Thread: WIP - Jeremy makes a shooting plane

Well done Jeremy, be interested to see how the handles look - sorry tote and knob - I knew that.

While you have it in pieces, sweat a plate onto the other side so the plane can be used right or left handed.

ian

Originally Posted by ian

While you have it in pieces, sweat a plate onto the other side so the plane can be used right or left handed.

ian

I thought of that, but decided against - mainly because then you need two totes (or one that will swivel). I will wait until either:

1. I find another plane with a broken tote and make a dedicated LH shooting plane; or
2. if that doesn't happen and I work out a good way to make the swivelling tote (a bit like the tote on a #10 1/4):
3. 

Originally Posted by jmk89

I thought of that, but decided against - mainly because then you need two totes (or one that will swivel). I will wait until either:

1. I find another plane with a broken tote and make a dedicated LH shooting plane; or
2. if that doesn't happen and I work out a good way to make the swivelling tote (a bit like the tote on a #10 1/4)

nah
look at the "hot dog" used on a #9 for your ideal "tote"



(small gloat – I've got a LN#9 and reach for "hot dog" every time with a shooting board. I only use the front knob when I'm using the plane to shoot an edge or to smooth a surface)

also, may I suggest you stuff the space between the two sides with hardwood


ian

This site may be of some help in making that tilting tote http://www.georgesbasement.com/no4scrpr.html

Originally Posted by ian

nah
look at the "hot dog" used on a #9 for your ideal "tote"



(small gloat – I've got a LN#9 and reach for "hot dog" every time with a shooting board. I only use the front knob when I'm using the plane to shoot an edge or to smooth a surface)

also, may I suggest you stuff the space between the two sides with hardwood


ian

If the rear tote idea doesn't work (and heck, a lot of mine don't - like rivetting in confined spaces using bolts tightened against a fixed surface as rivet sets), then I could sweat the other plate on and use either the hot dog or the T5 handle (or maybe both) - in either case it will be adjacent to the mouth so the driving force keeps pushing the blade towards the workpiece rather than allowing it to be pushed out.

Thinks - if this is how it's going to happen, I may hold off the final paint job until I've got these knobs and totes sorted - I don't want to blister my own paint job off with the gas torch if I sweat the LH side on....

Originally Posted by RyanUSA

This site may be of some help in making that tilting tote

Wow, what a great site thanks Ryan and an interesting thread JMK. Cheers Mike

Well woodknuts and woodboobs (as Ding would say),

Here is the all-singing, all-dancing plane for a shooting board (at least on the right-hand side).Attachment 52468Attachment 52470

As you can see, I have prepared an angled tote for the plane which means that I can use it on the right-hand side of the shooting board. I will use my Record T5 on the left-hand side for the time being (I just need to turn the side handle for the T5).


As you will notice, as well as tilting to the right, the tote is located a little more forward than is usually the case - this felt right when I tried to use the plane without a handle, because it got the forcce closer to the blade. The only downside is that it gets a bit tight trying to get to the adjuster knob, so I don't think I will take that experiment further. When I have given it a real workout, I will decide if this is the way to go or whether some other knob is needed (maybe a hot dog or a screw in handle like the T5),

Also, because the tote is offset to the right, it seems as if the effect of pushing the plane forward from out on the right drives the sole closer to the piece being planed.This tends to have the effect of keeping the plane upright and square to the piece on the shooting board.

The extra width of the new side cheek also helps the stability (as welllas providing a bit more heft, which can't hurt when doing endgrain!!).

You will see that I have not tried to make this appear to be more authentic than it is....Although I have fixed the adjustment knob, it is a drilled-out and re-tapped Stanley adjuster (from a recent vintage plane, complete with plastic surround) while the the screw holding the lever cap is a standard 1/4" UNF bolt. the apint job is just blue Galmet epoxy paint brushed on (but pretty close to Carter blue).

When I die, I suspect that my estate will not generate a lot of money from this item, unless members of this forum think it is a good thing to bid for! In the meantime it seems to work.
Cheers
Jeremy

Great work

you really should write a story about your shooting board


ian

Originally Posted by ian

Great work

you really should write a story about your shooting board


ian

Thanks for the thumbs up, Ian.

The shooting board has already been the subject of a thread - http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=43173

But if there is more that you would like me to say, ask away, I will write some more. What I will say is that I haven't hit the brass fence with the blade or sole of the plane and so far the board has done everything I have asked of it.

Whaddabloodybewdymate (hey, you're the one who started quoting Dingo )

Top job Jeremy - how tight is the mouth?

