Thread: Challenge 2020 - 2021 Doug3030

Originally Posted by doug3030

Are you talking about a high-angled jack plane or what you did to my thread?

Immmmm,

That’s Sally’s fault.

Cheers Matt

In case anyone is wondering what I have been doing for the past few days but were too polite to ask, I hve been busy, but not necessarily with the challenge.

I have ordered in some steel to make some blades for one of the other participants.
I also ordered some tools for my milling machine so that I can make some tools for plane-making.

We got a new back fence so I grabbed all the old Redgum fenceposts from the old fence and salvaged what I could from them.
I didn't set out to process the redgum today. I was going to grab a Sheoak log to cut a few potential plane bodies out of but the fenceposts were on top of the sheoak so, as you do ...
Not sure yet if the sheoak will be the timber for my final entry but I want to make a few practice runs first anyway.
Some of the fenceposts were beautiful well figured Redgum and some was very ordinary.
Out of some of the not-so-nice stuff I managed to find some nice little bits to make a few plane hammers with.
I also have a wheely-bin full of rejects and planer shavings.

Looking forward to getting some of my deliveries so that I can get on with things.

I was planning to be out in the shed this afternoon, for two reasons.

Firstly I need to make a couple of blades for Bernard Zhang's challenge entry

Secondly to hunt up some more bits for my own plane-making efforts, skill-building projects for my challenge entry and making a few of the necessary tools. As I am going to be building a few wooden bodied planes in the next little while I am finishing a dovetail saw I started a while back, as I think I mentioned elsewhere, and making some plane floats. I also have a few ideas of some jigs and fixtures I want to make to simplify workholding and ensure accuracy and repeatability.

So much for what I was planning to do.

The current temperature outside according to my little weatherstation sitting 4.5 metres above my back deck, is 4.9 degrees, "feels like" minus 1.2. I know that it would take all my heaters a few hours to get the inside temperature up to something comfortable to work in and 6000 watts of electricity for the whole afternoon to still be cold in the shed did not appeal so I am sitting in my lounge room at a comfortable 22 degrees.

So, I have been researching planemakers floats for a while and thought I would share some of the info I have found, because others might like to look into it too.

First up I found a video by Walter Sorrells, a well-known American knife maker who dabbles in woodwork, sort of like me, a woodworker who dabbles in knife-making. I relate well to his no-nonsense approach to his craft and since we have a fairly good overlap of similar workshop equipment I also like his methods of work. If you watch the video you will find out that he is possibly the only person in the world with worse woodturning skills than me but he gets the job done and that's what matters. He makes a joinery float in the video but what I am interested in here is the techniques as it is really only the shape of he blank that differs. So here's how a knifemaker makes a float. Unusual Woodworking Tool! Making a Plane Maker's Float - YouTube Enjoy!

Here's an article from a publication called The Tool Shed The Planemaker Float. It goes into a bit about history of how they were used to be made, including why you never see them at old tool sales etc and other helpful background information.

Here's a series of three article on making plane floats by Joe McGlynn from 2012.
Making Plane Floats, Part 1 | McGlynn on Making
Making Plane Floats, Part 2 | McGlynn on Making
https://mcglynnonmaking.com/2012/09/...floats-part-3/
A lot of good information there including some plans for floats and a skinny mortise chisel to make to fit wooden handles to them, linked here. https://mcglynnonmaking.files.wordpr...atpatterns.pdf

Here's a few words of wisdom on the subject from Caleb James
http://kapeldesigns.blogspot.com/201...-need-for.html

I also have the full version of this video by Todd Hurrli on DVD https://vimeo.com/58164515. I also have the sequel on making a custom made ogee molding plane, which follows on from the first video. Obviously I can't post a link to these but I do recommend these videos as a great resource for side-escapement planes.

That's probably enough links to get started with. There's heaps of stuff out there once you learn not to google "plane floats" unless you want to land an aircraft on a lake. "Woodworking plane floats" or "Planemakers floats" seems to turn up more of the content you want.

Anyway I hope this is of use to some of my fellow competitors. There seems to be a lot of sharing of knowledge within the group which is great. We are all learning stuff as we go and it is good to see the spirit of cooperation is stronger than the spirit of competitiveness. The challenge is a great idea and is already lifting people to a new level.

Hopefully the weather will warm up over the weekend and I will be able to put some of my new-found knowledge into use as well as finishing Bernard's blades.

Originally Posted by doug3030

The current temperature outside according to my little weatherstation sitting 4.5 metres above my back deck, is 4.9 degrees, "feels like" minus 1.2. I know that it would take all my heaters a few hours to get the inside temperature up to something comfortable to work in and 6000 watts of electricity for the whole afternoon to still be cold in the shed did not appeal so I am sitting in my lounge room at a comfortable 22 degrees.

What?! It was 29° C up here. Too hot to work.

Thanks for all the links. I will wade through them. I'm sure there is lots of information there.

Regards
Paul

Hi Doug. A little while ago I posted this Is this a rasp/file/riffel/??? and thanks to fellow forumites I found out what they were. I have since made some plane floats from them and they work okay. No photos sorry but I did turn some handles to make things more comfy. Another possibility maybe (I got my stock from my uncle). Unfortunately I haven't got him anymore.

