Hikouki Kanna - Spring and Track

[Brian Holcombe]

Good morning! Now that Kez is complete I'm back at it with he Hikouki kanna, now mostly completed and soon to be ready for testing.

I hope enjoy my post and look forward to your comments.

https://brianholcombewoodworker.com/2016/09/01/hikouki-kanna-spring-and-track/

https://brianholcombewoodworkerblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/img_4519.jpg

[Stewie Simpson]

Brian; very interesting, Appreciate your posting.

Stewie;

[Brian Holcombe]

My pleasure! Thanks for your comment!

[Christopher Charles]

Interested and curious as well. Thanks!

[Brian Holcombe]

This one has Definetly garnered some interest! Glad to see and thank you for reading my blog!

[Bill McNiel]

Brian,
Thanks for posting, I always enjoy looking over your shoulder.

[Brian Holcombe]

My pleasure!

[Reinis Kanders]

Nice. You are pretty productive.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thank you! I always feel I'm not getting enough done, lol.

[James Pallas]

Brian, Very interesting plane. Just like the pressure bar on a full blown planer. Great idea for the spring. what kind of clearance are you planning for track to plane sole? I guess I'm asking about iron exposure.
Jim

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Jim! Clearance between the track and the iron? I want it to yield 6.5mm so I'll keep fine tuning it until it does. Already I want to make the tracks deeper and rails thicker.

[Steve Voigt]

Brian,

Looks great. Is this the first plane you've made? Either way, nice job.
I wonder if it might be better to flip the leaf spring around, so that it's applying pressure at the ends. I have no idea; I'm just speculating. I think Raney told me he used three coiled springs on his (but he did say that leaf springs were traditional, so bonus points for authenticity).

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Steve! Number two and three, I chucked the first one.

I saw Inomoto had them oriented this way and so I went with that. It certainly doesn't hurt to try both ways. It ended up being much easier to hunt down leaf springs than coil springs

[Kees Heiden]

Finally I got around to read your blog post about making a beech plane, interesting!

Regarding the discussion about your choice of wood, I think you don't need to worry. Beech has proven itself as a good choice for wooden planes. It may not be the perfect choice, but it sits comfortably in the "good enough" category. And worrying about wear issues is more for someone like a professional full time temple builder who uses his planes constantly. A bit less so for a hobby woodworker nowadays (allthoug your output is still very good indeed!)

[Brian Holcombe]

Thank you!

I'm a professional woodworker, but commission work is not as strenuous on the tools as timber carpentry or full time shoji work. I tend to agree and for $20 I bought enough billets to make 3-4 planes where one good oak billet shipped to the US is going to be about $70 and for nagadai probably more like $100, so I figure I can make them for a while and once I consider myself decent enough to source really premium material I can build them in Japanese white oak that has been seasoned for 5-10 years.

[Kees Heiden]

Yes that's another consideration of course. Testing your abilities on cheaper wood before hacking into the premium stuff.

I'm curious to see this planing setup in a video. I'm sure you will make one ;-)

[Brian Holcombe]

Will do! Once the kinks are tuned out, playing with the pressure spring and bar at the moment. I may also add a bar for the chipbreaker.

[Brian Holcombe]

So far, so good;

These are shop-shoji (meaning test pilot shoji that will cover up one of the ugly spots in the shop). There is another one of these not quite finished, and this one has not been glued. These are Honduran mahogany, beautiful wood but terrible stuff to work. It works nicely but it makes a lot of dust when planing and the dust lingers in the air when sawing. I really wanted to like working with it but I probably never will again.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/4B54C457-1983-4B01-B195-EF8C455C4A28_zpsbdiq4jpj.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/04D267F7-B6A5-454A-B258-DEEF1489E337_zpspum3vgan.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/8DC1DBCF-DC3D-4140-9235-47178054B568_zpsau9tgw9d.jpg

Next glue and paper, and then I will build a track for them.

The second set here are going to be window coverings and so they get the more appropriate wood. Alaskan Yellow cedar. I've cut and planed all of the kumiko but have not started to cut and fit.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/0E9AEA3C-18E0-4A9B-9A59-BB57D1B45D1F_zpsjzmfz41n.jpg

This wood is just wonderful wood to work, planes, cuts and mortises nicely, compressed mildly and is harder than the previous white cypress that I used. Still dents easily so I'm considering some softwood vise jaws for future projects.

[Stanley Covington]

What is the joint between rail and stile?

