Norris Update

An update on the Norris restoration....

I've removed the crosspins and screw cap from the plane. This made cleaning up the remaining rust easier. I also made a useful discovery of a rust removal gel that works really well. Here's the link....
With all the rust gone I applied a coat of lacquer to the inside surfaces and a coat of shellac to the outside. I have lots more to do to the outside!
The front bun has been fitted and I need to do the final shaping. But the rear tote need some time spent on it - looking forward to that if I get a spare hour.

I'm really looking forward to putting the plane back together. It may be a while yet, though ;)

Cheers
Phil

The English Patient

No, don't worry. This is still a "ToolHead" blog ;)
Had an interesting phonecall today from a tool buddy. He put me onto a chap who had a Norris A5 that I might be interested in.
So I called around to see this "beauty". And boy, it was not quite what you might expect!
It was in the bottom of a box of tools the guy had bought at auction. It is badly rusted, missing its iron, has the adjuster snapped off and features huge amount of woodworm. Nice..........
So I have a new project plane - I hope you don't mind if I give it the full "Philly Works"? It certainly needs it and is beyond a simple cleaning and polishing job.
Stay tuned....
Philly

Some Handy PlanemakingTools.

Well with me knocking out planes left right and centre I guess you are board of hearing about it. So let's talk about some tools.
Sorry, I meant tools I use for making planes ;)

First up, the Planemakers Float.

This is a cross between a rasp and a saw, a coarse toothed tool that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. And indeed, is a tool that you can easily make yourself. In the photo you can see some flashy Lie-Nielsen/Clark and Williams floats. And if you look to the left you will see the skew float I made last week, complete with a file handle.
So how do you use them (and for what?)
These tools excel at opening up partially excavated areas - imagine the area in front of the wedge abutments in a bench plane. Or the wedge mortise in a moulding plane. Drill a hole at the bed angle and then a second one on the breast line - the float then opens the mortise out and squares the sides. And if you are making a skewed iron plane you need a float that has its side skewed by the same amount - this takes all the effort out of this kind of work as it is a self-jigging tool that almost guarantees a perfect result. Just throw in a bit of practise and voila!
You can easily knock up a float in 30 minutes - all you need is a piece of steel (preferably tool steel), a hacksaw and some files. If you've ever tried to sharpen a handsaw then you can make a float no problem! I even found that the random shaping of the teeth I filed in helped to make a smoother cut - bizarre but true! A file handle makes it safe and comfortable to use or you could make your own.

So what are those cheap and nasty looking chisels doing in the photo, you ask?
Tool number two is the Scraper Chisel.

To convert a regular chisel into a scraper takes little work - present the cutting edge squarely into a grinder to flatten the tip a little. The burr raised by the grinder can be left as it helps the cut (this may be familiar if you use scrapers for lathe work). And that's it!
Use the chisel to clean up difficult to reach areas (and there are plenty in a plane!). The back of the chisel is kept flat on the surface and the tip takes fine shavings - it's so good you can't believe it works!

Both of these tools sound simple to use, and they are. But what you can't imagine is how much easier they make the task of planemaking. They literally have transformed the way I make planes, making certain operations quicker and more accurate.

So have a go at making one or both of these tools - you never know where they may come in handy.
Cheers
Philly

Hammer Time

I've been trying out different designs for plane hammers. Sounds simple, doesn't it? A handle with a lump of wood on one end. So there are a wide and varied collection of hammer styles around the workshop. I started off simple and unadorned, gradually introducing beads and swoops, and finally experimenting with exotic timbers.
And I found this - the hard exotics dent the living daylights out of your wooden planes :(
So after much experimenting I have arrived a a hammer I believe is the perfect weight and size, doesn't damage your planes and looks pretty (the last one is somewhat important too!)
What do you think? Curly maple handle and black walnut head, held on with a wedged tenon. And did I mention the wedges are ebony? Now that's a hammer to spoil yourself with ;)

Just finished a small scrub plane for a customer. Made from Pau Rosa, it has a 30mm wide iron which is heavily cambered. And it works great - a real "one-handed" plane. With a heavy cut you can really remove material quickly. But retract the blade a little and you can refine the surface quite nicely, ready for scraping. I hope he'll be happy with is plane :)

Back to the workshop....

Philly

A New Idea?

This last week I have had a whole bunch of what you can only call "epiphanies". You know, those moments when the light bulb flicks on?

I've been building a plane for a friend and it involved compound angles. Skew blade, skew bed, angled sole - you know, a real brain bruiser. I've taken a couple of goes at it and I keep sitting awake at night working out how I can make jigs to make production of these features easier. And I have made various clever little gadgets and sliding jigs. But minor errors have made setting these jigs up a costly in time and materials.

