Thread: hand made planes and plane irons

JimboJ

Here are some recent ghreads which will give you some ideas - they will also probably link you to other threads and outside websites:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ghlight=anneal
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ghlight=anneal
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ghlight=anneal
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ghlight=anneal

Welcome and enjoy the Forums. The people are really helpful and knowledgable. One word of warning - it is generally a good idea to do a search of the Forums using the search function to see whether the subject has been discussed before and then , having read that material, to ask what remains of the question.

Cheers

Jeremy

Originally Posted by JimboJ

Hello all,
I am new to this forum, so this is my first post. I just got back from a workshop on fine cabinet making with a great teacher named Dave Finck. He has a book out on the making of wood hand planes. I bought a copy and made one out of Brazilian walnut. It came out beautifully and I highly, highly recommend the book. My question is whether or not anyone knows how to make say a small plane iron and or chip breaker from something like an old file. To be more specific, I'm interested in what one needs to do as far as heat treating and tempering and how this is done. I know next to nothing about the topic, so any pointers would be appreciated.

Here is another link to a thread on making a dovetailed plane - there is also a bit on the O1 steel blade as well as other links.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...779#post294779

I found that it was pretty easy to heat to cherry red (and hold at that temp for a while, I held it for 30 seconds or so, I don't really know is that is optimal but it seemed to work), then oil quench - straight down to avoid any distorting of the blade. I tempered it in an oven at about 180 C which seems easier than the pale straw business and I guess you don't get a gradation of hardness from the tip of the blade back - the hardened area should all be the same if that makes sense. Done it a couple of times and it seems pretty fool-proof - the blades seem to hold their edge OK.

Thank you all for the useful info. I'll be putting it into action. I'd like to get some pics up of the plane as it is my first and hear what you have to say. Thank you again and talk soon