Thread: Handplanes - woodies - DIY - any reason why not?

Oooops! I'm such an innocent.

Clearly I am going to have to be more circumspect the next time I name a tool (should I have even said that?). Maybe I should just go down a different line in analogies. On the positive side I now have a dual purpose, home-made implement.



Regards
Paul

Back to the original topic...

I think that as amateurs we make your own tools for two primary reasons.
1. You’re time rich but cash poor, and without making the tool, would have to go without.
2. Making a tool will bring enjoyment, be it the process, sense of accomplishment or alignment with a personal philosophy.

Derek made a comment a while ago about using whatever sharpening system you have for a year before changing it, to ensure you are making a needed and informed change. I wonder if the same can apply to woodworking tools in general, and most any skill based hobby. We are all too eager to buy another tool when we can’t do something with what we have, whilst it may often be entirely achievable if we skill up instead.

It’s why if you look at any guitar players forum, there are 100 threads about what gizmo to buy to sound better, to every 1 about technique.

The great benefit I derive by learning from Paul Sellers is that he shows us how to achieve results with a minimal set of modest tools. There are no excuses. If my work is bad, it’s down to my technique, not because I can’t afford a specialised tool. I appreciate that mindset, and the challenge, together with the reward when I achieve something through practise and repetition.

That doesn’t preclude me from buying an extravagance every now and then. But I know it’s an extravagance, and appreciate it as such.

Lance

Originally Posted by LanceC

......Derek made a comment a while ago about using whatever sharpening system you have for a year before changing it, to ensure you are making a needed and informed change. I wonder if the same can apply to woodworking tools in general, and most any skill based hobby. We are all too eager to buy another tool when we can’t do something with what we have, whilst it may often be entirely achievable if we skill up instead......

Lance, I think you've just had one of those insights that we all need from time to time. Skilled hands can do amazing things with very basic tools. I'm not sure the inverse is ever true...

Cheers,

P1050824 (Medium).JPGP1050825 (Medium).JPG

No comment. I wish to plead the 5th Amendment.

Regards
Paul

Ps: Casuarina oaks make quite spectacular shoulder planes.

Those are some VERY nice bung drivers.

The best Ive EVER seen!

Hi all. I have been keen to purchase a #7 stanley plane for a long time but have tried to keep to a very strict budget (around $50 for a fixer upper) - some of you keen watchers of ebay might be laughing already! In "desperation" I decided to have a go at making a wooden version. I already had some irons and cap combos (Mathieson) and was inspired by "The English Woodworker" and his laminated design. I purchased some Beech and got to work. I loved every minute of the process and made a great first effort about 650 mm long. It works and I was inspired to make a jack version (about 400mm long). This one works too. As for inspiration I have "read" Derek's website "cover to cover" and love watching Stavos Garkos on you tube. I rely on noisy power tools to make a living so particularly enjoy the quiet control I get with well tuned hand tools.

It's good to hear success stories, Mountain Ash, & even better when a first try turns out well - it's great encouragement for those still in the "thinking" stages to hop in & give it a go. One of my early (laminated) wooden planes was a jointer. It was #2 or 3 in my planemaking opus and worked ok, but it wasn't a great plane to use because I made it too bulky. It had a high centre of gravity and lacked feel & control. One day I picked up a Falcon #6 at a clearing sale which with a bit of cleaning & fettling turned out to be a good plane & better to use than my woodie. The wooden jointer soon took up permanent residence at the back of the tool cupboard & the #6 also lost out eventually, to a #7. At some point, the wooden plane started delaminating, due to neglect & a poor choice of glue. I never got around to fixing it and it disappeared in my last move, so I can't even show a pic of it (I did keep the blade & used that for something that was a bit more user-friendly).

I wish I could say every plane I'd made since was a roaring success, but that would be quite dishonest, I've made a few lemons, but as Derek said in another thread, you can sometimes learn more from your mistakes than your successes. If you follow a tried & tested recipe for your first plane or two, you are more likely to come up with a winner, then you can start to branch out & try your own designs with a bit more knowledge of what works & what doesn't. But win or lose, making a plane is definitely a fun project, and well worth trying at least once or twice in your lwoodworking life...

Cheers,

Shivers! Both Derek and Ian have seen my post. And Mr Woodpixel please see the attached photo (sorry they always seem to rotate 90deg when I add them). Since these were made I have collected some more planes (sound familiar to anyone?) and have been slowly restoring them to their somewhat former state of glory - I am happy when they are ready to use. Currently fixing up a wooden plough plane (wedge style) and various moulding planes (although a suprise purchase of a #45 combination plane has added to the list). Oh and made my first spokeshave body from the salvaged beech from a plane beyond repair. I am really chuffed at the calibre of people taken an interest in my post.
Woodies.jpg

There you go, MA, they look even better right way up.....

Cheers

Thanks Ian. I would ask how you did it but I have enough trouble attaching them in the 1st place that I would only further confuse myself

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

Shivers! Both Derek and Ian have seen my post. And Mr Woodpixel please see the attached photo (sorry they always seem to rotate 90deg when I add them). Since these were made I have collected some more planes (sound familiar to anyone?) and have been slowly restoring them to their somewhat former state of glory - I am happy when they are ready to use. Currently fixing up a wooden plough plane (wedge style) and various moulding planes (although a suprise purchase of a #45 combination plane has added to the list). Oh and made my first spokeshave body from the salvaged beech from a plane beyond repair. I am really chuffed at the calibre of people taken an interest in my post.

MA

I'm impressed. As you can see they look even better when they are bigger (Sorry Ian, I know you like to conserve space and ordinarily I would have deleted the pic in my reply, but I thought they just looked both elegant and simple and deserved moe prominence ).

Mountain Ashes planes.jpg

I have always meant to build some planes. I have bought the timber especially, I have bought plane irons especially, but have never got around to doing the deed (except for a shoulder plane in Ironbark that I gave away to my son, who to my knowledge has never used it.) I have great plans afoot, but the actual commitment and accomplishment are lacking.

Well done with those planes.

Regards
Paul

Those look outstanding MA. And the fact that they work well too is brilliant. I have considered building one specifically for shooting with a lower angle, but that will have to wait for next year.

Shivers again! Another 2 luminaries giving me the thumbs up. Thank you, thank you. I did find the video series from "The English Woodworker " really easy to follow and to be honest, the mouth in the 2nd build is a bit more open than the first (probably a bit over confident with my abilities). I have just finished a shooting board but discovered that my iron planes are not square enough (body wise) so I am thinking of a dedicated shooting plane with the handle on top (made out of timber again). With all this encouragement I will have to post the results.

All this makes me wonder why variable angle hand planes are not a thing.

I've been giving it some thought while I meditate (I use it like Shower Thoughts).

Three adjustable bolts would do the trick on a hinged carriage mounted in the body as a frame.

Two upper bolts act as dead-locators and wind in/out for setting the angle and the under-bolt locks it into place.

One could use the same bevel up blade and move the bed from.... 12° up to 45 or 50°.

Wonder why this hasn't been done. Must be a good reason ....