I always try and make every plane better than the last one. I have no set standard because I am always short of my target.

It is strange that my brother started out as a toolmaker yet has been making his living for the last 30 years as a woodworker. Whereas I started out as a cabinet maker/joiner and I never believed I could make a living from toolmaking (living that is all!).
k

k

I think there are some Plane Makers who come close to you quality and beauty of your planes but no one can pass the lasy 20% of the way to make the exceptional planes you do…
On one has the heavy duty quality equipment you have in your shop..
I think your planes are in a class of there own ad no one comes close to turning out the Precision Wood Shaving Instruments you make..

Thanks so much for sharing some of your methods…
I am honored to call you a friend..

Johnny Kleso
http://www.REXMILL.com

It is a good question and I will cover it on the blog shortly. The riveting I use on my infill planes is not only traditional but more pratical. There is no reason why you can’t use threaded rivets/bolts and I do this on my No 982. The reason I did this was because it was better suited for the criteria I had in mind as that particular application could have been affected by the stresses involved by normal riveting. Of course I should mention the obvious that any threaded rivets need to be locked with a threading compound not just screwed in.

k

k

Thank you for sharing how you make these planes. While it has taken away all my preconceptions about being able to do this myself (a la Kingshott), it is nonetheless fascinating to see the process. I look forward to future posts.