So I gave in the other day and made some "Old Timer" jigs - skew floats and wooden blocks to guide a back saw. An hours work, and not a fun hour - how the hell "The Wenz" files saws all day without going blind or mad I'll never know ;)

But with the correct tools it took only a minute to make all the important cuts and then correct any minor errors. A minute!!! And no machinery, no dust extraction. And no brain ache from working out compound angles........

It really humbles me when I have experiences like this - every woodworking problem and situation has been tackled and solved, then refined to its most simple and effective method by our forefathers. And this happened over a hundred (sometimes two hundred) years ago!! Amazing!

So get in that workshop. And when you hit a problem don't reach for that woodworking catalogue to buy the new router jig. Reach for your trusty hand tools and just go for it.

Philly

First Try....

Hi Folks
Well, here is my completed Try Plane. I have a confession - I originally planned to make this a "Razee" style plane. Made the body, fitted the iron and wedge, shaped the tote. Then it was time to bandsaw off a section at the rear. But my pencil started drawing interesting curves and, before you know it I have come up with this. It is a mix of Stanley Bedrock and classic Infill - I think I'd call it "CRazee".......;)
The plane is made from Bubinga and has a 2 3/8 inch wide iron - pretty big! At 24 inches long I was expecting this plane to be HEAVY. But with the "interesting" shaping the weight has dropped considerably and it feels very pleasant in use. I was unsure about the front strike button - comments from my band of trusty plane testers all said a front grip of some description would be needed. It certainly is needed for easy removal of the wedge without damaging the stock and in use it is perfect for nestling your thumb behind. What do you think?
Have a good week,
Philly

Show and tell

Had the pleasure of meeting up with Waka, Tony and Bill from UK Workshop for the bi-annual visit to Yandles Woodworking Show. And what a fun day it was........
Yandles has a real inviting atmosphere. Held at a working saw mill (which closes down for the show) it is not a huge show but big enough. And theres plenty to see - as well as lots of interesting timber :)
Needless to say, the boys goaded each other to ever greater heights of tool purchases. It was hilarious to watch. And don't even ask about the manbag...............;)
Back home I've been having yet another workshop change around in the never-ending pursuit of the perfect layout. With my ever expanding planemaking I needed another bench for final fettling and "shipping". So I have now sorted that, as well as making the shop more efficient. Again.
Two more planes are leaving the door - they certain look pretty!
Cheers
Philly

Flat Out

Been a busy boy in the workshop recently. Planes, planes and planes. Just finished another miter plane and a baby smoother in Pau Rosa. Oh, and a Coffin Smoother in Pau Rosa.
I've made some progress with my Try Plane, too. Bubinga is the timber of choice and what a rock hard timber that is! Needless to say, the planes need a good hone before attempting to slice through it. The #8 has seen a lot of use and I notice that it doesn't seem as heavy as it used to. I must be getting stronger ;)
My favourite thing about using the #8 is "sticktion". It planes surfaces so flat that you can "stick" two pieces together - as you try to pull them apart you can feel them holding together, almost like a vacuum. Now that is flat!!
Got the Philly Forge out the other evening - it's much more fun in the dark! Plus, you can easily tell which colour the steel. And I do love smelling of BBQ ........;)
Konrad Sauer has blogged about his time at Westonbirt - makes for good reading!
Have a great weekend,
Philly

Wonderful Westonbirt

Hi Folks
Spent Saturday at the Festival of the Tree at Westonbirt Arboretum. It was a fantastic day in the most beautiful of surroundings. Needless to say, it has taken top spot for my favorite woodworking show.
There was so much to see - various woodland related demonstrations as well woodturning, crafts, and my favorite - the Classic Hand Tools Marquee! Inside we found a whole lot of good stuff - Martin Brown and Brimarc, John Lloyd, Nick Gibbs, Mike Hancock and at the top end of the tent, the Canadian Invasion. Rob Cosman and Konrad Sauer!!
As usual Rob C was his impressive, inspirational self. His dovetail and M+T demo's were a highlight and I planned to take them both in. But then I met Konrad Sauer, a Gent I'd been looking forward to meeting.
With my interest in planemaking I was eager to have a chat (if possible) . He had a selection of his amazing infill planes with him and was encouraged to try out a couple of smoothers. Effortless, superfine shavings :) I was then able to pick the Man's brain for ages - many thanks for all your advice! I had Waka in tow and needless to say he was hooked. He tried desperately to sneak on home in his pocket . I assume he is at home now, working out how many Norris he needs to sell as we speak.......;)
An extra bonus was Konrad's two hour "Making a Jointer Infill" lesson. Fantastic!!
Needless to say, we left exhausted but enfused. This is THE woodworking show of the year - make sure you note it in your diary for next year. I will be back!
Cheers
Philly

Forging Ahead.....

