Paul Sellers did it...again!
#31
(04-09-2019, 08:47 AM)Admiral Wrote: Sellers demystifies what beginners see as a long uphill climb to doing things with hand tools, and for that he should be commended.

Nobody does it better than Paul on that! For example, many people have used "knife lines" in their work, but it is Paul who coined it and showed the powerfulness of that in achieving dead-on work. While his insistence on using a #4 for almost everything is a bit stretching, he does know his stuff, and his planing skills are easy to follow for beginners. I don't think you can find a better online teacher who understands a beginner's limitations and learning difficulties. We have to remember his core medium of teaching is videos not classroom teaching. He does not have the luxury of seeing where a learner goes wrong and correcting it in person.

But Warren is right about his crude sharpening method, which, however, does open the eyes of beginners who want to do freehand sharpening. Many beginners had failed to do sharpening freehand before and given up until Paul showed them his way. But I know of no serious woodworkers who freehand sharpen that way. Unless you learn from someone in person, Paul's way is pretty fool-proof.

At his old place, Paul got most of his stock preparation work done by a neighbor who ran a cabinet making shop. Since Paul uses mainly softwood, it was not a demanding job for the neighbor shop which was fully machine-equipped. I suppose no one would even remotely think that, as a teacher, Paul would have time to prep his materials himself, let alone by hand!

By the way, he should get rid of that habit of saying "I have been doing this for 55 years" whenever he wants to show some new techniques. For one thing, to be correct, he has to update the year year after year, 56 next year, 57 year after next year and so on. But more importantly, it conveys the wrong impression of low self-confidence. Let the teaching record and work speak for themselves! (Same advice to those writers (who don't do furniture for a living) - you don't have to prove yourself by pointing out you did a commissioned piece once or twice before, or have sold some of your work to clients. Many people have done first-class pieces in their hobby shops and have never sold anything, but they find their work gracing the pages of Fine Woodworking (Reader's Gallery). I don't care if you sell anything, I admire your work or skills for what they are.)

Simon
Reply
#32
My starrett combination square is nothing more than a "Jig" for drawing straight lines...

If I was a real man, I would learn to do it correctly and freehand that line...  The "jig" will do nothing but slow my development...





Big Grin
Reply
#33
Yeah I always laugh when he says the 55 year thing.  It's almost like he's in defensive mode feeling he has to justify his technique.
I noticed he's into vlogging.  He's getting hip with the times at 69 .
Laugh
Reply
#34
(04-09-2019, 10:10 AM)Strokes77 Wrote: My starrett combination square is nothing more than a "Jig" for drawing straight lines...

If I was a real man, I would learn to do it correctly and freehand that line...  The "jig" will do nothing but slow my development...


Big Grin


Laugh
Laugh
Laugh
Reply
#35
(04-09-2019, 10:10 AM)Strokes77 Wrote: My starrett combination square is nothing more than a "Jig" for drawing straight lines...

If I was a real man, I would learn to do it correctly and freehand that line...  The "jig" will do nothing but slow my development...





Big Grin

Well said.
Reply
#36
Sellers' sharpening method does indeed look crude, but my gosh his tools appear to be wicked-sharp when he makes a cut. The video he made where he was getting about a .001" shaving while pulling the plane only by a rope on the front knob of a #4 was especially entertaining!

As to his planes, he is using a #5 more often now (in addition to the endless line of #4 planes on his bench) and he always has a few Veritas planes, and saws, oh the shelves behind his bench although I've never seen him use them in the videos.
Reply
#37
(04-09-2019, 04:02 PM)Greg Jones Wrote: Sellers' sharpening method does indeed look crude, but my gosh his tools appear to be wicked-sharp when he makes a cut. 

It's just me, but "sharp enuf" is generally good enuf.  One can get carried away with sharpening, and freehand will get you where you want to go 95% of the time.  There are exceptions, but very few.  But again, to each his own.
Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
Reply
#38
The kind of sharpness seen after Rob Cosman sharpens his plane blade should be the benchmark for most users. Not a put-down on softwood, but Rob gets the uniform thin shavings consistently on hard maple from a freshly honed edge. He also shows that you can jump from 1,000 to 12,000 (?) plus ruler trick, while purists insist you need a middle stone (4,000 for example), or end it with a strop.

I do use three stones (and no ruler trick and no stropping) just because that is how I have done it since day 1 (I tried the ruler trick but saw no difference in the outcome). Don't go silly guys, and try to change your method if it works for you.

Simon
Reply
#39
I like Sellers no nonsense sharpening routine.  Shows an old traditionalist willing to change and take advantage of new media (diamond).  I haven't tried it yet but plan to order some diamond stones. He even says he prefers sharpening to only 400 grit in some cases which make a surface better
prepared for painting.
Reply
#40
I'm the guy who raised the ruckus on his blog about both the plywood bench and the mortise jigs. I have learned much from Paul Sellers, and I have been paying him money since 2014 (a subscriber to his "woodworking masterclass" program).

I have built many of his projects and will build many more. Even so, he is extremely sensitive to criticism. He hates it. I don't care, really. I don't like criticism either. Even so, I loath the plywood and bandsaw thing. There are a hundred YouTube pages where guys build stuff out of plywood using a bandsaw and screws. There is only one Paul Sellers building a chair from seasoned wood using only hand tools.

Even so, if you decide to criticize Paul, be prepared for some pretty vicious Internet blowback. 

(And one thing about the "55 years" thing. For about ten years Paul was a policeman, and if he did any woodworking it was strictly part-time).
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.