DIY Thumb and Finger Planes

**Anorak Bob** · 18th February 2011, 08:53 PM

This forum is not my normal haunt but the subject matter would be a bit out of place in the metalwork area.

Several months ago I piped up in a thread regarding plane handles and showed a few photos of some of my old Stanley handles along with a photo of an ebony handle in a thumb plane that I'd made. At the time it was suggested that I should describe the making process of the little plane but being lazy, I didn't get around to it.

During the week, Ray G posted some photos of his stunning dovetail saw and that has rekindled my interest in planemaking. I had started then abandoned work on a bronze Norris A5'esque smoother 20 years ago. I might just have a go at finishing the thing off.

The thumb plane, made 25 years ago, was based loosely on Norris's No.31 plane. Rather than a gunmetal casting (and this, along with a few other shortcuts, will appall the purists) I used a section of 1 1/2" square box section brass with a wall thickness of 3/16". I cut the shape out roughly with a hacksaw and filed it to shape. The curved brass heel was bent from flat and silver soldered in place. I sanded the sides and base square and flat and fixed the two piece 1/16" thick mild steel sole in place with 15 rivets made from cut down countersunk 8 gauge wood screws. After peening then filing the rivets nearly flush, I finished the sole with progressively finer grades of carborundum paper on a surface plate. The lever cap and screw are again, not cast but cut and turned from flat and round bar. The knurling is appalling because at the time, I had less than no idea of what constitutes proper knurling.

The timber infill and handle is a recycled Macassar ebony bird carving. The blade is a piece of tool steel that I cannot remember anything about. It is 4.2 mm thick, doesn't rust and holds a fantastic edge. The little plane is a joy to use and wasn't too hard to make.

The finger plane is a different kettle of fish and I will describe it's making in another post.

Bob.

**planemaker** · 19th February 2011, 12:32 AM

Hi Bob. Thats some really nice work. Look forward to your ongoing postings.

Stewie.

**Anorak Bob** · 19th February 2011, 12:41 AM

Thanks Stewie,

I'll deal with the finger plane tomorrow.

Bob.

**RayG** · 19th February 2011, 01:00 AM

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the dark side... nice to see you straying away from the metal work forums..

Peter (aka lightwood) has a great website with information on infill plane making..
Peter McBride Antique and Old Tools

I look forward to seeing your progress on bringing a 20 year project to fruition... I have a few of those hiding in the shadows..

Regards
Ray

**kevjed** · 19th February 2011, 08:25 AM

Watching with great interest. Great to see projects come to the top of the list again.
All the best
Kevin

**Anorak Bob** · 19th February 2011, 12:54 PM

As a three dimensional design student at WAIT in 1982, I was given a project that had to utilize the process of lost wax casting. My fellow students were all studying jewelry design and silversmithing. I was allowed to make a plane rather than a piece of decoration. The shape of the little plane was based loosely on the violin planes Norris made.

Please keep in mind that this was done nearly 3 decades ago and my memory is what you'd expect of a 58 year old.

The patterns were sawn, sanded and filed from Kerr casting wax. The lever cap and body patterns were assembled with sprues and set in an investment plaster mould. The mould was then heated in a kiln to burn out the wax pattern then placed in a casting centrifuge. Molten brass was poured into the centrifuge where it was thrown outwards into the plaster mould. After cooling, the mould was broken away revealing the cast plane parts. I was lucky that this worked the first time given that my sacrificial wax pattern was a one off. It was a simple shape thereby minimizing the risk of disaster. Rubber moulds are usually made from a master pattern and cast wax patterns made from those moulds in the case of repetitive castings.

Investment or lost wax casting usually results in a fine surface finish requiring minimal cleanup. After removing the sprues, I finished off the parts with fine wet and dry paper. The knurled clamping screw was turned from brass bar on a beautiful little Myford ML7 lathe they had in the 3D workshop. Unlike the shabby knurling on the thumb plane, the parallel knurling looks o.k. The blade was cut from an Eclipse power hacksaw blade. The strip of brass screwed onto the bed was required because the mouth was way too big. People that don't know think that it's a toy but like the thumb plane, it's been a great little plane to use.

Bob.

**planemaker** · 19th February 2011, 06:09 PM

Hi Bob. Enjoyed your posting for the finger plane. For 30 years ago, you did very well recalling the steps involved in casting.

Stewie.

**RayG** · 19th February 2011, 06:32 PM

Hi Bob,

I think I might have found a bit of walnut for you to finish that 25 year project.. I'll PM you some pictures to see if it's suitable.

Regards
Ray

**IanW** · 20th February 2011, 10:12 AM

Good thread, AB!

I think the majority of folks here are happy to see tools made by any method that works well, & alternative construction methods are always a welcome addition. I'm certainly no purist, & have tried making a plane from channel brass myself. Mine failed miserably because the section was too light for what I was trying to do.

But this could start a competition for who can dig out the longest-running unfinished project & actually finish it. I reckon I jave a couple of hot contenders....

Cheers,

**dakotax3** · 23rd February 2011, 10:47 AM

Looking..... looking real hard at photos. Looking REAL hard at photos. Put glasses on and look again at this appalling and shabby knurling. Can anyone show me what good knurling looks like? These two examples are so... so........ so terrible. So terrible in fact I wish I was that terrible.

**IanW** · 23rd February 2011, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by dakotax3

Looking..... looking real hard at photos. Looking REAL hard at photos. Put glasses on and look again at this appalling and shabby knurling. Can anyone show me what good knurling looks like? These two examples are so... so........ so terrible. So terrible in fact I wish I was that terrible.

Yeah - I looked at it & thought it wasn't all THAT bad, too. Not as raised & 'diamondy' as a perfect job, perhaps, but it's done the job for 30 years........

And it's an order of magnitude better than MY first efforts!

Cheers,

**Anorak Bob** · 23rd February 2011, 11:08 AM

Below are a few photos of a tool height setting gauge I made a few years ago with a home made clamp type knurling tool. I am happy with the result. The making of the gauge and also the knurling tool are the subject of a couple of threads in the metalworking forum.

Bob.

Thread: DIY Thumb and Finger Planes

Thread Tools

Search Thread

DIY Thumb and Finger Planes

Not really a DIY finger plane

Similar Threads

Rule of thumb

Winning tip - the RH thumb tip

Rule of thumb

3 One Thumb

thumb nails

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions