Thread: The Spiers Saga Begins!

Originally Posted by Auld Bassoon

Pic 3 is really a question. I think I'd like to round over the rear ends of the sideplates to more closely follow the shape of the sole. What's the collective opinion here?

Reading Derek's post (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ghlight=spiers), I think I have the answer - rounded is the go.

Hi Steve

I have only just seen your post. What a great job you have done!!

Of course, you are going to have to do a fuller write up for posterity - areas of difficulty, smaller details, etc. Plus, you are possibly building the last Shepherd kit made (not the last build of a kit, however, as they are still floating around).

I made copies of the video Shephard took of putting together a kit and could send them to you. But the files are very large (5 videos ranging from 6 - 34 Mb). Might work if you have broadband. Let me know.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

I made copies of the video Shephard took of putting together a kit and could send them to you. But the files are very large (5 videos ranging from 6 - 34 Mb). Might work if you have broadband. Let me know.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Derek,

Thanks for the comments and for the offer on the videos. Very kind!

However, the main remaining tasks are:

1 The riveting in of the cross pins that locate the infills and the lever cap after
2 Fine finishing the wood and the inner sidepanels visible between the infills (Just aesthetic really, but I'd like this tool to look just as good as I can make it)
3 Final lapping of the sole (a fairly major task as the heel is about 0.5mm lower than the toe to about 25mm shy of the heel, which is otherwise pretty flat already)
4 Final filing then burnishing of the sidepanel outsides.
5 Final burnishing of the chip breaker
6 sharpening of the iron

Oh! and getting used to adjusting one of these

So, I think I've already covered the key filing and assembly stages (I'm thinking that I may need to replace a couple of the files as they have had a pretty serious workout ).

Some comments on the quality of production & machining of the kit parts:

The patterns for the sideplates were excellent, but the sideplates themselves were "chewed" into an approximation of shape. This wasn't a major issue though, as they have been subject to much fettling.

The sole plate dovetail cutouts were very accurate (laser cut), but was anything but flat when received. Again, I suppose that the logic here is that it's going to receive a fair bit of hammering, so why bother?

The throat block was accurately chamfered to 45o, but the pre-drilled holes were discernably 'off' from the holes already drilled in the sole.

Both the iron and chip breaker were quite badly pitted (old stock sitting on a shelf at Shepherd's for a while?), so required some fettling; a task now about half complete. Also, I was a little disappointed that the Shepherd Mark was barely impressed on either the iron or chipbreaker. I appreciate that these elements (especially the A2 iron) are a tad hard, but it did seem a bit lackadaisical...

The supporting documentation was very poor, in terms of the steps required as the design of the kit had changed, but the documentation hadn't; that there were some very suspect dimensions, and lastly that many of the illustrations, drawings or diagrams were quite illegible. Luckily I have a copy of some other Shepherd planes being made up, so could work out (or guess) some of the steps.

The biggest issue is that, prior to any filing, the iron is about 2mm narrower than the pre-cut throat; I suppose that this means either making up some side guide support rails for the iron, or just being very careful in aligning the iron when setting the depth of cut. The throat fore-aft dimension seems to be fine, but only some testing will reveal if the plane can act as the smoother that it purports to be (or as I have made it more probably ).

I'll provide more details if necessary, but all in all, so far it has been less daunting than when I first looked at the kit (and the instructions), and thought to myself "oh poo, I have no idea what I'm doing here...)

As to a more detailed write-up, I'm not sure if there would be all that much interest in greater detail here, but would be prepared to write-up the saga if anyone's interested... I might even have a go a writing up a "how to from scratch" - Clinton is doing this, I believe, so perhaps a collective effort?

Cheers,
Steve

Steve, how would you go drilling & tapping for grub screws to support the blade laterally a la some Veritas planes?

Or do you think it would be out of character with the rest?


Cheers................Sean

Sean,

To be honest, the task wouldn't be too hard but, as you say, it wouldn't be in character, so I'm not sure. Hmmm. How would others here deal with this?

The Shepherd Tool Company definitely deserved to go belly-up: that kit looks like a nightmare:eek:. I admire your fortitude in tackling it. Looks good so far, and should end up with a nice plane at the end. I agree that rounding the metal to blend the overall shape is the way to go. As for the grub screws: I have them on a Veritas block plane I own, but never adjust them. I'd leave 'em out for the sake of authenticity.

