Starting the Perfect Board project, in which I make ample use of the planes I made.

Given a piece of squared off maple, we rip on the bandsaw, plane the edges for a glue joint, and glue it back together. The goal is to hide the joint. (Trick: you can almost always see it in the end grain.)

Then turn the glued up board into a flat board that reads square every which way, which is where I am currently.

The minimal, Cubist shaping of my smoothing plane turned out to be a terrible idea. My palms hurt while I was removing machine marks off of my glued-up board. I took it back to the bandsaw, changed a few angles, slimmed it down. I foresee a lot of reshaping in the future of this plane.

Ron Hock (of Hock Tools and author of The Perfect Edge) stopped by the shop of a box of goodies. (More blades! Cosmetic seconds!) I picked up a spokeshave blade, which is an optional project. I doubt I'll get to it, but I'll have a project for when I get home.

Also found this wonderful article in the women's restroom. Paul's told me about the Shaker woman at a spinning wheel inventing the circular saw before. It warms my heart every time.

I once thought about joining a Shaker commune (the last active one is in Maine, which I totally dig). I hold with their industry, practicality, abhorrence of debt. (Though, unfortunately, I can't fulfill the requirements of faith.)

jess ouyang

day 5