Thread: Tips, Techniques and Theory

Originally Posted by IanW

On the subject of future pain - I'm not sure if & when I will get over my current shoulder problems, I can't even get a satisfactory diagnosis, let alone a suggested cure, so if there are any more planes coming out of my shed in the short to medium-long term, they will most likely be very small ones! Perhaps I should bite the bullet & invest in a good linisher (& spend the next year learning how to use without doing more damage than good... )
Cheers,

Ian

I am not completely convinced that the linisher is the best machine for flattening. The platten is not good enough for the level of accuracy we want. They are good for quick removal of material but it will not be flat. I have used the machine at work, which is a medium level industrial version, not the same as, but similar to this from Hare and Forbes.

H & F Linisher.jpg

It is 415V 3HP and will set you back $1309. Really a surface grinder is what we want and they, for a small one, start at a little over $4000! Even there, the sole would have to be flattened before it is assembled to the sides.



At least you would not have to use that wretched SS material as the clamping relies on magnetism.



Regards
Paul

Thanks for another interesting and informative write up Ian.
One day when I have a bit more spare time up my sleeve, I hope to make some more planes, your builds certainly provide the inspiration.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

.... I am not completely convinced that the linisher is the best machine for flattening. The platten is not good enough for the level of accuracy we want. They are good for quick removal of material but it will not be flat.... l

Paul, I was not thinking of using a linisher for sole flattening, I realise it would never get me anything like what I'd accept as a usable sole (although Stanley & others now seem to think so!). I was just thinking of ways to make the initial clean-up a little less strenuous. Apart from cutting out & filing the mouth & blade bevel, that's the part that involves most effort. Preparing the sole & sides doesn't take that long now I'm well practised at it. Cleaning up after the peening always sends me into avoidance mode, I find all sorts of other minor things to do to avoid it as long as I can. On a big plane, 300mm long or more, it is quite a chore, & anything that would reduce the drudgery is welcome!

Oddly, I enjoy filing the lever cap. It's not just that brass is a lot easier to file (as long as the files are sharp & not worn), it's much more satisfying seeing a nice shape emerge from what began as a lifeless ump of brass. Cleaning up the dovetails & pins is just pure tedium...

Cheers

Ian

I misunderstood what you intended to do. I think you would have to use a very fine belt for your purpose. The linishing belts are often quite coarse. I just checked one of the Forum sponsors Smith and Arrow and they do a belt from 240g to 3000g in a mixed box. Could be the go.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Really a surface grinder is what we want and they, for a small one, start at a little over $4000! Even there, the sole would have to be flattened before it is assembled to the sides.

There's always this one: Strap on Surface Grinder Attachment - Artisan Supplies

But you need a $3000 2" x 72" belt grinder to attach it to. I find I use my belt grinder a lot (it's only a 2 x 48 and I would have bought a different one if i knew then what I know now). I bought it for knife making but I use it for much more than that. It's great for sharpening chisels and plane blades with the jig I made using the body of the Veritas MK 11 sharpening jig, as shown in my plane build thread. Best pencil sharpener ever.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

...I misunderstood what you intended to do. I think you would have to use a very fine belt for your purpose. The linishing belts are often quite coarse....

Actually Paul, I would hesitate to use any belt finer than 120 for what I had in mind, and 80 would be motr likely what I'd choose. I only want to knock the bulk of the spare material off, so I would stop before marking the sides. It would simply be a mechanised version of what I do now, which is to use a very coarse file (equivalent to maybe 40 grit paper) and switch to finer files & finer papers progressively to reach the finish point.

People tend to choose finer grits for grinding than they should - I certainly did at first. Finer grits are not for bulk removal, they clog quicker & cause way too much heating. Your average grey grinding wheel is 60 grit and even these need constant cleaning to keep cutting cleanly...

Cheers,

DEATH CLOCK

14 days, you have only 14 days left!!!!!


That’s only 336 hours remaining, what are you doing.
Get a move on(Yes I’m included).

Come on get going

Omg panic panic panic.
Judges like red wine just saying.

Panic panic.
If you’re unsure what I’m blabbing on about,
Nothing for you too see hear, move on.


