I had an old beam i was planning on using for a stretcher.    Tablesaw just didn't want to make the cut to split it down the middle.   Kept knocking the breaker out.    Finally, I decided to just get meaner than the board.    I ran a circ saw down the middle.    Once I had a saw kerf on both sides, i went and picked up a splitting maul, and a 10 pound sledge.   Start the maul, give a single whack, move about halfway along the beam, and repeat.    Beam was laying on the floor, beside itself...Pretty, ain't he??    Next, I C clamped one piece to my tablesaw's top ( might as well get SOME use out of it) and turned the planes loose on it...awaiting their turns.   When i had both boards looking good..I had them looking too good.    Soooo, hey, how about a bench top?  I grabbed a pine 2x, cut it to length, to match the squared off  Oak planks.   i also had another shorter plank.....ah, Design Element!!The "open area' will be for a tool well!.     I took a bit of time to sharpen that #80 scraper plane, so a "test drive"  on this plank was in order..Well, a benchtop is in the clamps, waiting on the titebond to do it's thing.   Might as well start the next "phase'..... but that's another story.....

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

   Those three handplanes are ( front to rear) a Stanley Handyman #4,   A H-F #33 Scrub plane ( wicked little beast!!!) and a Worth #5 jack plane, with a cambered iron.    Also in the "attack' were a Stanley #129 fore plane, and the Bailey #8c jointer.    When I flipped these planks up to do the edges, the #8c did most of the work.    Once he gets a-going along, you just hang on.   I still have a couple planes to "tune up", so a flattening of the new benchtop should help that out.    The "Family" is getting bigger, THREE block planes, two #5s , two #4s, two #3s, and the two big guys.  

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

Cool Steve! That's going to be a sturdy and heavy bench, looking forward your progress reports!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops