Thread: Wood type for hand plane

Good Morning Rellik

Have a look on Terry Gordon's website for ideas and inspiration. His stuff is aspirational!
HNT Gordon and Co Classic Plane Makers Australia

Good Luck




Fair Winds

Greame

I read in a recent magazine that he uses Desert Myall (I think it was) from central Qld.
If you want a definite answer let me know and I'll look it up to be certain.

Its not just the timber type, but how it has been cut out of the log, e.g. grain direction.
Are you ok with selecting the right grain for a plane?

The temptation is to get something bloody rock hard in the believe that this will somehow mitigate sole wear. Steel will wear, but you can always laminate a new sole to a wooden plane.

If this is your first half a dozen planes then avoid anything exotic and therefore costly, get something that has good working and mechanical properties because it is doubtful that your first few planes will be anything fantastic in terms of performance.

Choose a piece of wood that is as straight grained and as dull looking as a Nun, high figure indicates irregular grain direction and instability and comprised strength. Ideally the Grain should run in straight line end to end otherwise the grain run out should be on one face only and at minimal shallow angle.

This is helpful information:


dai orientation.jpg

You can make a plane from virtually any timber. Traditional Europeans preferred Beech (Fagus sylvatica) it is an excellent mechanical properties. The Japanese preferred Oak (Quercus).

This is a good website - Browse By Common Name | The Wood Database


The more important attribute are the mechanical properties - Here are some EXAMPLES - The ideal timber would have equal Radial / Tangential Shrinkage but that timber does not exist. Greater then 1.0 but less then 2.0 is the general ideal. Beech is the best choice because is relatively hard, however it has high Modulus of Rupture, Elastic Modulus & Crushing Strength (COMPARE BELOW). Simple put it will bend before it will chip, crack or shatter, important since you will be striking it when adjusting. While you can get harder denser timber the wood will be prone to chipping.

I would go between Beech OR Jarrah - Jarrah has a better T/R Ratio: 1.4 however its Elastic Modulus are lower. Overall Beech is the better choice. Rock Maple & Tasmanian Blackwood the T/R is out of whack being above 2.0. American White Ash has a good T/R Ratio: 1.6, however its elasticity and crush are below Beech and Jarrah.

Hope this has helped.


Beech (Fagus sylvatica)


Janka Hardness: 1,450 lbf (6,460 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 15,970 lbf/in2 (110.1 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 2,075,000 lbf/in2 (14.31 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,270 lbf/in2 (57.0 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 5.7%, Tangential: 11.6%, Volumetric: 17.3%, T/R Ratio: 2.0


Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata)


Janka Hardness: 1,920 lbf (8,520 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 16,200 lbf/in2 (111.7 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,880,000 lbf/in2 (12.97 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,870 lbf/in2 (61.2 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.6%, Tangential: 6.6%, Volumetric: 11.2%, T/R Ratio: 1.4



Rock Maple Acer saccharum


Janka Hardness: 1,450 lbf (6,450 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 15,800 lbf/in2 (109.0 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,830,000 lbf/in2 (12.62 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 7,830 lbf/in2 (54.0 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.8%, Tangential: 9.9%, Volumetric: 14.7%, T/R Ratio: 2.1


Tasmanian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon)


Janka Hardness: 1,160 lbf (5,180 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 15,190 lbf/in2 (104.7 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 2,148,000 lbf/in2 (14.82 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,040 lbf/in2 (55.4 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 3.4%, Tangential: 9.0%, Volumetric: 12.5%, T/R Ratio: 2.6


American White Ash (Fraxinus americana)


Janka Hardness: 1,320 lbf (5,870 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 15,000 lbf/in2 (103.5 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,740,000 lbf/in2 (12.00 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 7,410 lbf/in2 (51.1 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.9%, Tangential: 7.8%, Volumetric: 13.3%, T/R Ratio: 1.6