Voigt Try Plane

[Kevin Hampshire]

Kees, you're right. During my reply I was thinking about how I could wax the sole and use it to flatten my bench.

My BU and BD metal jointers max out at 22 inches. I was looking at a LN#8 but this 28" jointer may work.

image.jpg

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick,

Good eye. Truth is I hadn't thought much about it. I make the planes somewhat longer than intended final length and once finished I cut them down till they are comfortable in hand while working both pull and push. Looking at some of my stored blanks the tail is slightly longer than the nose but I would expect if I were to finish them they would end up much like these.

Of course your question demanded I do some test shaving (any excuse to put plane on wood) using my shop made woodies vs. more tradition woodies vs. a metal smoother. On the push stroke there is not enough difference between the woodies to tell them apart, much the same with the metal plane other than it is metal and has a tote and knob. Of the three on the pull stroke mine works better but not by much vs. a traditional coffin smoother vs. the metal I would say working one on the pull stroke is a learned skill. I do it when needed but the little shop made plane is easier.

Thanks for the explanation! It makes sense that cutting on the pull would favor a long[er]-toed plane. My understanding is that that's why Japanese planes are proportioned the way they are.

EDIT: Get rid of part that I got wrong.

[ken hatch]

Tony,

Thank you. I don't have the plane any more, but maybe Ken will snap a pic of wedge/blade; he takes better photos than I do anyway.

Tony,

One of the opening, wedge, and iron.



ken

[Stewie Simpson]

That looks like a very nice plane, but it isn't it a bit long to be a try plane? It seems more like a jointer. They weren't quite the same back then, allthough pretty similar. A tryplane would be 22 to 24" long. A jointer would be longer (sometimes much longer). The jointer was primarily set up to joint edges, the tryplane would be used for flattening surfaces.

The jointer plane (also known as the try plane or trying plane) is a type of hand plane used primarily to straighten the edges of boards in the operation known as jointing. A jointer plane may also be used to flatten the face of a board.

Technically; jointing needs to be identified as a technique or process ; that is not restricted by a hand planes length.

The Australian Carpenter & Joiner; (1958; 1966; 1975; 1981; 1985) Fifth Edition; 1985 ; Volumes 1 to 5.

Try plane ; 560mm and 610mm long with a 60mm cutter, used mostly for shooting the edge of boards that are to be jointed together, but also useful for planing large flat surfaces to a perfectly level face.

Fore plane ; 450mm long with a 60mm cutter. This also makes a reasonable good job when shooting joints and planing large flat surfaces, and is more favoured generally than the try plane because it is lighter and fits in the tool kit more easily.

Jack plane ; 355mm long with a 50mm cutter, referred to as a No.5 plane. This is the plane that does most of the rough work and is a plane for general all- round work. This plane is the first favourite with tradesmen because it can be used for roughing off surfaces, and then by setting the cutter fine, for finishing off, and can be used fairly successfully for jointing short timbers.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Thanks Ken! Very nice plane you got from Steve. The strike button is particularly, "striking"! Steve, you're very talented.

[Steve Voigt]

Thanks Tony, that's very kind of you. Like most of the younger planemakers, I ripped off the strike button detail from Larry and Don. I've never actually seen an old plane in the wild that had the diamond strike, though I'm sure Larry wouldn't have done it without some firm historical precedent.

And Ken, thanks for posting the pics.

[Kees Heiden]

The jointer plane (also known as the try plane or trying plane) is a type of hand plane used primarily to straighten the edges of boards in the operation known as jointing. A jointer plane may also be used to flatten the face of a board.

Technically; jointing needs to be identified as a technique or process ; that is not restricted by a hand planes length.

The Australian Carpenter & Joiner; (1958; 1966; 1975; 1981; 1985) Fifth Edition; 1985 ; Volumes 1 to 5.

Try plane ; 560mm and 610mm long with a 60mm cutter, used mostly for shooting the edge of boards that are to be jointed together, but also useful for planing large flat surfaces to a perfectly level face.

Fore plane ; 450mm long with a 60mm cutter. This also makes a reasonable good job when shooting joints and planing large flat surfaces, and is more favoured generally than the try plane because it is lighter and fits in the tool kit more easily.

Jack plane ; 355mm long with a 50mm cutter, referred to as a No.5 plane. This is the plane that does most of the rough work and is a plane for general all- round work. This plane is the first favourite with tradesmen because it can be used for roughing off surfaces, and then by setting the cutter fine, for finishing off, and can be used fairly successfully for jointing short timbers.

Aha, I should have named my source

I was referening to the time of Nicholson, 19th century, when the wooden plane was still king. The names of the wooden planes got quite mixed up later on. The desigantion "tryplane" was not used much anymore, so I am surprised that your Australian source prefers it over the name jointer. Here in Holland we would call them voorloper and reischaaf.

Kevin, I think you are well set for flattening your benchtop