Galoots
“Whoa, ya lop-eared galoot …..” Yosemite Sam
How exactly did this flame-haired, mustachioed Looney Toons outlaw come to be associated with hand tool aficianado’s? That’s a mystery I’m not sure I want to know the answer to! Where ever it came from, we “Galoots” are proud of our moniker. I guess I’m a galoot. I spent quite a bit of time, leading up to my visit to John C. Campbell Folk School, buying all sorts of 19th century vintage tools at flea markets, auctions, and on ebay. I now have a tool box full of brace’s, center bits, hollow augers, dowel pointers, draw knives, spokeshaves and such.
I own a few old Stanley metal-body planes, Disston hand saws, card scrapers, and chisel sets. The one thing I don’t have is a nice shoulder plane. That might change soon though. ShopNotes magazine has a great article coming out in their latest issue on how to build a double-dovetail version. The issue should be in your mailbox soon. For the price of a couple of pieces of brass and steel sheet stock, a Clifton 410 replacement iron, plus a few hours in the shop and you’d be in business.
Now I’d like to be able to afford one of the Holtey A7 planes, but at around $5k, I’d be afraid to use it! So what about you? Are you interested in building your own hand planes, or do you prefer letting the experts do it?
Joel