A Chaser...

[Doug Evans]

We banged together this little thumb plane this morning and were wondering what you folks think might be the way to go.

Originally, this little plane was made with a rear iron support and no front infill. Costs could be kept way down if we just sold the steel, a lever and a walnut rear infill, as a kit. Leave the design (provide a few examples) and wood for an optional front bun to the end customer.

What do you folks think? Send it out bare bones ot with a front infill?

Cheers,

Doug

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Doug-

Might you have a photo of an original plane of this style you could post so we could visualize the options? It appears that you welded this plane, am I correct?

[Ben Knebel]

I am aghast. :eek:

Welding Dave--us ??? welding---never.

That's like asking us if we solder the joints---yikes!!
Dovetailed like all the rest of our planes.

To weld would be too much of a departure from our roots and our basic belief that dovetailing is the way to go--particularly for planes in kit form.
We would go to cast planes before we would weld a plane together. Indeed we'll probabaly bring out some cast bronze planes next year with applied steel soles in the old Scottish pattern ---but welding!!!??

Besides niether one of us knows how to weld. :)
Regards
Ben

[Dave Anderson NH]

It didn't seem in character to me, but the picture made it look like it. It must have been the reflections.

[Doug Evans]

I think even Norris did on some of his later models. No... what you are witnessin there Dave, is the mark of a true craftsman... just wailin the cra... (if i's nae skosh, i's cra...) out of it. A lesser man would have struggled for a small piece (mind yer thoughts) and then snuck out back for a tango wi' the welder. Not I though lad: It wouldna be True to Stew!

See your mug soon... and Roger Wilco...

Doug

[Doug Evans]

One guys interpretation:

http://www.holteyplanes.com/

We're still cipherin a price point for our entry though... I'm sure if we did the sidewalls in brass, added .25 BdFt of Coco, and threw in a shortened Morris adjuster, we'd soon run up the price anuther 3000 bucks right quick! Then again, we would be very confusin in the plane market with that kinda pricing structure. We'd get probably 400,000 hits a month from folks looking for Cesna parts. Too much trouble... I say play the short game and market it as a kit under a hunert bucks!

Yep Yep... ever since I bin da champ!

Doug