This aint no orange block plane.
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Before I begin, a couple comments on process. I don’t do IMO or IMHO. Anybody know what a humble opinion is? I don’t do smiley faces. I’m not a shill, I paid for the plane. I’m a rank amateur at woodworking so nothing I say about how this plane works should make any difference to anyone. I used to be – a long time ago – a marketing manager for Remington Arms. Was a time when I thought I understood something about manufacturing and marketing “boys toys.” I’ve spent the last 3 years learning how to be a machinist, 7 months at furniture making.
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Trying to figure out what woodworking tools are good and what’s hyped, what is necessary and what’s a gadget, has been a challenge. Walking the line between collector and wise user is not easy.
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In various places, often so subtle as to be unmemorable, I’ve seen references to Clark & Williams reproduction wooden planes. I figured out that the same Larry Williams who appears from time to time in these forums was in fact one and the same. It seems however, as I search these “impressions” (remember I used to be a marketing guy) the C&W plane everyone covets is a 30” Jointer. About which I can only wonder – what’re you guys making that requires a 30” long plane? Ok, ok, I’m a new guy.
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And I wondered – surely these guys must make other planes – how come nobody ever talks about those? Must be they’re a small company with no advertising budget so nobody’s gonna write about them. There’s that “shill” part again.
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So I went to their website, looked for pictures of the planes and found a title called “Sample our wares.” I clicked on that and got an almost blank page with an “S” in the upper left corner. I emailed them and got a response that went sorta like “Oh yea? Hmm, thought it was working, not sure what’s going on” – period, full stop.
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So I went to Google and found one reference, a write up written by a man named John Hebert. It was about a small coffin shaped smoothing plane, with pictures. Plane looked cool, though sort of old fashioned. Mr. Hebert liked his plane. That seemed a good omen. No sizes no dimensions. No pictures of Australian hardwoods with tearout and raised up fibers. Hmm, what is this thing?
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I called Clark & Williams and had a delightful conversation with Larry where I learned some things about planes in general and C&W planes in particular. I was told they didn’t need any orders, they had all the business they needed. But Larry did send a couple pictures. He agreed maybe someone outghta look at the website. OK, cool.
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Somewhere along the way I stumbled across Tools for Working Wood’s website and discovered that at one point at least, they were selling C&W planes. Apparently they’re not anymore, but have left the descriptions and a few more pictures on their site. That seems good of them.
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One day I stumbled across Lynn Mangiamelli’s High Angle Smoothing plane article. In it was included a Clark & Williams smoother. So I tried to email him for elaboration but was unable to find an active address.
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I had a very nice email exchange with Adam Cherubini, where he helped me understand the historical root of hand plane nomenclature. He was most respectful of Clark & Williams planes.
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Toldya no smiley faces.
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Being the clever and sophisticated marketer that I once was, I stepped back from all this and recognized what a really clever and sophisticated marketing approach C&W had. So I did the only thing a guy could do.
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I ordered one.
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Sight unseen, no knowledge of anyone who owns one, no personal conversation with anyone who’s ever used one – no I’m not a tool collector – I ordered one.
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6 weeks later, (after wondering what I’d done), via USPS – how civilized is that – (no brown shirts coming to my door) a box arrived. I opened it with some trepidation. And
was stunned.
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I called Bill Clark, who wasn’t home.
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I read the directions, placed the blade in the throat, slid in the wedge – it disappeared – no seam! I mean, it was there a second ago. I put the plane on a board, tapped the back of the blade till I could just feel it bite, tapped the wedge and the phone rang. It was Bill, who seemed nervous. I said “wait a minute,” stuck the phone in the crook of my neck and took a swipe on a piece of Cherry. “Hold on, wait a sec”, tap, tap. “Oh my!” “Hey Bill, I just got a 14” long curly. I can almost see through it. No, no the boards only 14” long. Lemme call you back.” “Hi Bill, well I just ran the plane over a piece of African Mahogany just off an old Oliver planer from school. I miked it at .0015”. Board is gleaming. No lines or grooves. Dead flat. None of my other planes do this.”
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Bill’s nervousness I learned was the same apprehension I bet a few of you feel when you send out something you’ve worked your heart out on. “Geez I really hope they like this thing.” I know that’s the way Mike W feels when he sends out a piece of furniture or a saw. And I know its’ how I feel about stuff I’ve made. Well, I’m glad he cares that much. I bet Larry does to. It’s a cool tool. I like it. Period, full stop.
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Oh yea the specs: it’s a coffin smoother, 1 5/8” wide blade, 6 ¾” long body, 55 degree pitch. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
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They got the “sample of what’s available” page worked out. See it here: http://www.planemaker.com/sample/
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And here’s a neat article by Larry and Bill entitled “Design and tuning considerations for bench planes” about wood orientation from their website that describes what is achieved in this plane:
http://www.planemaker.com/articles/benchplane.html
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And here’s some pics of mine.
Correction:
Actually pics are now viewable, in human scale, at post #10.
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Edited 8/22/2006 4:28 pm ET by tomr2
Replies
Tom, enjoy the plane.I am sure you will be inspired to get a herd of them in the future. Let us know when you have made shavings.
Well, I found the levels, the subtle and not so subtle levels, of sarcasm refreshing for a review. Aside from poking fun at a few obvious people, there are a few messages contained within. Or have I not had my morning medication yet?
