Turner Hand Planes - A Small Review

Made in Australia until around 1970, Turner handplanes are an important part of our country's manufacturing heritage, and are still to be found at markets and online auction sites.
Along with Carter, Falcon Pope, Jas McLaren, McConnell and H E Watkinson, Turner manufactured metal bodied hand planes for a tool-hungry home market.  See Reference

Turners were different from their contemporaries, and deserve a closer look.

Turner made a host of different hand tools, but are best remembered for their range of handplanes.  These included 220 block plane, and bench planes - numbers 4, 4-1/2, 5, 5-1/2, 6 and 7.

The block planes and the number 7 pictured here are not Turners, but are simply included to fill out the range.


The Turner 220 block plane was a clone of the Stanley 220, with a ruby cellulose acetate front knob instead of the beech version that the Stanley used.  This was a useful and well made block plane, but may not have sold in large numbers - as it is extremely hard to find in the wild.  Perhaps, unlike the other Turner handplanes, it did not offer anything over the Stanleys of its time.  Perhaps these small planes were simply lost - bit of a mystery that one. The adjacent picture is courtesy of the HTPAA website



The other Turner bench planes were all made in precisely the same manner, and they share two things in common - attention to detail, and quality control.
They are modelled upon the Stanley range of bench planes and share similar design features to the type 19's of the same period - 1948-1961.

Here is a Turner plane, as boxed, from the factory in Nunawading in Melbourne, Victoria.

Totes and Handles

The most obvious difference shown by the Turners was their ruby-red, cellulose acetate handles - advertised as unbreakable in Turner marketing.

It was eye catching in hardware store displays, and drew plenty of attention away from the competition.

Wooden totes that had worked loose had a habit of cracking then breaking about two-thirds down their length. Interestingly, Turner marketed their handles as replacements for the timber handles of their competition, and hardware stores carried them as upgrades.

My first speargun carried a Turner ruby handle, procured from the local hardware store.  Inverted and reversed, it was the perfect shape.

Of course, as Turner totes aged, the cellulose acetate became more brittle, and with loosening handle screws, pressure on the rear totes sometimes cracked and broke off the toe - just behind the front screw - on larger handles.  So - not quite unbreakable.

Of note, is the fact that Turner number 4 rear handles were made in two types.  One was secured only by the tote bolt that ran through the handle length, the other had a supplementary screw at the front - similar to the totes for the larger planes.  I suspect that the two-screwed version was for the earlier number 4's, as they are less common. All Turner handles had a moulded seat on the bottom of the handle - that fitted into a recess in the cast iron base - for a secure fit.


Castings

The quality of the castings for the bases is another thing that impresses with the Turners.  Made from high grade, stress relieved grey iron, the thicknesses of both bases and sidewalls, are uniform and nicely finished.
The sides are square to the bases and the bases are flat from toe to heel.
Turner never marketed a corrugated base version of their handplanes, something that Stanley USA and Sargent did to diversify their line.  As far as I know, no Australian plane manufacturer offered a corrugated sole version as an option.  No demand, probably.

The mouths are well machined and are square to the body, lining up nicely with the leading edge of the frog.  The frogs are a work of art, and are an item that would not be out of place in 21st century precision manufacturing.

Frogs

The frogs are made from aluminium, and the finish is so good that each frog fits precisely onto the mating parts of the base.  I have read somewhere, but can't verify it, that Turner frogs were injection moulded rather than cast.  If so, then this would explain the precision of these finished articles.
Unfortunately, the frog is also the Turner's achilles heel.

Over-tightening of the lever cap set screw, can result in deformation of the frog and blade mating surface over time, stretching the top face into a convex shape that causes the blade to flex rather than mate perfectly flat.  When buying a Turner, always check the frog and blade for any deformation of the frog.  It will present as a gap at the side of the frog top near the lateral lever, between the frog and the blade.

Adjusters

The frog is equipped with three different adjusters - fore and aft adjuster for controlling the size of the mouth, lateral adjustment lever and depth adjuster for the blade.

The size of the mouth opening is set by loosening the two frog-to-base attaching screws, and winding the fore/aft adjusting screw at the rear base of the frog.  Small mouth for fine shavings, larger mouth for thicker shavings.
The blade depth adjuster is linked to the blade and cap-iron via a cast yoke, which again fits precisely, leaving very little backlash in the large brass depth adjusting wheel.  This is beautifully made, with four knurled rings for easy finger tip control of the blade depth.  In my opinion, this is one of the best designed depth adjuster rings ever made for a Stanley-type plane, and is similar to - but better than - the Stanley type 18 (1946-1947)
The lateral adjuster lever for the blade, also fits the slot in its matching blade with no slop or play, and allows precise setting of the blade edge to the timber.

