Hand Engraved Lie-Nielsen

[Layne Zuelke]

Haven't posted a new plane in a long time. Thought the hand tool nuts out there might like to see the latest plane. Low angle Lie-Nielsen 102.
Layne Zuelke

[Greg Marquis]

wow. nice job.

[Brian Holcombe]

Nice work!

[Malcolm Schweizer]

The placement of the flower is perfect. I want to try my hand at metal engraving. Soon come.

[Niels Cosman]

Dang! That's a jewel!

[Kirby Krieger]

Beautiful. Love the tip of the petal crossing the "frame", and the asymmetry of the sub-forms. Examplary.

[Jim Koepke]

Wow! I want one.

jtk

[Patrick McCarthy]

Amazing work!

[george wilson]

Now,THAT IS GREAT ENGRAVING. I have seen other engraved planes posted here,but they lacked the all important SHADING LINES that your engraving has. Plus,your scrollwork is expert and perfectly done,better than the others I have seen here.I like how deeply you have engraved the bronze,too. It really adds a 3 dimensional effect to the work. This must have been hammer and chisel work,unless you have arms like Popeye!!

I have made a few engraved planes myself,but was so lax about photographing them,I only have one bronze(which I cast) chariot plane to show. And the lighting in the picture is not good,so you really can't see most of the work.

I never knew that in the future computers would evolve into networks like we have,with fora like this to show work on,and never planned to write a book.

Well,I can't find the plane. I don't consider myself san engraver because I don't do it all the time. I got into high relief chiseling back in the 70's,doing it on flintlock pistols I made. I chiseled the lion's head mask on the butt of a pistol I sold to Herb Dow,last Dow to own Dow Chemical. Before I sent it off,I requested permission to have the mask cast in silver,and made his wife a necklace from it as a little bonus. The mask represents the trophy of the skinned lion that Hercules slew. It is adapted from a 17th. C. original on an English pistol.

The Dolphin is coined with 50 tons of pressure from the tool steel die that I chiseled. Art deco sun and clouds,Japanese style sea,Minoan style dolphin,and little ancient Greek style fishes playfully starting to leap out of the water. Made for my wife's jewelry business. I have to hand coin every one we sell. Tried casting them,but they just don't look as good,I'm sure you know.

The 22kt. gold heart and earrings were coined from the tool steel die I chiseled out. It was a retirement gift for her,since I gave her a lot of work ordering stuff for me as toolmaker.

The Surveyor's compass took 4 months to make,and was a commissioned gift for David Brinkley,the famous news caster. As on the original,the dial is dead silver plated,and the engraving filled with mastic.I made the number stamps to be just like the originals. I hate to see otherwise nice work that someone has done,but fell short by using modern gothic stamps without serifs,and of no style at all. Really ruins the job.

You do great work,and it is a delight seeing it.

[David Eisenhauer]

Very nice work Layne, although I have no real-world idea of the amount of talent or work that goes into something like that. Stupid question: Would normal use of the block plane eventually wear the engraving down in an appreciable amount of time? And that Surveyor's Compass from George definitely calls out to me. I like that kind of stuff

[Prashun Patel]

Beautiful work.

[Layne Zuelke]

Fantastic compass! Really clean work. As for the using the plane, there's no reason a plane like this couldn't be used every day. The engraving is cut so deeply that it will not wear down unless one was rubbing it against sandpaper.
And thank you moderator. This plane is most definitely not for sale here. Just thought it might be of interest to folks that like interesting tools.

[Dave Beauchesne]

To answer David Eisenhauer's query: I have one of Layne's planes in white bronze I use a lot. I have posted pictures of it here in the past.

Like Layne says, unless you abrade it, the engraving is quite deep and would only wear down after generations of hard use IMHO.

I will post a couple pics when I can snap some fresh photos - photos will never do justice to the finished product though - just as the pics George posted of some of his examples - I can only imagine what the compass looks like in person.

Dave B

[george wilson]

I wonder what has happened to the compass now that Mr. Brinkley has been dead for several years.. He collected scientific instruments. The compass was made as an enticement to help him stay one more year as head of the Raleigh Tavern Society,which is composed of wealthy donors. I think an annual gift of $10,000.00 is required to be a member. So,of course they are all rich,and high society types. Mr. Brinkley was a magnet for those types to join and hob nob. No doubt the cost of the gift,which was very high,was more than offset by the amount of donations his presence could raise.

But,where the compass is now,I have no idea. Haven't tried to find out. It was a copy of a surveyor's compass made in Winchester,Va.,in 1802. The original had a "working finish". Toted about in a wooden case on horseback through wilderness and rough country,it was not practical to have a perfectly polished and lacquered finish like the reproduction had.

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks Layne and George for the answers. I did not think the engraving would wear and something like that would have to be a "user" if I owned it. The info on the Surveyor's Compass is very interesting, as, again, I like that kind of stuff.