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Video: Making Your Own Hand Plane

By Rain Noe - February 11, 2013

in design.edu | Hand Tools

Years ago, while studying ID at Pratt I had the pleasure of taking a sculpture class taught by the master crafstman Toshio Odate. It was in his class that I first used a block plane, and I was all wide-eyed at the gossamer shavings that came out of it.

I was reminded of this as I came across this video from the William Ng Woodworking School in California, where they offer a class where you make your own plane. (The video is not a tutorial but an unnarrated look at what you'd be doing in the class.)

For those on the West Coast, the three-day class will run you $385 plus another $75 for materials.

In an earlier interview we did with Otherlab's Saul Griffith, he discussed the importance of creators fabricating their own tools. While he was referring specifically to modern-day digital fabrication, his point was something that woodworkers have understood for centuries. "Using a finely tuned wooden hand plane you make yourself," reads the hand plane course description, "is probably one of woodworking's ultimate experiences."

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bob

11 years ago

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its funny that I spent more money on a hand plane than all the components needed to build a CNC machine. It is fine because the hand plane is far more accurate
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Steven

11 years ago

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Some Japanese woodworkers are obsessive about planing and even hold an annual planing competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v3Ad6tBdLbM#t=15s
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SFPaul

11 years ago

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The modern day grandfather of this is, of course, James Krenov.
Go to the source.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/woodworking-plans/video/james-krenov-on-handplanes.aspx
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