Bronze casting infill plane WIP

[Bedrock]

I can't see the extent of the problem, but entirely sympathise. The trouble with these things, whether it's tools or furniture, you get mentally too close to it, so that, when I have finished a piece, I can only see the fault, not the overall achievement. I think Pete's response is the best, if you really can't live with it.

Have a drink, step back and try to see what a superb thing you have created, and thank you for sharing your trip with us. The important thing at the end of the day, is how does it perform - we all need to see the quality of the finished timber.

Regards Mike

 

[rxh]

It looks good to me from what I can see in the photo. If you decide to take any action I agree with what Pete has proposed.

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Definitely No.1 Mark!

I really enjoy this thread and admire the work you've done already on this infill plane. It's quite normal that the maker's eye is very critical, sometimes over-critical. As far as your pic shows, there isn't an issue at all - watched with a non maker eye. The plane is a beauty and so well crafted as it ever can be.

BTW, if you choose No.4, please send it to me (I'll cover the shipping) and let me do this for you :lol:

Klaus

 

[D_W]

I can see what you're talking about, but it would be but an afterthought. It's not something that detracts from the overall look of the plane, and it surely won't affect function.

I'd think of fixing that as something that would just get in the way of doing something I actually wanted to do (like build the next one).

My vote is to leave it be, even with the most critical eye, I would see something like that as evidence that it was done with the care of doing things by hand (it is an error of individual charm, and not an error of sloppiness).

 

[gasman]

Thank you so much gents - your collective kind words and reassurance have calmed me considerably. I had an old mate of mine visit today and he said don't be such a tw*t. You all made me laugh and Pete thanks I agree that is the only thing worth doing. For now I will do nothing. I am going to chamfer the sides I think so hopefully in a week or so I will be able to take a shaving or 3
Best regards to you all for such kindness
Mark

 

[n0legs]

Throwing it away is mad man's talk. Remaking some of the parts maybe, maybe not.
Leaving it as is, I understand your issues.
That leaves coming up with a solution. Mad Bad Pete is on to something I think.
Tell me, does the lever cap need to have square edges at the sides?
After all being a handmade tool maybe some little "craftsman touches" could well be in order.
How about a bigger radius to the sides of the lever cap? A radius might take your eye off it as there would be less of a hard edge against the sides.

 

[gasman]

So having had my little hissy fit and got over it a bit it was back to business yesterday
The great thing about Pete's idea is that I don't need to anything about it until I see what the whole thing is like when it is finished
Having used the TruOil grain filler, I started in earnest with the TruOil and gave both the infills a good coat after rubbing down at 600 grit

I had flattened both ends with files and then Abranet and then the metal polisher which looked good

So this is it at present with everything in place but the infills still not secured

Thanks once again for your kind words of advice and encouragement
Regards Mark

 

[gasman]

Mainly this week have just been adding coats of TruOil - about 5 so far and it is close to being finished

The lever cap has gone off to Ian at Chalco to be engraved
My new kit arrived from ArcEuroTrade which is a tap and die holder for the lathe so I can for the first time not have to hand cut the threads
Hopefully will get to play with that tomorrow
I might make another adjuster as I think it could be improved
Cheers
Mark

 

[gasman]

Sorry about the slow progress. I am waiting until the lever cap comes back from Ian Houghton before I finally decide what to do about the little gaps at the sides
Meanwhile I am also plucking up courage to bevel the sides of the casting
So over the weekend I made another adjuster as (1) there was a bit of play on that other one (2) the brass knob on it was bastardised from the lever cap screw on the infill kit I got from St James Bay and (3) the retaining ring on the end of the adjuster is held in place with a countersunk M3 bolt and it was not completely concentric with the adjuster main screw thread - this meant that there was a little bit of movement in the ring when the main screw thread was adjusted
So the new one went much better. I turned a new bronze knob and am getting better at knurling. Everything, as you might expect, went better second time around.
The screw threads etc are all now concentric having bought from arceurotrade a tailstock turret kit with a tapping collet and die set.
So here is the new adjuster in front of the old one

and with close up detail of the business end of the new one

Hope to get this finished in the next week or so
Regards
Mark

 

[AndyT]

Looking good, Mark.

I hope you do bevel the sides, as I think that planes look much better with bevels. Of course, they look best when perfectly done, so I can sympathise with your reluctance, and please practice on something else first!

 

[Bedrock]

Mark
This is looking very good.
What thread are you using - I am working on a smoother at the moment and have made the adjuster with a 9/32X40 ME thread. This has much less play than the other 3 adjusters I have made which used 1/4" BSF.

Mike

 

[gasman]

Thanks Andy - yes have practiced a bit and agree it is going to look better. One question I have is whether to bevel it so that the whole side is bevelled (this is what I think should happen) or just put a bevel on the outside. Also I am going to leave the central bit where the mouth is 'unlevelled' as it were
Thanks Mike - the thread I have used is 5/16" 40TPI and there is virtually no play - and my little M3 screw enables this to be closed even more
Hoping Ian has done my lever cap and I can finish the lion's share this coming weekend
Cheers
Mark

 

[Racers]

Nice adjuster!

I would just bevel the out sides, the tricky bit is the ends, with my shoulder planes I clamp them in the vice where I want to stop.

Pete

 

[rxh]

Nice adjuster!

Pete

+1 to that.

I have been using 1/4" x 32 TPI ME threads because I had taps and die of that size. That size works well but next time I intend to try 40 TPI, which is recommended in Jim Kingshot's book.

 

[Bedrock]

I had forgotten about Jim Kempshott's book, a copy of which I bought many years ago. I must dig it out and re-read.

So far, it seems that there is very little play with the 40 TPI, but I will give some thought to a clamp screw.
Anyone know what the Norris thread was? It looks like 40TPI.

I am using a "magnetic stainless steel" for the adjuster stem, which seems to give a cleaner thread than the silver steel I have used previously. Any proper engineers know whether this is more likely to be a function of the type of steel, or the quality of the die?

Regards Mike

 

[AndyT]

So far, it seems that there is very little play with the 40 TPI, but I will give some thought to a clamp screw.
Anyone know what the Norris thread was? It looks like 40TPI.

Regards Mike

I believe the Norris adjuster was both 40 tpi and 32 tpi.
Fuller, more complicated answer here:

http://www.antiquetools.co.uk/articles/norris.htm.

 

[gasman]

Still waiting for the lever cap so I have not been able to make huge progress but I did bevel the sides over the weekend - a mixture of files, card scraper and abranet and all was completed without too many mishaps. It was much easier than I thought and has softened those edges considerably

Cheers
Mark

 

[Bedrock]

Mark

Nice crisp work. All by eye? or did you use some sort of template?

Not at all easy to do with the infills in place.

Great work

Mike

 

[Racers]

Looking good!

Pete

 

[gasman]

Thanks Pete and Mike
All done by eye - far easier than I could have imagined actually.
But the infills have not been glued in place yet so I did all the 'metalwork' with the plane naked
M