Made my own trapping plane.

[JDarvall]

I reakon some of you might like this. (please excuse my dirty hands. Been working with epoxy all week. Can't get it off)

Pinched the idea from this site here.
http://www.ashemcrafts.com/products_trapping_plane.aspx
I was going to buy it. But it could be a while because their costly. So I worked out how to do it myself.

Its a just a tool that allows you shape tapers on turnings. The main advantage seems to be that you can do this on turnings longer than your lathe bed, since you only need to fix it at the head.

All I've done is made a jig up that clamps to a regular bench plane ( so you can adjust the blade depth etc)

Pictures should explain it I'm hoping.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/1-9.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/2-8.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/3-8.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/4-8.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/5-6.jpg

I found it really nice to use. Plenty of control I felt. Turn the lathe speed right down, and the cuts very clean. No whip problems, because its locked up where your cutting.

I got the universal bearing a long time ago in hard rubbish. But I'd imagine you could do something similar with just a couple of skateboard bearings epoxied into a block of wood.

I reakon, possibly somebody could make some money out of it too. Instead of the clamps have some kind of clamping device on the plate to attach the planes sole to. So any regular old bench plane can be converted into a trapping plane. Sell to the worrrrrld.

[thefixer]

Great innovation. Maybe good for pool cues, huh?:rolleyes: Having said, I'll be buggered if I'd ever work in my shed wearing a pair of rubber thongs on my feet (pic 1). Too many hard and or sharp things ready to jump off the bench without warning.:oo::?

Cheers
Shorty

[JDarvall]

I wasn't working ......just hot, and I can't sleep. Just went in to take photos of my thingo to show off. something to talk about. uno.

[TTIT]

Very handy little gadget that and I like your twist on it Jake. :2tsup:

[joe greiner]

Good pinch (with both meanings), Jake. A lot safer than just hand-held like Nawm (Abrams, NYW) does. When working with epoxy or CA, I usually wear proctologist gloves, bought in bulk. I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but washing dries out the old skin, and frequent drying uses up too many towels.

Joe

[JDarvall]

Thanks Joe.......your right about the gloves. Its supplied at work. But the problem I have with them, is they keep tearing at the tips. Spreading tons of the stuff at the moment. I have to run fingers quickly along edges to smooth out, and they just tear. And I don't have any grip with them on I found.

[Caliban]

I usually wear proctologist gloves, bought in bulk..


Thanks Joe.......your right about the gloves. Its supplied at work. But the problem I have with them, is they keep tearing at the tips. Spreading tons of the stuff at the moment. I have to run fingers quickly along edges to smooth out, and they just tear. And I don't have any grip with them on I found.

:oo::oo::oo::oo:

[wheelinround]

AT great find :2tsup:

I have seen similar used for walking sticks displayed at H&F Sydney's last open day by he Ornimental Turners Group.
It uses a plane blade and is gripped like a pair of Multi Grips I'll have to take the camera next time.

[jmk89]

I like it, Jake.

Just one question - could the "universal bearing" just be a block of steel or brass with a hole drilled through it?

[joe greiner]

:oo::oo::oo::oo:

Well, that's what I call 'em. You know what I mean. I mentioned this practise to my neurologist, and he almost choked. Heaven forbid that a doctor should laugh at a patient's joke.

Joe

[rsser]

Maybe he thought you were wearing used ones.

[hughie]

Maybe he thought you were wearing used ones.


Good one!

yeah some of em need to get out more often

Never the less a good idea on both counts

[JDarvall]

ta.

yes, and thankyou very much. I'll be reminded of that everytime I look at my hands now.

Jeremy......your right about something similar. .....I tried your idea today, but just used a block of wood with a hole in it. Tight sliding fit. Needent be so fancy with bearings. I wanted to try it with just a block plane.....something a bit lighter. Worked a treat. Thanks.

[Hardenfast]

Nice adaptation Jake. Using a hand plane on a lathe seems to make all sorts of sense to me. I've even used (and use) an electric plane to knock a blank quickly into shape while the thing's spinning at slow speed. Seems to horrify some people but works brilliantly - turns a 5 minute process into a 30 second one.

Do you keep the plane at 90 degrees across the piece, or can you angle it a little into the cut and still hold your vee piece under it OK? What does the base of the rod fix to?

Very cool!

Wayne

[JDarvall]

Never used an electric plane. Does sound scary. But I must try it.

90 degrees I felt worked best.......but, the idea was origionally to be able to twist the plane in some attempt to cut with the grain. Thats what the single post was all about. You can skew any which way you like

But I found the results weren't as consistant when I skewed it. Cut little scallop lines(albiet clean) around it as you moved sideways...not too bad, just felt better at 90 degree's

Trying to refine the idea today, fiddling around making stretchers for chair legs... I'm thrilled about the latest idea with the block plane.

The rod justs welded to a flat plate of scrap steel. And the plates just clamped to the plane body.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I like the idea Jake, but I think I'd settle for using it by hand with no power assistance.

If I'm going to spin wood on a lathe I'll settle for more traditional methods - 'cos by the time I'd set the plane up I could've already tapered the piece down to size, without a steady. (That's one of the nice things about learning the skills in the first place. :roll:)

Even so, I've worked in shops where a lathe is not - and never will be - available (I think they're afraid the employees would take up pen turning :q) but a tool like that would not only be welcome, but useful...


Using a hand plane on a lathe seems to make all sorts of sense to me. I've even used (and use) an electric plane to knock a blank quickly into shape while the thing's spinning at slow speed. Seems to horrify some people but works brilliantly - turns a 5 minute process into a 30 second one.

Using the plane doesn't horrify me... it's the thought of what can happen when things go pear shaped. And sooner or later, things will... it's the nature of turning that seemingly tame pieces of wood can put serious holes in you walls. :shrug: It may be X times quicker, but the damage potential is easily also X times as large. Ever had a chisel go flying past your ear? Trust me, that's scary enough. I don't even want to consider a planer blade at 100 times the speed...

[JDarvall]

Even so, I've worked in shops where a lathe is not - and never will be - available (I think they're afraid the employees would take up pen turning :q) but a tool like that would not only be welcome, but useful...

I've had little turning experience, but I've found it useful so far in the experiments I've done. Especially for tapering out smoothly thin spindles. No whip problems. Sand straight after. It just evens out the sweep nicely. and quickly.

It has me thinking about making another version with a rounded sole, so you can taper your sweeps with more of a curve in them.

We've got a beatup lathe at work. One of those handmade numbers made say 50 years ago. Scarey looking thing. But I don't touch it. Boss does all the turning work when it comes in. He quite good at it though. professional.

But he's a competitive bugger. If I showed him the trapped plane, he'd critize it straight off the bat. Don't get me wrong, he is a nice bloke, just competitive crap gets a bit tiresome. Always got to make sure he feels better than everyone at everything to keep the peace :rolleyes::D

If interested I'll get a picture of the smaller one I've setup in use.