A call around again... Lever Cap Screws for Infills..

[Raney Nelson]

Rick - $3k is much much higher than you really need to go. I watched craigslist for quite a while looking for what I wanted, but solid 9-10" bench lathes are readily available for well under $1k all day. Mine was about half that and serves my needs just fine. Of course, the tooling is usually going to add up to much more than the lathe itself - I imagine I've spent at least 4 or 5 times what I spent on the lathe upgrading the chucks, adding collets, better toolpost, etc etc; all of that will last my lifetime, though, even if I change lathes so it's worth it to me.

btw - the 8-32 threads you're thinking of are the pivot screws that tie the lever caps to the sidewalls, not the lever cap screws themselves - that's a rather miniscule thread for a lever cap screw.

The lever cap screws themselves are pretty universally between 5/16 and 1/2. I don't think you'll find much of anything outside that range that's not out of proportion with everything else on the plane.

[george wilson]

Finding a machinist is one thing,but finding one with a good sense of design is entirely another matter even if you give him exact drawings,when it comes to anything with artistic curves.

[Rick Markham]

Raney, I ended up thinking of the bolts he uses to fasten the sides to the sole. My memory is pretty dang good, but not flawless... thanks for the heads up
George has done a good amount of mentoring me on choosing a lathe for what I wish to do with it, I don't know nearly enough about used machines to pick out one that isn't going to be a total money pit for me... craiglist in my area is not too super rich in good machines for sale, most are off brands/hobbiest machines or are 3000lb industrial machines I don't have the room or means to keep at the house. Ultimately I need one small enough to fit, but sturdy enough and precise enough to turn tool steel. Since space is a premium for me, it needs to be robust enough for the future with a big enough swing (12"), since there will be no room for a small and a larger lathe. (I'm the buy once kinda guy too)

George, I have no doubt in that fact. The artistic side of machining is probably a very very very small portion of that community. Which is one of the reasons that I personally am interested in learning it, I have a fairly artistic streak going for me, and I feel like it would be a worthwhile adventure for me, I think it would lend itself well to my other artistic endeavors as well. In the meantime I have a whole lot of saving left to do... which gives me time to think about all of it LOL

[David Weaver]

Yeah, lever cap screws only. The only other two screws will be in the sides of the lever cap with heads slightly less tall than the thickness of the sides, and I'm sure mcmaster will have something I can use for those.

At this point, I only have interest in attaching bottom and sides with dovetails. It's a very enjoyable process where once you mark pins and tails and baseline, you can do a lot of work by hand - fitting and such. Filing the pins and tails to fit and peining them is probably one of the three most satisfying parts of building the plane.

(the other two being the final fit of the infill and the final fit of the iron to the bed, lever cap and mouth, and what you get to do with the plane as a result of that fit).

Lapping tool steel sides and bottom by hand would be the least, but the result is pleasing.

Aside from the lever cap screw, I'm convinced people can build these by hand quite well and in good taste (and fairly cheaply), and the next smoother I start after i'm done with the current one, I think I'll document step by step from the point of view of someone with minimal tools - I haven't used any power tools other than a sander and a cordless drill - not because I wouldn't rather let power tools do a lot of the work, but because I don't understand how to use cheap ones accurately - and I don't think that's a lack of understanding. Some day in my distant future, maybe I'll have a mill and a lathe, but i'll probably never go away from pins and tails.

[george wilson]

I will get the lever cap screw in the mail today,David. Enjoy it.

[Rick Markham]

That is really a beautiful cap screw George!

David, I'd love to see a step by step from you. I'd really even just enjoy looking at some pics of your planes you have made. From what little I have had the time to do on mine, I have enjoyed all the metal work, and mine has been almost exclusively hand tools as well, The belt sander, Drill Press and my Tormek excluded. my next step is to profile the sides and attach them, hopefully I can do that soon. This one I am going to bolt, maybe I will tackle the dovetails after I see your tutorial!

[David Weaver]

I will get the lever cap screw in the mail today,David. Enjoy it.

Very grateful, George. It will be a challenge at my level to make a plane that is deserving of it, but one that I am glad to take on.

[Juan Hovey]

George Wilson - I need brass knurled bolts for two infill smoothers I'm just now fettling, and as I have it in mind to make and sell a line of these planes in the coming months, I'd like to have a ready source for the things. Would you have an interest in making me a set of 10 or 12 now, possibly more in the future? I'd like the knurled nut to measure 3/4 inch across and maybe 1/2 inch high, on 3/8-16 bolts 1 3/4 inches long. Please let me know.

[george wilson]

Juan,where are you located? Also,I need a sketch as to exactly what you want,else I might waste my time making something you don't want. Can you post a sketch here,or PM me with a sketch,or mail one to me if I give you my address in a PM?

[Bill Houghton]

Not the thread size folks have mentioned, but I thought I'd point to these (item B): http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware...=3,41306,41311

[wayne Jepson]

If George is too busy I can make them. Follow this link to pics.

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com...ver-cap-screws

Wayne

[george wilson]

I can make them,but he hasn't replied yet. If he wants them like the 2 I posted here,I can make them like that,but to his dimensions,or I can make them different.

[george wilson]

Am I going to get a reply????

[Juan Hovey]

Juan,where are you located? Also,I need a sketch as to exactly what you want,else I might waste my time making something you don't want. Can you post a sketch here,or PM me with a sketch,or mail one to me if I give you my address in a PM?

George - Apologies for my delay in responding. Went to Seattle for PacNorwest Tool Collectors confab over the weekend, so didn't see your note until now.

I'd like something like the following, made by Johnny Kleso - 5/16-18 bolts in brass, knurled heads 3/4" in diameter and 1/4 to 3/8" high, bolt 1 3/4" in overall length.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...801#post957801


Am sending you my contact info via PM. Juan Hovey