Do I need to dovetail an infill plane?

[Andrew Nemeth]

After recently being impressed and inspired by a recent thread on an infill shoulder plane build, I have decided to give it a try. My question relates to construction technique. The project that inspired me only riveted the compenents together. Would I be better off dovetailing the sole to the sides or is that an additional and unessesary step for a shoulder plane? I intend this to be a user but I also would like to be proud to pass it on to the next generation.

Thanks,
Andrew

[Terry Beadle]

Some purists think only a double dovetailed infill is the way to go. The reason being that it's pretty, secures the sides well, and since you are going through all the effort to build such a beauty, the dovetailing is worth it.

That all said, there are sever other methods of securing the joints. Some use special tapped sides with bolt ends milled to flat. Some use box joints with peened bolts and spacers. The peening is done carefully and is really difficult to spot. Some even use silver solder or even brazing brass.

It's really up to you. The double dovetailing is not that difficult to do. The different systems all work. If you hand make an infill, it will out live you by a long time. Make it what you want to use while you are on the Earth and enjoying the shavings! The process is the value more than the product IMO.

Good Luck ! Keep us posted.

[george wilson]

As far as functionality are concerned,no. you can make an eminently strong plane by silver soldering. Dovetails are cooler,though. The LN miter plane is cast,and perfectly useful. It doesn't cost HUGE bucks,either.

[Kevin Foley]

Many ways work but dovetailing makes a strong joint between relatively thin plates. If you wish to through rivet the sides to the sole plate, the sole plate will have to be significantly thicker. If you're doing a lot of the work with hand tools then time saved on avoiding dovetails might be lost in working the sole plate. If you have access to a mill, time is not an issue and its an aesthetic choice. Either dovetails or rivets will be stronger than they'll ever need to be.

If you're intending to do the work with hand tools, which would mean neandering your neander tools the "techniques" section on Mr. Bill Carter's will interest you.

http://www.billcarterwoodworkingplanemaker.co.uk/index.html

[David Weaver]

it doesn't matter how you attach the metal bits together as long as it's a reasonably strong joint and stable, short and long term.

The wood is going to be the problem in the future, not the metal joinery.

I still like dovetails better. They're not that hard to do reasonably well - and in my case with my tools (which is almost entirely hand tools), much easier to do than rivets. I despise making jigs to hold things down, etc.

Laying out the metal on the plane sole and then using that to mark the sides lets you spend your time working the metal and wood instead of thread tapping, drilling precise holes, etc (which is tedious and provides no tactile satisfaction), and the result is much more authentic looking and more interesting and pleasing to do.

Just my opinion.