Blade and Lever Cap

The Turner lever cap is based upon those of the Stanley type 16 (1933-1941) and later.  Incidentally, this was also the date for the introduction, by Stanley, of the frog design used by Turner as well.

Blades for early Turner handplanes  were made by Erik Anton Berg in Sweden, and stamped with the Turner logo.  These are highly sought after - even today, but set Turner apart as a premier hand plane manufacturer of its time, with a premium product.  Later blades were made by Turner themselves, and were manufactured from high grade tool steel, that was hardness tested before leaving the factory.
All Turner blades are quality products that take and hold a keen edge.

In Operation

Turner hand planes are easy to set up and easy to use.  They hold no vices in operation and produce excellent results.  The only thing to be careful of is the state of the aluminium frog, which may have been stressed and deformed by over-tightening the lever cap screw.  Apart from this, there is nothing to worry a Turner hand plane user.

Their attention to detail and use of quality components stood them in good stead in the Australian marketplace, and make them a popular collector's and user's plane even today.  It is pleasing to know that our wonderful country was a producer of excellence in hand tool manufacturing in its past, and this can be a source of pride for anyone lucky enough to own a Turner hand plane.

One other aspect of Turner handplane manufacturing that would set them apart, is the possibility of being an exported handtool.  I have read, but cannot verify, that Turners were exported to South America.  Whether this is accurate or simply apocrypha, I cannot say, but they were well enough made to compete on an international stage, and enough of a threat for Stanley Titan to absorb them and close them down.

If you ever encounter one in the marketplace, it may well be worth the trouble to acquire.

............................ and happy shavings to all ...............

Repairing Broken Saw Handle Spurs

Hand saws today are most commonly provided with a plastic handle, and a blade with hardened and non re-sharpenable teeth.  As a bonus, they are comparatively cheap, and have become a disposable commodity, to be discarded after they go blunt in use.  Their replacement is often just another throw-away saw to be discarded in its turn.

The handles are generally designed for a four finger grip, with the thumb on the opposing side.  These are ergonomically primitive, and can be a chore to use.  They lack the point-ability of the older three fingered grip - that allowed the forefinger to be placed beside the handle to create stability in the direction of the saw's cut.

Occasionally, a company decides to take the issue of handle ergonomics seriously, and a contoured handle is produced to follow the curves and shapes of the operator's hand.

Here is Bahco's effort in this regard, that has a detachable handle and interchangeable blades.  The handles, of necessity in this design, are dedicated right or left handed.  It is impossible for a left handed person to use the right handed version, and vice versa.   They are essentially a mirror image of each other.  With a solid  aluminium core, they are padded with a soft rubber compound for comfort in operation.
 Unless they are a sale item, however, they are expensive and even when on sale, they are not cheap.  Compared to a  traditional wooden handled saw, they are also heavy, but - in spite of this - they are still well balanced.
The handle is still a four fingered grip, and even though I'm sure I could get used to it, this is not my preferred way of holding a saw handle.  Old habits die hard.

From time to time, a perfectly serviceable old-time handsaw comes along, that has had handle damage.  This is particularly true of older wooden handled saws from the golden age of hand tool manufacture.  They hold decided advantages over their modern equivalents in terms of price - and also because they are re-sharpenable.  They can be used with either left or right hand, and are an ergonomic delight.

The top and bottom spurs are essential for the accurate use of handsaws.  The bottom spur cushions the heel of the palm, and allows an easier sawing action by directing the thrust of the cut from the whole arm and shoulder.  Without a bottom spur, there is too much pressure placed on the hand grip, and fatigue sets in quickly.  The top spur cushions the web of the palm between thumb and fore-finger, and prevents the fingers from sliding up the grip and becoming cramped into the top of the handle.

I have always found it to be important to try saws for the fit to the hand, before deciding to buy.  The handles are a bit like gloves, they fit your hand - or they don't.  And a saw, without one or both of its spurs, is near unusable for any length of time.

This is the handle from an old Disston that has presented with a broken top spur.   Originally made from apple wood, the grip is as smooth as silk, and its position on the saw blade is exceptionally well balanced in use.  I don't have any apple wood, so a piece of Mackay Cedar was selected as a timber with suitable similar density and closeness of grain.  After cutting out the broken spur to create a squared surface, the block is glued in place with two part epoxy.  I have taken care to align the grain direction of the block with that of the handle.

