Despite a Westworld binge yesterday, I did get out to the shop to make some progress on the cabinets. The glue dried on the repairs I made, so it was time to shave them down.
I firmly believe that the block plane is one of the most under-rated tools. I found this one in my mom’s tool collection. I have no idea where it came from, but I’d like to believe it belonged to my great-grandfather. He was a carpenter and general contractor, so it’s not much of a stretch to think he used this very tool.
It’s in rough shape and needs some restoration, but I made sure the blade was sharp before I tackled this part of the repair.
If you don’t know how this tool works, the shiny bit on the bottom is a very sharp blade that barely sticks out. It works kind of like a block sander. You slide the tool along the material and it takes a thin slice of wood off. I have this one set a little deep, but I’ve seen videos of people pulling shavings that are so thin that they are translucent. I have the added complication of the repair piece being plywood. It’s hard to get clean cuts when the tool is cutting through a layer that is cross-grained to the direction of movement.
Here’s the other cabinet. I know the hammer needs a new handle. It chipped when I dropped it and it hit a piece of metal just right. It’s mostly retired until I can get a new handle.
After planing the repairs down, I added wood filler. It’s like using bondo to smooth out a metal repair. These are getting paint, so I’m not concerned about how the wood looks as long as it’s smooth. If I were going to stain it, I would add a layer of veneer. Most of the wood on these cabinets are plywood with an oak veneer on the outside and black melamine on the inside.
Next phase: sanding!