I am overwhelmed by the many thoughtful and helpful responses.  I will try to
respond in groups more-or-less by topic.  This is the “tools” topic.

> On May 3, 2021, at 10:57 PM, curt seeliger  wrote:
> 
> Good evening, Andrew,
> That's a lot of wasting to be doing with a plane. You might consider a hewing
axe/hatchet. This has been covered by Prof. Follansbee, and an excellent reason
to buy another tool if you don't already have a collection of these.
> https://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/2021/04/25/sharpening-a-hewing-hatchet/
should get you started

That is really cool.  I have done a small bit of green woodworking (built a
chair at St. Roy’s school) so that is appealing.  But I don’t have such a
hatchet and honestly to me this seems like a case where the relatively small
shaving taken by a plane means it is harder (or at least takes longer) to screw
up.  Fortunately I am in no particular hurry.

> On May 4, 2021, at 8:53 PM, Ed Minch  wrote:
> 
>> On May 4, 2021, at 7:55 PM, Spike  wrote:
>> 
>> P.S., I have recently discovered how much better a number 40 (dedicated
scrubber) works for hogging off material as opposed to a “scrubbed” (cambered)
smoother!
> 
> Agreed - I think it is the narrow blade

Agreed, I have *used* a #40, but don’t own one.  I could try grinding the iron
to a smaller radius…

> On May 4, 2021, at 9:19 AM, Kirk Eppler via groups.io
 wrote:
> 
> On Mon, May 3, 2021 at 7:41 PM Andrew Heybey  wrote:
> 
> Wow, for being on the list since 1997, you have not succumbed to the too
> many tool choices that some of us have.  But seriously, moving up to a
> bigger plane may help.

I bought several tools in the late 90s (and the all-important “Galoot” hat) and
then didn’t really do much for about 20 years.  But it’s not quite that bad,
while I have a surfeit of #4s for some reason, I also have a #7C and a #5 1/4
that I just bought from Paddy last year.

> On May 4, 2021, at 4:59 PM, Thomas Conroy via groups.io
 wrote:
> 
> As for the front knob of your plane: Rosewood seems a mite like over-egging
the pudding for a beater #4 reprposed into a scrub. Just use anything you have
around. I had a plane where the last 2" of a leather-capped chisel handle had
dbeen cut off and used as a front knob. I've seen a golf ball used. I don't
think that I am making up the plane with a tonka-toy truck drilled and screwed
into place---though I can' remember where I came across that one. Or  a chunk of
"prime first growth winter hardened range fed american hardwood," like the late
John Lederer's file handles. After all, it's just a tool (ducking and running
fast.)


Good point, I have plenty of scraps I could make a knob out of.  But I was under
the impression that the screw is some weird thread?  Maybe I should instead ask
if anyone has a front knob screw?  Am I wrong about that?

thanks to all!
andrew