How wide is a half-set of hollows and rounds?

[Allen Hunt]

I am thinking of designing a hand-tool cabinet and I wondered how much shelf space to allow for a half-set of hollows and rounds in the cabinet. If my calculations are correct, around 18+ inches. Anybody have a half-set they could measure?

[Jim Koepke]

The width of the planes may depend on the maker.

Here are some of mine:

Molding Planes on Shelf.jpg

This is not a matched set, nor is it a complete half set it is missing the 14s and 16s, it doesn't have a pair above the 18s. The last plane is a lone 22 iirc. It also includes some of the odd sizes; 1, 3 & 5. The shelf is 23". You will likely find a desire to obtain other planes besides hollows & rounds. Then you will need more room. At least that is my experience. I have a few other planes sitting in a box until I have time to make more shelving.

jtk

[george wilson]

I agree. It is better to leave more room as you will sooner or later acquire more.

[Tom M King]

It doesn't matter how big you build it. At some point, it won't be big enough. My hollows and rounds fit in one 28" waterproof toolbox, but it's full.

[Allen Hunt]

I know I know. Leave room for more! I already have some joinery and other wooden planes and I'm sure to acquire more in the future. Thanks for the feedback. I just needed a rough idea for planning purposes.

[Jim Koepke]

The shelf is 23".

Didn't mention this is the open area of the shelf. Standard (cheap) lumber here is cut to 8' lengths. My shelves are cut to end up with as little waste as possible when making shelves.

My recollection is this shelf unit was originally made to be a book shelf. Some shelves have been added at a later date as were the lower shelf of molding planes and the row of drawers.

jtk

[Kees Heiden]

Mine are in a 60 cm wide cabinet with about a fist width to spare.

[Bob Glenn]

I just measured mine. Not a matched set, however, they work. It's an easy 22 inches set loosely on the shelf. As others have said, it's always better to leave more room than to try to add some later. Bob

[lowell holmes]

Where does one find hollows and rounds these days?

Old Street is not accepting orders.

[Tom M King]

All mine came off ebay, and from the UK. I've had no luck with molding planes from the US. They took better care of them over there for some reason. Here, it seems like they end up in a barn, and rusty. I don't have time to deal with rust or fixing the wooden parts.

Most of mine came several years back when it cost 8 bucks to get a small packet from the UK. I'm sure it's gone up some since then. Mine is not a matched set, but out of probably 40 hollows and rounds, only one needed anything other than sharpening. That problem one had a replacement wedge and chattered. I just bought another one for twenty bucks to replace it rather than speed time fettling it.

I didn't, and don't, care a bit that mine are not a matched set. I just needed some to use.

[Jim Koepke]

Some of mine came from ebay, usually matched pairs. Some came from antique shops before I knew much about them. Most of them came from a man I met while rust hunting in an antique shop. He bought a lot of them on trips to England.

I don't think there are as many old barns in England as we have here. Many of my forefathers were woodworkers but their tools are still in the homes of other heirs. I have a few.

As Tom posted, it isn't greatly important for usage the planes be a matched set. That is something for collectors. Some of my pairs are from the same makers. Some of them may share the same maker but were made years apart. My set would be called a double harlequin set.

A harlequin set is when the pairs are matched by makers but the full set isn't from a single maker. Double harlequin sets will have different makers for planes in the H&R pairs.

Some of my H&Rs have skewed blades, most are straight.

jtk