My Hand Tools

The Record 050c Combination Plane is similar to the 044c plough plane, but has an extra skate, and has beading cutters. The blades will also fit the 405 Multiplane.
Not everything that has a plastic handle is rubbish. This plane feels good in the hand and has improved features over the all-metal 050. All except for the lack of short fence rods which means you have to take it apart to get it into a box of any reasonable size. I made two short rods from some 3/8 axle stock.
You need to add your own wooden fence, and this is made from purple heart found in a garden centre tree stake bin.

I no longer own this plane as I must admit the router table is far neater and easier to use when making simple grooves, and particularly dadoes.


Sorby Octagonal Handled Chisels. Great quality boxwood handles, tough easily sharpened blades, possibly a little soft compared with others. Needs 35 degrees for hardwood.
Lie-Nielsen Independance saws. Superb american quality, Hand finished with curly maple handles and quality blades, hand set and sharpened and tested by hand. Good instructions how to maintain and re-sharpen. One of the best new saws available, but has very little set, so it needs a very light touch and plenty of candle wax.
Stanley #80 scraper plane, this one made in USA. Easy to sharpen, easy to use, works first time on hardwood. Flea market find. Paint stripped, resprayed black over grey primer. Sole lapped on sandpaper over glass plate. Now has a Hock blade fitted, although the american original was pretty good . Sold in 2011 in favour of hand scrapers.
Universal Adaptor for Yankee 130A spiral driver. Getting hold of bits for this small Yankee is very difficult. I took a few inches of 7mm diameter Silver Steel and filed a 1/4 inch square on one end. The square should be very slightly tapered. The other end had a notch and a spigot filed to match the existing worn-out bit. Onto the square I put a 1/4 inch square drive to 1/4 inch hex screwdriver adaptor from a Halfords screwdriver bit set. The slight taper allowed a tight fit so the adaptor can be lightly hammered on. It now takes a miriad of bit sizes.