A Great Woodie Build Off

[Zach Dillinger]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words! Joshua, you're right, that extra wooden bit is a depth stop. It is a friction fit into the body and also locks into place with the wedge and arm for the fence. My next plow (as soon as I get a new set of irons) will be a "Yankee" plow that will be a copy of a Francis Nicholson plow from the 1740s. That one uses a threaded knob to lock the depth stop in place.

[Zach Dillinger]

I had a few minutes this afternoon, so I got started on my plane build. I am chopping a traditional escapement in a one-piece maple body. This stuff is really hard. This may take a while.

Good luck with that. I've been working on a large jointer plane in hard maple for about a year. I kept getting frustrated with the effort needed to cut the mouth mortise. Keep at it! I finally got through mine but it was a fight.

[george wilson]

Fast work,Zach!! I can't work that fast anymore!! Great job!!

[Jim Neeley]

Here's my progress. This is the result of about 5 hours of layout and benchwork yesterday. All hand tools, of course. I split out the body from a larger chunk of walnut that ended up being nearly quartersawn. Very nice wood to work. I'm making a copy of a possibly-18th century plow that is in my collection, although mine is going to be walnut rather than beech and has square arms rather than semi-circular. There will be one other design change... but I'm not quite ready to reveal that yet!

The first pic is the results of the day's work. Having my bench this cluttered drives me nuts!

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Looking sweet, Zach!!

Jim

[Jim Neeley]

The main problem I saw with a wooden shooter is the lack of weight. You like to have a plane with authority while shooting. A woodie never will give thw same feeling of authority like a metal plane... as long as will not be loaded. Plumb is the winner! I wanted to load the body with plumb to give it the heft, that I was looking for. But I've not the smallest idea if that really will work. It's just an attempt after all. I casted 2 kg plumb (about 4 1/2 lbs) in handy pieces and loaded up the plane body.

That's the progress so far. I really don't know if all will work like I hope, it's a try after all.

Klaus

Klaus,

I think you're on to something good here in adding lead to your shooter and 7# sounds about right to me. I like the feel of my 10# L-N #8 or my 7.5# Veritas BU Jointer for end grain and L-N's #51 beveled angle shooter is 9# ao I think you'll be right in there. I look forward to following your build! <g>

Jim in Alaska

[Jim Neeley]

Nice, Chris!!

[Jim Neeley]

Awesome, Zach.. and it certainly looks a lot like rosewood to me too.

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Nice stuff here for sure!

Zach, your plow plane turned out great. A very traditional approach on the making that shows it's overall quality even at the pics. Very nice finish!

Leigh, that is a pretty ingenious design for a block plane. I'm more than curious to get some more detailed explanations and pics. Looking great so far!

Klaus

[Stuart Tierney]

I'd just like to add something here regarding what I'd mentioned earlier...

How would a 50mm wide, 100-150mm long and 5-6mm thick laminated blade sound?

(I think they could even be tapered if that's something desirable...)

Still need to iron out the details, but apparently they'll be easy.

I'm not entertaining various widths, lengths or other details just now, it's best to just get 'something' available than to have a myriad of options.

No other details just yet, only that they're a 'go'.

Stu.

[Chris Griggs]

I'd just like to add something here regarding what I'd mentioned earlier...

How would a 50mm wide, 100-150mm long and 5-6mm thick laminated blade sound?

(I think they could even be tapered if that's something desirable...)

Still need to iron out the details, but apparently they'll be easy.

I'm not entertaining various widths, lengths or other details just now, it's best to just get 'something' available than to have a myriad of options.

No other details just yet, only that they're a 'go'.

Stu.

Just to clarify. Is this something different than you mentioned previously? Solid?... No holes for chipbreakers and what not?

[Stuart Tierney]

Just to clarify. Is this something different than you mentioned previously? Solid?... No holes for chipbreakers and what not?

That's the plan.

A solid piece of soft steel with a piece of hard steel forge welded on the end and ground to a usable shape.


Basically, something like an old 'cast steel' blade as you'd find in an old woody or infill made within a month of having it in your hands.

Because they're being forged and most likely hand ground to final shape, tapering for length shouldn't be an issue at all. As in thicker at the sharp end, thinner at the blunt end.

(And most likely blue steel.)

And because the not pointy end will be soft steel (not even mild steel I don't believe) if you wanted to add a slot yourself, it'd be easy enough to do with a drill, a hacksaw and a file and you could make it any size you wanted.

Just a really simple, no nonsense blade. That's all.

Stu.

[Chris Griggs]

That's the plan.

A solid piece of soft steel with a piece of hard steel forge welded on the end and ground to a usable shape.


Basically, something like an old 'cast steel' blade as you'd find in an old woody or infill made within a month of having it in your hands.

Because they're being forged and most likely hand ground to final shape, tapering for length shouldn't be an issue at all. As in thicker at the sharp end, thinner at the blunt end.

(And most likely blue steel.)

And because the not pointy end will be soft steel (not even mild steel I don't believe) if you wanted to add a slot yourself, it'd be easy enough to do with a drill, a hacksaw and a file and you could make it any size you wanted.

Just a really simple, no nonsense blade. That's all.

Stu.

Sounds great to me! I bet Dave will order a few and stick them in his infills.

[David Weaver]

I'd just like to add something here regarding what I'd mentioned earlier...

How would a 50mm wide, 100-150mm long and 5-6mm thick laminated blade sound?

(I think they could even be tapered if that's something desirable...)

Still need to iron out the details, but apparently they'll be easy.

I'm not entertaining various widths, lengths or other details just now, it's best to just get 'something' available than to have a myriad of options.

No other details just yet, only that they're a 'go'.

Stu.

uh....i've been bugging for these for a while!

The way it goes lately, I'll finally get around to building a few more planes, and then as soon as i get them done, there will be some #1 Blue steel iron on your page!

No taper for infills, should be parallel so people can control the mouth opening.

Of course, the woody folks will want one tapered. 5 or 6mm thickness, either would be fine.

[Chris Griggs]

Of course, the woody folks will want one tapered.

What's the benefit of tapering blade this way?

[David Weaver]

When you tap it, it loosens. It probably stays set in a heavy cut better, too, especially if the wedge fit isn't perfect.