Is this OK for a wooden plane body?

[Frederick Skelly]

Hello guys. I am going to build a wooden plane. The instructions say to get a block of stable wood thats 2.25" W x 2.5" H x 8" L. Two questions.

1. Is mahogany stable enough? (I have maple and mesquite, but Id rather not use them for this.)

2. Do I have to start from a solid block? Id rather glue-up 3 pieces of 3/4" thick scrap, face-to-face, to get the thickness required. Id orient the finished blank so that the glue lines run vertically (perpendicular to the surface being planed).

Off my head, I dont see why this would be a problem. I have to resaw the sides of the plane from the inner body anyway, to make the plane bed and escapement. (This is a no-mortise plan, for beginners.) Other than some cosmetics, I dont see a down side to doing this. What do you folks think, based on your experience?

Thanks much!
Fred

[David Weaver]

Is this genuine mahogany or is it khaya? At any rate, you can pretty much make a plane out of anything cherry or harder, but fruitwoods, in my opinion, make the nicest planes to use. Hard maple is about the same density of the better fruitwoods and is a good choice, too.

You can glue things together and make a plane without issue.

[Frederick Skelly]

I bought the original boards from which the scraps came so long ago Im not sure. I think it was "philipine" mahogany, so its not as "real" as other varieties. (At the time, i didnt know that there were less desirable types.) But its still pretty wood.

Thanks again,
Fred

[Jim Matthews]

You might want to laminate something harder on the sole,
but why not use what you have?

If you're going to use the method that slices off the "cheeks"
just by the Hock kit. You'll get it right the first time,
for little more than it would cost to buy materials yourself.

http://www.hocktools.com/Kits.htm

[Metod Alif]

Laminated body should have greater dimensional stability than a non-laminated one. Mahogany is on the soft side too.
Best wishes,
Metod

[David Dalzell]

Mahogany is definately soft. You will need to laminate something much harder to the sole. There are several good books and internet articles about how to build a Krenov style plane (Laminated cheeks). There are several things to be aware of: the bed for the iron must be dead flat, orient the grain direction of the sole so it follows the direction of planing, keep the mouth tight. All the articles I have seen provide pretty good instruction and illustrations of the process. In the end you will probably have a plane that works better than most iron planes. I have made about 9 or 10 Krenov style planes. Everything from small block planes through smoothers to large jointers. I prefer them over my metal planes. WARNING: this could be the start of a slippery slope. Have fun.

[Steve Voigt]

Laminated body should have greater dimensional stability than a non-laminated one.

Anyone who has made both laminated and non-laminated planes knows that this is not true. Gluing creates a moisture barrier that partially insulates the core from the cheeks, causing the the cheeks to expand/contract more rapidly than the core. It is very common, on the soles of Krenov-style planes, for the cheeks to protrude past the core, or vice-versa.

To Frederick's original question: I would encourage you to make your first plane, even your first couple planes, out of any hardwood that you have on hand, or is cheap and readily available. If it works out, even soft hardwoods will last you a long time, and if it doesn't work out, you won't feel bad about wasting precious wood. Way too much is made of using primo woods on planes. I'm guilty of it myself. But the important thing is the construction and fettling, not what the plane is made of.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Anyone who has made both laminated and non-laminated planes knows that this is not true. Gluing creates a moisture barrier that partially insulates the core from the cheeks, causing the the cheeks to expand/contract more rapidly than the core. It is very common, on the soles of Krenov-style planes, for the cheeks to protrude past the core, or vice-versa.

Steve - I'm not following what you're saying here; I'm a little slow sometimes - by "the cheeks to protrude past the core", do you mean the cheeks expand in width into the "void" where the mouth of the plane is, or do you mean they extend further down so the sole now has two raised or sunken ribs or something?

I always hear how laminated planes have all these issues with wood movement, but I never really hear what they actually are. I'm not actively looking, either, though, so it's nice to actually know what happens other than "there are problems.".

[Steve Voigt]

Steve - I'm not following what you're saying here; I'm a little slow sometimes - by "the cheeks to protrude past the core", do you mean the cheeks expand in width into the "void" where the mouth of the plane is, or do you mean they extend further down so the sole now has two raised or sunken ribs or something?

I always hear how laminated planes have all these issues with wood movement, but I never really hear what they actually are. I'm not actively looking, either, though, so it's nice to actually know what happens other than "there are problems.".

Josh, sorry if I was unclear. Yes, your second scenario ("they extend further down so the sole now has two raised or sunken ribs") is what I meant. So, if you ran your finger across the sole, you would be able to feel where the pieces were laminated.
A related issue is that every time you tighten the wedge, you are basically trying to push the rear section of the core away from the cheeks. That will also take a toll over time, even if your glue joints are very good.
I'm not arguing that all laminated planes have problems with movement. If the wood is selected carefully and the plane is well made, it may not be an issue. But I don't believe there is any convincing argument that they are *more* stable than solid planes. At best, they are adequately stable.

[David Turner]

As said above, you can make a plane out of any wood. The difference is in the wear of the sole and the life span of the plane. The harder the wood the longer the plane life.

David Turner
Plymouth, MI.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks guys. Ill let you know how this turns out.

Yeah David, I can sure see that slippery slope ahead. Hope theres a lake at the bottom. But Ive really come to enjoy using my planes and Im anxious to try building one. So here goes nothin (holding nose, newbie jumps off the cliff heading for deep water).

[george wilson]

I would not try making a plane body out of Philippine mahogany,added sole or not. It is just way too soft,and the traditional method of wedging the iron will soon break the cheeks. The Roman way will not hold up well either because the dowel will soon compress the wood in the hole oval,and it will loosen.

[Metod Alif]

Steve,
I stand corrected. I made the statement based on my limited experience. I had a few laminated woodies for a couple of years - but they never left (as long as I had them) my basement workshop. Maybe it was this environment that did not promote the movement. I do not know how they behave with their current owners.
Best wishes,
Metod

[Daniel Morgan]

I wood think (pun intended) that the laminated body of Mahogany is a good idea, I agree with the folks who believe the lamination actually makes a "so/so" wood much more stable.

That being said, if it were me I would find a piece of Lignum Vitae for the bottom plate. Something a 1/4" or 3/8" would suffice I would think.

Make sure to post a pic when you complete!

Dan

[Metod Alif]

"who believe the lamination actually makes a "so/so" wood much more stable"
Typically, one starts with a project with a belief that it will going to work. But when facts, as Steve Voigt pointed out, contradict the belief, it is time to drop that belief. I was thinking of the dimensional stability of plywood. It is probably due do the change of grain direction from one ply to the next rather than to the moisture barrier created by the glue.
The question then becomes, which dimensional instability is less bothersome: from a laminated plane body or from one-piece body.
Best wishes,
Metod