Hand Planes

It has been a while since my last post. Life has been interesting the last few years and I've had very little time for woodworking or the money for that matter. It's an expensive hobby. However it is one that I love so I try and do little bits here and there. The latest project I completed was a set of Hand Planes. In a recent issue of
Wood Magazine they had an article on making your own hand plane. I have wanted to do one of these for a LONG time and really enjoy making my own tools and jigs etc. I'm finding the jig side of things is going to be very helpful in building guitars. Anyway. I thought I would share my hand planes with you. Hope you enjoy. Oh and you should see a new logo on the blog now. I like it much better.

We start by gluing up the blank for the hand plane. It's roughly 2"x8"

All the parts next to each other

Cut the bed out for the blade. That center triangle later becomes the wedge.

Gluing all the parts together.

Glued up and ready to cut the wedge.

Bottom of the plane with the throat opened

Test fitting everything

The Wedge is now cut out.

After everything was shaped and tuned

The woods are Spalted Maple, Sapele, Walnut and some oak veneer in between

Here is the two that I have built so far.  The one in Front is Curly Maple Sapele and Oak.

Both planes work beautifully and I couldn't be happier

--Grover

I’m in Love

Yes I am in love with my wife and have been for a long time.  Well before we were married and well before we even started dating but that’s a whole different story for a different blog.  What I am in love with is a tool.  An “antique” tool at that.  A few weeks ago I bought a couple of Hand Planes because I wanted to learn how to use them.  I am in this whole I want to learn to use hand tools kick.  I am teaching my self to hand cut dovetails.  That is tough.  It’s going to be a while and I know I am going to have to upgrade saws.  I bought a cheap one and there is a reason that it is cheap, but enough about that.  This is what I have fallen in love with

 

 

 

 

 

I have not had much of a chance to really research this particular hand plane.  It has a Stanley blade but I am not sure if that makes it a Stanley or not.  I will be scouring the internets for more information on this tool.  I actually bought this one and a smaller one.  I need to figure out what they are.  I will say that I read enough to figure out how to set the blade and went at the top of my jelly cupboard.  There was a little bit of a lip on the seam of the two boards and I was going to run it through the power planer but this hand plane was just calling out to me Use me Grover, use me.  Who am I to deny the will of the tool.  It knows best.  Well, after some playing and really hoping I didn’t screw my top up I had the seam on both sides leveled and the top looking awesome. 

It was amazing and a very beautiful thing to see those ribbons of wood just coming off the top.  It was almost magically and man did I work up a sweat.  I had like a whole Roy Underhill moment only he uses even older tools. 

I honestly never thought that I would be so infatuated with a hand tool but it was amazing.  I wanted to keep going and keep working the top but I didn’t want to take it down to far. 

I know I have a long way before I become proficient with the tool and have to figure out the sharpening of the blade and what exactly all of it does and the in’s and outs of using hand planes.  It’s exciting and best of all I only spent $25 on the pair of them.  I will get some shots of the smaller plane. 

Let me know about your experiences with hand tools, I’ve been a power tool guy and this is a new journey in woodworking for me.  Hopefully we can learn something together. 

Have a Great Day!

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