# Holtey No 98 project



## Ian Dalziel (9 Oct 2005)

Finally got started the no98………..for those of you who know the plane it’s a 10” smoother. The base is still only a test piece (I actually milled it the wrong way round(doh) I wasn’t sure how accurate the mill was going to be but its fine…….
I am making 6 off as I had to buy 6 blades to make them cheap enough…….i also had to buy full lengths of stainless so it made sense to use it…….I am also doing 2 with stainless soles and brass sides.
I now have all the programs written and the stainless cut to size so hopefully just workshop time left.
Stainless is not the easiest stuff in world to machine but I got there and have the settings and I have only used one cutter so far so I must be doing it right.

Sadly have to go back to work so updates will be slow

Ian


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## Chris Knight (9 Oct 2005)

Ian,
Seriously good stuff! I look forward to following progress on this one.


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## Philly (10 Oct 2005)

Wow, very exciting!!! :shock: 
So the CNC is working out o.k.?
Work is a real pain, eh? Keep us up to date,
Cheers
Philly


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## Ian Dalziel (10 Oct 2005)

Philly":302tu0zn said:


> So the CNC is working out o.k.?
> Work is a real pain, eh? Keep us up to date



Yep the cnc is brilliant.......took a fair bit of time setting and tweaking then learning the cad cam program...but i got there....I am using Dolphin cadcam software for mach 2.
work is a real pain but the money has to come from somewhere.....

Still got a bit of tweaking here and there to get the design spot on but its only small changes in the software...I have completed the sides which are spot on just a bit of tweaking on the base and the bosses. the more i drew and made the more it started to make sense....i think i have it worked out.

the only one that had me puzzled was his knurling....its almost too good for a lathe knurling tool so i am now converting my rotary table to cnc to make the knurls.... I can run it in one direction only to avoid backlash and get it to very fine tolerances. Also the engraving was a bit of a pita but again i got some decent cutters and managed it. Holteys stuff is the best i've seen and i've given myself a proper challege here. 
I wouldnt even show it here if i didnt think i was capable of going to the finest detail....
What i should have done was had the stainless polished before i used it but its not to bad to flatten and bring to a nice finish...stainless really shines.
Looking forward to getting home next leave to finish and also looking forward to meeting people at axminster.

Ian


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## Adam (10 Oct 2005)

Look great. What a project though! Phew. Looks like its take plenty of hard work!

Adam


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## Alf (10 Oct 2005)

Wow, Ian. :shock: I can see in the future it'll be "This is the furniture Ian built. This is the plane that Ian made to build the furniture that Ian built. This is the CNC milling machine that Ian constructed, to make the plane, to build the furniture that Ian built. This is the software, etc..."  

Nice shape to those sides, isn't it? Not too rounded, not too square. Very satisfactory. Dammit, can't wait to see the next part now! Pesky paying jobs... :evil: 

Cheers, Alf


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## Gill (10 Oct 2005)

I'm in awe. What you're doing is admirable, Ian. I'm just wondering why someone might want six No 98 planes - presumably there are plans to dispose of some of them?

Gill


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## Ian Dalziel (10 Oct 2005)

Alf":ow0bs5l8 said:


> Nice shape to those sides, isn't it? Not too rounded, not too square. Very satisfactory. Dammit, can't wait to see the next part now! Pesky paying jobs... :evil:
> 
> Cheers, Alf



Cheers Alf,
After studying his sides i elected to make my profiles slightly different....i also didnt chamfer quite so deep which brought out the profile quite stunning. Just need some workshop time.. 
Had to buy a Model Engineer tap and die set though it was the only one i could find that had 40 tpi to allow for fine adjustment.
I also moved my blade clamp ever so slightly forward and i'm not too sure about his rear handle design.....I might make the boss similar but i am worried that with only the spline and no front screw it has a weak point...i might go with tradition and have a front screw and full length screw through the handle....i am also thinking on flooding the front knob over the boss but havent decided yet.
Its going to be quite a weighty plane.....it has an 8mm thick base and 5 mm sides although these will be slightly reduced by the time their all ready......once done i'll have to get you to test one...


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## Ian Dalziel (10 Oct 2005)

Gill":2r21ddgt said:


> I'm in awe. What you're doing is admirable, Ian. I'm just wondering why someone might want six No 98 planes - presumably there are plans to dispose of some of them?
> 
> Gill



Thanks Gill......not sure what to do with them all yet.....i thought i might as well make 6 as i had to buy 3 metre lenghts of material and 6 blades to make it worthwhile.......once i'm satisfied with all the kit parts and assemble..... it should hopefully be a nice set of planes.....

Meant to add that 3 planes will be in Rio rosewood 
2 stainless and one brass
2 will be in lignum 
and one will be in cherry with brass sides
The front knobs will be a similar design to the early stanley front knobs ie a bit lower than they are now and a bit more of a mushroom. Holteys design looks good though but when i use a smoother my thumb is wrapped slightly around the lower stem of the knob and i'm not sure his design will feel comfortable with my type of grip.but i have been known to change 

Ian


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## Alf (10 Oct 2005)

Ian Dalziel":1ozk8ak8 said:


> After studying his sides i elected to make my profiles slightly different....i also didnt chamfer quite so deep which brought out the profile quite stunning.


Mmm, very nice. I like it a lot. 



