German Style Smoothing Plane.

[Pat Barry]

Pat; if you have a look at the previous photo's I carved a 1/4" deep -1/2 round (180*) tenon on the bottom surface of the front tote. A matching mortise was then cut to seat this tenon prior to glue up. A vertical face of long grain was also dovetailed into the vertical wall that the tote is seated against. By doing so, I was able to change the gluing surface from long grain to end grain to long grain to long grain. Ideal gluing surface. Combined, both actions taken should provide enough strength to accommodate the pressure placed upon the front tote during service. My apologies for not taking a photo of the tenon mortise prior to glue up. It would have made it easier for the reader to follow.

Stewie;

Thanks Stewie. I appreciate the additional explanation. That will be one very very nice plane! Congratulations on stellar work.

[lowell holmes]

I have a wooden Steve Knight jointer plane that is 24" long. The jointer is made of cocobolo.

[Stewie Simpson]

Thanks Stewie. I appreciate the additional explanation. That will be one very very nice plane! Congratulations on stellar work.

Thanks Pat; appreciate the feedback

Stewie;

[Stewie Simpson]

3 coats of Danish Oil was applied over a 24hr period. Both the cap iron and cutting iron were then honed to a steeper secondary bevel. A light camber was worked to the cutting edge. A fine grit Norton Carborundum Oilstone 1st, followed by a finer grit Arkansas Oilstone. The Smoothing Plane was then rigorously tested on Australian Jarrah taking both thick to lighter shavings. The plane performed exceptionally well with both types of shaving. The shaping of the planes front horn and rear bun mould very nicely within the hands during use . Job done.


Stewie;

[Kees Heiden]

Nice one Stewie. I apreciated the build thread, and it is nice to see another model plane being made.

[Michael J Evans]

Stewie,
Is the rear bun a traditional thing on this style of plane?
The reason I ask is I have a peugot freres Scrub plane that is continental? Style that lacks the rear bun. I place my hand in the same spot the bun would be and after a while it can become painful, from the plane blade jabbing into the Web between the thumb and forefinger.

Btw plane looks great.

[Kees Heiden]

The rear bun is a later addition to this style of planes, when men became less hardy and started to hurt their softened little hands

In practice you learn quickly enough to keep the web of your hand a bit further away from the blade, just like when using a coffin plane.

[Stewie Simpson]

Nice one Stewie. I apreciated the build thread, and it is nice to see another model plane being made.

Thanks Kees.

[Stewie Simpson]

Michael; appreciate the feedback. Kees would be the ideal person to cover the inherent variations in wooden plane design from the U.K, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

Stewie;

[Kees Heiden]

Wolfgang Jordan is the expert on German planes. From his website:

Handschoner

Der Handschoner, der die den Hobel schiebende Hand vor dem Kontakt mit dem Eisen schützt, ist erst seit etwa 1920 üblich. Aber auch danach wurden noch Hobel ohne Handschoner gefertigt. Maßgebend dafür waren neben dem Preisunterschied auch die unterschiedlichen Vorlieben der Handwerker. Zum Handschoner gibt es verschiedene Patente, z. B. von der Badischen Holzwerkzeugfabrik CH0000039758 (Schweiz 1907), von Esslinger & Abt CH0000058255 (Schweiz 1912), von der Laupheimer Werkzeugfabrik AT0000118886 (Österreich 1930), von F. W. Emmerich DE0000556781A (Deutschland 1932). Das Patent der Laupheimer Werkzeugfabrik beinhaltet einen abnehmbaren Handschoner, um auch die älteren Handwerker zufriedenzustellen, die diese Neuerung nicht gewohnt sind.

This means to say that these handprotectors are in use since 1920 or so. The oldest patent he could find is from 1907 from a Swiss company.

The front horn goes back to at least the middle ages. The shape and how it was attached to the plane block evolved quite a bit over that period. A famous example can be found on the drawing from Duerer, Melancholica from 1514.

[Michael J Evans]

The rear bun is a later addition to this style of planes, when men became less hardy and started to hurt their softened little hands

Lol thanks kees.