HI Folks

Got a few exciting things for you!

First up, the "Philly-Forge". I've been quite happy using a Mapp gas gun to heat treat my irons and it works pretty well - as long as you are using 1/8th thick steel. For my mitre plane I've been using 6mm thick steel and the Mapp gun just can't put out enough heat. So I've trawled through my reference books and the Internet and come up with this. It consists of a wok, a piece of pipe and a hairdryer (I got permission from TPTB to use her hairdryer!!). With charcoal as the fuel it works amazingly well, easily putting out enough heat for my purposes. And all for less than £5, including fuel!

Secondly, I have just sent this little beauty on its way to its new owner. A dovetail plane in Santos Rosewood. It was a lot of work but worth it for the smell of the rosewood alone :)

And finally, big announcement!

As regular visitors will know, I've been making a LOT of planes over the past months. And a lot of folks have asked about buying them. So I have launched "Philly Planes" and you can now order a custom plane of your own. Wish me luck!

Cheers

Philly

They Call Me Rose.....

I've finally broken down and used a piece of Rosewood that I have been hoarding. That beautiful plank has been sat in the woodpile waiting for a suitable project to materialize. And here I go.......
After ripping it down on the bandsaw it immediately becomes obvious why it is called Rosewood - the sweet, fragrant scent is very reminiscent of roses. Yum!
Planing. First up was my L-N 4 1/2 with 50 degree frog. Nope. Big tear-out, even with a freshly honed iron. So out comes Mr. Problemsolver, the L-V BUS. With an effective pitch of 62.5 degrees the plane cleaned up the timber with no problems, leaving a shimmering, blemish free surface.
Incidently, the iron was ground at 50 degrees. Now that is one tough angle to sharpen at (using a Veritas MK II honing guide) so I ground a wider bevel on the iron with the Tormek to give more surface area to balance on.
Another tool that works this timber real well is the humble scraper. Effectless shavings that leave a clean surface - the right tools make life somewhat easier!!
So what project is the rosewood for??
Let's just say it has a plane-like flavour.......... ;)
Cheers
Philly

The Miter Plane

Here we go, then. The completed plane.
Looks pretty good (IMHO) The chunky chamfers work well. And the weight balance is perfect. I made a skewed iron mitre plane as an experiment and it never felt right. But his one makes me happy - it feels right.
The iron is bedded at 33 degrees. Low enough to be noticeable compared to a standard bench plane but leaving enough wood for strength. And the monster iron is perfect in this instance. Chatter is NOT going to be an issue ;)
I've put more pics here..
Cheers
Philly

How Low Can You Go?

Spent some quality time in the workshop over the weekend. First task - Operation Cleanup!!
Took an hour and a half to get the place half decent but it was well worth it. There's nothing worse than a messy workshop - you can't get things done when you can't find anything :)
So with the workshop renewed I got started on some planes. First up, a plane for a Mate. Lots of headscratching and drawing on scrap and finally I get to resaw some Santos that I've been waiting to use. Lots of flattening and smoothing and the lot went in stick until I'm ready for the challenge.
Next up - a low angle plane. I'd been asked on a forum if it was possible to make a bench plane with a low angle - the feeling was that a wooden plane wouldn't be strong and the bed would collapse. So I did some research, and sure enough there were plenty of examples of low angle planes. Search for Box, Flogger and Miter planes.
Now, if you attempt a 12 degree bed in wood it is going to disintegrate. But that pitch was used in metal planes (and they used the iron bevel up, so when you work out the effective pitch they really weren't low angle planes anyway!) So I went for 33 degrees. That's a much stronger bed, and with the iron bevel down you get a real world 33 degree plane.
I've has some 6mm tool steel lying around - it's pretty OTT for a plane. But I thought it would be perfect for this plane, so out with the hacksaw. And it adds a real heft to the plane - its a heavy iron!
So I'll hopefully have this one finished soon and I'm looking forward to testing it out.
Stay tuned,
Philly

Bash MKII

HI Folks
I'm preparing to make the hike north to Nottingham today (with good friend Waka at the wheel) for Steve M's UK Workshop Bash. The rain is dropping from the sky like a river so I assume we won't be having a BBQ in the garden ;)
For me, the most enjoyable part of these get-togethers is meeting other members and having a chat. It is so much easier "in the flesh" than typing away :)
So if you are considering coming along tomorrow - please do! I'm packing a load of planes and other goodies for all to try.
See you there,
Philly

Gluetube......