Have a lovely day Bob an Matt.[emoji7][emoji7]

Wasn’t sure where to post this, so I’ll put it here.
Bruce Neville, in the UK, has released this book, he’s saying it’s the first of it’s kind, I think our IanW might have beaten him to that title, but anyway here is a link to his plane making book. I haven’t read it, and won’t be buying it. Just posting for your interest.
https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%...YeOBwUcP5w&s=1

Originally Posted by Ironwood

Wasn’t sure where to post this, so I’ll put it here.
Bruce Neville, in the UK, has released this book, he’s saying it’s the first of it’s kind, I think our IanW might have beaten him to that title, but anyway here is a link to his plane making book. I haven’t read it, and won’t be buying it. Just posting for your interest.
https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%...YeOBwUcP5w&s=1

Brad

£50. How much did we pay for Ian's working notes? Oh yes, that's right, he donated it to Forum members on request. Our "Benevolent Moderator!"



Much appreciated Ian.

Regards
Paul

Good spotting Brad. By the looks of the plane on the cover, the author seems to have a fair idea of what he's about, so I expect it'll be a good guide, but fifty quid for a paperback book?! I guess this old phart is waaay out of date & that's the going rate for a small print-run book these days.

I suspect it will be oriented towards Brits & Continentals who can buy a much wider range of raw materials more easily than we can down here. What actually got me started writing my "manual" was wanting to help save other people time finding & selecting material & tools based on what's fairly easy to get hold of locally. When I first thought about making a plane (last millenium!) I had no idea where to go to get the brass & steel, and less idea about the different brass alloys & what they are good for, so I spent a lot of time chasing up information. With limited success I might add, the interweb was barely underway at the time and there was certainly not as much stuff as there is now, thanks to forums & u-tube etc. If my 'manual' only helps people sort out where to start it will have achieved what I set out to do. Like my plane-making, once I started it sorta took off & became a much bigger thing than I'd intended. I probably tried to cover too much in the end.

Several people have suggested turning it into a "proper" book, but that'd be a whole lot more work, I'd need to improve many of the pics & spend a lot of time editing & expanding some of it. So I've decided to leave it as a free-to-air thing & hope those who have it find some use in it....

Cheers,
Ian

Fair go to the bloke; he’s seen a gap in the market and a publisher has thrown in a bid but Bruce’s infill looks… well, a bit too nasty to be something to aspire to make at that price. The lever cap boss and its mating screw stick out way too far; what’s with the weird knob thing on the blade and the front bun looks like it’s trying to avoid being seen in the company of the sides….

I’ll stick with dreaming that one day I too can design and execute an object d’art worthy of sitting next to one of Ian’s.

Awww, you're a bit tough on the poor chap Chief - it doesn't look that bad to my eyes. The side curves are a bit tentative would be my main criticism, he could've made them more explicit. Maybe you're swayed by the wan-looking wood? I presume it's box, which seems to be very popular with plane-making Brits, probably because Bill Carter always talks it up. Somehow, pale woods just don't look right to me, against the brass, Dark woods look way better, I reckon.

Done.jpg Horn & grip mod b.jpg

Anyway, if I happened to stumble on a remaindered copy or something I'd certainly like to have a read, the pic on the front shows him taking the waste out of the D/Ts by a method that looks a bit unusual to me - I'd like to know more...

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Anyway, if I happened to stumble on a remaindered copy or something I'd certainly like to have a read, the pic on the front shows him taking the waste out of the D/Ts by a method that looks a bit unusual to me - I'd like to know more…

I’m pretty sure in that picture he’s not cutting but using a tapered punch to peen the corners of the dovetail.

He has a website showing off several of his handmade planes; some are ok looking (the 15” panel plane for one) but there are a couple that I think would be rather uncomfortable to use. He doesn’t seem to like cap irons very much either. He also has his own design of removable brass lever cap; I’m sure I’ve seen something like it before somewhere….

I have been watching his posts on Instagram for a while now, his dovetails look a bit neater these days, back when our plane challenge was in full swing, the planes he was turning out had gaps where they weren’t peened closed fully.
he seems to use on a lot of his planes, something to age the brass to give it a patina look, I think he might do it to hide or take attention off flaws in his work.
But he does seem to be selling a lot of planes……
and now books …