Made my first wooden plane

[Ben Grunow]

This will turn the stomachs of some purists I am sure but I am very happy with the results of my first plane making attempt. Thanks to this forum I was able to avoid some major mistakes (but still make some minor ones as far as I know anyway) and really have fun doing it. Plus- I had all of the stuff for the plane already.

The iron is a 7/8" wide blade from a Record 050 plane I got at a tag sale (this is where stomachs might turn- it is in the box and almost unused). I used the iron and adjustment screw/shaft to try to make the plane easier to adjust and in hopes that it would hold the setting for a while. I just couldnt believe that the wood wedge would really hold the iron. Since making this I have learned that it really does hold.

I made this to use when shingling as I do a lot of it at work and a metal plane is too heavy and large for the edges of cedar shingles that are 3/8" wide at max. I plan to sand the bottom convex a little to help the plane into the curves. I need to use it a little before figuring the curve of the bottom out though.

It is Ipe with JPW for the finish. The whole plane is 6 1/4" long and 1 3/8" wide and tall. It really cuts nicely with the poor edge that was on the iron. Blade is sharpened to 45 deg and the blade is set at 25 deg. which is what I am used to.

66654

66655

66656

Hope you like it and PLEASE critique as it is my first and I wwant to know more (angles, proportions, wedge making tips, etc). Feel free.

Thanks for the help.

Ben

[Ben Grunow]

couple more pics

66657

66658

[John Schreiber]

Looks like a darn useful tool. Especially for your need to trim shingles. Inspires me to make a plane someday.

[Richard Wolf]

Looks good to me, Ben.

Richard

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

You post pics of a hand made plane and there are no shavings?? Ahem~!!




Nice plane.

[Jim Nardi]

Any new plane should have shavings nearby or in the plane. Nice job.

[Ben Grunow]

I had to take it up to my office to take the (blurry) pics so no shavings were brought inside. I did actually stop and look at the pile to consider taking some but you know what the answer was.

Tough crowd. I know, it doesnt plane if there are no photos of it doing so. It really does though.. Honest.

Thanks for the compliments.

Ben

[Christof Grohs]

Beautiful plane! Can you show us close-ups?

The best plane I own was made by JK and uses a hollow ground Hock blade I even feel that it is a nicer plane than my LN planes. If you have the bug you might try building one of the planes from the Hock page.

[Philip Duffy]

Ben, Don't you have a wooden desk? SO? I mean, who's going to see a couple thousands missing? Phil