Originally Posted by zenwood

The Shepherd Tool Company definitely deserved to go belly-up: that kit looks like a nightmare:eek:. I admire your fortitude in tackling it. Looks good so far, and should end up with a nice plane at the end. I agree that rounding the metal to blend the overall shape is the way to go. As for the grub screws: I have them on a Veritas block plane I own, but never adjust them. I'd leave 'em out for the sake of authenticity.

Actually Zenwood, the kit's not as bad as that. Quite

The big plus with starting with a kit like this is the laser-cut sole, the sideplate patterns/locator jigs, and the mostly finished infills (finished in respect of the important angles anyway).

The Iron, chip breaker and lever clamp are good too.

If I didn't want to put the hard yards in, I would have probably just bought one ready made - but that wasn't the point. I really wanted to see if I could make such a tool.

As to The Shepherd Co. going broke - I'm afraid I can't agree. Here were two enthusiastic blokes having a good go at what they really wanted to do. They made some super planes, and did have quite a few very happy customers. What let them down was poor business planning and execution.

Anyway, I've decided to go with rounding the sideplates in line with the infill, and have also decided not to go with the grub screws - I think that these would destroy the look of the tool. Careful adjustment of the iron will be the order of the day methinks

Whether it will compare to my LN LA smoother remains to be seen; but I'd be pleasantly surprised if it did, especially at a first attempt at making a plane like this.

Although a fair ways from being finished, I'm already starting to really like the melding between the brass and the steel, the look & feel of the Cocobolo (gorgeous wood!) and the general heft of the thing.

We'll see...

Cheers!

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Of course, you are going to have to do a fuller write up for posterity - areas of difficulty, smaller details, etc. Plus, you are possibly building the last Shepherd kit made (not the last build of a kit, however, as they are still floating around).

Derek

Hi again Derek!

I've thought about your comment on a write-up, and have decided to do one.

I'll start from my making the decision to do this project, through its varied trials and tribulations and ultimate resolution in the ordering and recieving saga, the construction process, including what went well and what didn't, and then ending with the finished tool.

The only caveat is that this will only be made public after the tool is successfully completed .

I'd love to know if Ben Knebel has seen any of this thread :confused:

Cheers!

Still looking good.

Good enough for it to become your new public face I see.

Originally Posted by Schtoo

Good enough for it to become your new public face I see.

Great thread Steve - thanks.

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Plus, you are possibly building the last Shepherd kit made (not the last build of a kit, however, as they are still floating around).

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Derek & other Darksiders!

I was doing some follow-up research on Shepherd Tool Co. today, and I believe that "only" 25 orders were unfulfilled at the end of things. However, as Shepherd only made around 1,000 kits and a couple of hundred completed planes in their 4 1/2 year existence, that's still about 10% of the last year of operations orders not met but charged for.

By their own advertising (late '05), they were celebrating having produced 1,000 kits and, I think, around 250 finished planes.

A quick calculation shows that, say 1,300 planes at an average of $500, is only an income of $650,000 over 4 1/2 years, and that is only $145k (round numbers) p.a. After taking into consideration the cost of premises, tooling, stock, outsourced machining (eg laser cutting), marketing, insurance, cost of capital, etc, etc, I wouldn't have thought that Ben & Doug were exactly 'coining it'...

They did gain some income from running shows and courses, but this would have only marginally increased their net revenue.

Anyway, all this is somewhat academic.

I'm bracing myself for some serious filing, lapping and burnishing at the weekend :eek:

Cheers!

PS I do keep popping out to the shed to have a look at the little tool, and a small smile seems to grow

A general question to all viewers of this thread:

The provided manual notes that glueing of the infill pieces prior to drilling for the the transverse rivets is a good idea as it marginalises the chances for error in alignment. Fair enough, I can understand that, especially if the fit is a bit sloppy.

However, given that I needed to use a spreader to insert the infill pieces (also suggested by the manual) as they have a fairly tight friction fit, and that glueing was never (AFAIK) a method used by Norris, Spiers, or anyone else for that matter, I'd rather not.

So, would anyone here recommend glueing of the infill pieces prior to drilling and fitting them?

If glued, it would have to be a polyurethane or epoxy type of glue for an oily wood like Cocobolo to bond to metal.

As well, it would largely preclude any future dismantling of the tool; something quite possible if required by just using a riveted approach.

Any ideas?

Originally Posted by Auld Bassoon

PS I do keep popping out to the shed to have a look at the little tool, and a small smile seems to grow

I gotta ask? why are you putting it together out in the shed in the first place and not inside where its warm on the kitchen table while your watching telly or listening to a cd. Dont you have a workmate inside like the rest of us for when it gets to cold outside:confused: