NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1983, No. 43, $3.50 Making ... - Wood Tools

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Adventures in Woodworki9g OLD KEN'S BARNFUL OF IDOLS I live in Seattle, which is about as far west as one can go in the contiguous 48. For a woodworker who relies on hand tools, this can be a problem-especially if one believes that many old tools are of finer mettle (and metal) than their younger brethren. There just aren't many old tools out here, and that drives prices up. It also makes nice old tools into "antiques," which then become the mantelpiece curios and lampstands for scores of otherwise nice people. Which makes it all that much harder for woodworkers looking for these tools. A short while ago, I was planning a trip back east to visit family, a golden opportunity to fmd some fine old tool specimens. As soon as I arrived in the little farm town in Upstate New York, I fulfilled my familial obligations and set out on my treasure hunt. As I went to general stores, antique shops and flea markets, however, I soon realized that something was seriously amiss. The stock of old tools was no less meager than that in Seattle, and prices were as high. Well, I was dejected, and resigned to the idea of going home empty-handed. Shortly before I was to leave, though, a family friend remembered hearing of an elderly man living somewhere outside town who might have a few tools "quite a few" was how the tumor went. Although it was a snowy night, and my directions were vague at best, I set out on my quest. After endless forays down blizzardy country roads, I finally spotted a light. Farms are not, by nature, very close together; there was only one house anywhere near the place my directions described. I ventured up what I hoped might be a driveway. I made for the porch, hesitated, then knocked. I waited. Then knocked again, and again. Pressing my face to the icy glass, I could JUSt make out an enormous, ornate woodstove. Next to it, in a rocking chair, with his head hanging precariously over the backrest, eyes closed and mouth open, was an elderly man. Encouraged, I pounded on the door once more. No reaction. As he was only a few feet away, I began to worry for his vital signs. Finally, though, a woman came to the door, the old man woke up, and I explained that I was a woodworker looking for tools. "What for?" he asked. "To build furniture," I replied. He looked at me rather suspiciously. , 'You fixing to buy a whole ttuckload of my tools?" 122 Showing off his new old timber-framing machine, Cohen will say only (hat Ken Hoteling's barn is near Ithaca, N. Y. I assured him that I was not, and a glance at my little car seemed to bear me out. He invited me in, hesitantly, and after some small talk, he introduced himself as Ken. Ken told me he was so defensive because people had twice come in tractor trailers and tried to buy his whole barnful, and twice he'd run them off with his shotgun. He pulled out a photo of the inside wall of a barn, lined with shelves jammed full of molding planes. I guessed at three or four thousand of them. Ken couldn't show any tools to me that night, as there were no lights in the barn, but he showed me some of his work. He'd done quite a bit of chair caning, and he'd made some folk instruments, his favorite being a little banjo of "popple" (poplar), with pegs he'd turned on the "lay" (lathe). He asked me how 1'd come to hear about him, and after satisfying himself that I waSn't going to bring a truck, he agreed that I could return. The next day I eagerly followed Ken into his barn. And there, indeed, was an entire wall of planes. They were almost lost, camouflaged amongst stalls, cabinets and chests overflowing with saws, mallets, chisels, planes, spokeshaves, braces and bits: every tool 1'd ever seen and many that I hadn't. I knew not where to begin. I felt like a pauper inside Fort Knox. Ken asked if I was interested in planes, and I immediately started to- BY JONATHAN COHEN ward the wall, but he headed to the middle of the room and began pulling dozens upon dozens of wooden beauties from cavernous drawers. I stared, dumbstruck, until he gave me a look that seemed to say, "Well?" Timidly I picked up a matched pair of hollowing and rounding planes, both of which were stamped "Young and M'Master, Auburn, N.Y." "I rather like these," I murmured. "Would nine dollars sound fair to you?" Ken asked. "For the pair?" I tried to hide my glee and set them over on my coat as an answer. We took a look at drawers full of chisels and slicks, my eye settling on a cherry-handled slick of immaculate steel. I felt embarrassed to ask how much. Ken chewed his knuckle. "Well," he hesitated, "that's a pretty nice one. 1'd like to get four dollars." It was like this the whole time I spent in his big, magical barn. We wandered from room to room, and he found brass sliding bevels behind buckets, chisels under chairs, saws next to saddles, and planes beneath plows. When we were finished, Ken asked if I would like to see the basement, "where I keep my favorite tools." No arm-twisting required. His basement workshop was only slightly less crammed with tools. My favorite was an old metal plow plane with a floral decoration cast into each side. The clever part was that you could pull the guide away and pivot it 1800 on an offset pin. This uncovered a second cutter, so the same tool now could cut a perfectly mated tongue. Ken seemed pretty fond of it. As I paid for the armload of tools I had selected, Ken said he wasn't too sorry to see them go to "young fellows" like me, so they would have another life. He was still planning to leave the collection to his son, but sadly, it seemed as if the son was not all that interested. I thanked him and wondered if he would mind, when I got back east again, if I came and visited some more. "Sure. Say, where did you say you were from?" "Seattle . .. Washington." He chuckled. "Kind of a long way to come for a couple of tools, ain't it?" Not really, Ken. Not really. 0 Fine Woodworking buys readers' adventures. Suitable length Phoco: is John 1500 words or less-up to six typed pages, double-spaced. Please include negatives with photographs. Swinen
