Mike Holbrook
10-15-2013, 10:41 AM
So I have put together several planes from parts I got from Steve Knight before he closed up his shop. I also bought a couple planes from a fellow Creeker that were made by Steve back in the day. The planes Steve made have small screws in the side of the plane that work like the screws Lee Valley puts in the sides of many of their planes, which is to say they help hold the blades in place. I am interested in adding this type screw system to the planes I built.
I am not sure these screws are entirely needed but, I have some better plane irons made for HNT Gordon planes (HSS?) that I would like to use in the planes I built. The HNT Gordon irons are just a little smaller than the 2" irons my planes were designed for, maybe 50mm. The screws I see used for this function typically have allen wrench heads for adjusting them. My plane bodies are purple heart, which I am not sure is a great wood for holding screws that may be moved a fair amount. I imagine the wood is hard enough but small pieces tend to chip and it is very difficult to thread screws into it. I have no idea what the metal screws are called or where I might find some? I would especially like to have metal threaded inserts that I could place in the sides of the plane to hold the screws.
The planes I made have movable (IPE?) mouths which I am holding in place with 1/4" bolts that thread into metal inserts in the purple heart. The 1/4' bolts have worked well for me so far. I thought about using these same bolts to hold the blades in place but, the fit would be very tight. The sides of the plane may be a little narrow and the screw heads would need to be countersunk. I certainly don't want to do anything to the sides of the planes I have worked so hard on that might cause weakness in the sides.
Thoughts and or leads on places to obtain small screws with threaded inserts would be appreciated.
I am not sure these screws are entirely needed but, I have some better plane irons made for HNT Gordon planes (HSS?) that I would like to use in the planes I built. The HNT Gordon irons are just a little smaller than the 2" irons my planes were designed for, maybe 50mm. The screws I see used for this function typically have allen wrench heads for adjusting them. My plane bodies are purple heart, which I am not sure is a great wood for holding screws that may be moved a fair amount. I imagine the wood is hard enough but small pieces tend to chip and it is very difficult to thread screws into it. I have no idea what the metal screws are called or where I might find some? I would especially like to have metal threaded inserts that I could place in the sides of the plane to hold the screws.
The planes I made have movable (IPE?) mouths which I am holding in place with 1/4" bolts that thread into metal inserts in the purple heart. The 1/4' bolts have worked well for me so far. I thought about using these same bolts to hold the blades in place but, the fit would be very tight. The sides of the plane may be a little narrow and the screw heads would need to be countersunk. I certainly don't want to do anything to the sides of the planes I have worked so hard on that might cause weakness in the sides.
Thoughts and or leads on places to obtain small screws with threaded inserts would be appreciated.