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

Hi Doug. A little while ago I posted this Is this a rasp/file/riffel/??? and thanks to fellow forumites I found out what they were. I have since made some plane floats from them and they work okay. No photos sorry but I did turn some handles to make things more comfy. Another possibility maybe (I got my stock from my uncle). Unfortunately I haven't got him anymore.

Thanks for the info MA.
However, one of these arrived in the post the other day.
dovetail endmill.jpg
Despite the smaller included frames in that picture,no, I'm not looking at an infill plane (well not this week anyway)

The plan is to tilt the head on the mill by about 30 degrees and mill teeth into the plane float blanks I will cut from the o1 tool steel I bought for that purpose back in the days when o1 was not so hard to get as it is now.

It might take a little bit of playing around with angles and things to make it work right but since we still have 179 days til 26 March 2021 so what else would I be doing if I wasn't doing that? I might even take this opportunity to fit the DRO kit I bought last year onto the mill.

Originally Posted by doug3030

Thanks for the info MA.
However, one of these arrived in the post the other day.
dovetail endmill.jpg
Despite the smaller included frames in that picture,no, I'm not looking at an infill plane (well not this week anyway)

The plan is to tilt the head on the mill by about 30 degrees and mill teeth into the plane float blanks I will cut from the o1 tool steel I bought for that purpose back in the days when o1 was not so hard to get as it is now.

It might take a little bit of playing around with angles and things to make it work right but since we still have 179 days til 26 March 2021 so what else would I be doing if I wasn't doing that? I might even take this opportunity to fit the DRO kit I bought last year onto the mill.

Nice Bit Doug?
I’m envious of your mill)

Cheers Matt.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

I’m envious of your mill)

Well, Matt, I do recall that when you came over and helped me set up the mill and lathe on their stands when my back was even worse than it is now, I did say you could come and use them if you wanted. But of course, we hadn't even heard of Covid-19 back then, had we? But once we can travel again the offer still stands, if you want.

Originally Posted by doug3030

Well, Matt, I do recall that when you came over and helped me set up the mill and lathe on their stands when my back was even worse than it is now, I did say you could come and use them if you wanted. But of course, we hadn't even heard of Covid-19 back then, had we? But once we can travel again the offer still stands, if you want.

Doug,
Unfortunately if I use your Mill, my desire will deepen.

I have to stay strong and resist the force.

I’m off to study Star Wars again(((.

Cheers Matt.

Originally Posted by doug3030

Thanks for the info MA.

The plan is to tilt the head on the mill by about 30 degrees and mill teeth into the plane float blanks I will cut from the o1 tool steel I bought for that purpose back in the days when o1 was not so hard to get as it is now.

It might take a little bit of playing around with angles and things to make it work right but since we still have 179 days til 26 March 2021 so what else would I be doing if I wasn't doing that? I might even take this opportunity to fit the DRO kit I bought last year onto the mill.

Mount the DRO kit, you will not regret it

i have a alternative for you if you would like me to print up some custom parallels that are angled to your desired angle like i have for cutting the initial bevel angle on my blade.
I would move the angle area to be better centered in the vice and raise it higher as it needs to extend just past the top of the vice unlike a normal parallel.
_Z080760.jpg

I got my DRO mounted a few weeks back ... fun times but worth the effort

_M282773.jpg

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

Mount the DRO kit, you will not regret it

I can see that job rising rapidly up the list of things to do in the shed. Last month it was sitting at number 2816, but it is now at about 14.

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

i have a alternative for you if you would like me to print up some custom parallels that are angled to your desired angle like i have for cutting the initial bevel angle on my blade.
I would move the angle area to be better centered in the vice and raise it higher as it needs to extend just past the top of the vice unlike a normal parallel.

Thanks for the offer. I'm trying to get my head around how that could work.
If I tilt the mill then I only have to set the z axis once to do the whole job with the x and y axes. As soon as you place the blank at an angle I can't see a way to do it without moving all three axes for each tooth. What am I missing?

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

_M282773.jpg

I have the Optimum BF-20 too. Do you have the matching lathe as well?

Originally Posted by doug3030

Thanks for the offer. I'm trying to get my head around how that could work.
If I tilt the mill then I only have to set the z axis once to do the whole job with the x and y axes. As soon as you place the blank at an angle I can't see a way to do it without moving all three axes for each tooth. What am I missing?

Yeah if your doing teeth then i can't see how it would work either so scratch that idea however they work well if you want to bevel a surface, i used the 3deg ones to surface cut the slope on the little blade for the toy kanna and the 25deg to cut the main bevel. I think it saved a little time on a grinder

Originally Posted by doug3030

I have the Optimum BF-20 too. Do you have the matching lathe as well?

Nope no matching lathe...

Depending on what DRO kit you have i may be able to supply you some mounting parts and some ideas from how I got it mounted.... i found the hardest bit was the Y axis due to the slope on the bed. i have x and y moving the scales and z moves the head.

Edit: double post, sorry

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

Depending on what DRO kit you have i may be able to supply you some mounting parts and some ideas from how I got it mounted.... i found the hardest bit was the Y axis due to the slope on the bed. i have x and y moving the scales and z moves the head.

I have the Optimum brand one D695 - DRO5 3-Axis Optimum Digital Readout Counter - 1mm | Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse