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Thread: First Dovetail Smoother (almost) Done

  1. #1

    First Dovetail Smoother (almost) Done

    My dovetailed smoother is nearly finished. I got it to a point this morning that I could take some test shavings.
    Sides are naval brass, sole is 0-1. The infill is Bocote, and the iron is A2. It measures 5 1/4" long, with a 1 1/2" iron.
    I learned a lot on this project. This plane is full of little flaws and mistakes, but how many of us hit perfection on our first try?

    Style wise, I kept it simple. The top part of the lever cap is shaped to match the iron, instead of a more traditional shape. Sometimes I just like blocky looking stuff.

    I need to cut the lever pin to final length and do some fit and finish work. The hole in the top of the iron will have a piece of brass peened into it just for a little accent. The lever screw is being borrowed from another plane until I get my lathe situation squared away. I'm happy to have finally gotten this plane to a point where it is a usable tool. I'm not home much lately, which means a lot of starting and stopping. Combine that with the fact that I'm always working on a gazillion things at once, it's a surprise I ever finish anything.
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    If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Looks like a fun little plane.

    Combine that with the fact that I'm always working on a gazillion things at once, it's a surprise I ever finish anything.
    I know that feeling all too well.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    Columbus, Ohio, USA
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    Nice.... Looks like some decent shavings as well

  4. #4
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    I'm curious, what is the sole made from? It looks different from the bright brass.
    Nice looking work. How difficult is it to dovetail brass plate? Is it a hacksaw and filing operation?

  5. #5
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    Renton, WA
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    I like the idea of the brass accent in the blade. Creative. Even if it isn't done it has flair.

  6. #6
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    Very nice! That looks like a fun little plane
    Shawn

    "no trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."

    "I resent having to use my brain to do your thinking"

  7. #7
    Thanks for the kind words!
    Like I said, it was fun and quite a learning experience.

    Lowell- The sole is O1 tool steel. I like O1 because in its annealed state it is a little tougher than mild steel but still works well. I used a combination of hand and machine operations to do the dovetail work. It can absolutely be done by hand. I used my mill to take out a lot of material to save time because I just don't have all the free time I'd like to dedicate to something like this. That, and I spent a pretty penny on my milling machine so I like to use it!
    If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!

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