Thumb plane build

[Jeff Wittrock]

This is a small thumb (like) plane I have been fiddling with for a while. I have made a couple of other metal bodied planes in the past using mild steel pins to join the sides and sole, but this is the first I have attempted using dovetails.

As you can see, my craftsmanship still needs some work. The dovetails looked good after I had peened them and filed flush. One I started lapping the sides and bottom I really started to notice the lines appearing. I just didn't get the metal pushed down into the voids as well as needed, and once I lapped the surfaces down, the voids started appearing. I peened again, and things improved a bit, but I didn't want to remove any more metal from the sole and cause the mouth to open up more. I finally just let it go, and chalked this one up as learning experience.

The blade is O1 but is not yet hardened and no bevel ground yet. My old propane torch just lacks the heat needed even with the small fire brick forge I built. I ordered a swirl flame propane torch that can also use MAP gas so will hopefully have the heat output I need.

The rest is just hot rolled mild steel. The infill and wedge are Honduran Rosewood.

The wedge shape may seem a bit odd to some. It actually extends past the width of the blade. I have a flat area up front to allow tapping the wedge out, and enough of a flat area on the tail end for setting the wedge.

Likewise, the sneck on the underside of the blade may look a bit off. I wasn't sure I would like this, but it does make it much easier to access since the long wedge doesn't leave much room to adjust the blade with the sneck on top. I originally had snecks filed in on the sides, but just didn't care much for them, so putting the sneck on the bottom just made sense to me.

I originally had a small bun of rosewood up front, but decided I liked it better to have the area in front of the mouth open. In place of the bun, I made a concave surface with checkering. The checkering came out courser than I would have liked, and after I did it I wasn't sure I really liked it. Putting it on was something of an impulse decision.

I have been trying to take pictures of things as I make them, even when things aren't going so well. Pictures do a pretty good job of reminding me what didn't work and what did. I'll try and sort out some that I took during the build and attach them to the thread.

Critique always welcome and appreciated. I have pretty tough skin.

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[george wilson]

Jeff,I think the curves in the body are just gorgeous. I could not have designed better myself.

The cupid's bow could use a little teeny bit of refinement on both the top and bottom curves,but I'll bet you already have noticed that with the eye for design that you obviously have. The top curve is a little lopsided. The convex curves on the bow itself are too "acute" on their most convex part,and the "V" notch could be made sharper in its center. You can make a very sharp V with a careful whack with a properly ground cold chisel,filing off the displaced metal afterwards,if you do not have a file with real acute corners. A Japanese saw file would work well for final refinement of the "V" notch. Get the one that is cut on BOTH sides(not the "safety" Japanese file,cut on 1 edge only.)

As for the dovetails,that is just technique that you can further develop. The design is the important thing. I have seen plenty of work with impeccable technique,but poor aesthetics. You HAVE the important design skills. That is the great milestone that most lack. You have the eye to do really outstanding work with just a bit more attention to little details,which should be no problem for you.

The upside down sneck? If it works,why not?

Be sure to make ALL the parts of your sneck out of the same steel as the blades. If you don't,the pins will show a different "color" as soon as a little age sets in. And,especially if you harden the sneck with the different steels in it. Make sure your pins are really hammered down very snugly. But,I warn you,the edges of snug pins will show anyway,as the steel is going to be a different "color" where it is compressed by hammering. You will see brighter looking rings around their edges. Hardening and tempering the sneck will help this disappear.

I would change the wedge for aesthetic reasons. It is quite large. Perhaps make the end of it go straight down,rather than sucking under. It leaves a very delicate edge right where you will be tapping it with a hammer. I think it would also look better without the sucked under edge.

The checkering? It is too large for that small a width,and way too acute an angle. It does not look good. Maybe you can file it off.

I'd say,for the sake of the design,make the plane again. Use the same design,smooth up the cupid's bow top and bottom curves,and leave the checkering off. Re think the wedge. Leave the sneck as is.

