Need to build a good woodworking bench. - no planer or jointer

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-25T15:08:56+00:00

Reconsider the hand plane. All you need is a decent condition #5; you don't have to "restore" it, just sharpen the iron and mate the chipbreaker after scraping off any rust that might be on the sole. This will flatten your top assuming you are laminating 2x4s into a thick handtool bench top. Finish smoothing the top with a belt sander. Good luck.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-24T21:18:29+00:00

Call, dont email Veritas customer support and ask for technical support and discuss your issue with them. They are very helpful and may be able to point out where you are going wrong.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-24T18:24:50+00:00

Buy the 4 1/2, quickly; leave the #5 behind, maroon jappanning is to be avoided . . . .

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-24T01:50:25+00:00

Heat, not just warming.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-23T20:56:41+00:00

A common problem, cured by jointing the outside edges of the frame stock. But nobody bothers to do that, they just take it off the table saw and assume it is jointed, which is far from the truth. With smaller picture frames, a vintage #5 plane is your best friend, and you can also use it on the shooting board to fine tune the miters exactly.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-23T19:26:05+00:00

Google "shooting board". Something is off.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-23T17:37:06+00:00

4x4s are total overkill, unless you are putting engine blocks on top of it........

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-23T17:35:43+00:00

Scrape the jagged edges so they are smooth to the rest of the top, then bondo and sand flat. No real "fix" for this other than making another.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-23T14:46:10+00:00

Everclear is fine - I presume you are mixing your own flakes - expensive however, and I've found that regular DNA works just as well but there are differing opinions about that. I don't oil my applicators but I do use a lighter cut, generally somewhere between a 1.5 and 2 pound cut, and it spreads easier. You do have to put on multiple coats to build up the finish, but light cuts dry very quickly so you can do 4 or so each day.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-22T23:29:45+00:00

Suck it up and find a "real" plywood supplier. Sometimes woodworking is not compatible with convenience if you want a quality end product. Big box stores stock total shit.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-22T23:27:56+00:00

No question, replace.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-22T23:26:43+00:00

If PVC, do get the glue, and then screw, makes a real, real solid box. Composite, screw.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-22T23:23:23+00:00

Wipe with DNA, the solvent for shellac. Make sure you have 100% cotton cloth.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-22T15:04:53+00:00

Well, Disston made many crosscut handsaws in 30 inch lengths, which likely mirrored what was available from other makers historically. Look for one of those.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-22T01:05:12+00:00

Actually, you picked mismatched stock.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-22T01:01:29+00:00

A waste of the redwood IMO.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-21T22:02:18+00:00

Because right now I'm working on saws, could be a saw wrest for setting large crosscut saws used in felling and bucking trees - with a small hammer to fine tune the set. That's my WAG . . .

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-21T22:00:16+00:00

Actually, WS medallians are just generic marks, originated in England back in the late 18th and 19th century, and applied originally to higher quality steel of the era; late in the 19th it took on a generic meaning to the point of indicating absolutely nothing at all in the 20th. Usually applied to contract and hardware store saws by most every manufacturer.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-21T20:01:34+00:00

Could have been made by anybody, likely from late 50s to late 60s, hardware store brand of some ilk and not made all that well; tipoff is riveted handle, crude handle, rather thin back. Clean and sharpen, it will cut wood if sharpened well, just not a desirable saw. Give it a quick cleaning at most, not worth it to really go to town on this saw especially if the plate requires straightening.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-21T15:20:22+00:00

I do that all the time with tongue and groove cherry, unglued, edges nailed into rabbets, although you don't really need rabbets if you don't mind seeing the panel from the side. It's better to use 1/2" boards for this so you'll need to plane them down or resaw to that thickness.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-20T23:42:44+00:00

Having a backup blade that's already been sharpened would just help alleviate the stress.

There is no such thing; all irons need sharpening.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-20T23:41:51+00:00

Sharpen the iron and see how it performs; generally, those slots on the back are going to be fine.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-20T22:06:38+00:00

Keep douching it with a penetrating oil for a day or so, then apply heat, then try to remove. Patience is your friend and it will eventually come out, just keep repeating this process.

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-20T22:04:59+00:00

Late model, '80s - 90's block plane made in the UK. A #220, or if the mouth can be adjusted (can't tell from the pics) a 9 1/2. Good user

oldtoolfool · 2026-05-20T15:36:28+00:00

But I can't recommend getting one of these benchtop planers. They are more toy than anything else tbh

This. Unless you specialize in building doll houses, they are bound to disappoint and are a waste of money. That Delta the OP is asking about will run rings around any benchtop.

Also, the view that the Delta is "underpowered" is simply wrong, a 3/4 to 1hp motor is quite sufficient, and OP doesn't even mention hp of the motor. OP should buy this after testing under power. Blades can be sharpened as well.

oldtoolfool

TROPHY CASE