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Back in 2003 we started looking at the possibility of introducing wooden planes in kit form, specifically moulding planes. We cut our first prototypes back then and then shelved the idea as we had other priorities in developing our infill plane lineup. The we met Marty Sivar of PA-Planes and he expressed an interest in the irons we were developing for these-we showed him our original prototypes of the wooden kits. He got excited by what he saw and that in turn gave us impetus to start up the wooden planes development again. We developed the irons first and sent Marty 6 sets--he in turn sent a set to Todd Herli and everyone was very pleased with what they got. So we introduced the iron sets at the beginning of February 2006. In parallel we developed the wooden plane kits and of course the floats to go with them. Our basic philosophy of kit design was and has always been to make the building process as simple as possible for the builder while not taking away that essential feeling of accomplishment that is so important to the builder. i.e.-we didn't want to make the kit so easy that it turned into a snap together model. As with our infill kits we wanted the builder to be able to stand back-after completing the kit-and have a sense of pride in their very real accomplishment and to be proud of the fact that they were building a very useful and beautiful tool. So, as with the irons, we have created a kit that is about 75% complete. Unlike some other manufacturers we wanted the end result to have the look and feel of a very traditional set of Hollows & Rounds. THE WOODEN KITS As you will see in the picture below each H&R pair comes imbedded in a block of wood (2) that includes the plane and it's wedge. A coping, fret, scroll, jig or band-saw can be used to cut the components out of the block. There is very little material holding the components in the block so this is an easy process requiring very little edge cleanup after the cut out.
You will notice, as with traditional H&R's, that there is a bevel (chamfer) already cut along the top side of the plane body; that the escapement is already partially done; that there is a bevel at the bottom of the plane and that there is a funny little shape at the top of the plane--where the wedge goes. That funny little shape facilitates the creation of the bed and mortise for the wedge. I'll get to the details of that a little further on.
The surface of the wood , left after our cutting process, is fine enough that a light sanding or scraping will create the final surface. The picture , below right, shows you the planes and wedge after initial removal from the block.
THE FUNNY LITTLE SHAPE When you look at the picture below you will see immediately what that funny little shape does. It acts as a guide for a 1/4" drill or mortice drill allowing you to clear material from the mouth and facilitate the creation of the bed. The drill will break through into the escapement area below and then final cleanup is done with the float.
A WORD ON THE FLOATS We haven't gotten the steel back from our laser cutters yet so in the pictures below you will see the design diagram and a mock up of the float. In designing this float we wanted to ensure that we could come in at a reasonable price--so why not make a double ended tool. Traditionally you need 2 floats to make a plane--an edge float and a side float. We combined both of these into one tool and added a handle that can be removed and flipped around-so that you don't chop your hand to bits while using the tool. We believe this to be an innovative design for such a tool. It is made from 3/16' tool steel with cocobolo handles.
THE IRONS Unlike other companies that will sell you sized blanks--leaving you to create the profiles-we decided to sell profiled blanks. These blanks are sized correctly with the tangs cut to size and the profiles for the irons pre-cut. Importantly and sometimes forgotten by plane makers is the fact that the profiles need to be adjusted for the bedding angle of the plane in order to achieve the appropriate cuts in the wood and the correct fit in the plane. We have done that. These irons are designed for a 50 degree bedding angle. These irons are made from 1/8" thick O1 tool steel allowing the home plane-maker to heat treat these in his/her own shop. They are designed for a full half set (the traditional set you would have found in most cabinet makers shops) stating at the 1/8" size and going up in 1/8" increments to 1 1/8" ( even numbered H&R starting at # 2 ). You can see the full half set in the picture below.
Well that's the whole story on these beasties. There is a pair on the way to Todd Herli for build-out and comment and there are 4 pairs on the way to Marty Sivar for same. Best regards, |
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