? mick, I propose a new strip fitting standard in the likes of C&B - m&K ? (short for mick ? Ken [Ken is my real name]). Plus, we could sell the ? m&K WONDER FILES for $100 each and split the profits . . . Big market on ? this board since they don't know the secret . . . heh, heh, heh . . .

? Best Regards, Spidey

Hey Spidey

First of all it should be called the 'S&M' file.

Secondly, you should be doin other stripping of forms at that time of nite.

Thirdly, a flat faced, double bastard, half cut description might be appropriate for me, but I kinda thought you were an ok guy!!!!

Seriously:

Thoughtful responses from Paul and Tony and here are mine:

Filing on the forms suggests some drawbacks

1) Presupposes that the 1st strip is fixed. therefore either stapled construction or been glued for 2hrs to overnite( I guess yer still awake so no prob).

2) Obviously not bead and cove.

With the 2 sided or 1 sided approach with upper strip immediately adjacent, it's hard to place and hold the second strip in exactly the correct orientation, It's difficult to make long sweeping strokes when holding the 2nd strip, For the 1 sided, the 1st strips edge is hidden by the upper 2nd strip so you can't see what yer doin, and the 2 sided approach has these probs plus you can't see the under side of the upper strip to check progress.

I've thought about thin files, double sided sandpaper (bevel angle doesn't matter - it always matches), variably angled 3/16in deep edge plane ( like the lee valley, but vary the bed), and am using the dremel as a router (very poor, poor housing and accuracy) but truthfully they're all complex constructs to do a very simple, quick, easy job.

I use the file cause it hasn't worn out and has some mass and feel, but Paul's suggestion of gluing sandpaper to a strip is great ( make the strip at least 14in long to help judge angles, and maybe use 100 sandpaper).

So to return, it is easy to judge the bevel angle by eye as the file is long and a form is always less than 6in away. You just hold it at the angle that the bottom of the next strip will fall at, which is an angle just over perpendicular to the eventual surface of the yak. I now only use the smoothing plane for rough shaping infill strips using the caliper method previously posted. The bulk of my yak has been bevelled using the file method, and I regret terribly not using it from the start as I know that gaps are acoming down the line.

-mick