Hah, take care, Mike
Wow! Like Lataxe, I am at a loss for words: my message to Tom was sincere and well meaning . I have never ever heard anything negative about C&W planes-ever.
Just shows how folk can either get the wrong end of the stick or easily have bad hair days.
Hi Philip--I don't read it as being negative about the planes themselves...indeed Tom seems to experience joy both in the craftsmanship and its performance...
Take care, Mikewho's still entering info from last week...have I mentioned I dislike paperwork?
Philip,
For me, every day is a bad hair day and that's how I like it! A chap should not have a boofon or even a quiff, in my view (but I am old fashioned about hair gel and dressing up).
Personally I can't understand how a plane without lots of brass and steel can be good, unless it is lignum vitae perhaps. And where are all the nice adjuster knobs? Surely one should not have to hit anything with a hammer to move the blade, even a special one? Why, it would be - Elizabethan!
Perhaps Mike will make some wooden saws but only let out tiny hints that he has done so, then we will all want one. They will be made of a Special German Beech and the teeth will be snakewood. They will be $999.99 each.
Of course, Tom is now going to post pictures of gossamer shavings and a Queen Anne chair that he made using just the C&W plane. I will be red-faced but unrepentant about not wanting wooden tools, on aesthetic grounds if not functional ones.
Finally, I only buy things from people I like, especially if the people and the things have an excellent reputation (rather than just a mysterious image and a few High Opinions, especially of themselves, posted here and there). It's a social thing.
Lataxe, shiny metal addict.
Ee, com now lud, we might be having a good laugh an all, bu them
cousins'll be in dark.
"I will be red-faced but unrepentant about not wanting wooden tools, on aesthetic grounds if not functional ones."
You may well be-so I suggest when you eventually succumb you only buy the best of the wooden planes (such as C&W), so that you may cross breed and build up a good herd.Philip Marcou
Lataxe,
Wow, got a burr in your bonnet this morning, ain'tcha!
And does your froe-club (Lataxe driver) have a lignum infill and brass bindings? Maybe you don't have to strike it to move the blade, just turn the knob? Hee he
Has one's victorian distaste for elizabethan crudity made one a bit snippy, or is it just time for some warm milk and a nap?
Cheers,
Ray
Ray,
I am being naughty, self-indulgent and facetious all at one. Tom has explained his post a bit now and Lataxe the Thick has understood him rather better.
As to wooden planes and such - I am just inoculating myself against even more rampant tool-lust, as I have spent up with Mr Marcou and Mr Wenzoff. I must continue to believe that smart wooden tools cannot work, otherwise the UK balance of payments will suffer even more than it is already. It's just meme-gardening in the old noggin, if you see what I mean.
Also, if the C & W lads are blase about their own sales and over-critical of the sales pitch of others (as, I think, suggested by Tom, if I read him right now) then I will follow their logic and avoid their wares. This will be OK with them if they do indeed already sell all they want. In all events, Mike will be buying their surplus now. :-)
Personally I rather admire Derek's enthusiasm and efforts to tell us stuff about tools. Conversely, as you may have gathered, I'm not keen on sour pusses with high opinions of themselves and low opinions of everyone else. Mike and Philip can explain and make technical tool points without disparaging others, because they are well brought up and considerate folk.
Anyway, them Primus planes really do have that lignum vitae on their bums, even if FWW thinks they are a bit hard to manage. But no, no, I don't want one - of course not! (Herds of planes! - I will be exhausted and also Very Poor)!!
As to my knocker, it is made of Ekki - a dense and silica-laden pink hardwood of great weight (SG > 1.0). No brass required there, tha knows although I may now enhance it with a brass binder ring, just to keep you from teasing me. And, naturally, I turned its knob so it would feel nice when I WHACK with it.
Lataxe, off now for a pill and a cuddle from the wife, always a calming influence.
Edited 8/22/2006 3:41 pm ET by Lataxe
Heres pics:
Gosh, Tom, the bugger looks comfy to use!
My favorite smoother, the last plane to touch a flat surface, has a scant 1 1/2" wide blade. I like the narrow width and the relatively short length.
See what you've went and did? I have successfully avoided getting a C&W plane and now...
Thanks, take care, Mike
One of the Top Ten posts of the last five years.
I lost a beverage when I read "this ain't no orange block plane." And what followed was even better.
Cosmoline, the Proud Owner of a half-set of Clark & Williams hollows and rounds.
Edited 8/22/2006 3:45 pm ET by cosmoline
face it Tom.. the world as you knew it ended with that first whispy thin... by the time ya realise what's hit ya it'll be wayyy too late... not that that's necessarily a bad thing.. ;)
congrats on the gloat and the awesome post... one of the best reads I've seen here in years..
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Tomr2
I now own 4 C & W planes, the same smoother you have, a pair of beautiful match planes and the panel raiser, which is incredible.
All of the planes work as you describe. I must admit though, that my learning curve in proper wedged woodie set-up and adjustment was far slower than I like to admit. When I first got the smoother it seemed to have only two settings, iron too rank and iron not sticking out at all. I toggled between these two states even with the slightest tap of my lightest hammer.
But I persevered and eventually figured it out and now make glasslike surfaces out of the gnarliest boards.
They are beautiful planes and I am saving my pennies (40,000 or so) for a jointer.
David C.
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