NO FEAR!

YEAH RIGHT!...try TERRIFIED!

Well I finally went and did it. I went and entered a contest. Many may not see this as a big deal - a lot of people enter contests, and I'm working on my Masters project so I'm supposed to be good, right?...uh huh

Let's back up 30 yrs ago when I started this....as a kid I was told don't bother it's not worth it...so I didn't - EVER , until now. Then I didn't just enter any old contest either. Not being one to ever go 1/2 way, I entered the LA County Fair. One of the largest county fairs in the country!

What a way to start huh?...all or nothing!....well I'm still telling all of you about it, so I didn't come in last place, lol.

What I entered was a hand plane...

Not just any old hand plane mind you...it was obviously hand made by me (contest rules after all) but it was also made for my masters project. It was 1/2 of a matched pair. A standard angle (the other is a low angle but otherwise the same) 22" smoothing plane. With Jatoba scales on the sides (the low angle uses Jara)and as the "body of the handle as well as accents on the forward knob. The main body is fiddle back maple and the sole is made of Lignum Vitali.




With the physical description out of the way....It's not just 1 plane...as a matched set they make a total of 10 hand planes! 5 per body. consisting of a European style smoothing plane, a European stile scraper plane, a pull style Japanese smoothing plane (remove the knob and handle),a pull style Japanese scraping plane (remove the knob and handle), and a shooting plane if i put both knobs onti the side if 1 plane. all of this made ergonomically to MY personal body style and size.

I have about 60 board feet of olive tree almost dry (just a few more months) just waiting for this plane to be done to begin, in earnest, the masters project.

So I had to get this plane done early in order to enter it as once its used its not eligible to enter into the fair and I can't wait another year....this project is already taking years! I can't purposely set it back by a full year.....Besides while I did not take the best of show....I would have had to wait a whole year more to tell all of you that ...




I DID win the BLUE RIBBON AND JURORS CHOICE!....not bad for a first try :)