New Steve Voigt Smoothing Plane

[ken hatch]

Steve thanks, it is beautiful and takes great shavings right out of the box. As I said before....In life timing is everything.

The box was waiting for me when I made it home from work. There was also a box from Lie Nielsen with a small brass hammer. Not too bad a day in the desert.

Now for some tool porn:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/voigtSmootherSide160208_zpspywv81nn.jpg


One more, the shavings shoot out of the plane:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/voigtSmootherShaving160208_zpsm2oyengm.jpg

BTW, this was with doing nothing more to the plane or iron than taking the iron and wedge out and reinstalling them.

The cap iron is a work of art along with everything else about the plane. Guess I'll have to order the Jack next.



ken

[Frederick Skelly]

Beautiful!

[Brian Holcombe]

Nice! Beautiful plane and shaving!

Those shavings that shoot straight out of the plane get pretty addictive :D

[ken hatch]

Is my face red?

You bet, in a hurry to take a shaving and post a photo and with SWMBO having a list of things that had to be done now I put the wedge in backwards. I thank Warren for pointing it out in a PM or it might have really made my face red :o.

It did a great job even misassembled.

ken

P.S. No time for a new photo tonight maybe tomorrow.

[Phil Mueller]

That's one nice plane. Can you indulge in my curiosity and take a few photos of the "parts"...iron, cap iron, down the throat, and the sole?

[Steve Voigt]

Is my face red?

You bet, in a hurry to take a shaving and post a photo and with SWMBO having a list of things that had to be done now I put the wedge in backwards. I thank Warren for pointing it out in a PM or it might have really made my face red :o.

It did a great job even misassembled.

ken



Ken,

Glad you like the plane. I have been known to put the wedge in backwards, even though I obviously know better. It is one of those things, like driving with the parking brake on or turning on the wrong burner on the stove…we know better but we all have a brain fart now and then! :p

Actually, I'm pleased that it worked at all, since the left wedge finger was in the right abutment and vice versa! It reminds me of a thread I read years ago on the old handplane central forum. Phil Edwards (Philly planes), who was just starting out, had cut the abutments on a plane a little unevenly. He asked: should I adjust the abutments, or should I just make the wedge fit the different-sized abutments? And Larry Williams responded that he should adjust the abutments, even though that's the more difficult way. That comment has always stuck with me, and I try really hard to make the wedge gap as even as possible…guess it worked out this time! Still, there's no doubt the plane will work better with the wedge flipped around.

So, flip that wedge around, and have fun!

[Randy Karst]

Beautiful plane and saving; look forward to your posting similar picture(s) with the wedge repositioned.

[Allen Jordan]

I am very jealous of that plane, both of you owning it and Steve's ability to make it. What pitch is the blade?

[Kees Heiden]

Steve makes a remarkably nice plane. Looks good even with the wedge upside down!

[Jeff Bartley]

Congrats on the new plane Ken! It sure is great to see Steve's planes making their way around the country!

[Chris Hachet]

Congrats on the new plane Ken! It sure is great to see Steve's planes making their way around the country!

At some point one way well make its way onto my work bench....

[george wilson]

I thought that wedge was sticking up in a most peculiar angle!!:) But,I thought no,Steve would know better than that!!

Very accurate, crisp work!!

[Mark Kornell]

Ok - George, Warren, Steve, Ken - I'm looking for some education. How would one know, looking at the first two pics, that the wedge is in reversed? I get that it would be pretty easy to tell by looking at the wedge's fingers, but those aren't visible. What's different between the two surfaces of the wedge that are potentially visible?

And - nice looking plane, Steve.

[Kees Heiden]

The odd angle. And the fact that the bottom side is completely flat, while the upper side isn't.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Ok - George, Warren, Steve, Ken - I'm looking for some education. How would one know, looking at the first two pics, that the wedge is in reversed? I get that it would be pretty easy to tell by looking at the wedge's fingers, but those aren't visible. What's different between the two surfaces of the wedge that are potentially visible?

And - nice looking plane, Steve.

I have not handled one of Steve's planes, but I have a new (to me) double iron try plane. The wedge is let on one side to account for the cap iron screw, so the wedge fits tightly against the iron. I think Steve's wedges probably are as well, although you cannot really see that in any of the photos. In the first two photos, the wedge just looks like it is sticking out at a funny angle. You see sort of artisan planes posted now and then that have unusual methods of holding the iron, but I think Steve is making a point to build his in the traditional style.

[Phil Mueller]

Mark, I'm far from an expert on this, but I believe the wedge should be parallel with the iron...not angled away. On my vintage planes, the wedge is not well finished on the iron side, so no chance of it being used in reverse. Obviously, Steve does an excellent finishing job on both sides.

[Steve Voigt]

Ok - George, Warren, Steve, Ken - I'm looking for some education. How would one know, looking at the first two pics, that the wedge is in reversed? I get that it would be pretty easy to tell by looking at the wedge's fingers, but those aren't visible. What's different between the two surfaces of the wedge that are potentially visible?

And - nice looking plane, Steve.

Mark, here's a pic that shows the difference.