Stan

[Brian Holcombe]

Stan, it's a double tenon with miter.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/66DB0952-32AD-475A-820E-BA8934B69254_zpspiacyh1w.jpg

[Stanley Covington]

Stan, it's a double tenon with miter.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/66DB0952-32AD-475A-820E-BA8934B69254_zpspiacyh1w.jpg

Thanks, Brian. First class!

Stan

[Brian Holcombe]

Thank you! Stan do you like the inner frame as opposed to just mortising the kumiko into the rails? So far I do but I've been debating the rail with that part molded in.

[Stanley Covington]

Thank you! Stan do you like the inner frame as opposed to just mortising the kumiko into the rails? So far I do but I've been debating the rail with that part molded in.

The separate kumiko panel installed within the frame is a more elegant, more modern solution. It makes it easier to do mentori kumiko with a single kudegoshi setup too, if you are doing the work by hand. It also provides a nice neat step for pasting the paper to. The alternatives to this are the classic sans step with the kumiko flush to the face of the rails and stiles, or a step planed into the face of the rails and stiles with a special plane to create a nice neat pasting area.

The cheaper versions of this style have the inner panel pinned or screwed into the frame. Much easier to replace broken kumiko. The better varieties have some or all of the vertical and horizontal kumiko's tenon piercing and extending past the perimeter kumiko and fitting into matching mortises in the rails and stiles.

I have seen but never made the style with the molded rails and stiles. Very machine-intensive and does not appeal to me.

Now for the pop quiz: What kind of glue will you use?

Stan

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks for your insights as always! I have also seen where the kumiko frame is set into a groove in the rails and stiles and it seems appealing on the surface but it also seems like it could easily break out the back of that groove.

Good question, something I have been pondering, considering I may need to fix something in the future I'm thinking I should be using hide glue for the major joinery and I believe rice glue for the paper.

[Stewie Simpson]

Brian; do you use a product similar to Aircraft dope to tighten up the rice paper.

[Brian Holcombe]

Stan would be a better person to ask, being that these are my first shoji and I have not applied the paper yet. I've seen a mist of water used to tighten the paper.

[Pat Barry]

Good morning! Now that Kez is complete I'm back at it with he Hikouki kanna, now mostly completed and soon to be ready for testing.

I hope enjoy my post and look forward to your comments.

https://brianholcombewoodworker.com/2016/09/01/hikouki-kanna-spring-and-track/

https://brianholcombewoodworkerblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/img_4519.jpg
Brian, nice craftsmanship as always, but I have to tell you that I have no idea what you are trying to accomplish with this tool. It would seem that its intended to create something with narrow width and uniform thickness, is that right? Seems like there should be some adjustability in the finished thickness but I don't see a provision for that, otherwise its a pretty single purpose tool. I'm hoping to see some video demonstrating the usage.

[Brian Holcombe]

Pat,

Thank you! It is most definitely a single purpose tool, made specifically for making kumiko which come in about two or three thicknesses, so one simply makes a pair of shoes for each thickness.

[Pat Barry]

Pat,

Thank you! It is most definitely a single purpose tool, made specifically for making kumiko which come in about two or three thicknesses, so one simply makes a pair of shoes for each thickness.
Learning Japanese isn't something I have a lot of interest in burbs dud look up kumiko and google tells me a kumiko is an eternally beautiful child.

[Steve Voigt]

Learning Japanese isn't something I have a lot of interest in burbs dud look up kumiko and google tells me a kumiko is an eternally beautiful child.

It sounds like your Googling skills need some work. I, on the other hand, am dying to know what language the phrase "burbs dud" is from.

[Pat Barry]

It sounds like your Googling skills need some work. I, on the other hand, am dying to know what language the phrase "burbs dud" is from.

My Google skills are unparalleled. On the other hand, my Samsung phone auto word select leaves something to be desired. Burbs dud was supposed to be "but I did". How that became burbs dud is beyond me. Lol

[Brian Holcombe]

I think burbs dud might take off, I like that.

[Stanley Covington]

I think burbs dud might take off, I like that.

So, did we ever figure out the meaning for "Burbs dud" translated into modern English from the original Greek? I want to make sure I use the word correctly, since words have power.:eek:

[Frederick Skelly]

Brian, nice craftsmanship as always, but I have to tell you that I have no idea what you are trying to accomplish with this tool. It would seem that its intended to create something with narrow width and uniform thickness, is that right? Seems like there should be some adjustability in the finished thickness but I don't see a provision for that, otherwise its a pretty single purpose tool. I'm hoping to see some video demonstrating the usage.

I always enjoy seeing your work Brian!