Once the glued block has dried, it is time to sketch a suitable upper horn.  I tried two, and opted for the lower of them.  A quick rough cut on the bandsaw, and I am ready to start shaping with chisel, files and sandpaper.

The finished shaping now only awaits some stain - to help match the new timber with the old patina.

Of course, the finished saw is a joy to use, and cuts like a dream.  There is a warmth to old wooden handled tools that plastics simply cannot capture.  There is also the knowledge that other hands have held this saw, and that in some small tactile way we are sharing in the last 100 years of this saw's history, and the lives of the men who have used it.

Pretty cool when you think about it - that's why I love using old tools.

“Things men have made with wakened hands, and put soft life into
are awake through years with transferred touch, and go on glowing
for long years.
And for this reason, some old things are lovely
warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them.”

See reference

............... and happy woodworking to all .................

Restoring A Gateleg Table - Part 2

Restoring a badly cared for and broken piece of furniture is always a challenge.  Sometimes the problems are minor, but still need care in the repair.
Apart from the failed dowel joints, the table has plenty of other issues that need attention.  It was not made as a piece of high-end furniture.  There is evidence that the table was made to a price, and some parts were quickly executed in its construction.

In areas that were out of sight, original marking gauge lines and over-zealous saw cuts can be seen.

The stays that block the open gate-legs are simply screwed to the bottom of the two table top side-leaves, and are roughly finished.  One is not even square cut.  All of these are part of the character of the piece and will be left as is.
Other faults need repair.

Here is an old crack in the edge of the table-top.  It can be re-glued, but the clamping  requires some ingenuity because of the curve of the table edge.

Clamping blocks solve the problem of the curved edge, and allow the crack to be pulled together while the glue dries.  Two blocks stop the clamps from marking the table top.

Replacing Worn or Split Edging

Here is an example of splintered and broken edging from one of the lower gate-leg rails.  It can be rounded over, but this is unacceptable.  Better to replace the worn part with a new fillet piece.  First step is to create a flat surface for the  replacement sliver to adhere to.  I use a plane - number 5 size works well.  Mine is a Lie Nielsen low-angle jack plane.

On the left is the planed and flattened rail.  I use a bevel gauge to first measure the angle for the replacement sliver, then transfer it to the piece to be cut.  I found a small piece of American oak that will suffice - close enough to the original English oak to be good enough.

Once the sliver has been glued and has dried, it can be brought back to the profile of the rail with a finely set plane.  Again I use the Lie Nielsen, as it has a wonderful adjustable mouth that can be set to take the finest shavings.  This is important, as the final surface has to be crept up on - so that the rail isn't over-thicknessed in one's enthusiasm.  Here you can see that I have just managed to kiss the rail with the blade, creating the scrape in the varnish.  No matter, there will be a stain finish to help the oak blend in with the older varnish.

With the repairs out of the way, it is time to finally assemble the leg frame before addressing the top.
That will be for next time.

May the rain fall soft upon your fields ..................

............. and ............ happy woodworking to all.

Kids and Woodwork - A Happy Combination

When do you first remember enjoying woodwork?

For some people it is later in life, when there is a stirring within the creative spirit - to embrace a hobby that has so many sensory rewards.  The smell of freshly cut camphor laurel, the heady touch of freshly worked huon pine, the sound of shavings coming off the plane.

Timber is so thoroughly organic, that in using it we allow our senses to reach out and experience a small part of what makes up the soul of a tree.

While few of us will ever be in the same league as George Nakashima, we do - like him - allow ourselves to attempt to bring out the innate beauty of that most wonderful of materials - timber.

I would venture to say of most woodworkers, that the woodworking seed was planted within our being when we were very young.

How many of us picked up a hammer because we saw our dad do it?

Did we see our grandpa drilling a hole and longed to try it ourselves?  Use a handsaw, and simply want to cut wood like he did?

That is certainly what happened to me.  Growing up as a baby-boomer in a suburb of housing commission homes, there was no shortage of role models who were daily working with wood.  Parents and grandparents were all part of the can-do generations that were spawned by the Great Depression.
We were always making something - cubby houses, bows and arrows, boxes, toys and what we would have called furniture.  Our families were gracious and understanding enough to even allow some of this furniture inside the house.

Now, it seems, it is my turn to be the mentor for a new generation of prospective woodworkers.  Who'd have thought that Generation Z-ers who are the classically networked and i-lived generation, would have a yen for something so far out of left field (for them) as woodwork.

And yet there it is.  They have discovered the joys of using something substantial, that can be handled, rotated, shaped, assembled and presented as a finished product to be proud of - the work of their hands.