331555

[Mark Kornell]

Thanks, Steve. Perfectly clear!

[Stanley Covington]

Steve,

A beautiful plane indeed. I don't recall seeing antique smoothers with a rounded butt, although I am not an expert or even a collector. It looks like it would be a joy to use. Is that detail your original?

Tell us about the blade, please.

Ken, Please show us a picture of the mouth seen from the sole when you get a chance.

Stan

[ken hatch]

Steve,

A beautiful plane indeed. I don't recall seeing antique smoothers with a rounded butt, although I am not an expert or even a collector. It looks like it would be a joy to use. Is that detail your original?

Tell us about the blade, please.

Ken, Please show us a picture of the mouth seen from the sole when you get a chance.

Stan

Stan,

I'll be happy to, it may be a couple of days before I can. Finding a couple of seconds to rub together has been tough the last week or two.

ken

[Allan Speers]

Ok - George, Warren, Steve, Ken - I'm looking for some education. How would one know, looking at the first two pics, that the wedge is in reversed? I get that it would be pretty easy to tell by looking at the wedge's fingers, but those aren't visible. What's different between the two surfaces of the wedge that are potentially visible?

And - nice looking plane, Steve.


Because the wedge isn't flat against the blade.

[Steve Voigt]

Steve,

A beautiful plane indeed. I don't recall seeing antique smoothers with a rounded butt, although I am not an expert or even a collector. It looks like it would be a joy to use. Is that detail your original?

Tell us about the blade, please.

Ken, Please show us a picture of the mouth seen from the sole when you get a chance.

Stan


Stan,

Glad you like it, and thanks for your questions. Some answers:

1) The shape of the heel is based on examples that you find from the early 19th c. into the 20th. If you google "coffin smoothing plane" you will find a number of similar images, along with contemporary examples by Old Street and Caleb James. In general though the originals are less rounded--mine is definitely somewhat more stylized.

2) Normally, my blades are made to my specs by Lee Valley (not available commercially, sorry). Long story, but my current load of blades is from another source. They are virtually indistinguishable; the current ones are just a touch harder (60-62 HRC vs. 58-60) and are cryo-treated after tempering. All are O1. They are tapered from approximately 3/16" to 3/32".

3) You asked Ken about the mouth; it's probably about .030", wider than some would want on a single iron plane, but perfectly appropriate for a double iron plane.

[Stanley Covington]

Stan,

Glad you like it, and thanks for your questions. Some answers:

1) The shape of the heel is based on examples that you find from the early 19th c. into the 20th. If you google "coffin smoothing plane" you will find a number of similar images, along with contemporary examples by Old Street and Caleb James. In general though the originals are less rounded--mine is definitely somewhat more stylized.

2) Normally, my blades are made to my specs by Lee Valley (not available commercially, sorry). Long story, but my current load of blades is from another source. They are virtually indistinguishable; the current ones are just a touch harder (60-62 HRC vs. 58-60) and are cryo-treated after tempering. All are O1. They are tapered from approximately 3/16" to 3/32".

3) You asked Ken about the mouth; it's probably about .030", wider than some would want on a single iron plane, but perfectly appropriate for a double iron plane.

Steve:

Thank you for the information. A lovely tool and obviously very well made.

Stan

[Mike Allen1010]

Steve, beautifully made planes and most important the performance Ken describes are both something to covet! Your planes have been on my list of desired tools for too long now. I need to get my priorities in order.

Best, Mike

[ken hatch]

Steve,

A beautiful plane indeed. I don't recall seeing antique smoothers with a rounded butt, although I am not an expert or even a collector. It looks like it would be a joy to use. Is that detail your original?

Tell us about the blade, please.

Ken, Please show us a picture of the mouth seen from the sole when you get a chance.

Stan

Stan,

Sorry to take so long but life has been a zoo, This semi-retirement has been a little long on the semi and short on retirement.

Anyway I had a couple of seconds to rub together this AM and made a photo of the mouth.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/voigtSmootherMouth160222_zpse4jxbewy.jpg

ken

[ken hatch]

Might as well add some tool porn:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/voigtSmoothingPlane160222_zpsnyvihyig.jpg

[Kees Heiden]

That's a really nice picture Ken!

[Chris Hachet]

That's a really nice picture Ken!


Sigh...it makes me want to buy one....and I do not need another smoother.

[Josh Nelson]

Disregard this post. It seems I have not completely figured out the forum software yet. <-Dunderhead.

[ken hatch]

That's a really nice picture Ken!

Thanks Kees,

The Fujinon 18mm has really nice Bokeh along with being a very good lens.

ken

[David Eisenhauer]

Wow. Envy, envy, envy. Looks like your having fun now.

[Randy Karst]

Whoa! Great picture Ken... and yes I am feeling a little tool lust;^) Btw: that would make a terrific calendar pose, dang!

[Jim Koepke]

Whoa! Great picture Ken... and yes I am feeling a little tool lust;^) Btw: that would make a terrific calendar pose, dang!

+1 on that.

That could be Ms. January or Ms. Christmas.

jtk