making finger planes

[Matt Lau]

Dear Neander-creekers,

After my birthday yesterday, I was thinking a lot about what I have vs what I want.
I started to realize that I'm perfectly fine with what I have.

I was tempted to buy the Lie Nielson violin plane, but then realized that I don't need it.
I have a number of white-steel finger plane blades from Japan woodworker, wood, and the tools to make it.

Does anyone have tips on making finger planes?

Stephen Boone has a pretty good video on how he makes them, but he uses a lot of machines. http://www.luthiersuppliers.com/products/p13.html
But I'd rather do this with hand tools.

I also see this as well: http://www.instructables.com/id/Wooden-Thumb-Plane/

Also, any tips on the wood selection?
I have some walnut, some pearwood, mahogany, rosewood and maple.

[bridger berdel]

Anything reasonably hard should do. Rosewood sounds right to me.

I also am thinking of a finger plane build or two- I'll be following along.

[Frederick Skelly]

Havent made any finger planes but I've made a few wooden planes (a smoother, a round and a miter). I enjoyed the experience and bet you will too. It was confidence building.

I used maple, jatoba and even mahogany respectively, for my three. I think the mahogany was a bit too soft.

Good luck!
Fred

[george wilson]

When I make the planes of wood,I use boxwood. About rosewood: I don't know which species you refer to,but,for what it's worth,Brazilian rosewood wears pretty rapidly,and is a poor choice for making plane bodies from. I haven't tried East Indian rosewood for planes. From the woods you mention,I'd choose maple if I couldn't get boxwood.

The "Indestructables" reference gives poor information on making a plane,and on making the blade. 200 degrees to temper the plane blade is ridiculous. try 700 degrees. File steel is brittle even when you try softening it.

[bridger berdel]

When I make the planes of wood,I use boxwood. About rosewood: I don't know which species you refer to,but,for what it's worth,Brazilian rosewood wears pretty rapidly,and is a poor choice for making plane bodies from. I haven't tried East Indian rosewood for planes. From the woods you mention,I'd choose maple if I couldn't get boxwood.

The "Indestructables" reference gives poor information on making a plane,and on making the blade. 200 degrees to temper the plane blade is ridiculous. try 700 degrees. File steel is brittle even when you try softening it.

I'm in Arizona- what I have locally is mesquite. I also have some lignum vitae and cocobolo in finger plane sizes. Do you have opinions about those for this use?

[Mel Fulks]

I'm in Arizona- what I have locally is misquote. Opinion?

I'm guessing he meant meskeet ( my spelling is worse...but sounds better)

[bridger berdel]

I'm guessing he meant meskeet ( my spelling is worse...but sounds better)

Sometimes spell check makes ironic mistakes...

[Matt Lau]

Lignum vitae, cocobolos, and mesquite would likely wear very, very well.
Gluing it might be challenging.

Of course, I haven't made a finger plane yet (made a Krenov plane for my mentor).

George wilson is the big man I'd listen to, as he knows this stuff best.
I'm surprised about the Brazilian rosewood part--but plan to save my brazilian rosewood for mainly guitar bridges.
(I did send a chunk to a knife maker to make my personal kitchen knife handles).

As for the wood, I have some old maple from my friend's cutting board--that's been used every day at a sushi restaurant for about 10 years. It's ridiculously hard and heavy. The areas they used were cupped in about 1 cm!

[bridger berdel]

Lignum vitae may be too slippery to hold a wedge. Anybody here ever seen a lignum bodied Plane?

[Matt Lau]

I've seen a few German planes and coffin smoothers made with lignum on ebay, but never handled one.
My understanding is that lignum is dovetailed into some Ulmia planes.

On my end, I'm thinking of either using pearwood (from my banjo buddy), or some old (maple?) from my sushi friend's cutting board.
I'm leaning towards the maple, as the part I'll use is from a small section that delaminated from the main board....too small to do much else with.

[Patrick Chase]

I've seen a few German planes and coffin smoothers made with lignum on ebay, but never handled one.
My understanding is that lignum is dovetailed into some Ulmia planes.

Ulmia and ECE, who offer suspiciously near-identical lines of planes, both offer some models with "Lignum Vitae" boxing on the soles. I have an ECE jointer with such a sole, and I'm 99% sure it's Bulnesia Sarmientoi (Verawood, "Argentinian Lignum Vitae"). The real thing (Guaiacum officinale) is in Cites Appendix II, and would be difficult for a maker like ECE to obtain in sufficient quantity, particularly at a cost compatible with their planes' asking prices.

[bridger berdel]

I'm not talking about adding vitae to the sole, I'm talking about the body itself. It's a finger plane. The amount of wood involved is tiny.

[Patrick Chase]

I'm not talking about adding vitae to the sole, I'm talking about the body itself. It's a finger plane. The amount of wood involved is tiny.

Understood, I was replying to Matt's remark about the Ulmias.

FWIW I agree with what you said earlier: Probably too slippery, such that wedge retention is likely to be an issue.

[Matt Lau]

Patrick,

I think we're in accord. I wouldn't make a plane entirely out of Lignum Vitae either--it'd be a waste for that wood!

I found another link here:http://www.dunwellguitar.com/FingerPlanes/MyDesign.htm
While I could do it, it wouldn't be very neander.

Then again, a fellow creeper recommend that I just buy an Ibex--which I might.

[Matt Lau]

https://finelystrung.com/tag/finger-planes/

Here's another. I'm not sure if I'd be confident enough to carve a dai out from scratch, but it's worth trying.
I do have some desert Ironwood that I could use for the soles.