These are the same hands that daily explore virtual reality, where the only thing that is real is the screen in front of their eyes.  No wonder their spirit hungers for substance.

I think that George Nakashima would be delighted -

.......................... I know that I am!

Restoring A Gateleg Table - Part 1

This particular table was a ruin when I got it.  Broken and in pieces.
It sat in a corner of the shed waiting for me to move it up my priority list.

When I finally got around to it, I thought to do a little research on its design origins.
 The design is very old - 330 years at least.

Here is one remarkably similar, dating from around 1680.

It is oval in shape with spiral legs.  The only differences are that the spirals are restricted to the legs alone, and do not include spiral cross bracing at the bottom as this one does.

The bracing on mine is plain, but the other similarities are uncannily the same.  This one - a Charles II gateleg table - is made from walnut, while mine is made from oak, English Oak I think.

Somehow I don't think that mine will fetch the same auction price that this one reached - 6,250 English pounds at Christies of London!


In its previous life mine probably looked like this next one - a stained oaken build, with near identical features.

Unfortunately the top had been used as a depository for coffee cups and wet glasses and bottles. It looked like several episodes of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey.

Add to that - the scratches and general wear and tear of daily life, and the poor old thing was showing signs of distress.

The oak has been stained with the same type of varnish as this.  Because of the damage to the top, a complete sand back was necessary.

Like the timbers in this table top, the boards used in the top's construction were not bookmatched - indeed, not matched in any way at all that I could see.  Apart from the fact that they are all oak, they have little in common.  Edge joins were proud of each other and badly aligned.

So ......... where to start.  All of the joints that weren't broken were loose.  Since they are all dowel joints, they come apart fairly easily with a soft faced dead-blow hammer.

Having successfully separated the pieces, and carefully labelled them for re-assembly, it was time to start from the inside out.
So the gatelegs were attacked first.  Each had to be extracted from its frame, and then disassembled.  The joints were cleaned, and all old glue scraped or shaved away with a sharp chisel.

When re-glued, it is important to check for square.  The two interior diagonals are measured with a pair of sticks, and if not the same, are adjusted by wracking with a long clamp - as shown here.

Only after the gateleg has dried, can it be inserted into the frame created by the two legs, and the upper and lower rails.  The gateleg is held in place by a pair of dowels that allow it to pivot as a hinge.

A trial fit shows that there is no binding along the top and bottom rails, and the gate swings freely.

The whole frame is then re-assembled with attention once again to square.

Clamps this time have to be much longer, and mine only just fill the bill.  I take care to use packing so that the jaws don't damage the surface of the oak legs.  Glue and leave to set overnight.

These steps have to be repeated for both sets of gatelegs and their corresponding frames.  Once both are done, the top and bottom side rails can be attached to form the table base.  I'll do this next time in part 2.

May your problems be enough to challenge you so that you may grow in the solving ...............

.............. and may your cup of joy flow over.

Bruce Wei Ukuleles - A Small Review

There has been much discussion about the pros and cons of various ukulele makes - from a wide range of different manufacturers.  Any Ukulele Forum will have a place for this kind of discussion.  I would like to comment upon some ukuleles made in Saigon, and marketed under the Bruce Wei label.
These are sold via his ebay store under bruceweiart and bruceweiguitars  pseudonyms.

The first thing to realise is that there are so many different types and styles of ukulele, produced as Bruce Wei.  Apart from the traditional Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone ukes, there are a multitude of different styles within these four sizes.

In Soprano, one can choose from hourglass or cutaway,  in standard or long necked versions.  The long necked have a concert sized neck on a soprano body.

Concerts come in a slightly bigger range of body shapes - including the two above, as well as teardrop.  There is no production long-necked concert ukulele from Bruce Wei at the moment - perhaps in future.  He will, however, custom make one if so desired.  Sound hole placement on the concerts can include the f-holes variation adjacent the bridge, as well as the standard round three-quarter hole on the soundboard.

Tenor ukuleles show the most variety.  As well as the three styles mentioned for the others, there are: boat paddle, balalaika-style flat ended, pear shaped cutaways, tear drop cutaways that resemble a leaf - and all come with or without bindings.
Baritone ukuleles come in one shape - standard hourglass, with standard and f sound holes.  There is an archtop variation, but this looks tricky to play.
Sound hole placement on the tenors can vary enormously - from standard three quarter rounds to side f's, upper bout paired scrollwork, birds, turtles etc etc.  Sometimes the upper bout soundholes are accompanied by one in the side of the body - either high or low.  The pear shaped cutaways can have an extra sound hole in the back that is fitted with scrollwork.
There are four, six and eight string tenor ukes - the latter two being standard hourglass shapes.

