I’ve had the veritas plow and rabbet (rabbit?) for a while now. Whenever you order something you’re like “ohhh, I’m going to treasure this forever. I’m going to build all the accessories and jigs for it, I’m going to dip it in camila oil every night, blah blah”. Then you get it, you set it aside for a few days, the euphoria wears off… All of a sudden you have a plane that needs setup, the blade needs honing, and you’ve already got some surface rust. SUMABITCH!
Anyways, I needed something to do the other night while my wife was watching “So you think you can dance”, but I didn’t feel like doing anything major. So I finally made the fences for the plow and rabbet plane that I promised myself I would make like a year ago.
Nothing fancy here. Some scrap walnut, planed to size and some rounded edges put on with a rasp. I probably should have made them bigger, honestly, but whatever. These will do for the next 5 years.
My first plane was a veritas BU jack plane. I loved it (still do). I would read reviews of people bad-mouthing veritas handles, and I would be all “what-EVER you whiners. Do the handles make your virginia hurt too?”
Well, then I got a LN No8. And a couple handmade saws. Knowing what a nicely shaped tote feels like, I’m now in the cry-baby camp. Grabbing the veritas planes now is an exercise in grimacing. I pout when I use them. I’m not sure I’m so much of a dork that I’m actually going to replace the handles, but I may. I know I can get replacements for my jack and smoother, but the plow and rabbet are another story. I may get out a rasp to try reshaping them one of these days, but lord knows how that will turn out.
If I do, I’ll be sure to take pictures.
– Matt