When I saw this my thoughts went back to Doug's comment in another thread. "Just what I need, another project." :rolleyes:
However, I see all these people putting their hands up and i don't want to be left out: Plus I have had it in my mind for some while to make a plane. Soooo.
My hand is up and I'm in.
Yesterday I thought I had better see what I have in the way of materials to cobble something up. One problem is that I have a couple of ideas and can't choose between them so despite the time issue I will probably have a go at both. At least one of them won't come last :wink: .
I can also see that I will have to use the evenings for much of the work as that will be the only time available. Don't go buying any shares in Netflix as I might have to give them the flick (oh, that was terrible!) and they are depending heavily on me for their bottom line.
So I found some bits of wood waiting to be dressed, because I thought they might come in useful. Top bit is from an old power pole ( if your electricity has just gone out I wish to assure you it is nothing to do with me):
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Planned up there is some Gidgee ( very similar to Pagie's Gidge), some Spotted Gum, the power pole Spotty was not sound enough although the texture was amazing, some Tallowwood (it picked up a bit when planned so that might get discarded although it gave greater "blond" contrast with the dark timber) and a timber I bought from the Brissy show several years ago that is sold as some from of Ebony, but I don't think it really is. Probably an island substitute.
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and some lumps of metal some of them sharpened at one end:
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There is one of my ubiquitous leaf springs ( quite a wide one, that will have to be cut down if used) and three blades that I think were purchased in a Forum group buy so many years ago have forgotten the details. There is one Spiers style and I am thinking that I might attempt a bevel up plane. I have never owned or even used such a beast so that could be a possibility and a new experience for me. I ran the new experience scenario past SWMBO but she didn't seem enthralled by the prospect and may have got completely the wrong idea because of the way I approached it. I may have to rethink my technique.
One problem I foresee is that while I have timber large enough for the body or an infill, there is nothing there that would produce a handle and I want a handle that is reminiscent of a saw handle. That is nothing to do with my "interest" in hand saws, but because I have experienced the other type breaking. If I go to the effort of making a plane I do not want the handle to break!
Anyhow that is where I am up to, sharing sleepless nights with Mountain Ash, but not in close proximity (:wink: ). Everything is in my mind's eye for the moment.
Lots of excitement. Really hoping others will rise to this challenge because in these dire times it is such things that keep us on an even keel.
Just one more aspect I should mention is that unlike my more talented Forum colleagues I will not be building a dovetailed infill plane. It is not that I don't like them. I do. I absolutely love them, but at this moment I would not be able to devote the time and on top of that I am aiming to make a plane for little cost from materials I have laying around. That is my goal, but I may fall down on that. The object is to try.
Regards
Paul