Plane advice

[Tony Z]

For the record, the Stanley No. 64 was the Butcher Block Plane.  Similar to a No. 62, but with an non-adjustable mouth, beech tote and handle, and two blades - a toothed blade and a normal beveled blade.  The entire body is japanned, except for the sole.  It's a very rare plane, because it wasn't very popular.  Functionally, no real difference between the No. 62 and No. 64 except the 64 is more limited because of the inability to adjust the mouth.

Is the planning of butcher block something that is more of a solution looking for a non existent problem? Through the years, I've been in a number of butcher shops, and their cutting tables are never flat! I've seen the same tables more than a few times in antique malls, and they're never flat. finally, my grandfather and an uncle were butchers, and their tables were never flat (I doubt that the table could have been flattened, even if they wanted to, as it was soaked with the various fluids emitted during butchering). This may explain the scarcity of the #64 (Stanley #62s are also not very common).

[Admiral]

Is the planning of butcher block something that is more of a solution looking for a non existent problem?  Through the years, I've been in a number of butcher shops, and their cutting tables are never flat!  I've seen the same tables more than a few times in antique malls, and they're never flat.  finally, my grandfather and an uncle were butchers, and their tables were never flat (I doubt that the table could have been flattened, even if they wanted to, as it was soaked with the various fluids emitted during butchering).  This may explain the scarcity of the #64 (Stanley #62s are also not very common).

Actually, when I was a lad, I was an apprentice butcher, and worked in older shops as well as in supermarkets, and back in the day (late '60s) a whole lot of work was done on blocks by hand, both with knives and cleavers, and after several years the blocks got fairly significant dishes, like two or three inches, and eventually have to be dressed.  Nowadays, most of the breaking down and processing is done on an assembly line, and the meat is vacuum packed and shipped in boxes.  I can remember unloading quarters of beef onto hooks rolling on a rail to bring them into the shop and all the work was done on premises.  So, it was a real issue as when the dishes got deep enough you could't do proper knife work, like thin sliced veal parmigiana, "minute" stakes from silver tip rounds, etc.  They did move to plastic tops for this over time, and they would dish too, and we'd just turn them over.  We used the plastic ones for poultry, cleaner that way.....

[Tony Z]

Actually, when I was a lad, I was an apprentice butcher, and worked in older shops as well as in supermarkets, and back in the day (late '60s) a whole lot of work was done on blocks by hand, both with knives and cleavers, and after several years the blocks got fairly significant dishes, like two or three inches, and eventually have to be dressed.  Nowadays, most of the breaking down and processing is done on an assembly line, and the meat is vacuum packed and shipped in boxes.  I can remember unloading quarters of beef onto hooks rolling on a rail to bring them into the shop and all the work was done on premises.  So, it was a real issue as when the dishes got deep enough you could't do proper knife work, like thin sliced veal parmigiana, "minute" stakes from silver tip rounds, etc.  They did move to plastic tops for this over time, and they would dish too, and we'd just turn them over.  We used the plastic ones for poultry, cleaner that way.....

The two to three inch dressing is what I remember, and would be quite a chore to remove (if even attempted!). I remember, also as a kid that worked in my grandfather's store, of him butchering whole sides of beef (early to mid '60s). I also remember having venison hanging in the cooler year round!

[bandit571]

"For the Record"   I do have a shooting board.....spiders seem to like it as a home, since all it does is sit on a shelf, collecting lots of dust.

Now, if you will excuse me..

   
I have a stack of resawn ash to plane smooth...to get rid of saw marks..

   
Things like this tend to leave when they are done...

   
I don't like it, when a plane is longer than the board being planed.

[Bob10]

"For the Record"   I do have a shooting board.....spiders seem to like it as a home, since all it does is sit on a shelf, collecting lots of dust.

Now, if you will excuse me..

I have a stack of resawn ash to plane smooth...to get rid of saw marks..

Things like this tend to leave when they are done...

I don't like it, when a plane is longer than the board being planed.

Meh!

[Shaun]

I will say this, you hand tool guys are passionate.

Once again thanks to everyone for all of the insight and help.

[Bruce Haugen]

I will say this, you hand tool guys are passionate.

Once again thanks to everyone for all of the insight and help.

Back in the Usenet days on the rec.woodworking, there was an acronym that said it all:  MTBTYT, my tool is better than your tool.

[bandit571]

And...I'm just a Grumpy  Auld Mick

[Admiral]

I will say this, you hand tool guys are passionate.

Once again thanks to everyone for all of the insight and help.

Everybody has got their ways of doing things with the tools they have; there is no "one way" to do anything.  Sometimes the saying "its hard to teach an old dog new tricks" really applies.  The nature of the internet makes it hard to express nuances in writing, and some of us get carried away at times (I'm guilty as well) with ego, so while some self modulation may be in order, sometimes we need a big virtual group hug.....   When I feel very strongly about something, I always draft a response, let it sit for a few hours, then come back and edit; that's the best way I've found not to start flame wars and prevent demonstrations of ego dominance.  I'm mellowing as I age.....

That being said, you certainly got a lot of different opinions!!!

[bandit571]

Yep....time to go and make a bunch of stuff like this..
 

   
Took about...20 minutes....used 3 different planes...

   
Parts were a bit too small..

   
To use the #6c on them.....