One of Mark Donovan's small Luthier's Planes

 

This small Luthier's plane with it's laminated body and round bottomed profile is the tool I use to finish forming the seat saddles on my miniatures, after first roughing out the saddle with a gouge. The little plane is a shade over four and a half inches long, and has an iron one inch wide. The stock is laminated tiger maple and mohogany. Mark makes these planes in a number of widths. He is happy to do custom work if you need something specific. Mark is a craftsman whom I greatly respect. I am always curious what's going to emerge from his shop next.

Today he brought back the table skirts and legs of the communion table, which he had taken to his shop to carve. When I was awarded this job, I specificlly recommended that Mark do the carving. His part in the project balloned well beyound my expectations when the church design committee opted for a design that wrapped completely around the base of the table. As I assemble the table I will post pictures on this page.

Mark makes everything from black-powder flint lock rifles to guitars and violins. ( I still have violins on my to-do list for my next life time. It sure isn't going to happen sooner.) Mark's work can be seen on his website www.donovansbench.com. He can be contacted at <mcdonovan@gwi.net>. A quick additional note, if you are interested in hand crafted wooden hand planes please visit Mark's site. The variety offered are worth your time, and the photo quality is much better than my quick shot included with this post. I should have just copied one of his pictures. Oh well. Looking again at Mark's website brings to mind my standard joke that I tell at shows where I demonstrate chair-making. I always quip that I live in a village with twenty-five other cabinet-makers. When I count the number of friends in town who are cabinet-makers, home builders, timber-framers, boat-builders, luthiers, bowl turners, etc, etc, this joke isn't a joke. Thank God Mark doesn't do Windsor chairs. Have a great day.