Originally Posted by Groggy

Whaddabloodybewdymate (hey, you're the one who started quoting Dingo )

Top job Jeremy - how tight is the mouth?

At the moment the mouth is wide open - like it reminds me of Luna Park, say 2.5 to 3 mm.
The first job on Saturday will be to move the frog forward to get the blade much closer to the front of the mouth. I have some of Studley's special spotted gum waiting to test the set up and my plan is to keep moving the frog forward by 0.1 mm (in reality, a smidge) at a time until the mouth is tight and the plane is taking nice shavings or the blade starts to chatter. If it does chatter, I will gradually back off the frog until the chatter stops.
If I am not getting acceptable shavings without chatter, I may have to look at getting a thicker blade.

Reminds me of a letter to the National Health in England - "Sir, I have been in bed with a doctor for a week, and it doesn't seem to be doing me any good. If things don't improve, I shall have to get another doctor...."

Looks like fun Jeremy.

Better looking than mine.

People probably question it, but a close mouth won't be crucial in my opinion. The mouth on mines huge, but haven't found much reason to fix it. A closer mouth may improve things a bit, but I doubt much.

Mitre shooting is generally a strong natural with grain cut anyway. Doesn't seem to matter if the mouths closer I've noticed.

However, and gapping mouth wont shoot thin stock. Like small bead. Get too thin and it'll jam up in the mouth.

Whats most important IMO is that that blade doesn't chatter about. Square shoots load the blade heaps, so theres a greater chance that'll happen. So, I've noticed a thick blade improves things greatly. I put an old thick one in mine.

The other thing I noticed is to keep that fence freshly run in as often as possible to keep the trailing side of the cut crisp.....do that by clamping an additional face to the fence and tap it accross occationally with a hammer and re-run it in.

..wax on that plate, to help it slide.......

real sharp blade

Sandpaper on the fence good to stop the wood from slipping when shooting mitres, but it slows the process down plenty. You want to be able to make quick repeatative passes of the plane to creap a fit. Looking for a good registered touch on the nose of the plane before every pass.

I've never used a handle like yours.... must be more comfortable to use. What I find I have to do, is lay a rag under my palm when it sits on the frog, else I end up with a battered hand....frog bites. uno.

[quote=apricotripper;561492]Looks like fun Jeremy.

Better looking than mine. many thanks, Jake, but mine only looks better because of the splash of paint, which is really only tere to protect from rust.
BTW, I am slowly coming up with a way of using the Apricotripper sawtooth clamps with round dog holes to hold thin pieces for planing - stay tuned (but don't hold your breath... )

People probably question it, but a close mouth won't be crucial in my opinion. The mouth on mines huge, but haven't found much reason to fix it. A closer mouth may improve things a bit, but I doubt much.

Mitre shooting is generally a strong natural with grain cut anyway. Doesn't seem to matter if the mouths closer I've noticed.

However, and gapping mouth wont shoot thin stock. Like small bead. Get too thin and it'll jam up in the mouth.

Whats most important IMO is that that blade doesn't chatter about. That's what I thought, but I was going to use the 'suck it and see' approach and find out what happens.
Square shoots load the blade heaps, so theres a greater chance that'll happen. So, I've noticed a thick blade improves things greatly. I put an old thick one in mine.

The other thing I noticed is to keep that fence freshly run in as often as possible to keep the trailing side of the cut crisp.....do that by clamping an additional face to the fence and tap it accross occationally with a hammer and re-run it in. Good idea - I will see what I can do to screw it onto my brass channell - should also protect against the possibility of hitting the metal fence with sole or blade!

..wax on that plate, to help it slide.......I wax both the runway and the side cheek (also keeps rust off)

real sharp blade This one is my best ever effort at sharpening - it looks at you and shaves all your hair off

Sandpaper on the fence good to stop the wood from slipping when shooting mitres, but it slows the process down plenty. You want to be able to make quick repeatative passes of the plane to creap a fit. Looking for a good registered touch on the nose of the plane before every pass.

I've never used a handle like yours.... must be more comfortable to use. What I find I have to do, is lay a rag under my palm when it sits on the frog, else I end up with a battered hand....frog bites. uno.
Yeah, I do know - which is why I had ago at this one, but i am thinking that I might bodge up a hot dog handle as well. Unlike the LN one it won't move up and down the plane, but if I make it long enough that shouldn't matter to much and it will register nicely on the curve of the upper cheek of the plane. If it turns out that I like that better, I will dump the cranked handle, sweat another plate on so I can use it LH as well and use a hotdog handle that can be swapped from cheek to cheek - since each cheek will be a straight edge, I will be able to make it adjustable along the entire length of the plane.....[/quote]