Thank you for your nice, thoughtful and helpful comments. A lot of the people who steal designs take it on as if it was their own. You are right in what you say about not losing sleep – I lose more sleep trying to think of new ideas.

Thank you for your supportive opinion of the three finger handle and no adjuster. I thought the handle comfort was important so I have allowed an extra 3/8″ on the plane’s length.

When it comes to designs you have to assess a number of compromises. No such thing as perfect, just attitude.

k

But, like Linley, that’s all they can steal – the idea. They will never achieve your quality, fit, and finish and the “you” that you put into every plane you build.

I don’t claim to have ever come up with any ideas for things I’ve made that are completely new or never-before-seen, but I’ve definitely put together a few clean designs that have come from my own brain. And I occasionally have someone come right out and ask me for exact dimensions/plans for boxes I’ve made so they can copy them.

I always respond with something like, “Sorry, I won’t do that. I can’t stop you from copying my work, but I’ve put a lot of thought and effort into my design. If you want to make something similar, you’ll have to put your own thought/effort into it, and that includes figuring out dimensions and proportions that are pleasing to the eye. That includes trying to figure out the best way to handling certain construction techniques that I’ve had to figure out. That includes proper wood selection and getting the right fit and finish on the box. Good luck.”

And that’s all I can do about it. I won’t waste a minute’s sleep worrying about such things because, like I said, it’s going to happen. And there’s so very little you can do to stop it; some things are beyond our control. Instead, I focus my efforts on making the best whatever-it-is-I’m-making. That IS something I can control.

I think losing the adjuster is a good idea, as is keeping the tote to the 3-finger size. After using my own custom-made infill plane (by Wayne Anderson) for about 6 years now, I wish I could remove the adjuster from all of my other planes! Adjusting laterally with a plane hammer is far easier and more precise. I find I accidentally adjust my setting more often by bumping the lateral adjuster more often than I get use out of it.