Lie-Nielsen Tool Works Comes to Town
As I mentioned in my last blog post, Lie-Nielsen Tool Works recently came to town and hosted a hand tool event with Popular Woodworking magazine. I am fortunate to live in a town that is just minutes away from one of the premiere publishers of woodworking magazines (F&W Media), and I couldn't turn down the chance to not only meet some legends in the field of woodworking, but also see some pretty impressive demos and hand tools.
The show was broken out into two basic parts: The tools, and the techniques for using the tools. Everything was all about hand tools, not a single power tool was heard for the entire show, with one exception that I'll get to shortly. I originally intended on going for a couple of hours, but found myself there for 3+ hours the first day, and then returned the second day for a little over an hour. I easily could have spent the entire weekend at the event, and never lost interest, but that wouldn't help on the home front. Below is a recap of a few of the key exhibitors and demos I saw.
True American Craftsmanship
The first thing I saw was a fairly large exhibit hosted by the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. These guys are geniuses when it comes to furniture building and the finer details of some great American Masterpieces. For the furniture that members focus on building, most is done with hand tools, wooden planes and an incredible ability to reproduce some of the most detailed pieces I have ever seen. The example shown here is a half-round Federal Period table with some pretty impressive inlay and carving work. It is one thing to see photographs of this work; it is another to see one being built up close.
Ever Wonder What a $2,000 Hand Plane Looks Like?
Every woodworker appreciates the results a sharp blade and a well tuned hand plane can deliver. There is one guy that seems to set himself apart from everyone else at blending beautiful industrial design, form and function into a hand tool unlike anything I have ever seen. Ron Brese of Brese Plane in Georgia was set up at the show to give everyone a little taste of what most of us will never have - a $2,000 hand plane. Beautiful design, detail and an amazing heft, coupled with hardwoods and inlays are just the start. Their massively thick blades hold an edge and their position in the plane to produce a shaving that is nothing less than perfect. If driving a Porsche down the Autobahn is the apex of driving experiences, then Ron Brese Planes are the equivalent. I was fortunate enough to produce the shavings shown here going against the grain on curly hard maple. Ron is a genius in both design and functionality in hand tools.
Reviving the Art and Passion for Silent Woodworking
Thomas Lie-Nielsen has been recreating many of history's long lost hand tools for almost 30 years out of Warren, Maine. They produce all of their tools out of their Warren facility and you can see how some of it is done through a quick YouTube search. I personally began my collection of Lie-Nielsen tools about 15 years ago starting with a small, low-angle block plane made from cast bronze, and then moved into some of their larger planes including their low-angle jack, smoother and a variety of their special tools. I couldn't resist asking the man himself to "sign" my low-angle with a Dremel engraver - thanks Tom!
These tools are more accessibly priced compared to Ron Brese's planes, and he offers something for just about every aspect of woodworking. If anyone is interested in getting serious about woodworking, consider adding some of these to your collection, you won't be disappointed. I added one of their flat bottom Boggs spokeshaves ($135) and a nice little bench brush to my collection. I plan on saving a little more for next year's show, the temptation to add to your collection as illustrated by one of their displays to the right, is pretty overwhelming.
The Secret to Successful Hand Tool Use
Great tools only go so far, and every toolmaker present recognized that with a variety of techniques and sharpening instructions. The most eye-opening part of my experience was the sharpening demo. All visitors were encouraged to bring in their hand tools for a tune-up. What I learned was that "tune-up" was the furthest thing from what my blades needed. They were so out of square and lost their original grind angle, it is amazing that they still worked.
I have to give an early shout-out to Angie from Lie-Nielsen for not only putting in some serious sweat-equity on my two blades, but educating me (along with dozens of other woodworkers) on some proper techniques to really take advantage of their tools. Next week's blog will cover some of those tips on sharpening as well as the progress I've been making on my latest project, the cherry bookcase.