Tough Tool Questions Answered

For our annual Reader-Created issue, TOH fan Bob Jones in Denver shared with us some wood planes that belonged to his great-grandfather:

"My great-grandfather Frank Verbeeck was head carpenter at the Drake Hotel in Chicago during the 1920s. These are two of his planes. I think they are about 100 to 120 years old. The long one is a jointer plane and was used to make board edges perfectly straight. The shorter one is a jack plane, which smoothed boards in preparation for the jointer.

I actually used the jack plane earlier this year to trim the bottom of a door that could no longer open. The blade could use a good sharpening, but it still worked!"