Now that the No 982 lever caps are 99% complete I shall move on.
The beginning. Cutting up bottoms and sides from hot rolled black mild steel. This is a very malleable material with no stresses.
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December 26, 2010
Window to my workshop 48
November 21, 2010
Window to my workshop 47
After the completion of the No 982 smoothing planes it was not long before I was pressed into making a larger version in the form of a panel plane. Because of the enormity of work on this plane I have decided to make only 8 for this batch.
For the benefit of those who have bought this plane I would like to blog the making. Hopefully it will show up some areas I did not cover on the smoothing plane blog.
You will notice that I do change my techniques from time to time.
I will start this blog by documenting the work on the lever cap. I would like to emphasise the work that goes into this one component. Though I have used castings in the past for my lever caps I feel more in control by making them from a solid bar and I produce a far better product. I now understand why some of the Rolls Royce cameras bodies are made from solid billets.
Starting with a bar of naval brass I go round and machine all the sides true, just like you would with a piece of wood.
If this was a piece of wood the next stage would be to machine a form i.e. either with a spindle or a router. In the case of metals I have to concentrate more on work holding so this picture shows me setting up three vices in a line. The bars I am working are 18 inches long and cut 8 lever caps each.
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October 18, 2010
Window to my workshop 46
As I am currently working on a small batch of No 982 14 1/2″ panel planes I thought I would show this picture of all the component parts of the smoother. Most of the parts are going to be the same.
This picture excludes taper pins, handle, lever cap, screw and adjuster.
There will be more pictures as I work through the project.
Window to my workshop 49
I have just found this blog entry for No 982 smoother that I forgot to finish. As it is very similar to the blog entry for the No 982 panel plane 14 1/2″ I have already done this week I thought I would just publish the pictures with no comments.
September 22, 2010
Knobs
Just a few more pictures of buns before I move on to the next subject. As you see I can work both the rosewood and the polymer side by side.
Pictures only, no text needed.
August 22, 2010
Window to my Workshop 42
A6 dovetail infill smoother
It was always my intention with this blog to show how much work goes into my planes and I hope that the format I have chosen has been successful as I don’t have much time to talk about my minutiae of everyday life and just stay focused on the work in hand. I am sorry that my postings are so random but as they are time consuming I cannot afford to put them before my work. I hope that you can see that my workshop is a serious workplace. I have difficulty finding time for travelling to tool events. I know this makes me seem a recluse but I can assure you that plane making to me is more than a full time occupation.
Sorry there has been such a gap since the last posting (and the time before), but any spare time I have had lately has been taken up with visitors and I have had to make some effort in my social life. If anyone is thinking of visiting you must be prepared to climb a mountain as this is my relaxation.
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The prefix on the smoothing plane is almost irrelevant as the techniques are the same. I feel that there are a lot of pieces missed out and this post is to try and fill the gaps. I will also try and fill in any gaps on the No 982 next. Then I will move on to new projects.
The A6 is the only overstuffed plane in my range and is one of the main difference to the A13.
Sometimes it is nice to photograph components at this stage as it is an insight into some of the work. Once everything is assembled it is gone forever.
As you can see here that the rear infill is made up in three parts. In the second picture you can see the three parts assembled showing the brass rivet spacers/sleeves and the recessing for the sides and adjuster. Also the adjuster fixing bar and the handle spine.
June 29, 2010
Window to my workshop 41
As I have mentioned before most of my entries will be piece meal and out of sequence. On this occasion I have managed to take some pictures whilst making chip breakers. Apologies for missing the bending and forming of the front edge of the chip breaker but I forgot to take the pictures.
These chip breakers are standard on all my smoothing planes with 2 ¼” blades. They are made from gauge plate.
Milling the faceted end of the chip breaker with a rough cutter.
April 3, 2010
Window to my Workshop 40
Just a couple of pictures that got left off Post no 38 on the A6
March 6, 2010
A13 Boxwood pictures
Just a few quick pictures of this Boxwood A13 I have just finished
February 7, 2010
Window to my workshop – 38
A6 Smoothing Plane
At last I have managed to find a little bit more time for another entry in my blog. For this entry I have decided use some old pictures of an A6 in the making as I have come across some pictures which could be useful. As usual there are a lot of gaps in the picture diary and so I will start with the project already under way. I feel sure that it will still provide some interest.
This A6 is one of the least copied planes around but is one of my personal favourites. This is the real smoother as this plane is never much more than 7-7 .5 inches in length as its only job was for surface finishing. This pattern is one of the most traditional, a fully handled infill plane.
I have been congratulated by many for introducing this informative blog as it shows how different my work is from other plane makers either historic or contemporary. There are good plane makers but I feel that my methods set me apart.
“The nicest things about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from “ Andres S Tannenbaum.
After all the profiling and dovetailing has been completed (this is the same process as with my other infill planes and has been documented elsewhere in these blogs), I can concentrate on the mouth and the frog. As you will see from the picture the mouth is slotted and the holes drilled in preparation for the frog riveting.