10 lb Smoother

[Leigh Betsch]

I don't know if this fits here or in the woodworking project forum. It's more metal working than woodworking but it is a hand tool.:)

3 1/4" wide x 15 1/2" long and a 2 1/2" blade it weights in a slightly over 10 lbs. A2 blade, 60-62 Rc, heat and cryo treated by Metal Treaters in St. Paul MN; mild steel sole and side rails; the tote, frog and adjustable toe are birch; the front knob is elm; pins are brass; screws are stainless.

I'm still doing some fine tuning, I ditched the chip breaker and the big thumb screw, even with an adjustable mouth it would plug up with chips. I'll make a brass lever lock tomorrow to replace the big thumb screw. I may need to shallow up the throat angle a bit for more chip clearance.

I know if I'm going to be throwing this beast around I'm going to build a sturdier bench. A 2 1/2" blade will give you a workout!:eek:

[Jim Koepke]

I think this is the best place for something like this.

It inspires people like us to one day get the "round tuit" and put one together ourselves.

jim

[Bruce Page]

There was some metal hogging going on! Is that an old Moore?
I’ve often thought about making a big smoother someday.
Very cool!

[Dewey Torres]

WOW. Very ingenuous. Also appears as though she works great. Make me wish I knew metal. Thanks for sharing.

[Johnny Kleso]

I'm jealous that you have a Jig Bore to use although I guess a mill would be better suited for the job I still using a drill press with a X-Y table and it cant mill for beans..

Thanks for sharing the pics :)

[Alan DuBoff]

Very nice Leigh!

I'm impressed with your results, and it looks like it works just dandy! :cool:

[Ray Gardiner]

Nice work Leigh, very impressive.

How do you like the extra weight? Aside from the additional effort to get it
moving do you find it planes better because of the extra inertia?

Regards
Ray

[Jim Becker]

That's not a plane...it's a battle ship! LOL

Seriously, very nice work, Leigh.

[Steve Clardy]

So do you have Popeye arms yet?

[Leigh Betsch]

Yup Bruce, it's an old Moore #1 I bought a while back when I was getting frustrated trying to find a drill press that wasn't junk. It cost me a bit less than a new PM 2800 drill press and works just great, although it's a bit harder to move than a drill press. And Johny, a mill would work better for milling the pocket and rabbit on the sides but the Moore does an OK job at light milling and you can't beat it for the hole work. A Bridgeport is on my short list.
I was shooting for 8 1/2 lbs, theoretically it should have come in at slightly over 8 with out the blade and wood parts. I was planning to replace the wood frog and toe with steel after I make sure I like the angles, but at 10 lbs now I may just stay with the wood. Kinda depends if I see much wear. I'm thinking the adjustable toe is flexing some, it's only held down by a 1/4-20 through the front knob, so I'll probably add a bolt and then go to metal if need be.
Next up is a 4" fast attack block plane to go with the battleship.

[James G. Jones]

Wow. That is an awesome piece of work. Once you get that one moving, inertia alone should handle any tricky grain. My non-neander side is quite jealous of that machinery as well. Please forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between a jig bore and a mill?

James

[Leigh Betsch]

Gotta be careful here, these guys don't even like electric woodworking tools much less metal ones.

A mill is a much more universal machine designed to mill stock square, cut slots, pockets, shapes, as well as drill and bore holes. They have spindles and screws that are much more ridged and are designed to take side loads. They are a very versatile machine and the backbone of many shops. With enough attachments they can pretty much make anything out of soft steel and metal.

A jig borer is a specialty machine designed just to drill and bore very, very accurate holes, splitting .001 is no problem at all. The Moore x y positioning screws are some of the most accurate ever made with positioning accuracy to .0001. The jig borer is pretty much obsolete now having been replaced by CNC mills, wire edm machines, and various other precision machines for precision hole work today. So you can buy them much cheaper than a used mill. You can use a Moore jig borer to do light mill work like pockets, but the head, bearings and lead screw/nuts aren't designed for side loads. I use small cutters in mine for this type of work and it is ridged enough for light work, however there are old timers that would shoot me for using a Moore for this type of work feeling it can damage the spindle bearings and loose it's accuracy. And Mr. Moore would roll over in his grave if he knew I was using one to drill holes in wood!

Ok neanderthals forgive me; I'm done talking about metal and power tools.

[Doug Shepard]

...Ok neanderthals forgive me; I'm done talking about metal and power tools.

Well I dont speak Spanish either. But that don't stop me from occasionally pausing on the Spanish language stations to see if I can pick up a few new words here and there.:D Dont stop.:)