If you can't get the iron hot enough(I always did with a MAPP gas torch,OR TWO),get a weed burner and a trailer bottle. A huge amount of heat!! I did have to get a special valve for my weed burner. The bottle has a safety valve that shuts the burner off after several minutes. You need a valve that by passes this safety feature(we were actually burning weeds with ours,and needed extended burn timer. You might get by without the valve just for heating a blade). I heat my small blades in a corner that I make with a couple of bricks. Making a corner really helps the heat to not escape so rapidly. Two torches are also a big help. But,in the old days,I heated a 2" iron with 1 torch using the corner of bricks. I got a good 2" length of plane iron hot enough to harden that way,with a MAPP gas torch.(I hear that MAPP gas is not really MAPP gas any more. Still seems to get hot,but now I have gas and electric furnaces to get large stuff hot.).

I think you have a real eye for design. Get the little improvements corrected,and refine a bit on the cupid's bow,and you will have a GREAT little plane.

[Pat Barry]

Its very unique looking, that's for sure and it looks great to me, but I don't have the refined eye of Mr Wilson, so I can't critique it, in fact I don't know a sneck from a dead skunk in the road. What I'm wondering is how big is it? and, How well does it do what its intended to do? Can you post the dimensions or show how you hold it to use it? What exactly will you use it for?

[Jeff Wittrock]

Hello George,

I can't thank you enough for the feedback and you are being most generous. Your input is extremely helpful.

Thanks for the idea of using the chisel to make the sharp "V" in the cupids bow. You are right it that the file I used simply wasn't sharp enough to make a nice sharp V. I know what you mean about the cupids bow being a bit lopsided. It really shows in the photo. It is amazing to me how well the human eye can pick up on this offset even though when I measure it is is around 1/64" off. I think the lobes on either side of the V are probably off a bit in terms of area, and the fact that I made them too acute as you say exaggerates this even more.

The sneck itself is O1 the same as the blade, but the pins are just mild steel. You are right. Even now, I can see their outline even before heat treating the blade, or before I start tapping on the sneck. That's one thing I worry about. Do the rivets loosen up over time with tapping on the sneck? I guess It should only be light taps on the sneck, but this is something I worried about.

The wedge idea was something of a love hate kind of thing. I love the the large curved surface that I can rest my palm on. I hate that it tends to make the plane look a bit tail heavy. My wife likened it to a duck head facing aft. Your right. It is a bit big. You know, its kind of funny that sometimes I find I am trying to convince myself that I am using a shape for ergonomics, but what I am really doing is trying to find a place to put a curve. At times I go a little overboard.

The checkering? I think I was just looking for an excuse to checker something and overestimated by ability to execute it. I really love the look and feel of fine checkering, and I can do a reasonable good job on a nice flat surface with a triangle file, but I don't think I will ever be able to do a good job on an inside curve. I have always thought I would like to try some checkering files from Brownells, but they can be pretty expensive.

Thanks again George.

[allen long]

While I tend to agree with George about the wedge being perhaps a bit large for the plane, I urge you NOT change the wedge itself, but rather, set it aside. I absolutely love the shape. It is very sculptural

[Jeff Wittrock]

Thanks Pat,

The length of the sole is ~4" and it is about 1-3/8" wide with a 1-1/16" wide iron. The iron is done yet, so have not had a chance to use it.
My intended use is really like a small block plane. I really want something that doesn't force me to hold it in a particular way. I guess that's what many like about small block planes.
I really liked the look of the beautiful thumb/block planes made by Raney Nelson of Daed Toolworks, and I wanted to make something that could be held much as he shows his being used on his website.

Thanks again,
Jeff

[george wilson]

Many smallish planes use a rather large wedge to grip the plane with,so I'm not certain that it really is too large..

The pins in the sneck can loosen if you don't harden them along with the sneck and the rear end of the blade. The only real way of making a secure sneck is(short of welding them on,like the originals) is to silver solder them on. Let it air cool so the iron doesn't get hardened at the sneck,and have to be tempered. When you harden the cutting end of the blade,it will be long enough to avoid melting the silver solder,which takes red heat to melt. It is a bit of trouble to solder the sneck on. Cleanup is a pain,but it is about the only way to avoid something loosening with use.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Many smallish planes use a rather large wedge to grip the plane with,so I'm not certain that it really is too large..

