Thanks for the replies guys.
Using O1 tool steel as I have it to hand, it's pre annealed and I don't need to harden it after the soldering.
I'd considered using soft solder but was unsure as to how strong the joint would be so thought the aluminium rods would be a good in-between.
I've been...
Hi all,
I've bought some of these aluminium solders to use on a brass project. (small 3mm think joint)
I went with these as I only have a plumbers torch so thought they would be easier to use than silver solder.
I've since changed my mind on using brass and have decided to use O1 tool steel...
With the plane nearly done I was eager to take a shaving.
I was pleased to see it make a cut but the mouth needed some refinement, I used a barrette file to ease it slightly.
With that done I could move onto the box.
I mitred some piece of oak and used masking tape to pull it all...
With the body of the plane complete I could move onto finishing the infills and wedge.
I used masking tape to cover the brass to prevent the finish going onto it.
I then pulled out my finest Douwe Egberts French polish. A mix of blonde shellac flakes and denatured alcohol.
I applied the...
With the blade finished I could start working on the wedge.
I had a piece of padauk that had a small amount of contrasting sapwood which I thought would look nice in the wedge.
I cut the wedge out and started shaping it with a coping saw and files.
With the wedge partially formed I added a...
With the blade shaped I could begin to heat treat it.
I covered the blade with borax (using some thin gauge wire to help hold it to the blade) as a make shift anti scale compound.
I then fired up the tin can forge, using a mapp gas torch as the fuel.
I have a magnet screwed to a piece of...
With the majority of the peening work done on the body I could start to shape it.
After a lot of pencil scribbles I settled on a design I liked and went at it with hand files.
After removing the bulk of material with files I was getting tired/lazy so came up with another way to finish off...
Next up I moved onto the bed of the plane.
I cut and shaped a piece of padauk to fit into the body. I cut an initial bed angle on it but this will be changed slightly later once I have the blade made and can see the bedding angle better.
Next I cut a chunk from a piece of round bar
Then...
With the sole of the plane fitted I could move onto cutting the mouth opening.
Because the blade sits bevel down I could cut the mouth opening with the sole as one piece, rather than having to split the sole into two pieces like with bevel up planes.
I made a wooden block shaped at the same...
Thanks for that DAPPH.
For my first logo stencils I have a friend with a laser cutter and he kindly cut them for me.
We ran into a problem with very small text that the laser would burn the vinyl and ruin the stencil. We tried a lot of different settings to overcome this with out much luck.
I...
With the plane body now formed I started to make the back brace.
I cut a piece of 01 tool steel and started to form the dovetails to match the body.
This turned out to be a little more difficult than I had expected as the shoulders of the dovetails had to be curved to follow the curve of the...
Thanks for the praise guys, appreciate it :p
Thank you, photography was a past hobby many years ago, I was mainly into macrography and still remember the basics.
I have an aging Nikon DSLR that I use for these photo's and my trusty Tokina macro lens, but other than that nothing special.
I use...
This project started in the usual fashion, with a quick sketch and a lump of aluminium.
I marked the inner dimensions of the planes body onto the aluminium then cut and filed it to shape. I will later use this as the forming block for the plane.
With the form filed I used a thick piece...
Thanks so much for the comment Danzac, can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
I got into woodworking because it was something I loved and had a passion for but the world is a changing place.
I can understand the decision, its a much more corporate company and has to safe guard it's self, it...
It sits nicely in the hand
Closer look at the etching on the back of the blade. I think its pushing the limits of vinyl etching at this size, cutting and weeding the stencils was delicate work.
I added a little cupids bow to the bottom of the wedge in homage to Mr Carter who always...
I've been trying my hand at plane making again, hopefully this time with something a "little" different.
I've been interested in making a luthier plane for many years after watching a video of a guitar maker constructing sound boards and bracing.
I'm not musically inclined but it was...
Thanks for the suggestion DAPPH, I had thought about adding matching clasps to the top of the box like you've said as it's probably the best solution.
I went with the magnet in the end as it was simpler to make and it also had the least impact on the aesthetics of the box, I wanted to keep the...