Makeshift router plane tip.

[Jason Buresh]

I was reading my Fine Woodworking magazine on lunch today and in the tips and tricks section I saw one of those things that makes me wonder why I didn't think about it sooner.

PXL_20230510_164444070.jpg

I'm not going to put my router plane up for sale but it's a handy tip to have if you need one in a pinch

[Thomas McCurnin]

Yep, router planes are one of the most under appreciated and under utilized hand tools in any shop, even for those guys who are married to power tools.

[Jack Dover]

I've tried this after seen this tip in some old magazine. A clamp doesn't hold a chisel tight enough, so unless it's a very light paring it's really easy to lever a chisel out of a clamp, and it means going over this wonky set up again. A makeshift router which is essentially an angled hole in a scrap of wood isn't much longer to procure and works better.

[steven c newman]

The Infamous Old Woman's Tooth....

[Jack Dover]

Well, an old woman's tooth to this jig would be like a Ferrari to a Civic. There's this "trick" where a suitable scrap piece of board has a hole drilled at about 45-50 degrees and a diameter of a hole is slightly shy of the width of a chisel. A chisel is then hammered into the hole and is being hold by friction. So it's like an one time woman's tooth, except you don't see where you cut and holding isn't great, but this is probably exactly how this tool has begun. Making a proper hag's tooth router isn't much more complicated, just takes some time and requires some material

[Jason Buresh]

Well, an old woman's tooth to this jig would be like a Ferrari to a Civic. There's this "trick" where a suitable scrap piece of board has a hole drilled at about 45-50 degrees and a diameter of a hole is slightly shy of the width of a chisel. A chisel is then hammered into the hole and is being hold by friction. So it's like an one time woman's tooth, except you don't see where you cut and holding isn't great, but this is probably exactly how this tool has begun. Making a proper hag's tooth router isn't much more complicated, just takes some time and requires some material

No one is going to argue with you that a real router plane or even sellers poor man's router plane is better.

I simply saw the tip in my magazine, thought it could be useful, and shared with the group

[David Carroll]

I tried it out, first I used a 1/2-inch Marple Blue Chip, it did take some doing to get the chisel in place, with the right projection and at a good angle. It did slip around until I got it really tight. But it worked with a light cut. Then I tried an old Sorby mortise chisel and that worked way better, since the tool is deeper, and not beveled, so there was more purchase on the sides.

If I intended to do this more regularly, I'd be tempted to plow a couple of shallow grooves at the correct angle to the inside faces of the handscrew, to seat the chisel better. It wouldn't affect the use of the handscrews otherwise.

I have several nice router planes, which I will keep, this was just to try it out- and it does work. I may give it another try to clean up 1/8-inch grooves for some small drawers I plan to make. I have an old 1/8 chisel that would work just fine, I think. I don't have any 1/8-inch cutters for any of my router planes.

Thanks for passing the tip along.

DC

[Jim Koepke]

What is the old saying about "great minds" and all. Like David this seemed to me like a trick worthy of giving a go.

Though my trial was only done with a 1/4" mortise chisel:

Impromptu Router - Old Hag's Tooth.jpg

The chisel is mounted bevel up. The back of the chisel rests against the first screw in the clamp.

This clamp is one I made many years ago from a kit. The Hardware was provided I made the wooden jaws.

It is able to do the job in a pinch. This can be a handy solution for those who do not have a router plane or want to use a wider blade than available.

jtk

[David Carroll]

This clamp is one I made many years ago from a kit. The Hardware was provided I made the wooden jaws.

jtk

I think I have the same clamps made from those same kits, I forgot where I got them, Woodcraft or Garrett Wade most likely, back in the early 1980s.

[Jim Koepke]

I think I have the same clamps made from those same kits, I forgot where I got them, Woodcraft or Garrett Wade most likely, back in the early 1980s.

I think mine came from MacBeath Lumber in Berkeley. Also back in the early 1980s.

jtk

[Ron Selzer]

"This clamp is one I made many years ago from a kit. The Hardware was provided I made the wooden jaws."

I came across a plastic bag with the kit in it looking for something else last month. Some day i will get around to making the clamps

Ron