Thread: #14 Hollow and Round

Very nice MA. You'll have to edjamacte me about the numbering system for these planes. I've got at least one somewhere, I'll have to dig it out.
Oh, and you obviously have a serious problem.

Here y'go Picko. From the horse's mouth so to speak. This is the American system, of course. The British system is roughly the same, but I read recently on a UK forum that different makers in Britain used different numbering systems, so if you are putting a set together it would pay to stick with the one type...

Nice job, MA! You've pretty much nailed this plane-making business.

I guess you've been making stuff long enough to know all-too-well that things don't always go to plan. I had a bit of a bad-hair day myself yesterday; I was trying to fit some she-oak stuffing in a tiny thumb-plane and made a mess of both front & back pieces in turn. She-oak is tough stuff & it's difficult to fit it in a 'normal' sized plane, but with a sub-miniature plane it gets really fiddly. The fit has to be perfect with over-stuffing or it looks very ordinary, so there's nowhere to hide. I was tempted to try & patch the first one I got wrong, but decided it would be both easier & give a far more satisfactory result if I started over. I told myself I'd be extra careful with the front bun, then managed to make an even worse mess of that! I was sorely tempted to chuck a tantrum & throw the whole thing in the bin, but after a cup of coffee and a few deep breaths, I tried again, & this time got it near-perfect.

The worst of it is, I did much the same the second time, but got a better result. I suppose I was just that extra bit more careful.....

Cheers,

MA
You certainly have been busy up in those hills,

I’m lucky in I have not been bitten by the moulding plane bite.
So will stick too a electric router for now[emoji6].

But those there planes look like the business, can you elaborate on the grinding issue.

Cheers Matt.

Originally Posted by Picko

Very nice MA. You'll have to edjamacte me about the numbering system for these planes. I've got at least one somewhere, I'll have to dig it out.

As IanW pointed out, there's numbering systems and they can become confusing. When I get to making mine I think I will follow the lead of Terry Gordon and identify them by their imperial measurements, eg 1/8", 1/4", 3/8" etc. I think that was a good move on Terry's part as it makes it easy to visualise the size of the profile cut by the plane.

MA, the planes look beautiful. I am guessing that you have blade making sorted out now?

Hi Picko, Ian, Matt and Doug.

Thanks P, Ian's link explains the system I use (although I used the info Matt Bickford had on his site to work out my blade dimensions).

Thanks Ian. The irony is that I have more tools now to make the mortise than at any other time (and the experience of 6 planes prior) but stuffed it up anyhow. Nice to know I'm in good company.

Thanks Matt. I have made an adjustable tool rest that is bolted in front of the grinding wheel. Setting it to 35° to the face of the wheel I then freehand the rough grinding. Easy for a convex curve but not so for concave (I think I said the opposite earlier). I have rounded 1 edge over on the wheel and this seemed to work for the smaller arcs. But as they are getting bigger I can't rotate from a pivot point (to maintain an even sweep to the bevel). I need a smaller grinding surface - I think I just got away with less precision on the smaller blades but things tend to be more obvious on the larger ones.

Thanks Doug. A longs ways to go but the blades I am forging take an edge and maintain it. So far so good. And the advantage of the numbering system, I only need one set of punches - not half size again for the fractions

One of the things that interested me about H and R's was their flexibility. I have just finished a mini bathroom reno for a client and had to match the timber dado capping. No longer commercially available so I had a go at matching it myself. Turned out well (will be installed next week so can confirm how well then) but I did notice how quickly the points of the R's dug in and scoring the moulding. I think I will have to be more careful matching the profiles steel and timber in the future.

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

..... I did notice how quickly the points of the R's dug in and scoring the moulding. I think I will have to be more careful matching the profiles steel and timber in the future.

My H & R experience is not huge, I've owned a very small set (3 sizes, to be exact) for close to 40 years but have only used them very occasionally. Getting the blades sharpened so they match the arc of the sole (particularly the 'hollow"!) is definitely an art that takes some acquiring. In my complete ignorance, I didn't realise at first that the profile is an arc & not meant to cut beads & coves the way a moulding plane does, but to work around the bead or cove in successive passes to deepen or refine it. So the corners of the blade have to be eased off to be flush with the sole so they can't catch & score as you lay the plane over to work to the sides/top of the bead or cove. I find it especially difficult to get the hollows set up so they don't score, but can cut as close as possible to the corners of a filleted bead, and have not mastered this bit by a long shot. The only way I can get crisp corners is to finish them with a shoulder plane.

Most of the mouldings I've had to match have been on furniture, which can be complex, but with the small coves & beads & fillets it's harder to spot small variations. And if the wood is suited to scraping, most of the refining, or even the whole profile can be done with a scratch-stock. Larger profiles, which is where H & Rs come into play more, have to be made pretty carefully because the parts are larger & it's easier to spot any variations. A bit of judicious gouge & chisel work where the new moulding meets the old can sometimes fudge things nicely.

Rob (Auscab) will have had about a million times more experience in matching mouldings than I have had, and has no doubt figured out most of the tricks of that trade....

Cheers,

I have written extensively about moulding planes, their numbering systems and the build process including shaping the irons from flat O1 tool steel on my blog and in the magazines which is all available from the blog for free.
Journeyman's Journal – This is a journal of the art of woodworking by hand

The gold Standard for the sizes and shapes of wood carving gouges is the old London Pattern Book.
Shape numbers go up into the 70's, 12 is tops for me.

Might there be an index of shapes for planes in the LPB as well?
I know there's even pattern standards in there for linen lace so I would have my hopes.

You might as well make up a suite of mandrels for sharpening, you only have to do that part once.
I have about a dozen, I need more. The Stubai 7/75 carving adze is well worked with a tennis ball.

Originally Posted by section1

I have written extensively about moulding planes, their numbering systems and the build process including shaping the irons from flat O1 tool steel on my blog and in the magazines which is all available from the blog for free.
Journeyman's Journal – This is a journal of the art of woodworking by hand

Thank you. I stumbled across your work and loved it but then lost the link. I really appreciate you reconnecting me

No probs