My First Tools

[Tom LaRussa]

Here are my first efforts at tool making. Both pieces still need a bit of work, but I thought I'd share anyway.

The long thingie is a 3/8" paring chisel with a laminated rosewood handle. The main bevel needs a bit of grinding, but it cuts very nicely.

The second piece is a 1/4" thick plane blade for a yet to be created plane. I haven't finished sharpening this one as I was waiting for a new supply of sandpaper from Supergrit.com.

I heat treated them both in the barbecue, used the magnet method to figure out when they were hot enough, and quenched them in a mixture of salad oil and low-grade olive oil. (Just had it in the house, so I used it.)

Tempered them in the oven for an hour at 300 degrees.

[Louis Bois]

I commend your efforts Tom...utilitarian without any fluff. That 1/4" blade should give you some chatter-free planing!!! I assume you're making a Krenov/Japanese style plane...please post some pics of the finished product.

[Dave Anderson NH]

All slippery slopes start with the first step. All blades that you heat treat at home look pretty ugly at first, but they clean up quite nicely with some work. You'll be even happier after the black grunge is removed and you see shiny steel. As I've tried to get across to folks in some of my posts, it's pretty easy and you'll love the sense of accomplishment of making some of your own tools. Just start simple and refine as you go. Soon you'll be making pieces of functional art.

[Tyler Howell]

Wow Tom! Very Spartan Effort!

That's what amazes me about the hand tools of old. They were often made by the worker/craftsman before he could begin the appointed construction task. Way cool.:cool:

[Tom LaRussa]

All blades that you heat treat at home look pretty ugly at first, but they clean up quite nicely with some work. You'll be even happier after the black grunge is removed and you see shiny steel.
Gee, I thought I'd leave the plane blade black. That way I could pass it off as Japanese and sell it for a couple hundred bucks. :eek: ;)