Bog oak router plane

[MikeG.]

I made my son in law a christmas present:

I didn't make the brass adjustment wheel. A friend did that for me. The blade was second hand from Ebay. The locking mechanism works a treat, and keeps things rather neater than traditional screw-type arrangements. The pin in the back will be replaced by something smarter, probably in brass, in due course. Sorry there's no WIP, but I'm keeping the mechanism as a secret for now (i'm open to guesses, though).

Oh, and yes, you can probably see that I've used it a bit myself. Had to test it out, you know.

 

[AndyT]

Lucky son in law!

Is that a wedge to lock the blade, as found on some marking gauges, or something more ingenious and devious?

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I think a bog oak mallet would be next in the list...

 

[MikeG.]

.......Is that a wedge to lock the blade, as found on some marking gauges, or something more ingenious and devious?

More devious than that. Ingenious? I don't know. How about cunning, Baldrick?

 

[MikeG.]

I think a bog oak mallet would be next in the list...

It marks a bit too easily to use as a mallet.

 

[Phlebas]

Very nice. Does your bog oak actually lend itself to that? From what you have written elsewhere it seemed that it might be a bit brittle. But what do I know.

Something working on a cam action, perhaps? Sort of like a hockey stick shape bearing against a recess, possibly working on a rod.

But, there again...

 

[MikeG.]

.......Does your bog oak actually lend itself to that? From what you have written elsewhere it seemed that it might be a bit brittle........

No, it's not brittle. It's definitely softer and waxier than ordinary oak, but dense and heavy. It will certainly mark on the underside more than oak would.

No hockey sticks or rods involved.

 

[Steve Maskery]

No, it's not brittle.

Really? That astonishes me, Mike. Are we working wood from the same tree?
One of the difficulties I've had with my Mackintosh motifs is the brittle nature of the wood.
Perhaps it's because yours is all nice round soft edges and mine is supposed to be crisp and sharp?

 

[MikeG.]

No, it's not brittle.

Really? That astonishes me, Mike. Are we working wood from the same tree?

Probably not!

One of the difficulties I've had with my Mackintosh motifs is the brittle nature of the wood.
Perhaps it's because yours is all nice round soft edges and mine is supposed to be crisp and sharp?

Are you talking about edges sort-of breaking off/ fluffing up? If so, then yes, some bits (but by no means all) do have a tendency to do that. By "brittle" I mean weak across the grain.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Are we working wood from the same tree?

Probably not!

Blimey, Mike, how many bog oak trees did you buy?!

Are you talking about edges sort-of breaking off/ fluffing up? If so, then yes, some bits (but by no means all) do have a tendency to do that. By "brittle" I mean weak across the grain.

Yes, I'm talking about the difficulty of maintaining a crisp edge.

 

[MikeG.]

Blimey, Mike, how many bog oak trees did you buy?!

Seven.

Yes, I'm talking about the difficulty of maintaining a crisp edge.

You've just been unlucky then Steve, because with some, if not most, there is no issue at all.

 

[galleywood]

Nice job.
My guess is cam operated pin.

 

[MikeG.]

There's no pin.

 

[BigMonka]

That plane looks lovely Mike. there's something about the shape of the plane, along with the colour and texture of the bog oak, that makes it look like really tactile - the kind of thing that you just want to pick up and hold.

Give us a clue on your cunning mechanism then!

 

[MikeG.]

Yeah, I must post some photos of the other one under construction. I'll get around to it soon.

 

[Alex]

Wow Mike that's an amazing gift.
My guess for peg sticking out the side is its wedge to hold another peg shaped wedge against blade to reduce vibration in the blade.

 

[MikeG.]

No, it rotates.

 

[Alex]

Ah. Cam action against a peg that press against blade to reduce vibration.

 

[MikeG.]

Getting there, but not quite. Actually, that's probably a better idea than what I've actually done. Its function is to lock the blade in position at the depth set by the adjuster.

 

[Alex]

Love it. You've got some serious skills to pull it off, I'm no where near that level. Keep seeing you guys making your own tools think that's got to be one of next years goals. Thanks for posting, definitely inspirational.