New Tool Experience and Progress

More shaping on Sunday - worked on the first of three handplaces. I started off with a hand block planer. Really slow going but controlled and steady as ever. Mind you that was how I shaped the paulownia boards I have (paipo and kick board). Charlie highly encouraged me to use the belt sander and then the electric planer. I have extensively used a random orbital palm sander, but never a belt sander. After a few minutes, the belt sander and I were friends. Then I tried the electric planer. I've used this tool before, but with a sanding barrel attachment (no blades) and on foam blanks, not wood. This one took a little longer to get used to, but afterwards I actually got very close to the finished shape on the hand plane. A few more tweaks and this one will be done. Charlie put some time into the paddle he is making for Amy. Maybe next month I'll start on my paddle. Working on boards and with tools again made me really miss my own gear.