Two benches... Great idea. lol

I have not seen the plans, but making one half as long, well just cut your long boards to the length you need and follow the rest of the plans. Or build it per the plans and then cut it in half, make 2 more sets of legs and have 2 benches LOL

This is what I want to make. I bought the plans but I do not have the space for such a long bench. Been trying to figure out how I can make one half the length. Good work.

I agree with Scott on irons - use the one you have. If want to comparative data go to youtube and search for "James Wright plane iron study".

Others may disagree with me, but any iron will work just fine as long as it has been sharpened correctly and the frog set correctly. The only difference with the irons over the years is that some may keep a sharper edge then others. However you can see the same in any blade if they where made one after another the same day.   If you already have the iron and it's not pitted, just use it. If not just find any iron that size to get yourself up and going, you can always change to another one later if you are not happy with the performance.

Im working on a no 4 type 11 does anyone suggest a certain year iron that may work well compared to other years or were the steel and heat treatment basically the same over the hundred years of good tools

I can not cut straight to save my life. I get close, sometimes, but I just can not get true. if I need something true and straight/square I use the table saw or miter saw. I do cut things with hand tools and then clean them up with a plane if it is not to important they are true, but I have the power tools, so if need be I will use them if I need to..

I got a piece of plywood to do the same thing. But I only have handsaws so it's going to be another adventure in squaring stock.

Looks good! I like it, simple and works for you, I really need to make myself one.. The only thing that really matters is that you are pleased with it. I do not think that a work bench needs to be completely flat, just close enough. It's wood and it will move with the weather, so if it's flat in the morning if may be cupped and twisted by lunch time.  I have built a lot of stuff on the floor, ground outside and used the tail gate of my truck for a work bench. Not only for carpentry work, but building tables, benches, book shelfs, kitchen cabinets etc.  I have just gotten a work bench with in the last couple years and I had not heard of winding sticks till last year, I just eyeballed everything and ran my hand over it.

Just need to level and finish it. I'm pretty pleased with it considering I had no winding sticks, no flat work surfaces and being new to woodworking.

I have not made anything from Rex's videos yet, plan to build a low bench and I need to build another work bench. But home remodeling work and trying to sell some tools of has gotten in the way, plus work LOL. Need to show off your Chinese bench too!!

Will do.

Oh, ok I wondered what type of wood could hold up in the water like that. That is a good idea, be sure to post photos of the project so we all can see....

Greenheart was the core of the pilings that my dad helped build in NY harbor he worked on a piledriver in the '50s. In his memory, I'm trying to make some heirloom stools out of that wood.

So I had to look up Greenheart as I had never heard of it, after reading about that wood all I can say is good luck.... I think I would get some disposable saws and just use them till they die, keep from damaging your good saws.

I'm trying to to figure out which manual saw to use to rip a 12"x12"x4" block of greenheart down to make a few 12"x12" seats for stools. I've got a 5TPI, 6TPI and 10TPI hand saws. I know it will be difficult and will require a lot of sharpening, but which TPI would be best to reduce risk of lost saw teeth and still get the cuts done without making a mess of the work?

You know, I did not think about the cheap ones not going down to the range needed. That is good advice to know, I may check eBay, but I am leary of buying used "power" stuff on there. I get screwed every month or two when buying tools and other items as it where, But I may start checking the listings to get an idea what sells for what price... thanks for the info!

Scott, before you invest on an inexpensive (cheap) moisture gage check its range. I made the mistake buying an inexpensive gauge and it only goes down to 20%. I found an older one by Delmherst on eBay for about $30. They cost $200 plus new with digital readout and other bells and whistles. They have range that goes down to 3-4%. For most construction materials you want to be about 12% and for furniture/turning below 8%.

I had not seen a moisture gauge in the HF stores near me.. I'll have to check on there website, never knew they carried them, thanks!