I was pleased to hear that my little video clips were well received - more are planned. So if there are any topics you want covered let me know!
I was also very flattered to have my "adjusting wooden planes clip" chosen for Fine Woodworkings "Gluetube" video page. Fame at last?
The replacement camera arrives today - I really miss my digital camera.
This weekend is the woodworking Bash at Steve Maskery's workshop in Nottingham. I am really looking forward to meeting up with some old chums and putting "faces to names" :)
Cheers
Philly

Disaster..........

Nooo........my camera has stopped working!!!!!
I took it to work to take some shots of my latest kitchen refit and nothing happened. Flat batteries I assumed.
Charged the batteries overnight, popped them back in. Ziltch. Nada.
Fitted some new alkaline batteries just to be sure my rechargables hadn't died. Nope.
So my latest video, "Make a plane iron", has to wait until I get my camera repaired (or replaced).
Grrrrr..........:(
Philly

Moving Pictures.....

HI Folks
I've finally moved into the "video age". My first two video clips are on-line at my website.
They need a bit of polishing but I'm sure they will get better the more I do.
If you have any suggestions for a video clip (woodwork related, please!) then let me know.
Cheers
Philly

Mark Two.....

Alright, so I changed my mind! The skew mortise was too inaccurate and I was spending too much time fitting the wedge. So my brain kept pushing the lamination idea...........weak, so weak ;)
And here we are - Dado Plane MKII. Made from Goncalo Alves (my fave planemaking wood) it works like a dream. The lamination method lets you easily make clean and accurate mortises. As for strength, I honestly can't see it being a problem. None of my planes has exhibited any signs of weakness along the glue lines - a good sign!
As a special treat (you may disagree....) I made a small (and pretty terrible) video of the plane in action. Have a look here... I feel the WMV version is better.
Needless to say, I will be doing some work on my videomaking. Stay tuned.........
Cheers
Philly

Dado's without the Fireworks....

Hi Folks
Haven't made a plane for a week so needed to get my butt back in the workshop. But there was the small question of getting past the door - yup, it was clean up time.
It is quite refreshing to give the old workshop a tidy up. Well o.k., it doesn't feel like it at the time but when all is back in its rightful place it feels good. I have large amounts of 2 inch Oak sat on the floor waiting to be turned into a porch and front door so I still have to work around that. But at least its a reminder ;)
So - the plane. Next up is the Dado Plane. Skew mouth, nicker and depth stop are the inportant features. I thought I'd use Purpleheart as I have had a plank sat around for years - a tough timber indeed. And a real git to work.........
Decided to make it in the traditional way. Chopping skewed mortises........fun, fun, fun. I've done it but I'm not too happy. To be honest I didn't want to laminate this plane. And I have made it in an authentic manner - but boy do I have ever-growing respect for the folk that used to make these for a living.
So only the irons to make and then I can test drive it. And my little brain has already been working out how to make a laminated dado plane - it's make a full set quicker to make AND more accurate.
Watch this space.........
Philly

Taa-Daa!

So here it is - the completed plane! Not the prettiest I've made, but certainly the most testing. I can see why these planes are rare on the second hand market.......;)
The tote was a lot of fun to make - 1/2 an hour with rasps, scrapers and some sandpaper. It is a "four-finger" tote - I've obviously been spending too much time with the Veritas bevel up family ;) I have gone for the vertical grain configuration - I feel this makes for a stronger handle (and Mike Dunbar agrees with me!). The nicker is real high tech - a jig saw blade ground to a crescent profile. The wedge for this needs little real pressure to hold it, which is a good thing - it is a pliers job to remove it!
The main wedge has a simple "Vee" profile - this plane passes such vast shavings it needs all the help it can get. Not pretty but it works. Oh, and the skew blade angle gives you the most bizarre looking wedge you can imagine. It looks very spidery and delicate - treat with care.
So how does it work? Pretty darn well! The sole has a fence built into the left hand side which butts up against the work. The sole isn't sprung so you hold the plane vertical, like a bench plane. And you plane away, trying your best to keep the plane vertical. As the profile emerges the shavings become wider and the plane becomes more difficult to push - I found it was worth taking a ranker cut at the beginning and then resetting the plane to a lighter cut as you near the final shape. The plane features a stop on the right side of the sole so when you reach the completed profile the plane stops cutting - pretty neat! You can vary the width and depth of the profile by tilting the plane (sometimes on purpose!)
So I am happy at last with this plane - it was challenging to make and presented a few head scratchers, but to see it working happily gives me a good feeling.
Plans and step-by-step directions for this plane will be featured in the August issue of "The Woodworker"magazine.
Have a good weekend,
Philly