Dawks

A Sargent 414, the "off-brand" Stanley #5

The big elm yoke could have been done weeks ago, perhaps months.  Ok, more like a year.

Inadvertently, the process of shaping one section, then writing about it has me exploring different methods some traditional, others unconventional.  

Last week, I smoothed one side of the belly,  just a gentle, fair curve.  Starting with a circular saw, then following up with the Excaliber blade in the angle grinder - you know, like the pioneers did -  resulted in a cratered surface like that of the moon.  From there, I did the secondary fairing of the curve with a cheap Stanley Surform rasp blade in a shopmade holder.  For lots of woods, this works well.  Not so with elm.  The shavings are stringy and bunch together, clogging the rasp every few strokes.  

Starting on the other side this week, I searched for an easier (read: faster) option.  That option had been waiting for, oh, 250 years or more:  a fore plane.

The curved blade, across the grain, takes a hefty bite.

Fore planes are medium-sized bench planes that fall between shorter "smoothing" planes and longer "jointing" planes.  The most common example is a Stanley #5.  

To coax the magic from a fore plane, do two things:  First, grind the blade to a curve with about a 10" radius, which allows the tool to bite aggressively.  Second, work it across the grain.  

The first tip takes a wee bit of skill at the grinder, but you'll think you can, and just like the little engine, you will.  

The second requires a leap of faith.  Across the grain?  Are you nuts?  Maybe, but 10 minutes, maybe 15, of shaping and the process is complete.  Half the time of the other side.  

Dawks, close-up

The resulting surface is made of lots of small cross-grain grooves, historically known as "dawks."  A spokeshave easily smooths them.  

Don't have a foreplane?  Go t0 10 garage sales and take $20 bucks.  You'll end up with one. . . and a few dollars left for tacos.