No 982 smoothing plane in the making - 4
Now cutting the bottoms to separate the back end from the front – otherwise I will have the tightest mouth in the world. Actually the whole sole is made in one piece for the ease of matching.
Milling the blade bed after the separation on the bottom.
Now grinding the blade bed for precision.
The front end of the bottom having a radius form milled in front of the plane mouth for openness and better escape for the shavings – due to the extra thick bottom.
Boring the three fixing holes for the front bun riser (notice that the front bun is set at 15 deg from perpendicular).
Drilling the three holes in the front bun riser for fixing screws. This one is in brass but then I decided to substitute with steel.
Tapping the three holes in the front bun riser.
More jig making. This is a carrier to hold the front riser for milling the 15 deg angle.
The carrier is ready for bolting down.
Setting the carrier up on the swivel vice for its 15 deg cut to the riser face.
As you can see the bun riser is firmly secured from underneath its riser with the three bolts, whilst the 15 deg angle is planed across its face.
The following two pictures would have been better in the last posting:
This is the lever cap bridge in silver steel being tapped after drilling.
The boring is done on the lathe, but this is a temporary set up for tapping.
facinating! I’ve been following your blog and it is totaly impresive the amount of work and the precision you put into a plane!
I would love to try one of your plane one day and even more own one!
You should write a book, it would sale for sure,even if it’s only to make us dream and drool!
Thank you for an excelent blog!
Best regard.
David
Comment by David Gendron — September 9, 2009 @ 11:15 pm
Thanks for the nice comments. A book has always been in the plan.
Regards
k
Comment by admin — September 10, 2009 @ 10:19 am
A book would be wonderful!
Request – I would like to see a “tour” of your shop, it seems to be a metal working paradise (compared to my lathe and mill stuffed in the corner of my garage anyway). Although I don’t see how you get so much done in such a clean shop.
Craig
Comment by Craig D — September 10, 2009 @ 6:49 pm
Hi Craig
Had a thought about your request for a “tour” of the workshop and I will do something about this in the next few weeks. It will be stills only. So keep watching.
k
Comment by admin — September 13, 2009 @ 10:44 am
Karl – your blog has to be one of the finest out there at the moment. The extent to which you share the many steps in the production and thoughtful insights into your subject matter is clearly that of a master. There are simply too many bloggers out there regurgitating old stuff and offering third and fourth hand news. Yours is fresh, precise and educational. So well done, please keep feeding us…
You rely a lot on your milling machine for many of the tasks you undertake – I admire the precision that goes into your work. It makes me think very hard about my own woodworking exploits – thank you.
Now this might sound like heresy – forgive me it does. Have you considered investing in a CNC machining centre to speed things up whilst maintaining the precision you strive for?
Best Regards
Richard
Melbourne
Comment by Richard — September 14, 2009 @ 3:30 am
Hi Richard
Thank you for taking the time to write to me.
The CNC machining centre would indeed speed things up, but it would also be more expensive on the tooling and setting up, so considerable numbers would be required to offset these costs. The cost of such a machine would be in the region of 40k. It would change my business and I would lose the individuality. Of course I would also like a multi access lathe but I am only a one man business and I don’t earn as much as some people imagine. As you can see from my blog my Bridgeport Interact is one of the early pioneers of CNC. It serves its purpose for one offs and specials and has the required accuracy I need. My type of product requires a high degree of handwork and this stifles any economy ideas. A CNC machining centre is my kind of porn!
k
Comment by admin — September 14, 2009 @ 9:46 am