Lasered planes

[George Beck]

Hi all

I like to make planes in the Krenov style. I have made maybe six of these tools over the years and I use them. I also do some laser engraving. Recenetly a friend ask me to "checker" a pistol grip for him. So I was adjusting some setting on walnut and I thought "hmmmmmmm..... I wonder what a hand plane would look like with checkering?" I have never seen one. Here are the first two planes I have made introducing Lasered checkering and design. I think they look neat and the "checkering really does provide a nice grip. One is Cherry with a hard maple soul and a basket weave pattern and the other is walnut with a rosewood soul that I call my lil yorkie(pitch is 50%). Let me know what you think.

George

[George Beck]

Here are some additional photo's. The cherry plane had a lovely bit of birdeye on it , so I designed the "grip" around it so it shows. Here is the lil yorkie taking some shavings on some pretty curly cherry.

[Dominic Greco]

George,
Well number me amoung thouse that like them! I think they look cool as hell!:D

[Bill Houghton]

You're gonna start a new trend here, George. Everyone will have to have checkering on their planes.

Very nice. The "lil yorkie" is a nifty little plane. It's already reminiscent of an early 30's runabout car or boat, and the checkering adds to that.

It's interesting...in a lot of ways the making of wooden planes is refreshing the Continental (more than English, from what I understand) practice in the 16th-18th centuries of decorating the planes, presumably as a point of pride.

[Ron Petley]

Wow, exelent!!!
Cheers RON

[george wilson]

It is amazing how accurately laser beams can be made to move !

[Chuck Hamman]

George,
I love your planes, and the checkering is awesome. I think you've got something there.

Actually JK did use checkering on some of his planes, although not as pretty as yours. His would have been hand cut with a knife or a carving tool. I don't have any pictures of JK's to post, but here is a copy I made of his cocobolo polishing plane. I cut the checkering with a Dremel tool.

Regards,
-Chuck

[Jim Koepke]

Neat.

It has often come to mind to do some engine turning on one of my iron bodied planes. Guess that is another thing to add to the list.

jim

[philip marcou]

That looks nice indeed, but I admit to be disappointed: I thought I was going to see real checkering, as seen on rifles etc, the kind done with a checkering tool. Checkering tools are basically vee shaped files, and there is some skill in getting it right.

[George Beck]

Thank you all very much for your comments. I admit to much trepidation at showing my work and I appreciate the feedback.

Chuck- i love the little smoother. I always loved that shape of Krenov.

Phillip_ I have great admiration for your planes. They are truely world class masterpieces. When this idea started forming in my head I was considering checkering tools. I actually have a set of checkering tools and I like the hand tools. These planes are actually shaped using Auriou rasps. I like working with files.

When I started with the laser I considered it separate from my woodshop. My idea was to use the engraving business (I also rotary engrave) as a means to support the woodshop. The laser was used to etch glass and make dog collars and name tags. It still baffles me that people balk at $450 for a finely made dovetailed box but happily pay me $25 for a plywood picture frame that says "Love" on it. This experiment is my attempts to introduce lasers and CNC routers into traditional woodworking. It opens all kinds of design possibilities. I still think finely detailed checkering looks nicer.

Thanks to everyone for looking.

George

[Richard Dooling]

Very nice! Very sporty – does that make them move faster over the wood?:rolleyes:

This has got me back on the idea of making a shooting board plane and the Krenov style seems approachable.

Anyone with suggestions for books or articles about the process? I know there is a ton of material written about plane making, but what’s good?

Any special tools like a plane makers float required, or is that a nice to have?

Thanks

[Roger Barlow]

way cool! Now inlay some contrasting wood and checker it!

[John Shuk]

The planes look great. At first I noticed you wrote SOUL instead of SOLE. I think it is an appropriate replacement word though.:D

[Richard Dooling]

Crud, sorry. I searched this forum and found what I was looking for. Should have done that first.:eek:

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

way cool~!! I mean really. Totally way cool and I'm staggerblasted I ain't seen it before.

You might want to delete this thread and see about getting yourself a utility patent.

[Bruce Haugen]

See, now, George...

For a long time I've been trying to articulate in my own mind how to do stuff. You've done it. There is this idea of the "plane" and everyone can agree what constitutes a plane, but the real problem is how to make it your own, make it distinctive without being just another artsy-fartsy adornment, and make it useful all at the same time.

You've added something that makes it substantially easier to hold and very pleasant to behold without being just ornamentation. To my mind, this falls into precisely the same category as the brace that Derek Cohen just finished.

Very, very cool!

Great work.

Bruce, in MN where it was nice enough to take the old wing out for the first good ride of the season.

[Donald Price]

These are stunning. The lines flow beautifully with the plane bodies.

[Johnny Kleso]

If your adding stuff I think some Flames would be cooler than a Basket Weave :)

[philip marcou]

Thank you all very much for your comments. I admit to much trepidation at showing my work and I appreciate the feedback.

Chuck- i love the little smoother. I always loved that shape of Krenov.

Phillip_ I have great admiration for your planes. They are truely world class masterpieces. When this idea started forming in my head I was considering checkering tools. I actually have a set of checkering tools and I like the hand tools. These planes are actually shaped using Auriou rasps. I like working with files.

When I started with the laser I considered it separate from my woodshop. My idea was to use the engraving business (I also rotary engrave) as a means to support the woodshop. The laser was used to etch glass and make dog collars and name tags. It still baffles me that people balk at $450 for a finely made dovetailed box but happily pay me $25 for a plywood picture frame that says "Love" on it. This experiment is my attempts to introduce lasers and CNC routers into traditional woodworking. It opens all kinds of design possibilities. I still think finely detailed checkering looks nicer.

Thanks to everyone for looking.

George

George, thanks for the kind words, and keep making planes....
Can you give us details of your laser machine that you used for the checkering- such as source and cost?

[Steve Pirrelli]

those are neat looking planes, that laser engraving a great idea.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on that "cool as hell" reaction.