wood handplanes

[DarrenSmith]

Derek
Last weekend at the markets I spied two wooden planes with wooden wedges to keep the blade in place. At the time I was looking for a Record or Stanley, found one, no extra budget left so didn't go back and have a closer inspection.
I am gaining an appreciation as to this addiction everyone talks about, and the satisfaction of seeing this plane after two days working on it is great.
Should I go back and have a better look at these wooden planes, what should I look for, how would one tune one, what would you expect to pay for one,what are they like to use....etc etc


Cheers
Darren

[Darwin]

Hi Darren (from another Darren),

Wooden planes cna be a joy to use, as they are lighter and more responsive than metal planes, and tend to trnsfer more of the feel of the wood being planed to your hands, allowing fine control.

But the same principles apply when buying a wooden plane to a metal one - avoid one with cracks/damage to the mouth (either where the blade protrudes at the bottom or at the top/sides where wedge sits) or that has a badly damaged or skewed sole.

If the damage is light, they are easy to fix. The mouth will often be quite wide (front to back) from years of truing, so may need an insert made to sit in the sole and close up the gap to a couple of millimetres. I can provide instructions separately if you want.

Avoid planes with warped bodies or cracks running through them (unless they're going to sit on the mantlepiece). If they are larger planes with integral handles, ensure they are sound and not cracked.

Replacement blades are available but if there's enough length left in the blade a good 'scary sharp' sharpening will bring it up well.

I can generally pick up decent wood planes for $10 - $50 depending on size and condition, it depends if the seller knows what they have got. Some rare ones go for a lot more.

Let me know if you need more info on the planes or restoring them if you get them. Most states also have an "old tools" group - let me know where oyu are and I can probably provide contact details.

Regards,

Darren
Sydney

[derekcohen]

Darren

Everything that Darren2 said is right on the money. Wood planes are even more special than metal planes. But, understandably, they are more fragile and suffer wear more easily. What happens is that the sole wears down, or "moves" (swells), and then you need to resurface it. This is easy enough to do - simply sand or plane it down (with an upside down jointer plane - just run it over for a very fine cut). But when you do all this, you end up opening the mouth. As the mouth gets wider, so the shavings get thicker, and the plane is less likely to give you a fine cut.

The solution is
(1) You can rework the mouth by filling it in with fresh wood. Mortice out and glue it in (OK, there's more to it than this, but not that much).
(2) You can build up the part tyhe blade rests on (I have a mental block today for terms) with a veneer of wood, this closing the mouth with the blade.

I have done both and both can work extremely well. Note - this step can only be attempted once the sole is flat.

Wood planes are generally very cheap so there is no need to buy a damaged one. Watch out for a cracked cheek. This comes from hammering on the blade to correct skewness. Make sure the blade fits the plane (since many may be replacements).

Treat the first few you get as experiments. Don't be afraid to experiment.

You set them by:
(1) Rest the plane on a flat surface. Put in the blade, let it drop flush to the surface. Tap in the wedge firmly.
(2) Tap on the blade until you get just enough of it peeking out the mouth to cut finely.
(3) Tap the front of ther body if you want greater depth (a fine tune) or tap the blade itself.
(4) Tap the heal of the body to raise the blade.
(5) Tap the side to adjust sideways.

Have fun.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[DarrenSmith]

Darren and Derek

Thank you for your words of wisdom and advice , I definatly will go a hunting again this weekend. Do wooden planes have any brand names eg Record , stanley or anything to distinguish maker or indeed if they are a rare one?

Cheers
Darren

PS Darren
I am in Hervey Bay QLD

[Dan]

Some more info here.
http://www.hntgordon.com.au/

Dan

[Darwin]

Hi,

A lot of old wooden planes may not have makers marks - either none at all or just not visible through wear. Often owners stamped their names or initials in them too.

One of the most common brands found is Mathieson, a lot of their planes ended up here. Usually very cheap unless it's a rare example or in pristine condition. You may also find an Atkins, Moseley & Sons or something European if you're lucky, although not likely at a market.

Of course, you may have also come across some home-made planes that someone has put a blade into - often the blade will have a name stamped in it too, and if put in a home-made plane can make actual ID hard.

I use my wooden planes, so don't pay too much attention to lineage (unless I find something rare at a really chaep price!), and if you are using them then pay more attention to the quality and useability as described in the previous replies.

Have a look at www.tttg.org.au or www.htpaa.org.au for some good info on old tools and links to sites with info on wooden planes etc.

Regards,

Darren

[PlaneCrazy]

Darren,
Another source for well made wooden planes can be found at:

http://www.ecemmerich.com/metallhobel.html

Their 711 smooth plane is considered top notch.

[DarrenSmith]

Thanks for all the links gents , this is getting more addictive every minute
:D

Cheers
Darren

[Ivan in Oz]

Originally posted by DarrenSmith

this is getting more addictive every minute :D
Cheers
Darren

G'Day Darren,
I'm also finding the use/working of timber quite addictive,
and am getting more interested in Hand Tools for that purpose.
Some of the older tools are quite interesting, and most are still useable.
I'm out at Millmerran, West of Toowoomba, in Cypress Pine country, and there is a considerable amount of 'Older' farm Machinery and impliments;
but, alas, minimum woodworking handtools :(

Ivan in Oz