Thumbnail Practice

[Maurice Metzger]

I saw this technique of using a rabbet and block plane to cut a thumbnail profile in an article by Mike Dunbar in the book "Traditional Projects". I had a go at it for practice, as I want to use it for a project. It was a lot of fun. Here's some photos (thumbnails of the thumbnail). Wood was No. 2 pine.

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Cutting the rabbet was the easy part, although I didn't take enough care to avoid having the depth stop make an impression on this soft wood. Also my cut wound up going through a small knot.

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Followed up with the block plane. The hard part was knowing when to stop. I'd get pretty good rounding, but trying for something better would give me a flat spot. Also, the sacrificial blocks should have been wider to get good purchase with the sole before getting to the workpiece.

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Final results. Quite fun, lots of curly shavings.

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LATER...

Some afterthoughts - next time I try this I'll cut the profile into cardboard and use that to check up on the various areas. I'll also try a more systematic approach to the rounding, drawing lines for intermediate chamfers, somewhat like the way boatbuilders round a spar.

- Maurice

[Maurice Metzger]

Parting shot...

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[Steve Clardy]

Looks great!!

[Maurice Metzger]

Looks great!!

Thanks Steve! It would have been a lot easier if I had a Revonic 5.5 :) ...

Maurice

[Steve Clardy]

Yea. Its about done. Fixing a couple of spots on the horn of the tote thats missing. Sharpen up the blade, and it will be done.
This hand tool stuff is getting addictive!!!

[Alan DuBoff]

Maurice, very nice!

This might be something I incorporate into a project, and could use the 192 I got recentely for that if I wanted.:D Thanks again, was playing with it last night. I'm gonna have to try this with my block plane. Since I don't have any moulding planes, this looks like a viable alternative.

Thanks for sharing.

[Maurice Metzger]

Thanks Alan! Yes, no molding planes for me, at least for a while.

- Maurice

[Alan Turner]

Maurice,
If I could offer a suggestion. Don't make your template of cardbaord; instead use 3mm baltic birch ply. A 5 x 5 sheet is about $10 or so, and since you will use it for patterns only, it will last a long time. Patterns made with BB at 3mm are pretty permanent, and can be sawn, cut with a coping saw, spokeshaved to fair a curve, and shaped with both a fine rasp and a file. Once made, save them forever and you will never have to make the same pattern twice.

Nice job, by the way.

[Maurice Metzger]

Alan, I'll give the birch ply a try, it's lovely stuff.

BTW I saw the pictures of your open house, looked like a great time and a great learning environment.

- Maurice