Lie-Neilson Butt Mortise Plane -- (With PICS!)

[Richard Keller]

It's taken me two days to figure out FTP transfer... This is my first post here, so if it turns out bad, you'll know why. I just switched to openSUSE btw... learning, but already better than XP...

Anyhow. I bought the Butt Mortise plane a couple of months ago. I figured if it could be half as good as the catalogue description, then it would be GOOD. Well ... IT IS AWSOME! A big time saver. I fooled around with it out of the box, hung a couple of doors, but these photos are from my first "real" woodworking project with it ... it is slick.




This is the plane sitting on the tablesaw/workbench. I am building a footboard for a bed here. I would saw "excuse the mess in the shop" but this really is the cleanest its been in years.



This gives you a better idea what's going on in the shop, what I'm building.

I found that the blade in the plane was too wide for the hardware I am using out of the box, so I ground the cutting end of the blade narrower.



If you are not familiar with this plane, basically the idea is that the blade sticks out the bottom of the plane the same measure that your hardware is thick. The plane is then basically like using a chisel bevel down to mortise, except that now we have perfect depth control, giving us nice flush, level hardware. Also much much less time to set up than a router. For this project I have a total of eight mortises to make (about 1/2 x 4 and a 1/4 deep) So ... an hour to make a router jig, and still have to square the corners, or 2 minutes (max) each with the BMP. (Butt Mortise Plane)



This is the first step in the job ... making a cut around the hardware layout. The box drawn here is with a sharp knife, not a pencil (not sure if that comes thru in this photo. I took this with my cell phone ... I can remember when cell phones had cars teathered to them ... anyways) It is VERY critical that this be done well, as this basically defines the mortise. I use a very sharp utility knife with a brand new blade. You need to cut as deep as the hardware, or at least very close. (1/4 was a little much)

Also, make sure your work is clamped down (see second photo) as much force is required for this.



This was my first use on this project, and I though it would be better to take a number of light cuts. I'm taking about 1/8 off right here. But on the second hardware install, I found that it does a better job taking full depth right from the start. It also doesn't take any more force to do, like I would have thought it would.



The easiest way to set the depth of the blade is to set the plane on two pieces of hardware and drop the blade down on a flat surface.



Secondary reliefs here had to be chiseled out for the other half of this hardware to lock in (it's knock down hardware - I probably should have mentioned that sooner)



This is the finished product (Would have been faster w/o the camera) This is actually the second mortise, which I did at full depth in one pass. The first one, which I did in multi-passes, had a bit of tearout around it. This one had no tearout, go figure. The side rails hide all this later anyways.

So ... stay tuned. I will post some more pics as the project goes on/completes. Also, some other pics in the shop. Some of the machines I have rebuilt..... but I think thats it for tonight. Figuring out FTP was exhausting...

Richard Keller

[Mark Rios]

Looks like you do nice work Richard.

I wonder how much that butt plane is? I put on a little weight over the holidays and my butt could use a new mortise. I'll have to look into getting one I guess.

[Jim Dunn]

Richard do you have to turn the plane around to do the oposite end? Also how do you align the blade to the mortise scribe? Is there a fence for the side of the plane? Sorry for all the questions but I gotta know

[Michael Gibbons]

Richard , is that a Stickley/Crafstman style bed your making? Looks good.

[Richard Keller]

Jim,

First - there is no fence with the plane. Basically your flying freehand (bad pun intended ). What you have to guide you is the knife outline of your hardware. The tool is basically designed (I think) for hinge work. I had to make the blade narrower for my purposes because, obviously with a hinge, the extra blade would hang over the side of the project. It did work quite dandy for my though. To start the mortise, you basically line the plane up at one end on your knife mark, or slightly inside, and well, go for it. The first motion removes much of the material, then you can come back and clean up. Yes, you do have to reverse the plane to clean up the start end. I realize for more experienced plane users you will quickly be saying "AHHHH!!! Your cutting against the GRAIN!! What's the matter with you??!!" But for some reason (Perhaps the fact that the plane is VERY sharp??) It did not seem to want to chip out. I have tried this on several wood doors before this project, and it did not chip out there either.

I have some more mortising to do on this project this week, so I will take some more detailed pics of the process and post them here.

Michael, The bed was actually featured in a Woodsmith magazine about 10 years ago. I have been working on it since I think it was of their design, but it certainly has some Craftsman influence. Essentally, the headboard is the same as the footboard shown, but taller, and then rails in between. I will post some pics as the project completes (Soon hopefully )

[Jim Dunn]

Thank you. Being a handtool ignoramous I just couldn't picture it in my mind.

[Tim Nylander]

that plane is my secret weapon on site, I use it all the time. It makes hardware installation take half the time with almost no mess. you can even make a sub base for it out of scrap hardwood to make bigger mortises than the sole would normally allow, they just cant be too deep.

[Tyler Howell]

Thanks Richard,
Great thread. Beautiful work.

[John Schreiber]

Thanks for the description. I only had a rough idea how a mortise plane would work. I'm also very intrigued by your idea of grinding down the blade. It seems like a mortise plane with a variety of blades could serve some of the same uses as a router plane.

Anybody know if that approach has worked?

[Richard Keller]

Have not tried it as a router plane, but I can't see off the top of my head why it wouldn't work in a pinch. I would think a router plane would be much more ergonomic for the work of dados though.