Thread: Blackbean knob and tote for a Stanley 5 1/2

Hi C. They look fantastic!!

Nicely done, Caillan - BB was a wood I really favoured when I started woodworking - until I started reacting to the dust! It was used for flooring back in the day, so it should make durable handles.

Originally Posted by caillan

.... The tote is 1", so a bit thicker than the original. I have large hands and find the grip is a bit more comfortable...

One of the reasons for rolling your own - you get what you like....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

BB was a wood I really favoured when I started woodworking - until I started reacting to the dust!

I forgot to put on my respirator when I started turning the knob and had a bad time. No issues after I put on a mask, although I hear Blackbean can be irritating to some people's skin as well.

Its a fantastic timber, I really like the contrast between the sapwood and the hardwood. I've found it to be somewhat prone to splitting along the short grain, so the tote may one day suffer the same fate as its predecessor - time will tell. I can always whip up another one if I need to!

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

Hi C. They look fantastic!!

Thank you, I have to say I was inspired by your recent Fijian Mahogany set!

Originally Posted by caillan

.....I've found it to be somewhat prone to splitting along the short grain, so the tote may one day suffer the same fate as its predecessor...

Oh yeah, BB is a great 'splitter', they used to use it for fence posts up where I grew up - one good whack of the axe on the end of a billet & the split would go halfway through - money for jam!

However, I don't think the dry wood is any worse than many others that have been used (like blackwood, for e.g.) & it should be fine in your tote, just make sure you keep the stud firmly clenched up, I think allowing it to work loose contributes to failure. I see so many broken right where your original one snapped which is smack where the bending force is concentrated when you push the plane. The most common damage I've seen as a result of falls is a broken horn but of course a fall could cause a break anywhere, depending what it hits.

As you say, you've seen how relatively easy it is to make a nice knob & tote now, so you'll have no fear if you have to repeat the exercise.....

Cheers,

Beautiful work, caillan! Looks good on a nice looking 5 1/2.

Originally Posted by caillan

I forgot to put on my respirator when I started turning the knob and had a bad time. No issues after I put on a mask, although I hear Blackbean can be irritating to some people's skin as well.

Its a fantastic timber, I really like the contrast between the sapwood and the hardwood. I've found it to be somewhat prone to splitting along the short grain, so the tote may one day suffer the same fate as its predecessor - time will tell. I can always whip up another one if I need to!

rosewood is the same. I think most breaks on handles are due to drops. I've broken two (make that three) handles dropping planes and no matter how rough I've been with others, they flex but don't break. The retention rod will prevent the wood from having the freedom to go forward or back in use. Relatively small falls have led to clean breaks, though. Bubinga, beech and rosewood in my case.

handle and knob look great. dense pores remind me of katalox and verawood - a nice visual change from the norm.

The day is coming when I will have a go at making a new tote and knob.

I fear it won't turn out as nice as yours.

Originally Posted by scottbr

The day is coming when I will have a go at making a new tote and knob.

I fear it won't turn out as nice as yours.

I put it off for ages, but have to say it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I’d convinced myself it would be. Give it a crack, I reckon you’ll be pleasantly surprised!


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And there's so little wood in a tote, you won't be bankrupt if you mess one or two up along the way. The most difficult part of the operation is getting the stud-hole drilled accurately. I never do more than rough it out before drilling the hole (or holes if it's a two-hole type). Once you have that right, the rest is just rasping, scraping, sanding until you are completely happy with the result....

Cheers,

Edit: There is a complication if your plane has the raised boss on the sole that accepts the stud. Getting the hole for the boss & the hole for the stud meeting just-so can be a very fussy job. To make matters a little worse, I've found the stud holes in the top of the boss can vary by a mm or two, so you can't just go by the angles you worked out for the last one. I practice on a bit of scrap first, so I get the intersection right for the plane I'm re-fitting. I've described how I go about it here, but there may easily be better ways...