I've got one of the digital cheapest from harbor freight that I've put against more expensive gauges and came out with the same results. They're on clearance at my local store for 10 dollars I think. Usually means they're going to stop selling them. But yeah works wonderful

Need a file that fits inside the valley with out cutting into the back side of the next tooth, so the smaller the valley, the smaller the file. This is how I understand it, but I have not sharpened a saw with that many teeth yet. I am sure someone else can give you better info, but this is how I understand it rom the videos I have seen as well as some antique books on tool matiance...

What saw file do you use for a 15 ppi hand saw? I’m not sure if I need a 5” bahco double extra slim or needle saw file. I have a file but I think it’s too large, and the sleeve says from 8-10 point sizes.

Do any of you all use a moisture gauge? I found an outlet for some really cheap lumber today, White Oak, Walnut, Ash, Hickory, Hard Maple, Pine, 24" wide Pine boards.  The only reason I did not load my truck down was that I am unsure how dry the wood was, and they did not have a moisture gauge.   If you all have used any, what do you recommend that is not to expensive, I am a cheapscape LOL

The one I have, well it's listed on here for sale now, is in good condition just not the sharpest of blades. Well I was trying it on both yellow pine and white oak with the same effect.  Maybe it's all in the user and I just ain't doing something wright LOL.  I have a Kuntz that I got to work, it's got a larger mouth, but was all "stopped up" by the thick paint from the factory.  I cleaned it all off and it works fine, the 60 I just gave up on it. But I also was trying to shape handles with it, not fine work...maybe that is what I was doing wrong!  Thanks for the info. If I don't sell it, I may try playing with it again, see if I can do something with it...

I have a #60 that was unusable when I got it. The blade holder was corroded and did not lay flat on the blades. It also had some flash around the holder screw holes. The blades were damaged by poor sharpening. I repaired those issues and it is usable. It works better on hard woods and is best used making very thin shavings.

This might help you:  https://blog.lostartpress.com/2024/09/27/a-how-to-on-filing-new-spokeshaves/#comments

Not so much a what tool, but what's wrong with the tool, or me? I have a Stanley #60 spoke shave, as well as it's German cousin (Kuntz). The #60 gets stopped up between the body and the iron just after 1-2 strokes, no matter what I do with the iron. The Kuntz is not as bad as it has a wider opening, but it does the same thing, but I can still somewhat use it. The #60 is just un-usable and I am not sure what it going on, or if it is me.  I even thought I had the blades in backwards, but they are correct, the body on the curved side will cut better then the iron after it gets stopped up.  I had the same issues on both red oak and yellow pine, this was the 1st time I have used the spoke shaves, even though I have had them for months. I gave up and used a file and sandpaper to finish my little project.

Thank you for posting these updates. It’ll help us all in the future when we deal with these problems ourselves.

I had the mouth very open, I have closed it up and with the chip breaker in the right position it is now working great!!!

I think I had the chip breaker way too far back

I’ve tried forward, back, across, up, down, left, and even right. The grain is just going every which way.

I’ll try to reply to everyone, lots of good advice. The board is knotted so the grain reverses every 10-12 inches across the 9 foot length.

Carl have you tried moving the frog forward to close up the distance between the cutting edge and the front of the mouth. Also every species of wood has different characteristics that have to be considered when hand planing. The distance between the cutting edge and opening should only be as wide as the thinnest shaving you want to take.

Setup your chip breaker, its function is to prevent exactly whet you're getting. Until you have it set up, plane only down the grain.

I’m curious if you have tried planing in the other direction?

Make sure your not going against the grain. You might also be taking to big a bite, back the iron off a little.  James Wright has some other ways of fixing this if you go on his youtube.

I am getting ready bad tear out with my #6 on this red cedar, what should I use to get a good finished surface?

Don't force it - get a bigger hammer. - in my family, always attributed to my paternal grandfather. :)

I keep seeing this title and I say to myself, Big Hammer! HAHA