Plane strik buttons

[Matthew N. Masail]

I was wondering if there is much difference between a ebony button or a mahogany one? is the energy transfer much different? maybe a 10mm brass dowel?

[Jim Belair]

Good question Matthew! I think one would want a material dense enough to transfer the energy but not so hard as to trash a wooden plane hammer. So the ebony in your list of three.

[Zach Dillinger]

I would use the ebony. Mahogany may be too soft to hold up without denting. Personally, I wouldn't use brass on a wooden plane, but it might look good depending on the wood used for the plane body.

[george wilson]

Ebony,I agree. I've seen old ones made of boxwood,too. My favorite old Nurse(maker's name) plane has a boxwood one.

[Mark Wyatt]

I really like the ebony strike button on the planes which have them. On old planes I've seen and own, they seem to hold up the best over the years.

[Matthew N. Masail]

Great! how deep does it need to be imbeded?

[Kees Heiden]

On most planes I see overhere, they just used a big hex bolt. Something like an inch across the flats. The top is usually filed in a bit of a dome shape. But I agree, ebony would look a lot nicer.

[Matthew N. Masail]

Hi Kees, who uses a Hex bolts? factories? sounds pretty tacky to me

[Matthew N. Masail]

Good question Matthew! I think one would want a material dense enough to transfer the energy but not so hard as to trash a wooden plane hammer. So the ebony in your list of three.

Thanks Jim! wish I had a dowel plate or somthing

[Paul Saffold]

Kees, where is "overhere"??

[Mark Wyatt]

The button's that I've seen that are loose or missing have been set 3/4" to 1" into the body of the plane.

[Kees Heiden]

Overhere is in The Netherlands. I can find old Nooitgedagt wooden planes in heaps. And most jointers have such a bolt up on the front. Older Dutch planes also had iron strike buttons but usually a bit mOre refined. Makes you wonder if the carpenters used a metal hammer for plane adjustments.

Nooitgedagt was in business from 1865 or so untill the 1980s.

[Ryan Baker]

I have a late 1800s wooden jack with the button missing (you can see where it was). If it was recessed at all, it was less than 1/32". I suppose that's probably why it was missing. Still, 3/4" to 1" seems a bit unnecessary.

[george wilson]

Kees,what does Nooitgedagt mean? I always wondered.

[Kees Heiden]

Nooitgedagt was the name of the guy who started the company. It means something like: who would have thought that?