Announcing the No.982 finishing plane.
Making infill planes based on traditional designs for over 20 years has made me very aware of their shortcomings, some of which I was able to address
in my own modifications. It was inevitable though that I would take a long and serious look at planes in general, and in 2001 introduced my first all
new design - the No98. Although the No98 was based on traditional design it was radical in that it dispensed entirely with infill. The infill would
appear to be more of an object of sculpture than efficiency; I feel that much progress can be stifled by vanity. The No98 was very well received and
seems to have been copied by other makers.
The No 982 represents the next step forward in the design process, incorporating all my new ideas and developments from the time the No 98 design was
finalised to the present day. I have however tried to retain the classical features of this kind of tool without being too contemporary.
As I have many other projects in mind I have decided to make only 16 No 982 planes (currently in production). The price is 4,250 pounds. A 20% deposit
will secure delivery within 2 months.
 
The downside of Infills
I am the only person who has taken the traditional infill plane to a higher standard of precision and detail. The basic problem of infill design remains
that the plane is vulnerable to the dimensional instability of wood. Even though I have remained fairly loyal to the Norris patterns and made many
improvements to it, there is still this piece of wood, shrinking and expanding with environmental changes.
In order to maintain the standards and precision I have always wanted to achieve, I have taken the wooden stuffing away, but still retained wooden handles.
My new design addresses these problems and has total stability. An infill has far too much influence on the plane’s structure.
Strength and Stability
The No 982 uses a combination of taper pins and screws to join the sides and sole. This fixing method has the benefit of being extremely strong and (unlike
the peining process) adds no stress to the joint. I have introduced a carrier for the new adjuster system which also adds valuable bracing to the plane’s
sides. The clamping bar for the lever cap also provides extra bracing and stability.
The bottom and sides are much heavier sections than the No 98, at least 40% extra weight, which increases the strength of the plane and facilitates machining
and grinding. This gives the No 982 greater accuracy and better stability, less flex in use. Many people would be very surprised if they knew how much
these tools can flex. The material used is hot rolled black steel which has no stresses.
A new Adjuster
The No 982 has a completely new adjuster design which will run much more smoothly under difficult loads. It uses a desirable single thread, thus the
adjuster stem keeps in station with the blade. The adjuster incorporates a slideway for the traveller, taking much of the stress away from the main
spindle and allowing the thread to run more smoothly, as it only has to pull and push.
I have always been complimented on the way I knurl my screws and the knurls on this plane have been taken a little further. This art deco style knurl
is precisionally indexed – as with the rest of the plane I refuse to comprise over the details.
A new Standard
The No 982 is a finishing plane which uses a bevel down principle at 55 degrees, York pitch, making it much more attractive for those difficult grains.
The bevel down geometry has provided me with new design opportunities whilst still keeping the plane compact and staying within the required parameters.
All the surfaces inside and outside are precisionally surface ground and hand polished where appropriate. I like to work the plane to have a sole
flatness of better than +/- 0.0005” if shavings in the order of 1 thou are to be achieved with ease. Some people may think this is over the top but
once they have used the plane it might change their outlook.
I believe this plane sets new standards in precision, design and usability.
If you are interested in the No 982 then please be aware that there will only be 16 made. Please contact me to reserve one.
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