Wooden Norris Smoother- rough sketch- your thoughts?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Good day all:

I am awaiting one of Lasse Hilbrandt's 46mm irons in the mail, as well as a piece of African Blackwood and a Red River Gum burl with which to make a wooden smoother. I wanted a coffin smoother, and the more I thought about the design, I thought why not put a bun like a Norris. That led to making the wood body look like a Norris smoother, but made from wood. The African Blackwood is well dense enough to play around with the shape. The whole thing ends up being wood anyway, so there's really no difference other than the cutaway on the sides.

Attached, hopefully, is an image showing what I have in mind. This design was made using a very high-tech program called "Schweizer Sketchup," which uses a central brain connected to moving devices which grasp a pencil and use various alignment tools to create the image. In other words- I drew it by hand. :-)

Please give your feedback. The bun will be morticed in so that the front of the plane it extends down to about 1/4" from the bottom of the plane. What I like about this design is I can cut the angles on the bun and "tote" (do you still call that a tote?), glue them in, and use that angle to reference my chisel against for chopping the rest of the opening. Hopefully that makes sense.

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[Chris Hachet]

Honestly, I would think a plain coffin style smoother would be better...I find them very intuitive to use.

[Stew Hagerty]

Honestly, I would think a plain coffin style smoother would be better...I find them very intuitive to use.


Then again, coffin smoothers are a dime a dozen. I think it might be cool to have something a bit different.

Go for it Malcolm!

[Malcolm Schweizer]

You are right, and I forgot to mention that this is more of a fun challenge than anything- call it a functional art project. I just have this idea in my head, and imagine the beauty of a black Norris style smoother, but it will have a wedged blade. I may make the wedge have a stripe down the middle- not yet decided.

Anyway, this is an ode to wood, to the EA Berg iron, and to Norris styling, with a Schweizer twist. The idea of the project is to create something beautiful and functional that challenges my abilities as a woodworker.

...Otherwise, I would build a plane ol' coffin smoother.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Here is the burl. Imagine this paired with an African Blackwood body, smoothly finished.
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[Chris Hachet]

Here is the burl. Imagine this paired with an African Blackwood body, smoothly finished.
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Keep us posted!

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Malcom, thats a beautiful piece of wood. Please don´t cut it before you get the Iron ;)

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Malcom, thats a beautiful piece of wood. Please don´t cut it before you get the Iron ;)

I'm running on faith!

[Joel Moskowitz]

While I think a plane made with these woods would look very cool I thought I would mention that Norris actually made two kinds of wooden coffin smoother. The early ones is just a regular coffin smoother, just like everyone elses except it says norris on the front. The later on, made in the 1930's I think - was a crude large wooden coffin smoother with a wide mouth and a norris adjuster. They could have if they wanted to made a well working adjustable plane if they wanted to but they didn't.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

While I think a plane made with these woods would look very cool I thought I would mention that Norris actually made two kinds of wooden coffin smoother. The early ones is just a regular coffin smoother, just like everyone elses except it says norris on the front. The later on, made in the 1930's I think - was a crude large wooden coffin smoother with a wide mouth and a norris adjuster. They could have if they wanted to made a well working adjustable plane if they wanted to but they didn't.

Thanks for the reply, Joel. I was not aware they made a wooden coffin smoother with a Norris adjuster. I just googled it; Interesting plane. I am really trying to mimick the look of the metal-bodied planes but in wood. Again, this is mainly for the challenge and to play with the thought. If you look at my design, it is basically a wooden coffin smoother made of contrasting woods, except it has a Norris-like cutaway at the bun, and the two woods mimick the body and infill.

I am still undecided on the Krenov-style wedge with the crossbar, or the traditional wedge with carved throat slot. Obviously the Krenov would be most like the Norris in that it has the crossbar. I certainly want a wedge and not a Norris adjuster. The idea is a hat-tip to a Norris smoother, but in reality a more traditional wooden plane.

Maybe it would help to explain that my trademark is taking wild woods and pairing them together, usually with inlays, but probably not for this plane. Maybe my cross logo in abalone on the wedge.... Hmmm.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=owxHr32JHz0

[Kees Heiden]

Yes watch out with these sizes! My Jernbolaget iron is marked 52 mm but is actually 50 in real life. Very exclusive piece of wood you have there!

I haven't gotten around to my blade yet. First some other things to finish.

