After rough shaping, I then lap the sole and sides on my granite engineer’s plate.
In last years “Commission” blog, I talk about the changes I made to the shape of my low-slung smoothers but I did not show a photo of the old shape next to the new.
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| New (Left) and Old (Right) |
Aesthetically I think the new shape is an improvement. The new shape of the front and rear infills also fits my hand more comfortably. The infill wood is Kingwood (Dalbergia Cearensis); a very dense, stable and beautiful rosewood.
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| Low-slung smoother, 1 3/4" wide blade & 7 1/2" long body |
Working with different species of wood is one of the things which I enjoy most about woodworking and plane making. Finding precious pieces, hoarding them in my dehumidifing closet, weighing them, measuring them with my moisture meter, it’s all a part of the hobby. Here’s a picture of one of my pieces of Kingwood. Seven percent moisture content and ready to use.
