Smallish blade project ideas

[Scott Watson]

I've just started making my own plane blades for my own wood handplanes. I ordered my first piece of O1 steel and just cut my first blade from it. Its going well, but I'm looking to the future a bit. The piece of steel I picked up is 1/4 inch thick by 1-3/4 inch wide by 12 inch long. I'm going to cut 3 3-1/2 inch long blades out of this for a couple different styles of planes, but thats going to leave me with a little fella on the end of about 1.5 by 1.75 to 1.75 by 1.75 depending on how good my kerrf cutting is. The question is what can I do with this little piece to get the most I can out of this bar? I was thinking some sort of spokeshave or maybe a smaller plane, but I'm having a hard time finding links or designs that use this size blade, especially this thick. Any ideas?

[Prashun Patel]

How about a taper reamer? Useful for reaming tapers.

BTW, I hope your "kerf" cutting's better than yr spelling!!!!!!! :p (JK!)

[john brenton]

Stanley #48 tongue and groove irons. I can't believe that I lost one. :confused:

[David Weaver]

I've just started making my own plane blades for my own wood handplanes. I ordered my first piece of O1 steel and just cut my first blade from it. Its going well, but I'm looking to the future a bit. The piece of steel I picked up is 1/4 inch thick by 1-3/4 inch wide by 12 inch long. I'm going to cut 3 3-1/2 inch long blades out of this for a couple different styles of planes, but thats going to leave me with a little fella on the end of about 1.5 by 1.75 to 1.75 by 1.75 depending on how good my kerrf cutting is. The question is what can I do with this little piece to get the most I can out of this bar? I was thinking some sort of spokeshave or maybe a smaller plane, but I'm having a hard time finding links or designs that use this size blade, especially this thick. Any ideas?

3 1/2 inches is pretty short. Factor in the kerf of the hacksaw blade and the fact that you're not going to cut them perfectly, and will need to square and grind off a fraction of the length.

I would be more inclined to make two or there longer irons, and then see if you have leftover stuff when you're done.

Also, ever have any plans on making an infill plane? If you do, the 1/4" piece you're talking about having left over would make a bed block if you decide to make one with a bottom that isn't thick enough to suit the bevel of a thick iron (which may be the case if you use a 1/8 or 3/16" bottom and a 1/4" iron).

And finally, I wouldn't worry too much about getting the absolute most out of that steel - 0-1 is cheap, and you can always get more at mcmaster carr. It's nice to be frugal with material, but for now, I would figure out what your project is going to be, cut the iron you need for it, and leave the rest go until you know what you need for the next project. it's too narrow to be an infill plane bottom, especially at that thickness, but you may decide you want to make an infill next with an iron of that width, and you will surely need an iron longer than 3 1/2 inches for it if you want it to last more than a few grindings.

So, that's my suggestion. Cut the iron you need to the size you want for your first project, and then set the rest of it aside. Use more steel from it as you need it, and buy more if you need it, making tools you need rather than trying to figure out how to use what you have and making tools you might not want - like a spokeshave with a 1/4" iron. That'd be a bear.

[Scott Watson]

Shawn, thanks for the suggestion, not sure it would be worth making a taper reamer, even if I ever needed on it could be had for 5 bucks on amazon.
John, that’s a pretty interesting idea. Not sure I’d use a tongue and groove joint much, but I do think some sort of a rabbet plane is in my future. Not sure if it will be with this stock or alittle thinner stock.
David , thanks for the advice. I’m basing the planes in part on the suggestion in David Finck’s book and as much other info as I can get around here and online. The ones Finck sells and I believe the ones Hock make’s for the wood planes are 3 ½ so that’s where I got that from. Plus I'd rather it blend in with the final design of the plane and not stick up too high. I’ll end up cutting and forming all the other irons from this before I try to play with the short piece but I look at it as a fun chance to make something alittle different. Also I doubt I’ll ever build an infill. They are very very nice, but not my style, bit too industrial for me.
I’m still leaning toward a fat blade spokeshave. Something modeled after a Japanese style spokeshave. I did a bit of the old geometry and the hypotenuse of a 45degree bed in 3/4 inch stock is only an inch leaving some room sticking out either way I turn the steel it it’s a 1.5 inch wide by 1.75 high or 1.75 wide by 1.5 high. That should allow plenty of room to square off and for kerf. Plus I’ll need a spokeshave.

[Matt Lau]

If you're not completely set on making woodworking tools, you might want to take a look at Peter Atwood's stuff (http://www.atwoodknives.com/).

It's pretty cool, and I'm thinking of making some stuff myself.

[Scott Watson]

Matt, thank you for that idea, its a great one and might just be what I end up doing.