Ian Dalziel":1ozk8ak8 said:


> I also moved my blade clamp ever so slightly forward and i'm not too sure about his rear handle design.....I might make the boss similar but i am worried that with only the spline and no front screw it has a weak point...i might go with tradition and have a front screw and full length screw through the handle....


Given the weight - and by gum, they should hug the wood like a limpet on super glue! - I think you might have a point there. It is sort of "hanging out" there a bit, isn't it? Even given the metal support beneath, it looks a little vulnerable to me. But then I suppose "Holtey" and "hurly-burly" are mutually exclusive terms! :lol: 



Ian Dalziel":1ozk8ak8 said:


> i am also thinking on flooding the front knob over the boss but havent decided yet.


Oooooo, now that'd be _very_ classy. 



Ian Dalziel":1ozk8ak8 said:


> Its going to be quite a weighty plane.....it has an 8mm thick base and 5 mm sides although these will be slightly reduced by the time their all ready......once done i'll have to get you to test one...


Oo, oo! I'm your best-est friend in all the world, Ian. Grovel, grovel. [-o< ] 



Ian Dalziel":1ozk8ak8 said:


> The front knobs will be a similar design to the early stanley front knobs ie a bit lower than they are now and a bit more of a mushroom.


Gott in himmel, I'm liking the way you're thinking... 

Now s'cuse me while I just go and stick my head in a paper bag and hyperventilate for a while - I'm suffering from some *serious* plane desire overload wot doesn't happen to me as often as you might think. No really, it doesn't. All right, don't believe me then. [-( :lol: 

Ian, I hope you're keeping a record of man hours and so forth? I, for one, would be interested in just how long such a project really takes. I have a nasty feeling the answer might be just a teeny-weeny bit scary! I don't even want to think about the costs... 8-[

Cheers, Alf


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## Shady (10 Oct 2005)

Amazing: seriously impressive stuff Ian. Quite an investment in time and resources though: what was your 'overall/initial' motivation for diving into the world of CNC stuff? Looks like you're now capable of working at tolerances way beyond those required for 'normal' woodworking: are you looking to expand into tool production, or something?


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## Ian Dalziel (10 Oct 2005)

LOL Alf....I like your style of writing........hours spent? is that before or after i built the cnc and writing the programs.........its all done now bar a bit of tweaking so hopefully just to get the donkey work out the road now before the fussing starts. I dont even want to guestimate what it will take to finish

Shady.......Always fancied a cnc router for doing things that wouldve taken forever to do and be accurate......when i starting looking around at cncs i found that most home made routers suffered slightly from vibration but the mill was a sturdier piece of kit....it is expensive including the mill...software....hardware and tooling i have spent in the region of £3500 plus or minus a few hundred.... I usually always buy my stuff new but i could've done it for around £2-2500 if i went secondhand
I will now build a router with a table of around 600 x 800 but thats a bit away....i am just enjoying watching the mill....I dont think i couldve got the 13.25 hole pitchs spot on every time when making the sides though its easily achievable with cnc....being a bit of a tool nut i can now make most of my stuff providing i set the pieces right in the mill. If i like a tool then i can go and make it....I've got my eye on some of the bridge city stuff but thats a while away.


Ian


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## Alf (10 Oct 2005)

Ian Dalziel":3u5fv5d9 said:


> hours spent? is that before or after i built the cnc and writing the programs........


Better make it after or my brain may melt... :lol: 

Cheers, Alf


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## Ian Dalziel (7 Nov 2005)

Quick update on the 98’s,

I have now actually got one together…what a difference to pein something with rivets rather than dovetails……..I haven’t got any finished photos as yet (because its not finished) but I thought I’d let you see how its progressing.
The blades were made by Ray Iles and are 5mm thick D2 steel and hardened to RW62
The whole plane is made from 304 stainless….except the brass bits
The adjuster has 2 different thread pitches…the bigger one is standard 8mm…..the smaller is3/16 x 32tpi ….this allows for micro adjustment of the blade 

The knobs I have made 4 so far…….the 2 on the left flood over the front boss and go right down to the sole the 2 on the right are recessed by 3 mm and show the boss the same way holteys does. They are made from Rio rosewood same as i will make the rear handle

I haven’t taken any photos of the rear handle as its not finished yet…..it is a cross between holteys and lie-nielsens but ive tipped it ever so slightly forward so as when using the plane I am pushing down on it rather than skimming over the top.

Ive already got plans for a 14” version……..

Hope you like

See you all Thursday…I hope

Ian


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## wizer (7 Nov 2005)

lookin' good Ian... and not a speck of dust, as usual. :wink:


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## Adam (7 Nov 2005)

Great stuff. Really interesting.

Adam


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## Scott (7 Nov 2005)

Lookin' very good Ian! Can't wait to see it finished!


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## Alf (7 Nov 2005)

Lookin' very good, Ian. It's reminding me of something... I think it might be stickle bricks.  

Cheers, Alf


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## DaveL (7 Nov 2005)

Ian,

Nice work, will you be bringing one with you, I would love to see it close up.




Alf":14n3rd1j said:


> It's reminding me of something... I think it might be stickle bricks.



Alf,

Have you stopped taking the dried frog pills again?


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## Alf (7 Nov 2005)

DaveL":201ol06h said:


> Have you stopped taking the dried frog pills again?


If I had, you wouldn't need to ask... :shock:


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