Your Favorite closed tote

[Matthew N. Masail]

I'm building 2 planes at the moment, and I'm trying hard to create a tote that is comfortable for me, I've been sketching and looking at pictures, so I thought I'd also ask your advice on the matter, before I start the prototyping. I need a closed tote design for these planes.

[David Weaver]

George posted a pattern a while ago, it's the one I would use if I were making a closed tote.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?110370-Free-plane-handle-pattern-for-the-19th-C-style-plane

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Little experience in closed-tote planes, so take anything I saw with a grain of salt. Certainly some searching around here will find excellent work by George and others for examples to draw from.

One things that makes handles, both planes and saws, more comfortable to my hands is the shape of the round in cross section - a handle that's simply radiused over with a router or something, no matter how smoothed, is never as comfortable in a plane to me as one that has a curve that is sort of egg-shaped, or least, not just a radius slapped on the edge of a flat cross section. (Does that description make sense?) It's much more comfortable to me, and not something that stands out visually without taking closer look. A little detail that makes some of my plane handles much more comfortable than others.

The width is the other one for me, although I find this more noticeable in saws than planes - but sometimes a handle is perfect, but just too thin for my hands. I have some joinery saws that are very similar, but one is maybe 7/8", and the other is a hair over 1" thick. That little difference goes a long way in comfort for me.

The last thing that comes to mind is the angle - and a lot of that depends on how you like to work. I like to work low, and like a handle with a bit of a forward tilt to it.

[george wilson]

Here is a scalable handle you can use. Very much like the drawing I posted some time ago,but don't have time or patience right now to look for.

[Matthew N. Masail]

Thanks for the comments Joshua, the egg thing makes sense! I'll defiantly try that. I've done some testing and also noticed I like my totes a hair over 1". another thing is that I like the top horn to "hug" the top of my hand. but I'm in the dark about most of the rest so far...

George, I already made that tote! remember? you said I did a good job working to your design. I liked it at first, but my hand would cramp using it, I made it too large and too thin for myself. so now I'm redoing that plane because otherwise it's one of my best users.

[Peter Pedisich]

Matthew,

Mathieson and Son, Glasgow made some nice closed totes on their fore planes, should be some images out there.

Here's mine:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sa9Cf4Yyp6o/T41soV3HYII/AAAAAAAABCE/yevYmg6WRG4/s640/IMG_6161.JPG

[Matthew N. Masail]

Thanks for the pic Peter! that looks like one hell of a plane!:)

[Zander Kale]

Here are two totes I find quite comfortable. The reasons are: wider (1 1/4") and rounder, sloped more forward than many planes (closer to a dovetail saw) and a "wasp waist" for my pinkie (your grip is smallest there).
http://zkprojectnotebook.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/al9-side2.jpg?w=550
http://zkprojectnotebook.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/iron-maiden2.jpg?w=550

[Matthew N. Masail]

now thats what I'm talking about! did you make those ??

[Zander Kale]

now thats what I'm talking about! did you make those ??
Yes - one is stainless steel with a glued up Jatoba infill, the other was carved from a block of pear and has metal internals (the wood is basically a shell).

[Matthew N. Masail]

Beautiful! you must have put a lot of work into that. I don't quite get how the sole is connected to the pearwood? and the brass (maybe bronze?) screw in the front? is that far an adjustable mouth?! or a strike button?

[Zander Kale]

Thanks! The brass screw on the front is sort of deceptive, it is a strike button that also looks like it connects the sole. It doesn't. It is a bolt from a toilet tank, which I find hilarious. The mouth is also adjustable but that is via a movable frog. This photo shows the attachment (the frog bolts to the three studs in the middle).
http://zkprojectnotebook.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/sole-parts.jpg?w=500

[Matthew N. Masail]

Thats crazy! I would have never thought just by looking at it.... how well does it work? does it. ahem... flush out shavings? :p

[steven c newman]

If I were to design a tote for that type of wood bodied plane, I'd take a handsaw tote that i liked the fit of, and hold it to the side of the wood body.. I'd try until the angle is just right, mark on the tote where the cuts would go. I'd use the handsaw tote, with all the marks, as a pattern. One could, even they are bored enough, duplcate the wheat carvings on the saw tote onto the plane tote.. Your choice of wood, too. Doesn't have to be applewood....

[Derek Cohen]

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/CoopersJointer_html_781967ee.jpg

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/CoopersJointer_html_m639901bb.jpg

Pretty sure I've posted these before.

Regards from Perth (currently Sarasota)

Derek

[Zander Kale]

Thats crazy! I would have never thought just by looking at it.... how well does it work? does it. ahem... flush out shavings? :p
I'm happy with how it works :)
Shaving are removed easily, haven't had any problems.
http://zkprojectnotebook.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/eruption1.jpg?w=600