Drilling Plane Totes

[Jack Ellis]

I have several old hand planes that need new totes. I know I can purchase new ones but I'd like to try my hand at making them myself.

The tough part seems to be accurately drilling the long hole that a tote requires. Any advice on the best way to do this?

[Brian Kent]

Here's one very good way:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=71658

[Dominic Greco]

Yeah, Clint's tutorial is amoung the best I've seen. I followed it when I made my own.

[Jack Ellis]

Perfect! Thanks a lot. I have plenty of ash, walnut and cherry cutoffs to learn on, and a number of busted totes to fix.

[Paul Saffold]

Dominic, please tell us about that device in your vice you are using to hold the tote. What is it called & where do you get it? It looks real handy. Thanks. Paul

[Mike Henderson]

I drill half way from each end. That way, the drill bit can be short and it doesn't bend very much. When I tried drilling all the way through with one drill I found that the bit wandered and was no longer centered at the exit point.

I've had no problems having the two holes meet. I put a line on the outside of the rough tote and line that up vertically when I do the drilling.

Mike

[Dominic Greco]

Dominic, please tell us about that device in your vice you are using to hold the tote. What is it called & where do you get it? It looks real handy. Thanks. Paul

It's a Veritas Carver's Vice. While not absolutely necessary for this operation, it came in VERY hand when shaping the totes.

Not shown installed on the vise is a hardwood wedge that goes between the tote and the vice face (if you look in the first photo and you'll see it in the upper left corner). This wedge makes for a more secure grip by giving the hex nuts something flat to bear against.

I used a 8" length of 1/4" all thread, (2) fender washers, (1) plain washer, and (3) Hex Jamb Nuts to hold the tote to the vice. You screw a hex nut onto the left end of the all thread. Then install a fender washer. Slip the right end of the all thread up from the bottom through the hole in the carver vice's round base plate. Slip a fender washer on, add a hex nut and tighten. Not you have a nice stable post to attach the tote. The wedge's base has a hole sized to fit the all thread. The hole it also counter bored to fit over the nut. Slip the tote on, add a plain washer, and then the hex nut. Tighten down and there you go!

[george wilson]

If you have a wood lathe,and a drill chuck to mount in the headstock,you could center punch both ends of the tote. Then,bring the tailstock close enough to the chuck to put the tailstock center into one of the punch marks,and crank the tailstock quill forwards,bringing the drill into the other center punch. Drill half way,reverse the handle,and drill from the other end. You need a 60 degree center to do this,as it has to be large enough to enter the drilled hole,and be visible where you're trying to put it against the wood. This makes sure the drill is pointed exactly where you want it to go. I do this often myself.

As for the drill,since you are probably starting the drill against an angle,where it can wander,you could leave a place on each end of the tote where the wood will be square with the wood,and finish sawing the real contour afterwards. A brad point bit would be the best,but make sure the bit doesn't wobble when running,or it won't drill very straight.