Wooden Smoothing Plane

I've gotten several E mails about that wooden plane shown in a couple of pics and thought I'd share the why's. When I started woodworking years ago, one of my mentors had this small shop and turned out works that just dazzled the mind. He was an old man, with old tools and had power tools as well, but couldn't help but notice all those old plane's. He had molding planes, and several others I've wracked my memory trying to remember them and uses since. I remember seeing him use one plane as he was trueing up some stock and just thought someday I would end up having a bunch of my own. As life has it...... busy raising a family, and saving for other shop equipment things like this were out of the question except for fantasies, unless someone willed them to me upon passing. You don't hear much on wooden planes, except as collector items sitting on a shelf somewhere as if it were a rare find and something to display, but I wanted one so bad for years and finally decided to get one. The problem was which one? I like my rabbet plane, my #85 small finishing plane, and my low angle Stanley. I use a scraper a lot and lately with age, my fingers cramped over holding something seems to bother me more and more. Not real bad, but I have noticed that all this small stuff like sanding profiles, or holding scrapers through the years will just keep on getting worse. Time for a little pampering, and an excellent excuse to try a wooden plane. I went to Clark & Williams page and contacted Larry Williams and after going back and forth a few times, I decided to get the smoothing plane. Man....... the workmanship in this plane is so beautiful, it makes you not want to use it but just display it.

That's not the reason I got it though........I wanted a functional plane I would really use and enjoy using and the results I would get. I've got planers, planes, and a jointer........ but this? Wow! I couldn't believe the precision work I was able to do in taking scratches out, taking down high spots and grain direction didn't mean any difference. Proper adjusting, I can remove .001" to .0005".

These shavings are 1/4th the thickness of a dollar bill on any wood including curly Maple. Its almost hard to believe that something handmade like this can be so precise and beautiful as well. They have an oil finish, and made of Beech. With all of today's technology, one has to be in awe to see old world woodworkers using precision tools like this. In my case..... it wasn't just acquiring another tool or having a wood plane, but a truly functional tool. I know...... so why this? Well...... its sorta like dovetails. You can whip them out with a jig, or take a dovetail saw and cut them by hand. They are both good, and both satisfying and the same applies to the wooden plane. Looking at a wooden plane is one thing, but to see the precision and the hand artistry and producing such fine results just makes a person feel good inside. I'm not a major fan of old tools, but every time I use this plane it takes me back to my mentors shop and seeing that old man using his, and can almost hear the whisper of the wood as it glided as he took those long strokes. If ever the urge comes to you also, I strongly recommend dropping a line to Larry and deciding on which plane would suit you. He also includes instructions on how to care for the plane, and surely will last several lifetimes to hand down.