experimental plane

[bridger]

I'm modifying a broken block plane to be a low angle bevel down with chipbreaker one handed mini smoother. The build notes and pictures are at https://bridgerberdel.wordpress.com

[IanW]

Nice bit of work, bridger. I'm envious of your metal-cutting bandsaw, too - could do with one of those a couple of times a year, but not enough to justify the cost, nor the space it would take up in my very cramped shop.

I'm wondering about the geometry of this plane. It looks like you have kept the original bed angle, or close to it (20 degrees). What angle do you plan to put on your blade bevel? The 'standard' 20 degree grind angle would mean the bevel will ride on the wood being planed, and anything steeper than that would lift the cutting edge off the job. I've always thought that once you drop bed angles below about 35 degrees, you just don't have enough angle left to take practical grind & hone angles without losing clearance (some suggest a minimum of 5 degrees, but I reckon 10 is better in most situations), so you are pretty much obliged to go bevel-up. But you've clearly taken some shavings with your plane (unless you faked the pic! ), so how are you managing the geometry

Cheers,

[seanz]

Ian, the modern small cut-off type horizontal metal bandsaws have a plate that can be fitted to convert them too a vertical bandsaw. They fit under benches for when you're not using them.....

[bridger]

Nice bit of work, bridger. I'm envious of your metal-cutting bandsaw, too - could do with one of those a couple of times a year, but not enough to justify the cost, nor the space it would take up in my very cramped shop.

I'm wondering about the geometry of this plane. It looks like you have kept the original bed angle, or close to it (20 degrees). What angle do you plan to put on your blade bevel? The 'standard' 20 degree grind angle would mean the bevel will ride on the wood being planed, and anything steeper than that would lift the cutting edge off the job. I've always thought that once you drop bed angles below about 35 degrees, you just don't have enough angle left to take practical grind & hone angles without losing clearance (some suggest a minimum of 5 degrees, but I reckon 10 is better in most situations), so you are pretty much obliged to go bevel-up. But you've clearly taken some shavings with your plane (unless you faked the pic! ), so how are you managing the geometry

Cheers,

It's bedded to 35°. The bevel is as low as it looked like might hold. Probably about 25°, but I havent measured. This seemd to me to be about the practical limit for a low angle bevel down plane, at least with any steel available to me.

The band saw is a horizontal/ vertical cutoff machine. It's adequate for my needs, but by no means a high end tool.

[wheelinround]

Darn thought your plane might be broken like one son handed me also block plane. Mine is cracked across the base just rear of the riser casting at approx 25 deg across the base.

Considering making a brass or new steel base to fix. any other ideas welcome.

[IanW]

It's bedded to 35°. The bevel is as low as it looked like might hold. Probably about 25°, but I havent measured. This seemd to me to be about the practical limit for a low angle bevel down plane, at least with any steel available to me.

Aha, I've done my usual trick of jumping to conclusions with little or nothing to go on. I agree, I think an angle of 35* is somewhere near the practical limit for a BD bed. That gives 10 degrees of clearance under a secondary bevel of 25*, which is adequate. No problems!

...Considering making a brass or new steel base to fix. any other ideas welcome...

Well, I'll tender an opinion, Wheelin'. I reckon you'd be way better off, economically, just looking out for a new (old) plane -they are almost as common as dirt, after all. But of course, the challenge & fun of making a new plane body would be hard to resist, for someone who likes to muck about with a bit of metal, & you do, I believe, have a touch of metal-working experience...

Cheers,

[bridger]

Aha, I've done my usual trick of jumping to conclusions with little or nothing to go on. I agree, I think an angle of 35* is somewhere near the practical limit for a BD bed. That gives 10 degrees of clearance under a secondary bevel of 25*, which is adequate. No problems!



Well, I'll tender an opinion, Wheelin'. I reckon you'd be way better off, economically, just looking out for a new (old) plane -they are almost as common as dirt, after all. But of course, the challenge & fun of making a new plane body would be hard to resist, for someone who likes to muck about with a bit of metal, & you do, I believe, have a touch of metal-working experience...

Cheers,

Perhaps soft solder on a layer of heavy sheet metal?

But yeah, block planes aren't hard to come by.

[wheelinround]

A

Well, I'll tender an opinion, Wheelin'. I reckon you'd be way better off, economically, just looking out for a new (old) plane -they are almost as common as dirt, after all. But of course, the challenge & fun of making a new plane body would be hard to resist, for someone who likes to muck about with a bit of metal, & you do, I believe, have a touch of metal-working experience...

Cheers,

Ian its not imperative this be repaired as I have one or two others already

does it show that much

[bridger]

I've uploaded a few new pictures and notes tonight.