Now you can own the Rockwell 13" Planer for less. It's the tough little brother to the legendary line of bigger Rockwell Planers. With no compromises in construction, design, or performance. And from August 1 through December 31, 1983, it's yours for $200 less than its regular price. IIOII-CUD mUIHILESS. Consider our construction. Where some planers use cast aluminum, we use high-iensile cast iron. So the Rockwell 13" is heavier. More stable. More accurate. And much more durable. Yet, at 290 pounds, it's still light enough to move to a job site. A REAllY SMART HEAD. Now consider design. Unlike some other planers, our table remains stationary while the head adjusts up or down. Faster and more sensible, especially when feeding long stock. hp. 13" x 13lj2fpm. 3 hp. x 3/1S:' ClITS STOCK UP TO 5.9" FEED RATE: MOTORS: 2 or 30. CUTTERHEAD SPEED: 10 4500 rpm. lOll-SlOP POWEI. Regarding performance, the Rockwell 13" has a constant-duty induction 211 IIIRTFI •• • rncmK.lIIl. motor driving a 3" diameter cutterhead through a triple belt drive. Where some planers don't give you a choice, you can order ours in single or three phase. And ours has an oil-bath feed gearbox with quick disengage. Some planers settle for less. SUIPllSlllllY AFFOIDABLE. The Rockwell 13" Planer is always a good buy. And now through December 31, 1983, you can make a good buy even better with a $200 rebate check direct from Rockwell International (good on Models 22-651 and 22-655). To find out how to get your rebate check, see your Rockwell distributor or call Rockwell Power Tool Division toll-free 800-438-2486 (in PA 800-438-2487) for more details. THE ROCKWELL 13"PlAIIER �l� Rockwell .,.� International . .. where science gets down to business
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1 1 1 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1983, No. 4
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FINE WOODWORKING Editor John Kelsey
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& PHILADELPHIA & November 11th, 2-1
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HARPSICHORDS &: FORTEPIANOS Harpsic
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Forstner Bits- �:I.� === Planl
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HILLER HARDWARE CO. ASSURES ITEM PU
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Nu-Life Sanding Belt Cleaner • In
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Delmhorst Wood Model Moisture G-30
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How To Make National Builders Hardw
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Keen-Edge Co. presents Oldham Carbi
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A by Roy Underffill new The Woodwri
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______________________ ____________
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I" by Black & Decker Black & BRAND
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offers a complete range of small, b
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30 3/a" 6010DL CORDLESS DRILL KIT P
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________ �Wrking_ ��::::::--:
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Miters, tape and glue I use ordinar
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ox, then cur the lid off later, com
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· .1: Fig . Proportions · section
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57 Fig. 2: The five parts of a tote
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.;A Shop�esting Five Jointer-Plan
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duction motor, the Emco has plenty
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· , Four lmpowered bed rollers sup
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JOInter is nice, but what good is i
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Cutting Dovetails With the Tablesaw
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Goats Get Jitn Pritchard How a home
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Bookmatched doors hinged on conceal
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Scribe strip fits bumpy walls In a
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After glue-up, the fiberboard and e
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Itnproving the Fretsaw Pivot guides
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Which Glue Do You Use? Chemical typ
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Adhesive Hide glue (hot)· (Behlen
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Disc Sander Sculpts Tur nings A way
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After the grooves are cut on the pl
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Spoon Bits Putting 17th-century hig
Page 72 and 73: piece. Drying takes four to eight h
Page 74 and 75: 74 Martin In this gate-leg table, a
Page 76 and 77: Entitled "The Nash House, No. 1 Cor
Page 78 and 79: 1: Fig. Proportions of the Ionic or
Page 80 and 81: S.c., Adapted from an original buil
Page 82 and 83: . HJUSE 131 -12th Avenue S.E., Calg
Page 84 and 85: Building Your Own Kitchen Cabinets
Page 86 and 87: Some Great Magazine Gift Ideas Fine
Page 88 and 89: HAND-HELD LAMINATE AND VENEER SLITT
Page 90 and 91: 90 A Subsidiary of VA VIiAMONT AM.A
Page 92 and 93: 10" CONTRACTORS TABLE SAW Cast Iron
Page 94 and 95: The World's F-mest Chisel Has Been
Page 98 and 99: 98 • LU REM Combination Woodworke
Page 100 and 101: Woodworking Plans & Projects A full
Page 102 and 103: NOTES AND COMMENT Have you outgrown
Page 104 and 105: Notes and Connnent (continued) 2x2
Page 106 and 107: Notes and Conunent {continued} wood
Page 108 and 109: Notes and Connnent (continued) read
Page 110 and 111: Notes and Connnent (continued) mote
Page 112 and 113: Events 15 15; ALABAMA: 15 15. 15, 1
Page 115 and 116: 5/4 8/4 Moh Box be to Call or write
Page 117 and 118: all CLASSIFIED per CT The CLASSIFIE
Page 119 and 120: CANADIANS: High quality machinery a
Page 121: CHE ClICClNe; E6e;E ® JOE WORKBENC
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1983, No. 43, $3.50 Making ... - Wood Tools

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