Thread: Couple of shoulder planes..

Amazing work Ian.

Did you use any of these in the metal body guide that you might be writing ?

Regards

Adam

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Those planes look like an identical family. They look brill.
my father bought some planes made by Bill Carter, which
i still have. I have the first metal he made which is a mitre
plane. He wanted to buy it back off me a few years ago but
i wanted to keep it. I also have a 36" jointer made by Bill
to replicate a Norris 36" jointer. It is a lovely plane.

Originally Posted by taz01

......Did you use any of these in the metal body guide that you might be writing ?....

Hi Adam- my plane-making manual is taking shape, and yes, I have included a section on laminating these rebate planes. I got a bit carried away and it's blowing out to a small book, but I'm almost there now. I had to do some further "research", building a couple more planes & trying some ideas I had not tried to date. One thing that has bugged me for years is getting my hand on more malleable brass than the C385 generally available from local suppliers. So I tried a sample of brass I bought off ebay. I got it mainly because wanted some plate thinner than 3.2mm., but thicker than 1.6, which are the only two choices I get here. A quick look at Ebay & goodness me, there must be 20 different places in China selling brass on ebay! It's pretty cheap too, if you want to buy 5 tons.

Anyways, I signed up for a 100 x 100mm piece of 2.5mm, "H62" brass at about $9, post free. It took a month & a bit to arrive and I was beginning to think I'd been had, but nope, there it was in the mailbox one morning, and I eagerly ripped the package open to see what I had.

First thing I noticed was it looked a lot more "coppery" than the C385 brass I get locally. C385 on left, H62 on right: H62 cf 385.jpg

This puzzled me 'cos from the table of equivalent grades I found on the internet, I reckoned that H62 should have about the same copper/zinc ratio as C385. I cut a couple of sides for a little palm plane out of the piece, then I tried something I cannot do with C385 - I took two pieces of the scraps & dovetailed them together:H62 peened.jpg

The stuff peens like a dream! I had no trouble closing the D/Ts, not even a hint of splitting or flaking, and cleaned up - ye canna see the join a'tall: H62 D_tailed.jpg

I can assure you, it's next to impossible to do that with C385. I've been trying to get my hands on C260 ("Naval") brass for years, because that is what folks tell me is easy to peen, but if it's any better than this H62 stuff, it must peen itself! The palm plane went together as easy as pie: First shavings.jpg

So, apologies for the long-winded buildd-up, but it was to explain wwhy I immediately ordered a more substantial chunk (4mm x 100 x 300), which I intend to use for a substantial plane, & include that in my 'manual'. It'll be a couple more weeks before it arrives, and if it's as good as the first bit, it will be what I'll be recommending as material for dovetailed plane sides from now on.....

Maybe I'll buy a tonne or two myself.....

Cheers,

Again Ian
Beautiful you just keep them coming,
Love the family shots.

Cheers Matt

That's lovely Ian. Every time you post a new plane build I'm tempted, but for my existing list of projects. Perhaps I just need top schedule one in as a project, then I won't feel guilty.

Oh, and I'm also really looking forward to your plane making missive. If you need anyone to proof read, or take it for a test drive...

Kind regards
Lance

Originally Posted by LanceC

....... If you need anyone to proof read, or take it for a test drive...

Be careful what you wish for, my friend!

It's getting on for 60-70 pages, but there are lots (& lots) of pictures, so it's not all text. I'm setting it out in 4 sections, starting with the laminated rebate planes because I think they're a good introduction to working with metal. Then there's a section describing the construction of dovetailed bench planes, followed by a section on making lever caps, cap-irons, and lever-cap screws, then finally, a section with drawings for a dozen or more planes with any extra information required (like doing a split sole). If you're game, I would certainly value some opinions on how intelligible & useful it is to someone who has not yet tried making a metal-bodied plane (but seriously thinking about it.. )

And all praise should go to G.K. Miller, whose side profile I pinched (with minor modifications). I didn't ask his permission, 'cos he departed this earth about 100 years ago, but I'm hoping he wouldn't mind - imitation being sincere flattery & all that....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Be careful what you wish for, my friend!

It's getting on for 60-70 pages, but there are lots (& lots) of pictures, so it's not all text. I'm setting it out in 4 sections, starting with the laminated rebate planes because I think they're a good introduction to working with metal. Then there's a section describing the construction of dovetailed bench planes, followed by a section on making lever caps, cap-irons, and lever-cap screws, then finally, a section with drawings for a dozen or more planes with any extra information required (like doing a split sole). If you're game, I would certainly value some opinions on how intelligible & useful it is to someone who has not yet tried making a metal-bodied plane (but seriously thinking about it.. )

And all praise should go to G.K. Miller, whose side profile I pinched (with minor modifications). I didn't ask his permission, 'cos he departed this earth about 100 years ago, but I'm hoping he wouldn't mind - imitation being sincere flattery & all that....

