, saws, and other little jewels.

The two tools I bought only because I saw them on a video were a large and a small router plane. I struggled through learning to sharpen them, but with that behind me, I found them to be extremely useful.

For example, I’m making a small table. I had to produce a 1/2” by 1” groove in the leg pieces to receive the table top. The groove was too close to the top of the leg to trust a power router. I would blow out the wood per the test piece experience.

After chiseling out the groove almost to the bottom, the small router plane was used to finish the groove to the desired depth. It left a smooth surface and was extremely fast.

Somehow, using hand tools (to me) is far more satisfying than using power tools. No, I’m not dumping all my power tools, but the hand tools are now the preferred work method.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

I think it’s more satisfying using hand tools without a shadow of doubt. It does depend on circumstance though. I think anybody doing woodwork/carpentry as a hobbyist or DIY will enjoy learning about various tools and their uses, and without time limits, it can be absorbed at the users leisure.
Commercially or professionally, it can, and usually is a different story though.
I started out many years ago with a very sparse hand tool kit, and as the years went by, I welcomed all the technology that brought us various power tools.

I can clearly remember saving and buying my first ever cordless drill/driver, and now I’ve lost count of how many we have, and all the other amazing cordless tools we have and use.
Importantly though, well at least for me, I still like to smell the roses, and will hand cut dovetails, mortise and tenons, mitres, and give the planes and spoke shaves an airing.
Very satisfying and keeps my hand in.  [thumbs up]

 

[derekcohen]

The two tools I bought only because I saw them on a video were a large and a small router plane. I struggled through learning to sharpen them

How did you sharpen them?

You may not be aware that I invented a sharpening method for router planes that get edges really sharp, and keeps them that way.
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/SharpeningRouterPlaneBlades.html

There is also a video made by Vic Tesolin based on my method ...


Regards from Perth

Derek