Hey, folks: I make dovetailed infill hand planes like the one below, and no matter how carefully I peen the tails and pins, I often end up with bothersome gaps where the steel just hasn't quite closed up.
I peen and file at least three times, often four, making every effort to mushroom the steel down into the joint, and I'm frustrated.
George Wilson suggested that I substitute precision ground low carbon steel for the 0-1 steel I'd been using for the base and sides of my planes, but even though low carbon steel is easier to work, I still end up with gaps in the joints that bother my eye.
Permatex Cold Weld and Loctite Weld, forced into the gaps and sanded over, improve things only marginally; they fill wider gaps (though not the narrower) but don't match the color of the steel when mixed half and half. Would it help to mix in more of the white hardener?
Are there better alternatives?
IMG_2995.jpg
Thanks in advance for any and all helpful input!