Contributor
This topic has been discussed quite a bit. Here are some links to previous threads. Some content is the same but there is always something different for those interested.
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....ood-Hand-Plane
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....en-hand-planes
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....or-hand-planes
Contributor
I don't see where shock absorption cones into play in a saw handle or plane, with a chisel it's in the mallet handle used to strike it, not the chisel handle.Originally Posted by Warren Mickley
Do you have any sources for the use of Beech because of it's shock absorbing properties?
Genuinely curious
Contributor
Well, not to speak for Warren, but using a saw, a plane or a chisel will subject the hands to vibration from these tools. Sawing and planing are pretty obvious, as you push the tool through the wood, grain direction, differences in hardness between spring and summer wood, and differences in density between heartwood and sapwood will all cause the tool to jerk and vibrate somewhat. Since you are holding onto the handle or tote under tension, then these vibrations will be transmitted to the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. Resilient woods will dampen this shock somewhat. Like Warren said, if you aren't doing this for extended periods of time, you may not notice it. But it does add to fatigue if you do a lot of it, for extended periods of time.
Chisels are somewhat different in that the shock is mostly due to the mallet or hammer striking the tool. If the blows are not entirely axial then the chisel handle will vibrate side-to side, which can cause discomfort. again over time.
Tradesmen who practiced before power equipment was widely available used the tools for extended periods and would naturally prefer tools that were comfortable to use. I'm sure that this was a factor in wood selection by manufacturers. Other factors of course would be availability, material pricing, tradition, durability, and the woods ability to be shaped and finished well.
Beech and Apple wood (for saws) apparently had the right mix of all of these factors, which must've accounted for their widespread and continued use in England and America in the heyday of hand tool woodworking. (JMHO)
DC
Member
Yes David has the right idea. It is like standing on a concrete floor or wood floor. It does not seem much different, but the concrete floor is rough on someone who has to stand on it all day, day after day.
It is very odd reading about how people worry that beech will wear out in the sole or is unstable, when neither of these is a problem at all in a lifetime of use.
P.S. With a beech plane, the plane iron will wear out a lot faster than the sole.
Last edited by Warren Mickley; 05-23-2023 at 5:14 PM.
[OP]
Member
i like how these threads evolve. In discussing different woods, I was wondering if persimmon is ever used. I believe it is related to ebony, and it used to be used for the heads of golf driver clubs.
robo hippy
Contributor
I believe Matt Bickford uses Persimmon as boxing for his planes. Horizon, in the link above, stocks Persimmon.
I was chatting with David Weaver about this topic. He echoes Warren's comments regarding the properties of beech.
I've been known to dance at least 4 hours straight, even 6 on a few ocasions. I would not do it on a concrete floor. A good dance floor is a wooden one with a bit of give.
Rafael
Contributor
Yes,
Caleb James still uses it in some of his tools
https://calebjamesmaker.com/toolgallery
Member
Flattening is done because of wear, not because of changes in humidity. With changes in humidity the shape of a tool changes as if it was proportionally scaled a tiny amount, that is, the body might grip an iron or a tote can sink in, but changes in humidity won't change sole that much so it need to be re-flattened. Drying can cast the plane though, I have a couple of NOS woodies from 60-70ies, came never used in a storage box - these had some weird banana sole profiles, but once acclimated to a shop they stay true and flat. Just for the record humidity in my shop can swing from 30% to 100% and back during a day.
There's definitely a variation in beech density, so some planes might need sole flattening almost every week. Some stay flat for several months. One can tell it's a wear because it pretty much always in line with how we hold a plane. A human never keeps a plane perfectly inline with the planing direction, it's always askew, even if a little bit. The sole goes into a wind exactly in that direction.
The complete flatness of a sole isn't required though. Assuming a sole is not in a wind, the critical piece is 1" in front of the mouth and area directly behind the iron and maybe one spot at the heel (depending on what plane it is). This is why many users put a brass plate there, or sometimes a whole front part was made of metal - if this part of the sole stays flat the plane is always functional.
[OP]
Member
I keep coming back to this and how the cracking is 'stress' relief. For sure, a 12/4 board will never equalize moisture levels. So, if there is much change in humidity levels inside the shop, that adds to the already existing stress in the wood, and stress is relieved by cracking. So, some time in the next couple of years, I will be making some wood hand planes, and I will leave a tunnel through the center. This 'should' greatly reduce the stress that would normally be found in a 12/4 board. In theory, this makes the concept of a jointer's plane that will not crack. I hope to have another 20+ years to see if it works.
robo hippy
Contributor
Maybe you should put a bit more research on how wood dries and how it behaves as the ambient humidity changes.
The moisture content of a piece of good is a gradient. I don't think it is expected to be 100% dry, nor the same % throughout.
Contributor
So many wood bodied planes were set aside in the later part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century they probably weren't treated to a temperature/humidity controlled environment. They likely did not receive the regular care from an owner or user.
We see very few that were regularly wiped down with oil or wax.
The harsh environments where most of these planes were stored may have more to do with their cracking than anything else.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
Years ago I read about woods used for making planes. Lignum vitae and Rosewood were favorites, now we gotta use steel…
Contributor
FWIW,
I know for a fact that the OP knows how wood dries and behaves.
Having said that, the entire thread is in reference to your second sentence. It's a given that the wood will not have the same moisture content throughout. The main point is of the thread postulating if making a tunnel in the blank will even out the moisture gradient differences, at the same time keeping a stable plane body.
Contributor
I really don't keep track of who's who when I post a response. I fail to see how that is relevant. Did I insult the guy?
Why would there be a need to address this moisture gradient in the first place?
The only planes I've found with catastrophic cracks look like they've been left out in the open. The wood blanks for planes was carefully selected Beechwood, quarter sawn, sapwood, in the best quality planes.
I've old planes that exhibit a crack. These cracks have not changed in the few years I'v had the panes, nor do they affect the plane's function.
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I think the OP intends to make his own planes and is concerned with moisture issues. I also intend to make a few planes at some point. I think selecting properly milled beechwood is a more important factor and it addresses the behavior of the wood with respect to moisture changes due to the environment. There are several hundred years of experience accumulated on wooden plane design and use.
[OP]
Member
I am not insulted. I am Irish, and we don't get insulted about anything.... I have a lot of experience drying my wood bowls, and some experience drying dimensional lumber over the last 30 years. While wood will reach an 'equilibrium point' where the weight is stable, on 12/4 wood, the difference between outside moisture content and inside content can be a couple of % points. This puts the wood in a constant struggle/stress condition. The point of having a hole/tube through the center of a thick body plane would be to even out that stress. Air drying 4/4 wood takes about a year. 8/4 takes about 2 years, then inside the shop for another year. 12/4 never gets all the way there. You are correct about 10% moisture content for most areas of the country, and that can vary seasonally. Here in the Pacific NW, 12% is the norm for air dried outside. I am one who is blessed or cursed with having to experiment.....
robo hippy
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