Sotomaru Kanna

New Weltanschauung this week. I got meat for lunch, and pork belly to cure while Julia is on vacation in Germany.  It's only 6 months to leave Graz and I need to get rid of stuff. Most of my stuff is made out wood, either as timber or books. I took care of the books already and now is time to use the timber.

Yesterday I made a more elegant shooting board and today I started a round japanese plane, Sotomaru Kanna. I had a piece of beech from the firewood at a friend's place. I always thing is such a fucking big deal to make the dai-hole... that I never start. After 10 minutes or so I was already half way. Making the hole is the fast part, the slow part is to fit the blade to the bed.

I'm lazy, you know that by now. So I just squared 3 sides, and marked from there. The fourth side is a bit too large and I planed it later.

I start the hole with a lower angle than the final, so I can pare later. Between dogs hammering is easier.

Another view, You can see the left side is far too big. I don't care, I have a sharp plane:

and yet one more.

That's the blade.

Then I realised that I was missing an important feature on the plane. How am I supposed to recognise it when she is standing on the wall? Yes indeed, you need to copy the profile of the blade on the escapement:

Thanks Pfeil for making such a nice gouge.

And We found light. I cut a small grove on opposite side and then gave her some kiri.

I saw the kerfs on the sides just by eye. But ensuring that I had tight fit. After some fighting with my keyhole and hammering on the blade,

Yet another view, I'm just showing off my chisels.

I planed the surface and pared a bit the sides to give a slightly more professional look

 Beech loves sharp steel

And then I stopped. The blade is twisted and want to hammer before touching more the bed. But it was after 8pm and I guess the neighbours don't dig as much as I do the lovely sound of iron against steel. This is how the blade looks btw.  You don't want your bed to fit that.

I just realise I lost the cover of my root canal. I fear a night of pain and sorrow. I hope tomorrow after the dentist I can finish the dai. I need to straighten that blade, fit it on the bed, and shape the sole what is still square.