I need tote wood

[Leigh Betsch]

I've been working on a closed tote for a plane from a chunk of farm cut walnut. Every time I turn around another check shows up. I finally weaseled out a piece clear enough to work, but I wrecked it tonight! I've got plenty of nice walnut at 5/4 and I could laminate a piece but I'd really like to make this one piece. So I'm in the market for a nice 6" x 6" x 10/4 tote wood. It really doesn't even need to be walnut. I'm not looking for a real expensive piece as this is going on a plane that I plan to give away.
Ive got the motor bikes loaded on the trailer and I'm heading for the Ozarks for a short bike trip on Wednesday. So if someone knows of a source between eastern South Dakota and the Ozarks let me know and I'll stop in. Maybe around Omaha, or Kansas City, or a mill in the Ozarks would work.
Or if someone knows of a trust worthy on line source that in could order from and have it here next week, that would also work.
Maybe none of this makes any sense, I'm a little frazzled after scrapping my tote tonight. I wasted some stock away on the wrong side of the line! I cut into little pieces, made me feel a little better.

[Cody Cantrell]

I have some 8/4 walnut and 8/4 hedge if you are interested in that. I live in Knob Noster, MO. Let me know.

[Leigh Betsch]

Thanks Cody. I've got a line on some apple wood, if that works I'll be all set. If it falls thru I may stop by!

[Cody Cantrell]

Ok let me know

[Ron Kellison]

It's been my experience that apple tends to check even easier than walnut. I'm not saying you shouldn't be hopeful but you should have a "Plan B". Good old hard maple or beech should be readily available. Fiddleback maple is especially nice for totes and handles.

Ron

[Ryan Baker]

I don't get it. Why do you need 10/4 for a tote? Every tote I have come across is an inch, or ever so slightly more. A 2"+ tote would be pretty hard to hold unless you had gigantic hands.

[Rodney Walker]

Is this an infill that would require the wider wood for the tote or is there some other reason? I think I've seen some woodies with wide bases on the tote where they're set in the body but I don't recall exactly on those. Generally, for a metal bodied plane 5/4 would probably be fine, 6/4 would give you more room to play, or at least more stock to remove to get a comfortable grip.
Rodney

[Leigh Betsch]

Yes it is an infill which would have been a better description. Here is a pic of one I finished in January. I laminated the infill to get the width. I am hoping to not have to laminate this one.

[Brian Thornock]

My personal opinion is that if you are going to build something that nice, don't skimp on the wood. You could find 10/4+ curly maple from different sources online. I personally would do the tote seperately and mortise it in to be more efficient with the wood. I believe that is how a lot of closed totes are done. I am doing a closed tote infill right now and will be laminating for the width.

[Ryan Baker]

Ah, that makes more sense. Actually, I would be inclined to make the tote a seperate piece too so that if it ever breaks it can be replaced without replacing all of the infill. But it certainly looks good that way.

If you can't find what you are looking for locally, there are plenty of places online where you could get dried turning blanks of an appropriate size for that in your choice of species.

[Leigh Betsch]

I've mortised totes to infills before and it works fine but this one I'd like to keep all one piece. A few months ago I looked at turning blanks. I couldn't find any thing I liked unless I spent close to $100. So I did the lamination. Like I said, I'm giving this plane away so I don't want to put that much more mony into it. But maybe I can find a piece of curly maple in my price range. Are turning blanks dry enough?

[Tony Sade]

Wow! That's sure an interesting entrant in the home-built plane field. Maybe the shortage of comments on it (as opposed to the tote wood issue, which makes sense) means this is old news, but I've never seen it before. I don't build tools, but if I did, I might make some different stylistic choices, but on the whole, that's pretty slick. Very nicely done.

[Leigh Betsch]

. Maybe the shortage of comments on it (as opposed to the tote wood issue, which makes sense) means this is old news, but I've never seen it before.

Yeah, I posted it here a few weeks ago. I only posted it again to help clear up why I am looking for some wide wood.

[Richard Kee]

Leigh,

Maybe I can help. Several years ago I purchased the wood supply from the estate of a late woodworker who made grandfather clocks. As part of that purchase was a walnut board 2 3/4" thick by 9" wide by 8' long. I cannot verify that the wood is KD, but if not, I know that it was in a dry basement for several years before I got it, and I've had it in a very dry basement for more that three years, so the MC should be suitable for your project.

I can trim the end to insure no checks, then cut a 6-9" long, so long as it will fit into a flat-rate box, then ship it to you. I'll contribute the wood - you pay for shipping. If this is Ok, please send me you address via PM.

Richard