Compass planes

[jeremy holloman]

Hey guys. I figure you are the people who would be able to answer this. I don't think their is a bigger collection of hand tool knowledge out there than here at SMC. Ok, now the question. Do compass planes really work and if they do, do I have any options other than an old Stanley 112 or 113? I need to make 6 chairs in the next few weeks and I am thinking a compass plane would be quite useful.

[Alan Turner]

I recently acquired a Stanley No. 20, but haven't fettled it yet, or used it. Years ago I did use a compass plane, and it worked wonderfully. Hope those with knowledge will chime in.

[Brent Smith]

I have a Record compass plane(don't know the #).The 2 things I've found about using it are a very sharp blade and a very thin shaving make for a clean cut.You also have to be very careful about grain direction,just a little bit in the wrong direction and you'll tear a chunk out.If you can find a Record, I think you'll be happy with it,and it will probably cost less than a Stanley.I think Kunz is making them also,but I don't know about the quality.

[Derek Cohen]

Jeremy

Why do you think you need a compass plane for building chairs? I would imagine that a spokeshave would be better, or a scorp, or something like that, but not a compass plane. I do have one, a vintage Record #20, and it is great for planing curved sections. Do you mean the curved back of a seat? If you are going to bend wood by laminating it, then I would rather use a scraper.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dick Latshaw]

Leon Robbins makes them. Look for the Crown Plane Company.

[Mark Singer]

I have a Union 113 and use to have a Stanley 20. As Derek said the spokeshave is a more useful tool in chair making. I use the compass plane for curves that are circular segments of a consistent radius. See the attached link.... Chairs typically have compound radii and a spokshave and rasps are most helpful. I perfer the LV metal spokeshave and a Nicholson #49 and #50.rasps. The compass planes work very well on concave or convex curves of constant radius....


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13780&stc=1

[Bob Smalser]

...The compass planes work very well on concave or convex curves of constant radius....


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13780&stc=1

...and on edge grain, not face grain.

A boat and bed builder's tool ...long runs of gently-curved edge grain....and of little use in chairmaking.

[Dave Anderson NH]

What we have here is a bit of potential confusion on exactly what a compass plane actually is. Planes like the Stanley # 20 or #113 are compass planes where the sole is adjustable to various radii along one plane (geometrical plane). In other words, it is a simple flat curve. The other type of compass plane is that which is of a fixed single or double curvature. In other words the sole of the plane is permanently shaped to produce either a flat planar curve or another variation has the sole curved front to rear AND side to side. These were and are almost always made completely of wood. Makers like Crown Plane, now owned by Jim White Sr and Jr, make the double curved fixed sole type which is used to hollow out the seats on Windsor chaairs. The fixed sole single curve type was most common in the coachmaking trade where there was a need to regularly reproduce a curve of a specific radius. Yup, we are talking about two very different types of planes with very different uses.

[Alan Mikkelsen]

I have an old Stanley Compass plane that I use on a regular basis. I make a lot of templates from hardboard/mdf. These often have long curves in them. I rough cut them on the band saw and then use a compass plane to smooth out the curves and removes the bandsaw marks. It works much quicker than trying to sand the curves fair and smooth. Not sure what I would use one on a chair for. I use the curved templates to curve legs/aprons, etc. on a router table.

[jeremy holloman]

Thanks for all of the information. I was mainly thinking of the curved parts on the back of the chair. This is my first foray into building any kind of real chairs. A friend of mine who used to build them years ago mentioned that he used to use a compass plane to plane the radiused parts smooth after he rough cut them. I'm not sure that I would want to use one for that, but he seems to think it is the easiest way, although judging by the responses here that is not correct. I hadn't thought about laminating several strips around a mold. That sounds much easier and I do intend to paint these. I'll have to give that much thought. Thanks again, y'all are a wealth of information.

Jeremy