We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.
This is just a quick reminder that the pre-sale price of $27.99 for our new “Handplane Essentials” book ends Friday night. After Friday the price will be $34.99 and the book will not be discounted again from us until January 2010.
Also good to know: This book is shipped free anywhere in the United States.
Last week I reviewed the printer’s proofs of the book, and we’re pleased with the quality. The paper is nice , like the paper we use in Woodworking Magazine , and the photo reproduction is crisp. We also reviewed the book’s hardbound cover, and the quality there is also excellent.
The book should be bound and in our warehouse sometime next week.
If you haven’t heard about the book, here are the details: “Handplane Essentials” aims to get you started using this iconic woodworking tool.
Inside is the knowledge you need to choose the right handplanes for your shop, set them up correctly and put them to use building furniture for a lifetime. “Handplane Essentials” contains everything you need to choose the right tool for your budget and project, take it out of the box, sharpen it and use it successfully. The chapters in this book have been compiled from more than 10 years of my writings on the subject of handplanes in magazines, trade journals and blogs.
And it’s a sizable book , 312 pages. The hundreds of photos in the book have been sepia-toned, just like the photos in Woodworking Magazine. The book is hardbound, covered in black cloth with a copper embossing and a heavy full-color dust jacket. And , best of all , the book is produced and printed entirely in the United States. Here’s what you’ll find inside:
Basics
Learn what the different handplanes are used for. Decode their crazy numbering system so you can focus instead on what each tool does. And figure out what specific planes you need in your shop.
Sharpening
Learning to hone your cutters to a keen edge is the secret to getting your planes to work. “Handplane Essentials” shows you how to get this done no matter what sort of sharpening system you use now.
Techniques
Learn how to flatten individual boards, panels and even enormous tabletops with just a few bench planes. Learn to use specialty planes to cut grooves, rabbets and other joints.
History & Philosophy
If you understand historical practice, you’ll be a better handplane user , even if you choose to reject the traditional methods. Learn to pick a well-made old tool based on how it is made.
Reviews
Find out who makes the best high-quality tool, whether it’s a $50 plane from India or a $5,000 plane custom-made by a machinist in Scotland. I’ve tried them all.
Click here to pre-order the book from our store.
– Christopher Schwarz
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