Forgive me guys, but my knowledge of Japanese and Japanese culture is pretty slim. So I still don't follow the usage - what does one do with the thin strips that (I think you said) come off of this tool? Like Pat, my google search was unsatisfying, turning up nothing but Japanese female names and miscellaneous burbs dud.

Thanks!
Fred

[Brian Holcombe]

So far, so good;

These are shop-shoji (meaning test pilot shoji that will cover up one of the ugly spots in the shop). There is another one of these not quite finished, and this one has not been glued. These are Honduran mahogany, beautiful wood but terrible stuff to work. It works nicely but it makes a lot of dust when planing and the dust lingers in the air when sawing. I really wanted to like working with it but I probably never will again.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/4B54C457-1983-4B01-B195-EF8C455C4A28_zpsbdiq4jpj.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/04D267F7-B6A5-454A-B258-DEEF1489E337_zpspum3vgan.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/8DC1DBCF-DC3D-4140-9235-47178054B568_zpsau9tgw9d.jpg

Next glue and paper, and then I will build a track for them.

The second set here are going to be window coverings and so they get the more appropriate wood. Alaskan Yellow cedar. I've cut and planed all of the kumiko but have not started to cut and fit.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/0E9AEA3C-18E0-4A9B-9A59-BB57D1B45D1F_zpsjzmfz41n.jpg

This wood is just wonderful wood to work, planes, cuts and mortises nicely, compressed mildly and is harder than the previous white cypress that I used. Still dents easily so I'm considering some softwood vise jaws for future projects.

Fred and Pat, no worries, I posted this to show the kumiko which was planed using the plane and track in question.

[Pat Barry]

Fred and Pat, no worries, I posted this to show the kumiko which was planed using the plane and track in question.
So kumiko is the thin strips of grid work for your shoji panel. I suspect you are a professional frame maker since i seem to recall you mentioning making lots of picture frames previously. Do you do many hand carved / ornamental frames or mostly molding types? Also, I'd be curious how you trim mitered corners to get them seamless.

[Steve Voigt]

Forgive me guys, but my knowledge of Japanese and Japanese culture is pretty slim. So I still don't follow the usage - what does one do with the thin strips that (I think you said) come off of this tool? Like Pat, my google search was unsatisfying, turning up nothing but Japanese female names and miscellaneous burbs dud.


Fred,

Here are a couple links to get you started.

Des King is a real master of kumiko and shoji in general. He's got a bunch of you tube vids. The first one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khr5Is3kT8s) is just kind of a promo for his books but does cover some basic stuff. The second one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm1BPnfvdwk) gets into some techniques, and there are more videos. There are some good pics on his web site too.

Raney also had some nice blog posts on the subject. Here's one on tooling (http://www.daedtoolworks.com/tooling-for-shoji/). Then, here's one on actually making some of the kumiko joints (http://www.daedtoolworks.com/kumiko-i-just-cant-quit-you/), and there are others as well (click on japanese under categories on the right side of the page).

[Brian Holcombe]

So kumiko is the thin strips of grid work for your shoji panel. I suspect you are a professional frame maker since i seem to recall you mentioning making lots of picture frames previously. Do you do many hand carved / ornamental frames or mostly molding types? Also, I'd be curious how you trim mitered corners to get them seamless.

Steve's link's are excellent, check them out. Kumiko are the grid work.

I do make frames which are either joined or otherwise difficult for a normal frame shop to work with. 'Floater' frames as they are called are frames in which the art is mounted without a visible connection on the front of the work (meaning it doesn't obviously seat within the frame), the preferred make are called 'carpenter made' by many artists but really that translates to woodworker made because they're made with a joined back to strengthen the miter.

[Frederick Skelly]

Now I get it! Thanks very much guys!
Fred

[Pat Barry]

Steve's link's are excellent, check them out. Kumiko are the grid work.

I do make frames which are either joined or otherwise difficult for a normal frame shop to work with. 'Floater' frames as they are called are frames in which the art is mounted without a visible connection on the front of the work (meaning it doesn't obviously seat within the frame), the preferred make are called 'carpenter made' by many artists but really that translates to woodworker made because they're made with a joined back to strengthen the miter.
Finally got around to checking out the links and some related materials. This stuff is fascinating! I can see now how this all ties together for you. I think you could fall down quite a deep rabbit hole with this type of work. I honestly had no idea of the precision involved in the woodwork for things like this.

[Brian Holcombe]

Excellent! Absolutely, it's a rabbit hole for certain, but one of many that find my interest and it ties in well. The precision and organization of those designs is just incredible.