Lignum to rehab woodie

[David Peterson]

?Lignum vitae as a new sole for an old, wooden rabbet plane?
As I lead up to the task of making some woodies, I'm rehabbing an old one. It's in good overall shape but the base could be cleaned up. I have some old lignum around and had thought to use it as a veneered sole, then adjusting the mouth, blade and wedge as needed. If that works, what adhesive to use for such an oily wood?

[george wilson]

I haven't had trouble gluing lignum. Just tooth it up well by dragging a fine toothed dovetail or back saw along it to increase the mechanical bond the glue will get. Lightly sand off the fuzz so your glue line will look decent.

Some wipe oily woods with benzene until it gets no more color onto the wiping rag. This helps get the oil out of the future joint. Some use epoxy on oily woods. I'd still tooth up the surface well.

Use your lignum carefully. It is horribly expensive these days.

[David Peterson]

Thanks for that, George. I've had this lignum around for a long time - might as well put it to use. I was also wondering if it would make good boxing.

[Terry Beadle]

I have used TightBond II on two planes that I put a lignum v 3/8ths thick sole on. I freshly planed the lignum and plane sole. Then wiped both down with
lacquer thinner...and glued the hell out of them. Then lots of cauls and clamps. No failures yet.

[george wilson]

All the clamps you can fit onto a surface does not at all guarantee permanent glued joints. Indeed,it can lead to glue starved joints,from all the glue being squeezed out!! Joints just need to fit well to begin with. You can achieve perfectly effective glued joints by wrapping them with string,or surgical tubing(if they are odd shaped,I do that all the time).(Keep your tubing in sealed baggies. Oxygen ruins latex. Breathe a HELD breath before zipping them shut. CO2 is better than air for preserving it.

Old time Spanish guitar makers(and me,too,in the historic instrument shop),tied their guitar tops and backs on with twine. They were too poor to afford bunches of clamps.

[Winton Applegate]

lignum . . . is horribly expensive these days.

Makes cheep jewelry though.
For a long time now I have worn a block of the stuff around my neck.



Tre Neander.
Don't you think ?

If nothing else it elicits the "Why the hell are you wearing a block of wood around your neck ?" Conversation piece.
My response varies depending on whether or not I need money :

• It was the only thing I could find that looks just right with my blue Swede shoes.
• So I always have wood to knock on.
• Nice isn't it ? I could let you have it for say . . . $_____.

All the clamps you can fit onto a surface does not at all guarantee permanent glued joints. . . . Joints just need to fit well to begin with. You can achieve perfectly effective glued joints [with low clamp pressure].

I couldn't agree more. At least what little gluing I have done, compared to all your work, I have used moderate pressure and enough clamps but not as many as I could fit on.

Indeed,it can lead to glue starved joints,from all the glue being squeezed out!!

and on the solvent wipe thing which I have heard poo pooed in a few reputable texts.

To every one I put the question :
Have you ever had a joint fail from being "starved" from too much clamp force (and the joint was perfect) and or from not solvent wiping (and you had freshly planed or sanded it with in a few hours before glue up ?

[Kees Heiden]

Well, I had a LV laminated mallet. Wiped down the surface with acetone. I think the fit of the parts was fine. Use a couple of clamps. The glue was te typical D3 white glue we have overhere. I used it for quite some time, but the joints failed when I tried to hammer fence pickets into the ground.