Shoulder plane blades--Source

[Dan Racette]

Anyone make their own shoulde planes out of wood?

Just curious if there is anyone doing that and where you are getting the blades for the projects.

Dan

[Zahid Naqvi]

I made a couple last year. I purchased the blades from LeeValley (3.99 each) if you need one or two let me know, I bet I can beat LVs price.

[Harold Beck]

I have had decent results making my blades out of annealed O-1 tool steel and then hardening. For something like a shoulder plane only the working end needs hardening, and tempering is simple in the oven. I have made several for wooden molding planes (I made a thumbnail plane for a project) and one for a small coffin smoother.

You can get annealed O-1 from most industrial supply places like McMaster Carr and it isn't that expensive and therefore, mistakes are not terminal. If I remember correctly 3/4" x 3/16" x 18" was maybe $15.

The annealed stock shapes reasonably with hack saws, files and grinders.

HB

[Dan Racette]

I'd like to avoid putting all that time into them, but would if I had too.

Zahid, where did you find 3.99 blades? they list them for like 26 now? I was looking at the med. shoulder plane.

dan

[Zahid Naqvi]

I should have posted a link, here you go. This is the 1" version. I thought we were talking about wooden shoulder planes, the Veritas medium shoulder is metal.

[jonathan snyder]

I should have posted a link, here you go. This is the 1" version. I thought we were talking about wooden shoulder planes, the Veritas medium shoulder is metal.

Zahid, your link does not work!

Jonathan

[Sue Wise]

Try this for the link.

[Brian Kent]

I have this plane. The blade is not so think and the plane chatters (see Lee Valley's own warning). I imagine this could be made to work with either a chip-breaker type support or a longer, better supporting wedge.

I want to figure out how to make this plane work because the plane body is strong, solid, and beautiful wood.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Thanks for fixing the link Sue.

The problem with this type of shoulder plane(the LV rosewood) is that the wedge does not come all the way down and hence does not provide strong support for the blade. That combined with the high anlge makes it inappropriate for hardwoods. If you are willing to experiment there are a couple of things you can try. First, as you suggested, make a replacement wedge from some other hard wood, but make it longer and with a lower angle so that it extends to about 1/2" above the mouth. You will also need to shape the end so that it is sharp and angled to push the shavings out of the mouth. The second more drastic option is to bend the blade slightly so that it arches away from the body. Now when you insert the wedge it will push the blade into the body and create some extra support/pressure.

I have found the following design of the wooden shoulder plane more effective on hardwoods. It has a few things going for it: the blade is skewed and the wedge comes all the way down almost to the edge to provide enhanced support. I think the wooden shoulder planes always suffer due to the inability to make a low angle one from wood. The metallic shoulder planes, you will notice, are almost always low angle. As the name suggests they should be able to handle endgrain, for which lower angle is very helpful.

rabbet-plane.jpg

[Dan Racette]

Thanks for the link. That is definitely the type of blade that I was looking for. You are right. I was more looking to make a plane that bedded at a much shallower angle. You are also right on about not having much in the way of blade support.

Boy, for $4 you can't go wrong!

dan

[Brian Kent]

Zahid,

I'll try the slight bend / arch. I have already sanded down the wedge so it will extend farther towards the edge of the blade. It does give a smaller area for the shavings to bunch up.

I wonder if any wedges for wooden shoulder planes have a combination brass and wood wedge?

I am willing to experiment. I have not been using it so I have nothing to lose.

[Zahid Naqvi]

You can make several wedges if you want to preserve the original. Trace out the pattern on some hardwood of appropriate thickness and modify the angle to control the depth. After a little experimentation you should be able to find the best option. Use that as a pattern to make a permanent replacement. You can also create an angle on the wedge. Looking from the pointed end towards the top, you can plane the top so that the right side is thinner than the left. This will push the shavings out of the mouth instead of keeping them curled inside it. As I said experiment on replacement wedges do not modify the original until you decide on a final design.
I'll try and take a picture of a wedge which has a similar inclined end and post it some time later.