I want to make a plane- help! (long winded)

[Ben Grunow]

This is my first post here on the Neander side but I was raised a neander and feel somewhat at home without an extension cord. My problem is that I am a builder so there is no time to use handsaws and hammers anymore. I have framed and trimmed without ait tools and I must say that they are nice in a production environment such as mine.

However, planes have become somewhat of a sickness for me and my recent finding of a nice plane in the garbage (and all fo the fun comments from you all) has reminded me of my desire to make a plane for shingling.

I want a wood bodied, palm sized plane with a slightly convex sole (front to back and maybe slgihtly side to side) and easy adjustment. Never made one but I think this is what I want.

I would use it for shingling (red and white cedar, 3/8" wide max) and specifically woven corners and trimming curved shingles where a long, flat sole really limits you. I have some Ipe and old planes to take apart for pieces but I need a design or somewhere to read about where to start.

Any ideas? Am I starting on the wrong foot with the wood body and curved sole concepts?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ben

[Mike Henderson]

What you've described sounds like what I call a "Chairmaker's plane". It has a doubly curved sole and an iron ground with an arc on the edge. I made one like that a while back using the Krenov method. I cut the front to back curve on the sole on a bandsaw and then rounded to the other curve with a plane - but sanding it on a disk sander would work, also. Mine is bigger than "handheld" but you should be able to make one about the size of a block plane.

Look for instructions on making a Krenov style plane and that should get you started.

Mike

[Jim Nardi]

Just out of scrap lumber make a practice plane or two. See if you can get a sole profile and mouth opening that works best. Given how nasty cedar can be on edge tools I'd try and find a HSS blade.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Build/BldHndPln

[John Goodridge]

I was surprised to see Lowes having instructions on how to build a plane. I never would have guessed it.

[Christoph Schmitz]

I'd like to follow up on Jim's comment on HSS irons above: there's a reasonably priced palm-sized plane (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=46320&cat=1,41182,46334) sold under the Mujingfang brand name which works well for me.

Perhaps that one could be shaped into what you need. Their HSS irons have a reputation for being extremely durable (http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/mftest.html), so even if the plane is not to your liking, the iron could be salvaged for a DIY plane project.

Christoph

[Ben Grunow]

Thanks for the references. I have done some reading and dove in headfirst. THings are going well but I got a little carrried away and canibalized my record 50 plane for a 7/8" wide x 1/8" thick iron that seemed like it was just what I needed. I then took the adjustment screw and threaded rod (cap nut has a ridge that engages the iron to adjust depth of cut) to attempt to make this thing somewhat easier to adjust.

Anyway. THe glue is drying and as far as I am concerned it will be a miracle if it really works like I want it to. It has been fun and I am sure it is far, far from the last I will make.

Some thoughts:

- iron is sharpened to 45 degrees because that is the way it was
- I chose a bed angle of 25 because that is what I am used to with my stanley block
- thinking of hacking a SS bolt for the cross peg to hold the wedge, no brass on hand- hold in place with epoxy
- thinking also of making wdge out of white oak since it might be alittle softer and get a better bite on the blade and cross peg than a really hard piece of Ipe. Not sure how hard this wedge should be. Dont want it to get stuck all the time. I guess it is easy to make a few and try them.

I will try to post some pics when it is done. Thanks again as I learned some things that really got me started way ahead of the game thanks to you all.

And by the way, those little wood planes seem to me to have way too high of a bed angle for cedar but I am no expert. Might be worth a try for $40.

Ben