And just to add two more variables to all Bruce Wei ukulele sizes - the body and/or the neck can include timber or mother of pearl or abalone inlay.

It would take an age to review all of the permutations and combinations of Bruce Wei ukuleles.  Here I am going to limit myself to just a few.

I am going to make an assumption based upon my direct observations of work practice in Saigon, as well as the sheer diversity that exists within even the one style of instrument marketed under the Bruce Wei brand.  It is common for western production methods to centralise manufacture within a single building or factory, and to complete most, if not all the stages of the manufacturing process under the one roof.  This can be efficient and cost effective.

Vietnamese  manufacturing may head in this direction, but it is more common to see small operators, in family-run businesses, sub-contracting to a centralised marketing hub,  I believe that this is the model being utilised for the manufacture of these instruments.  It explains why there are so many variations within even the one style of ukulele.

For example, concert body shapes of the hourglass design are not consistently the same profile.  The waists vary - depending on where they were sourced.  This is not a bad thing, but it does make quality control more difficult.

One thing that all Bruce Wei ukuleles seem to have in common, is that they are all hand built.  Made of solid woods, there are no laminated ukuleles from this manufacturer. In a sense, they are all custom made instruments - no robots, no assembly line - no two ever the same.

Timber selection in the Bruce Wei range is based around proven tonewood performers - acacia koa, mahogany, maple and spruce (and occasionally rosewood) for the bodies,  mahogany for the necks and Indian rosewood for the fretboards and bridges.  Headstocks vary, but are usually acacia koa or Indian rosewood.  There are always MOP or abalone fret markers (except in the case of fretboard inlay), and it is most uncommon for the fretboard to not have side markers as well. 
Strings are nearly always Italian Aquilas.

Quality shown on all the ukuleles is truly excellent.  The satin finish is impeccable, and all glued joints are tight, with barely noticeable seams.  Bruce admits that years ago, when he first started, quality control was his strongest challenge, but these challenges have been successfully met - and currently quality control is a strong point in his line-up.

The backs are radiused in most cases, but the soundboards are flat.  In the larger ukulele bodies, this may lead to distortion around the bridge as the instruments age, but there is little sign of that at the present.  The one improvement that the larger ukuleles could use, is a gently radiused soundboard.  Not only would it add strength, it looks more attractive in my view.  The generally accepted soundboard radius is 22 feet if I recall correctly.

The fit of the necks to the bodies is particularly impressive, as is the neck shaping and sizing.
In combination with the fretboard, the mahogany necks are a work of art and exceptionally comfortable to play.

The fretboards are Indian rosewood - hard and durable - and the scale on each is exact.  They are as straight as a die and the frets themselves have been nicely bevelled along both edges.  Inlaid fretboards eschew the surface dot markers, but plain rosewood fretboards have MOP or abalone.  Usually these are the standard dots, but sometimes they are dressed up as birds, dolphins and other exotic shapes. All fretboards have inlaid MOP side markers at the 5th 7th, 10th and 12th frets and many have one at the 3rd.

The action on all the ukes is well set - not too high and with no buzzing.  Nuts and saddles are of quality buffalo bone - no plastic here.

Tuners are low geared requiring quite a lot of initial winding to bring the strings up to pitch, and require a lot of fiddling during the first week or so as the strings stretch.  Once the strings settle down, the low gearing is an advantage, and gives a precise adjusting mechanism in finding the correct tuning for each string.

All of them play and resonate well, with good sustain and clean and clear intonation.  There are differences in volume which I put down to the different body designs.
There are also differences in tone which reflect the chosen wood used in construction - particularly the body, and most especially the soundboard.  Mahogany sounds brighter and louder than does the acacia koa - which, to my ear, sounds more mellow.

There are hundreds of different brands and types of ukuleles on the market, endeavouring to meet a burgeoning demand for an instrument whose popularity has risen dramatically over the last few years.  There may have been a time in the past when musical instruments from Asia were looked upon as toys - particularly in the case of ukuleles.  Not any more.
These are serious instruments - made to a performance standard - that anyone would be pleased to own and play.  Apart from their beauty, their other attraction is their unparallelled value for money, and the fact that at this time - postage or freight costs are included in the price.

I am delighted with mine and am pleased to recommend them

As Teddy Roosevelt says ............

...... Speak softly ... and carry a ukulele ............

May your problems be small ones and your joys many .................


Post Script September 2014:

It is around two years since I first wrote this review.
I have written a Follow Up Review on my blog here:

PART TWO - What a difference time makes.