Pushing another one down the slope.

[Scoony]

A coworker has been asking me about woodworking techniques. He is a power tool guy and is currently building some 2x4 furniture and was asking me about flattening a top he has glued together. I explained how it could easily be done with a hand plane which started a conversation on hand planes.

He got on ebay and started searching and asking questions. I posted a WTB downstairs for him and got some very good offers for some nice #5s. He was bombarding me with questions about the planes he was seeing on ebay, and before I could reply to some offers from the WTB posting, he hit the button on an ebay #5. He brought it into work for me to give it a look over. Looked like a great user so I invited him over to my shop to show him how to set it up.

He came over on Saturday and I showed him how to set up and sharpen the blade and chip breaker using scary sharp. The #5 he bought was in great shape so we got it working after about 20 min. I clamped up a scrap piece of walnut, handing him a #5 I have set up as a scrub and instructed him on flattening a piece of rough sawn wood. Showed him on using winding sticks, and making corrections with the scrub, then smoothing with his #5. The piece was not long enough to pull out the #7, but we did use it for one edge. Showed him how to use a shooting board and had him true up one end. He left with the piece of walnut surfaced and ready to be used.

First thing this morning, he is asking about another plane he found on ebay and about sharpening systems. He was working on setting up a block plane and ran through a few sheets of paper and realized the hidden cost of scary sharp. He is currently looking to pull the trigger on a 2 stone set of the DMT Duo-sharp plates.

Any real difference in using the Duo-sharp verses the Dia-sharp?

[Bibliophile 13]

Good on you! I love to see these skills being passed on. In the end, it's the only way to really keep them alive.

As to the stones, either one will work, but I find the solid-surface stones are just easier to use--not so likely to get a corner of a blade caught in one of those dimples.

[Steve N]

Sounds like you gave him a shove down the slope. At his current rate he'll be either spent out, or well stocked soon.

I agree with Steve, every noob that get's introduced to woodworking, be it handtool or powered has something they can use, and the art goes on. Win win heck it's even a win for the teacher, feels good to impart knowledge

[Scoony]

Yes, I spent 6 years working as an instructor and loved doing it. Almost became a teacher, but decided on a different path. Still would like to get to a point where I can teach again, maybe woodworking skills.

Now we are discussing benchs and I think that a smallish Paul Sellers type bench would serve him well. One small enought that he could move it around as needed, but big enough that he can do the work.

I am actualy thinking of making one myself as a second bench, not that I have room for it, but I could use it as a reloading bench in the basement or something. With that apron, I could get by with holdfasts and skip the vice.

[jppierson]

Get your buddy to check out one of Boatman's vises that he has for sale. It would be a great addition to one of the Seller's bench builds.

[Wilbur Pan]

Scoony said:

---

He is currently looking to pull the trigger on a 2 stone set of the DMT Duo-sharp plates.

Any real difference in using the Duo-sharp verses the Dia-sharp?

---

No, both of them are worse than waterstones.

***ducks***

[Scoony]

Wilbur Pan said:

---

[blockquote]Scoony said:

---

He is currently looking to pull the trigger on a 2 stone set of the DMT Duo-sharp plates.

Any real difference in using the Duo-sharp verses the Dia-sharp?

---

No, both of them are worse than waterstones.

***ducks***

---

[/blockquote]

I have a set of water stones and they do work great, but I am currently using a medium india and hard arkansas. Not as polished an edge, but no water mess to deal with either. The only large diamond plate I have is a Dia-sharp course for the waterstones. I showed him the various set-ups, and he decided on diamond plates. He was trying to convince me that he needed the 10" stones over the 8" I may have made a mistake is telling him that the 8" was fine, but he was worried that he would regret not buying the 10" stones. Such an easy push over. I did give him an old leather strop that I wasn't using anymore.

Now to steer him towards a decent set of chisels like the blue handled Marples or something similar.