Cheers,

It’s sounding like excellent bed side reading Ian,
It may even be better than Marquis de Sade
Can’t wait,

Cheers Matt

Originally Posted by IanW

If you're game, I would certainly value some opinions on how intelligible & useful it is to someone who has not yet tried making a metal-bodied plane (but seriously thinking about it.. )

Certainly! I am spending January (or most of it) camping up and down Tasmania's east coast. If I don't get an opportunity before Christmas, I will have plenty of hours in the hammock then to contemplate and consider what you've written, and note areas of confusion. If you're happy with the next batch of h62, let me know where you got it from, and I'll order some so that it's here by the time I get back from holidays, at which point I'll have a crack at making one in February. That will certainly highlight any areas of "assumed knowledge" you may have missed.

OK, thanks for that, Lance. I've been over most of it 3 times, but I'm sure there will still be plenty of correcting & de-confusing to be done. I'm now doing the really tedious part, labelling the drawings & adding construction notes to them where needed.

The second lot of H62 I ordered is due within the next two weeks, & you can be sure I'll be having fun with it within minutes of its arrival....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

OK, thanks for that, Lance. I've been over most of it 3 times, but I'm sure there will still be plenty of correcting & de-confusing to be done. I'm now doing the really tedious part, labelling the drawings & adding construction notes to them where needed.

The second lot of H62 I ordered is due within the next two weeks, & you can be sure I'll be having fun with it within minutes of its arrival....

Cheers,

Ian.
Any chance of a link too the seller of H62,

Cheers Matt,

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Ian.
Any chance of a link too the seller of H62,

Cheers Matt,

Matt, this is where I bought the sheet of 2.5 x 100 x 100. That thickness & size isn't much use unless you want to make a little palm plane like the one above.

I ordered a much bigger piece (4 x 100 x 300) from here.

I went for that piece because it just happened to be almost what I was looking for. Actually, I would've liked it to have been 25-50mm longer, but they didn't have any 4mm of that size, but with a small re-design of the plane I want to make from it, I can get what I need from the one piece with only a coupe of scraps left over.

This mob do say they can supply "any size", which is promising. Their prices aren't cheap - just a little bit less than what I pay locally for the same amount of brass (delivery is "free"), but if you can get the size pieces you need & minimise waste, it might be the most economical source of raw material available to us. And if it peens like the other bit I got, I'll be a very happy chappie...

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Matt, this is where I bought the sheet of 2.5 x 100 x 100. That thickness & size isn't much use unless you want to make a little palm plane like the one above.

I ordered a much bigger piece (4 x 100 x 300) from here.

I went for that piece because it just happened to be almost what I was looking for. Actually, I would've liked it to have been 25-50mm longer, but they didn't have any 4mm of that size, but with a small re-design of the plane I want to make from it, I can get what I need from the one piece with only a coupe of scraps left over.

This mob do say they can supply "any size", which is promising. Their prices aren't cheap - just a little bit less than what I pay locally for the same amount of brass (delivery is "free"), but if you can get the size pieces you need & minimise waste, it might be the most economical source of raw material available to us. And if it peens like the other bit I got, I'll be a very happy chappie...

Cheers,

Thanks Ian.

Now “if” I get some Brass it don’t mean nothing,
I’m just buying brass that’s all, I’m not saying nothing more you hear[emoji6].

Cheers Matt

I was wondering when you’d get to post about your ‘last ever’ planes 😂. I can confirm, as you know, that not even a brick wall can stop the 1 1/4 once you get it moving. Brilliant plane and looking forward to putting it through its paces. Likewise for the 5/8. I’m also looking forward to your next build which is a bit crazy.

I too will be keen to read the book, it’ll be a reference piece and go to guide for those looking to build. A great reference!

Thanks again!

Didn't want to blow your cover, jw, but now you've outed yourself, you can report back after you've given your planes a good workout, & tell us what you think. I must admit, I really liked that 5/8 version in the little play I had with when fettling it. I liked the big bertha, too, obviously, but that little one seemed like a sweet little thing, I think if I were starting over (which I'm certainly not even contemplating!), I might choose that size over the 1/2". But with a 1/2" and a 3/4", I think I've got the small work well covered!

Cheers,

PS. While waiting for the material to arrive so I can start on my magnum opus, I had a wild idea. I had some leftover bits of brass & was wondering what they might be good for, and the thought struck that they could make a good dress rehearsal for the much larger & heavier version I intend to make. So I spent yesterday afternoon and most of today designing a small "pseudo-badger" plane & cutting out some parts. Parts.jpg

I say "pseudo" because instead of canting the blade to get the corner to stick out level with the outside of the right side as on the 'real' badgers, I'm using a blade for a rebate block plane, so I'll make a cutout on one side like a #10. Things are progressing, but I've already changed my mind a bit - I wasn't going to skew the blade, originally, but decided this afternoon that I would, which means I will have to modify the nice new SS cap-iron I made, and grind a skew on the blade, but since I intend skewing the blade on the large plane, I reckoned I should sort out any potential bugs with this one where I have nothing to lose but pride. I'm not sure how this story is going to end, but I'll keep you posted......