The pins in the sneck can loosen if you don't harden them along with the sneck and the rear end of the blade. The only real way of making a secure sneck is(short of welding them on,like the originals) is to silver solder them on. Let it air cool so the iron doesn't get hardened at the sneck,and have to be tempered. When you harden the cutting end of the blade,it will be long enough to avoid melting the silver solder,which takes red heat to melt. It is a bit of trouble to solder the sneck on. Cleanup is a pain,but it is about the only way to avoid something loosening with use.

Thanks George,

Aesthetics aside, it is comfortable to have the larger wedge/handle, but of course I should be careful how much aesthetics I set aside :). That is something I have always been very uncertain of. Just how ugly am I willing to make something for the sake of comfort or utility, and how uncomfortable or less useful for the sake of beauty. I have a great admiration for those that can design things that retain both. Some would argue that tools should be about utility first, but I have to admit it is the beauty of tools that has motivated me to try and learn how to make them.

Thanks for mentioning the silver solder. Once my new torch arrives, I have been thinking of playing around with silver soldering for small parts that I have been riveting up till now. I wondered if sweating the sneck on would work well. I imagine if it is done well, then just a thin line would be visible between the blade and sneck? I fear I would end up with a mess to clean up as you mention, but I look forward to playing around a bit.

[george wilson]

How much mess is controlled by how much solder you place at the seam. Sometimes you can use some plain black "stove pipe" wire,and bind the work in place. When the solder melts,the sneck may slide around,making a BIG mess of solder. This must be avoided. Sliding around can also be eliminated by tilting the plane iron upwards a bit on the bevel end. FOR THIS TYPE OF JOB,With the plane iron on a soft firebrick,or BETTER,invest in a soft magnesium soldering pad(which is what we use) from Rio Grande. They are 1/2" thick. Ours is 12" square. You can stick small nails in the pad. With the blade tilted up a bit,insert small nails at the edges and the end of the blade,to prevent the sneck sliding either way. Get some borax paste flux. Flux the mating surfaces lightly,but completely. Avoid too much flux,as boiling flux will easily move the sneck also. Place a wire of silver solder about 1/2" long at the corner of the sneck and blade on the upwards side of the blade.Make sure there is flux between the solder and the steel parts. If the steel parts are allowed to oxidize,the solder will not flow into the seam and will make a mess. When the solder melts,it should suck into the seam and leave a minimum of mess to clean up.

Buy yourself a titanium probe to touch the work with. They don't cost much,and solder will not stick to the probe. You need something to nudge the work with if something slips out of place. An ordinary probe can get soldered to the work,and mess up the job. Don't skimp on the probe OR the soft soldering pad. You WILL regret it if you do!!!!!

Soldering is a skill that requires judgement,and proper preparation. Fail at either,and you will have a difficult mess to clean up,especially with hard silver solder. By the way,silver solder comes in 3 hardnesses: Easy,medium,and hard. Medium should be plenty for your needs. You can buy wire or flat,thin sheets. I'd just use the wire for this job. Sheet curls when you cut it,and has to be gotten nice and flat for this job. Wire will be easier. The wire is not large in diameter,about .020" or .030" dia. There is silver solder that is 1/16" in diameter,but you do not need it that large,and it will be messy too. You want that solder to suck under,and you want to see a bright edge of solder appear all around the edges of the sneck. Since the surfaces of your steel are both precision ground,1/2" should be enough. It's popssible to add more solder,but it HAS to be done while the work is still red hot. It is difficult to add solder without it melting before you can get it into place. So,do it right the first time. If you let the work cool,it will be oxidized,and the solder WILL NEVER be induced to flow into the seam if you add more and re heat it. Don't even try it,or you'll screw up the job,guaranteed.