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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Sydney
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    Default Asian style molding planes

    Hi all,

    With collectors pushing up prices of antique molding planes, plus modern reproductions costing a fortune, has anyone had any experience with Asian style hollows and rounds?

    E.g.
    - Lee Valley Tools

    Only looking for a pair of 1/4 and 1/2 inch ones

    Regards,

    Adam

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    US
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    3,076

    Default

    no, those are very small and fat on the edges. They're not going to work the way you're thinking.

    Your best bet is one of two things - well, three:
    1) get the larry williams DVD on making these planes and make a proper set (but do it with proper wood that's very dry - else they'll shrink in the first two years and you'll have to regrind the irons and they'll all be a bit narrower
    2) make an open side style of hollows and rounds. There's no great reason that they need to be closed mortise - that's just how professional planes were. I'd imagine before planemaking became a profession, craftsmen made tons of open sided planes. I've made at least half a dozen of them and nothing has ever broken on any. You could make a pair of half rounds in three hours
    3) do a tiny bit of 1, which will make it really easy for you to refurbish a set of half rounds bought harlequin for about $20 each (maybe $30 aussie dollars).

    2 would be the most practical option to me if money counts. You can use an iron that's not tapered, of your own make and the planes can be quite crude looking and work very well - just as well as a closed mortise plane.

    I did some of 1, but then ran into a wonderful matched full set of griffiths skewed H&R and while they're not any nicer than my planes, the pizazz of them being vintage is something I just can't help but love. My planes are good (very good), but new planes don't have the same authenticity and unpretentious style of old planes.

    FWIW, I paid about $900 for a full set of griffiths planes in pretty good shape - they still need a small amount of refitting.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Gold Coast
    Age
    53
    Posts
    1,094

    Default

    The plane D.W. is referring to is the French Roubo. You will find it in the Popular Woodworking mag April 2016
    It's a very simple plane to make unlike the English style I made. It's so simple to make that you'll probably end up making an entire set.
    The iron you need is O1 tool steel, you can find on Anthony's Lie Nielsen website however, it's not cost effective. The cheapest alternative would be
    to find them in bars and cut them to shape yourself. But if you are going just for the two then buy them from Anthony.
    roubo moulding plane.jpg

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Hobart
    Posts
    5,107

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by section1 View Post
    .... The iron you need is O1 tool steel, you can find on Anthony's Lie Nielsen website however, it's not effective. The cheapest alternative would be
    to find them in bars and cut them to shape yourself. But if you are going just for the two then buy them from Anthony. ....

    Luban bench plane and shoulder plane blades available from McJing are good value for money and really good quality.

    I have seen a number of descriptors for the steel including T10 tool steel but can find nothing definitive about the composition of that steel. It seems to be an excellent Chinese copy of O1 tool steel.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Gold Coast
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    Default

    Interesting thanks for the tip. What the Chinese won't think of bewilders me, but they have had good practice for hundreds of years

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