Matt Bickford's New Book on Side Escapement Moulding Planes Nears Publication

Lost Art Press has received final files from Matt Bickford for a new book on making side escapement moulding planes, with editing and design about to begin. No publication date has been set. In anticipation, the publisher revisits Bickford's first book, 'Mouldings in Practice,' which teaches how to break down complex mouldings into rabbets and chamfers for hollow and round planes. The post reproduces Bickford's appendix on antique planes, originally written circa 2012, where he shares his hard-won experience. Bickford describes his own journey from struggling with antique planes to making his own after Lie-Nielsen and Clark & Williams collaborated to produce necessary tools and instruction. He credits Larry Williams's DVD 'Making Traditional Side Escapement Planes' as his primary guide. Bickford lists ten critical points for dealing with antique planes, including that soles likely need repair, irons need regrinding, and that making an old plane functional destroys its resale value. He notes that 'user' grade does not mean ready to use, and that planes often sat mishandled for over 100 years. Despite the challenges, Bickford acknowledges that functional antique planes perform as well as new ones and carry a noble lineage. He reflects on the history embodied in tools and furniture, citing a high-style Philadelphia highboy at the Philadelphia Art Museum as an example of irreplaceable historical lineage.