These winding sticks are patterned after those depicted in plate 14 of L'art du menuisier by Andre Roubo. When I studied them, I noticed that they are designed to produce a reference edge on the lumber to be planed. The design and function made a lot of sense to me as it is consistent with the way we use marking gauges. It also seems to simplify the process of planing boards flat: In my own attempts with normal winding sticks, I found that I am fighting two dimensions at a time: any cupping as well as any winding in the board. Roubo's winding stick looks to enable you to focus on one task at a time.The winding sticks are made from beech and are finished in three coats of danish oil. They are 38" long, primarily because I need them to flatten the top of my workbench which I plan to make 30" wide. I made them to be heafty, the beams are 2 7/16" tall and 1" wide. To avoid the "stilts" to fall off the beams, 3/8" dowels are press-fit about an inch from the edge of the beams. One of the beams has two small pieces of ebony and walruss tusk ivory inlayed in them. Those piecses are 2" long, 9/16 wide and about 1/32" thick. Here is a link to the pattern of the stilts.
