“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” ~Aristotle 

Limited Edition Gun Metal Smoother

 

 

Over the last few months I have worked hard to develop an infill smoother for today’s woodworker. Processes have changed in the last 150 years.  Power tools dominate the shop and a smoothing plane is used to remove the machining marks.  It needs to be small plane, 5 ¼ inches long, so that it can smooth a valley on a board without having to work the whole surface.  The blade needs to be set at a steep angle, say 55 to 60 degrees, so that it can work difficult grain.  And it needs to have some heft or mass.  A plane with added weight, adds momentum and leaves a smoother surface in it’s wake.  And it needs to be affordable so that a woodworker can own it, say $550.

 

Other things haven’t changed.  Brazilian Rosewood and authentic gun metal, hand alloyed, have a combined beauty that can not be matched.  The screw for the lever cap needed to be smaller than full size, but still have the same shape and a square thread set at a traditional pitch of 14 TPI.  Last, the finish needs to be French Polish, hand rubbed to a high gloss!

 

My goals were clear and after much work I have finished the first 11 planes.  The last 14 planes will be completed by the end of September.

 

~Matt

8-30-09

 

Cost $550 USD

Currently not in production

Gun Metal Bench Planes