My harlequin half set

**Mountain Ash** · 13th August 2021, 09:25 PM

Hi all. I have finally assembled a complete half set of hollows and rounds. I began this journey by accident, realising that some of the moulding planes I had bought in a bulk lot were not just simple shapes. Finding Matt Bickford's website was amazing and the creative potential of H and R was virtually unlimited. Unfortunately my budget is not. My self imposed dollar limit meant I picked up what I could but my confidence in making my own tools meant I could fill the gaps and, with copious amounts of encouragement from plenty of you, and a couple of very fairly priced offerings, I have now got my full (half) set of evens.

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The last one to be completed was a #2 hollow and was finished this afternoon. I copied dimensions from an original #2 round and made the blade from a new source of tool steel, a broken Brobo (steel cutting) blade.

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It's interesting to compare my 1st plane to my 8th one. The #6 I made is too short (I didn't know there was a standard length), too low (too much planing to get the profile right) and the blade doesn't sit proud of the wedge (blade made from cut down ex wooden plane blade). Even the wedge shape had been refined over time. At least I got hold of some beech! Interestingly I didn't use quarter sawn (traditional approach) but more radial sawn (because that's all I had). I have not noticed any stability issues but I have used up nearly all my stock anyway.

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All the planes I made have blades square to their bodies and this is the same for all bar one of the purchased ones (which is skewed). As I have used them I have had to make small adjustments. Opening up throats and easing of edges of blades are the most common. For those paying close attention I have also recently restored a Snipes Bill Plane and these are a handy addition. Now I have to make a partner for it

**IanW** · 14th August 2021, 10:21 AM

MA, that little lot is as satisfying to look at as it would be to use! I'm very impressed by the progress you've made - from pretty naive beginner in the world of hand-planes to churning out pretty professional gear in what? two years or less? I reckon you can take most of the credit - we may have encouraged, but you've put in the research & effort to make them.

Some day, when you retire, maybe you'll fix the couple of 'owner-mades' you're not happy with, but while they work & you have too many other demands on your time, I suspect they'll fill the need adequately enough. I made a little double-radiused compass plane in the early 80s for shaping chair seats. It was meant to be a prototype, to sort out the bugs before making the "production model". However, although far from perfect, it worked well enough that I used it in making dozens of chair seats over the years, and it was only recently that I finally made a "real" one. Original & new.jpg

Ironically, I think I've made a total of 3 chairs since making the new plane (& a travisher, which was something else I'd planned to make for decades!), & all little kid's chairs, like this one for my grandson: Hugo chair.jpg

I don't think my new plane will ever get as much work in my hands as the old one. I wore the mouth & sole on that one so much I had to re-shape it, twice. The new plane has a brass insert to protect the mouth & the bull-oak sole should last a couple of generations, so I think it'll see me out...

Ian

**Mountain Ash** · 14th August 2021, 10:46 AM

Thanks Ian. It's funny how this collection does feel like a bit of a milestone. And I know enough to know that temporary can become permanent very quickly

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I am really enjoying this journey and the community I have found here.

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