[Karl Andersson]

Neat idea Malcolm; if you want to fancy it up some more (and challenge your skills more), you could make a profiled joint line on the visible fore and aft connections between the burl and the Blackwood. Just something other than a straight line - little dovetails, cupid's bow, wavy lines, maybe even your trademark in miniature?

[Brian Thornock]

Don't worry about it being functional art. I like to build infill planes and that is really all they are in my shop. They get used, but they also sit there looking pretty. They certainly aren't the workhorses, though! I love African Blackwood, this wood combination should look amazing.

[george wilson]

Everything on your design is too squared off and angular. Have you looked carefully at some Norris planes? I recommend rounding off the central portion of the design. Also,at least round over the front of the bun,even if you leave the rear part square.

I will say that Norris did not make the most beautifully designed planes anyway,though they were of high quality. Their closed handles were not that attractive.

If Norris HAD rounded both sides of their front buns,their planes would have been more comfortable to use for extended periods.


Here's one of mine so you can see how I rounded the body contours. This is not a copy of a Norris. I let the outside of the body extend to the full height of the front bun. (That might have been a bit dangerous,should the wood have shrunk,leaving a sharp edge of steel protruding. However,that never has happened as my wood was very dry.) Norris cut it off about half way up the bun. I also rounded off the bun to make it more comfortable. The handle is definitely not the Norris shape. The Norris shape is about half traditional and half mechanical looking( I hope you understand what I mean). The cap screw on my plane is a lot nicer than the Norris,which really has no style. Later on I designed better cap crews for myself,too. The one shown is too flat across its face. Though it has nice contours,I later "stacked up" the design of the cap screw,to make it more 3 dimensional.

This is not the best infill I ever made. I just did not take pictures of most of my work back then. I should not have stained the mahogany so dark.


I don't know how thick you plan to make the sides,but you need to be careful that the sides don't burst where they support the wedge against the blade. Or the protrusions that support the wedge don't shear off,is more what I mean.

I don't know how you intend to fit the blackwood against the body,but if it is a flat piece,it will never make it clear to the rear end of the plane unless you curve it from the top view.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Thank you, George, and I love that plane. The tote is well done, not that I am surprised, given the maker.

Yes, I agree it is too angular. I was afraid I needed more wood for a wedged plane, so the middle portion I extended. When I did that it made it look squarish in the profile view. I have decided to round it a bit more. The rear, the middle piece, and the front bun all land on the same top angled line. I believe the middle needs to round out more and be shorter. My thought was keep some of the blockiness of the wood coffin and make the Norris shape more of a suggestion. Frankly, I think that was a fail and I need to do one or the other.

[george wilson]

My sculpture teacher,one of the Work's best,taught me that you should not go half way. If a surface is flat,make it flat. If it's round,make it fully rounded(or contoured). Don't be wishy-washey with your design. Don't make square chisel handles with rounded over corners,for example. It is not good design.

I have continued to follow his teachings all my life. He knew whereof he spoke.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

333275Well, I started to redraw it with more curves, and I promise I did not read George's comment above, but I think I hit the same plane, pun intended. Obviously the wind wing and airflow were added as a joke, but the idea is a swoopy plane that looks like it could get up and move on its own power. I much prefer this and I think I just changed directions. This is what it's all about. I love creating. I believe it is what makes us different from animals. Opposed thumbs are just a convenience.

Edit: Seems the scan came out a bit light. There is a recess in the side which is mostly decorative, but may serve in ergonomics. Also the back might be rounded too much. I would do that by eye after gluing up and seeing it in 3D.

[george wilson]

TOO round!!:) Don't go getting TOO California!!:)

Actually,right here in Wmsbg.,there is a friend of mine who races cars. He designed a rear end race car wing which is named after him. The PLUMLEY wing(He's English).

[Malcolm Schweizer]

That one is a departure from Norris. As I drew I just decided to have fun with it and do a modern interpretation.

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[Steve Voigt]

...Otherwise, I would build a plane ol' coffin smoother.

Yeah, that would be so boring. Besides, anyone could knock one of those out in an afternoon. :rolleyes:

OK, being serious for a second, I think you can't divorce the Norris design from the materials it is made with. The design makes sense because it is based on the function. I think if you want a plane that looks like that, you should make an infill, not an imitation infill. Just my .02.