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Thread: Wedged infill smoother construction

  1. #1
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    Wedged infill smoother construction

    Just started roughing out some steel and brass plate for making an wedged infill smoother and thinking about the best design for the bridge. For a built up body design (dovetailed or riveted) the options are a fixed bridge or a pivoting bridge.

    Fixed bridge (Image from http://thebestthings.com/infill.htm)

    bm100567.jpg


    Pivoting bridge (Image from http://www.infill-planes.com)
    Ridgeway-Gunmetal-Ebony-Coffin-Smoothing-Plane-1.jpg

    Any thoughts on why you should choose one or the other?
    Last edited by Sean Richards; 03-07-2012 at 12:58 AM. Reason: Removed some gibberish

  2. #2
    The second would probably be a bit easier to do, but the first looks nicer.

    As long as you can fit your wedge to whatever you do, it probably doesn't matter.

  3. #3
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    It would take years of use,but the pivoting bridge would swivel a bit to accommodate any changes in angles as the blade wore down.
    Last edited by george wilson; 03-07-2012 at 8:28 AM.

  4. #4
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    It seems to me that the fixed bridge would be easier, but I could be mistaken. With the swiveling bridge, it seems that you'd have to take into account the fact that the ends will swivel while you are trying to fit the wedge perfectly. Depending on where you remove material from on the wedge, it would change how the bridge fits the other areas of the wedge, meaning you are literally trying to hit a moving target. With a fixed bridge, you know the angle you set it at, it will not move, and you can fit the wedge without worrying about the movement.

    I think I'd do the fixed for the reasons described above, plus the fact that it looks nicer. Although George makes a good point about the wear, but I suspect you'd have to work a long, long time to make the extra trouble worth your while.
    Your endgrain is like your bellybutton. Yes, I know you have it. No, I don't want to see it.

  5. #5
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    No problem fitting a swiveling bridge. It just swivels to where it fits. Just make your wedge parallel in thickness ACROSS its width,and tapered length ways. No problem at all. Much easier than fitting a fixed bridge(though that's not much of a problem either.

    Make one yourself and you'll see what I mean. I've made lots of them.

  6. #6
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    Fair enough, George. I've never made one so I defer to you. Cheers!
    Your endgrain is like your bellybutton. Yes, I know you have it. No, I don't want to see it.

  7. #7
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    You don't think there is any inherent increased rigidity (in terms of retaining the wedge) using the fixed bridge design?

  8. #8
    I think the pivoting bridge allows a better fit

  9. #9
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    Use large enough screws and the wedge will be fine. More screws will be stronger,but it is overkill unless you are going to really abuse the wedge. Most of the infill planes I have made have cap screws,but also the necessary single screw on each end. The cap screw exerts as much pressure on the blade as a wedge would. I mean,the blade is held quite strongly enough to never back out. So,it must be working.
    Last edited by george wilson; 03-07-2012 at 11:09 PM.

  10. #10
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    For a pivoting bridge I was thinking of using 3/16" diameter pivot screws - should be adequate do you think?

  11. #11
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    I think that will be fine. That's about what I use,with 1/4" fillister type heads(but with flat tops). Then,I countersink the screw heads into the body. OR I might just cut threads on a straight(no head) drill rod,and screw them into the hole,filing them off flush with the body.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by george wilson View Post
    I think that will be fine. That's about what I use,with 1/4" fillister type heads(but with flat tops). Then,I countersink the screw heads into the body. OR I might just cut threads on a straight(no head) drill rod,and screw them into the hole,filing them off flush with the body.
    Option 1 was pretty much what I was going to do - I have some fillester head screws floating around that should work OK. The heads are not as deep as the brass plate I have available for the sides so they will have to be counterbored into the sides OR I might just make some screws myself with deep enough heads so I can just drill right through the sides at the head diameter. No biggie either way.

    I have got some 3/8" brass plate for the bridge which should be OK - I can get some 1/2" if needed but that seems a bit of an overkill.

  13. #13
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    It is better if your screws have an unthreaded portion to bear against the hole on the side of the plane. But,if your counterbore is 2/3 the thickness of the sides,I don't see why the non threaded screw head wouldn't be fine(it wouldn't be able to "worry out" the holes in the sides of the plane body.

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