Wooden Sports Car Hand Plane

[Shannon Cuffe]

G'day guys,

I have just spent the last 8 days having a bit of fun with creativity. I made myself a wooden hand plane and shaped it like a sports car, racing stripes and all. I love it and it works very well and most importantly, it looks cool :D

Made from River Redgum, pink coloured Tasmanian Myrtle, and a lighter salmon coloured Victorian Myrtle.
Dimensions: 340mm long x 70mm wide x 6mm high and 1140grams. or 13 1/2" long x 2 3/4" wide x 2 3/8" high and 2.5 pounds.
Blade: single iron HNT Gordon toolsteel 2" x 1/4" or 50x6mm
Fixed mouth opening approximately 0.5mm.
Bed angle: 60°
346894

There are two videos, the first being the making of the plane, and then second being the testing of the plane if you are interested.


https://youtu.be/w8TLQJNlL98

Let me know what you think. I had fun making it, even if it is more toy than tool :D

Thanks

[Frederick Skelly]

Very clever Shannon!

[Pat Barry]

Interesting! How does it do on cornering?

[Shannon Cuffe]

Hehe, I havent tried cornering yet, it does slip off edges quite easily. I am thinking of doing a stop motion video of the plane driving itself, just a bit of fun because it looks cool.

[Joe Tilson]

Looks like it will be pretty good in the straight-a-way, too.
Nicely done.

[Bill McDermott]

That is perfect for cleaning up the Pinewood Derby track.
(for reference if not familiar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinewood_derby)
As for waxing the base... Simoniz, Blue Coral, Turtle Wax???
Fun!

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Shannon what a way to make a splash into the Creek.

If my memory serves me Fine WoodWorking magazine had a picture of similar 'race car' planes years ago.

It is a very cool way to add a bit of excitement to the craft.

jtk

[Shannon Cuffe]

Hi Jim, I searched and searched the internet looking for handplanes shaped like cars and I couldn't find anything which I thought was odd, because I was expecting the idea to have been done to death with this new internet age. I don't subscribe to any of the magazines, but after reading your post I searched for "finewoodworking car plane" and it comes up with this http://www.finewoodworking.com/readerproject/2012/10/24/race-car-handplane though it just looks like a cool krenov type plane.

Bill, I don't want to wax the sole of this plane. It is incredibly slippery at the moment, so much so that I have been thinking about what I can do to give it a tiny amount of resistance. There is a thin coat of orange shellac on the base which was applied with a polishing rubber which may have been fairly heavily loaded with paraffin the last time I used it.

[Jim Koepke]

Hi Jim, I searched and searched the internet looking for handplanes shaped like cars and I couldn't find anything which I thought was odd, because I was expecting the idea to have been done to death with this new internet age.

My searches haven't turned up anything either.

Maybe a stroll through all my old magazines. That is a chore.

jtk

[Shannon Cuffe]

Don't stress too much Jim. It's kinda cool thinking I came up with something unique even if I don't really believe it. It's so hard to do that nowadays.

[Wayne Collier]

Shannon,

First thought when I saw the post was, "Wow, a NASCAR plane would be cool." Then I realized it would only turn left!

Wayne

[Shannon Cuffe]

Hi Wayne, you say NASCAR. I have been thinking along the lines of making another, but bigger like a jointer or a trying plane. I was thinking along the lines of a semi-trailer, something like Optimus Prime from Transformers, but as silly as I am, perhaps I should build the big truck which transports the NASCAR's from track to track. And make it so this little car plane can fit in the back. An almighty awkward build which will surely break all sorts of rules with plane making and balance etc etc etc :D