Luban Chinese Block Plane

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
The internet has its pros and cons. There are woodworkers who have years of experience and skills going back to their grandfathers. There are woodworkers just starting out with no support structure.

I personally wish that the internet support resources were there when I was 18! Like all good teenagers I rebelled. What does the old man covered in saw dust really know? I have the woodworking show and all the new gadgets that make the old man obsolete!!!!

That attitude cost me thousands of dollars and hours of frustration. The old man knew his trade and let the young buck learn the hard way.

You can buy anything you want! It’s your money and your time. There are plenty of vendors out there willing to take your money and provide little help or support. After all, if it don’t work, it’s your fault because you don’t know what your doing.

Metalurgy is one of those topics. A materials arms race coupled with too many opinions on how to do it better.

If you want to perfect your trade, find someone to learn from. Check your attitude at the door. Intelligence is learning from your mistakes….Wisdom is learning from other people’s mistakes.

I have made my share of mistakes. I have had my share of success. We can all learn from one another. While my infill work almost rivals Holtey, my issue is learning more about digital forums, video cameras and editing. I am old enough to say the hell with this digital stuff, where is a ten year old when you need one!

One poster provided a link to DW furniture. It was a pleasure watching him work. There is a lot to learn from him.

Often times, the experienced guys , like my grandfather, will not take the crap of know it all nannies. They are inclined to shut up and merely watch the young bucks make a mess of it!
 
Holtey is the gold standard. Comparing oneself with him is quite a statement esp for a humble craftsman.

My metal shop exists to make woodworking tools. I have a monarch 10EE lathe, a hardinge HLV lathe, two Bridgeport’s, a brow sharpe omniversal tool die mill, a gallmeyer surface grinder, a brown sharpe OD/ID cylindrical grinder and a furnace to melt 120 pounds of iron using diesel.

My wood shop contains Oliver and Wadkin machines. My Jointers are a 12 in Northfield heavy and a 20 in Porter.

within the next year I plan on retiring my 1924 pattern large in exchange for a Wadkin RU. My RU is in storage in England and I am struggling to find a container option. Hope to move it and a Wadkin LQ pattern mill this spring.

I am not a self appointed messenger for LN. I am one of the few who can copy a LN down to its precision tomorrow. But I respect what they have done.

If you do woodworking for revenue, are you going to charge your lost time and frustration to a customer? Your time is shot!

If your a hobbyist, how do you justify the time of frustration to your wife? Especially when you have nothing to show for it.

How you approach the problem is up to you. How quickly you can produce top level work is up to you. You can do it but sometimes you need help and wisdom from those who have walked the path before you.
 
I think it would be a terrible shame if anyone felt they had to leave the forum, maybe people should just take a step back and accept people will have differing views.
PS Im not too keen on the Chinese either!
 
Fortunately ,I don't have to convince you. Woodcraft already removed LN-like elements from earlier WR planes to avoid trouble. I don't have to guess that - they told me that. ....
Are you sure that they weren't talking about non-legal "trouble" (by that I mean social media backlash)?
 
I broke a Stanley block plane as kid by dropping it. You can question those on the know for a long time, it does not change things. Sometimes we have to work with grey iron. This is what grey iron can do. I can fix this but I won’t discuss how. To complex for this forum.View attachment 132418I
I've seen broken in half Record 5 1/2 and Stanley spokeshave. Both very well repaired by brazing - no prob.
They were in a skill centre training establishment - woodworkers with trainee welders/brazers also on the premises
 
I've seen broken in half Record 5 1/2 and Stanley spokeshave. Both very well repaired by brazing - no prob.
They were in a skill centre training establishment - woodworkers with trainee welders/brazers also on the premises
Ah the joys of brazing cast iron…

338A2F5A-B80E-4AB6-B5C9-E5E61A1F9D39.jpeg

Who wants to tackle this one? I am not sure what I am going to do here. It’s an issue. If you have ever done brazing you will understand the issues of alignment and warpage. The RU bed moves left and right on a way system by rack and pinion. Not only do I have to braze the cracks but I sure the bed doesn’t bind. Planes will need grinding or lapping. If the alignment is to far out or the warpage to great, your done.

But the positive is all that brass braze makes your plane look like a lie Nielsen sort of:)
 
Not really, you're replying to my comment which means you're still here. How long does it take to leave?
Why drive genuine people with massive experience from the forum what good does it do???
Nice one!
 
Last edited:
David had done a great deal in clarifying the details of metalurgy. My own work has relied on using the tried and true, my own observations and experience. I have not had the time to reinvent the wheel. So work by David is surely noted.
 
I just viewed some material by The Patent Doctor. A US patent and trademark Attorney. It’s a good thing Luban planes are not sold here. Traut and Schade filled patents like mad men. Simple improvements to resolve simple issues were issued patents. So US case law justifies the recognition of the changes LN made by simple filings. And this doesn’t even begin to address branding and trademark issues. It’s a lucky chance that Luban hasn’t been served yet.
 
Why drive genuine people with massive experience from the forum what good does it do???
Nice one!
Whilst I agree with your comment, D_W is the one who is doing the actual driving here. The term 'massive experience' is subjective here as well.

D_W's a big boy, he will stay around if he wants and given his usual approach to others, if he does leave it won't be because what others have said or asked of him.
 
Why drive genuine people with massive experience from the forum what good does it do???
Nice one!
A bit over dramatic mate, he said he was fed up with this forum, I said I think it is a good forum and if he didn't like it then why not leave. I haven't driven anyone out, he suggested he was leaving and then replied to my comment, I thought it was quite funny really.
 
Last edited:
There is a lot stuff I disagree with. There is a lot stuff I said that others disagree with. There is lots we all agree with.

At the end of the day any forum whether this one, a soap box in Piccadilly square or your own House of Commons is a venue for dynamic opinion. That is a good thing.

Make your argument like you mean it! Listen to the other argument. Then make up your mind.
 
Ah the joys of brazing cast iron…

View attachment 132927
Who wants to tackle this one? I am not sure what I am going to do here. It’s an issue. If you have ever done brazing you will understand the issues of alignment and warpage. The RU bed moves left and right on a way system by rack and pinion. Not only do I have to braze the cracks but I sure the bed doesn’t bind. Planes will need grinding or lapping. If the alignment is to far out or the warpage to great, your done.

But the positive is all that brass braze makes your plane look like a lie Nielsen sort of:)
I remember repairing something very similar in shape and size from a steam engine, using a Castolin/Eutectic stick (on AC, IIRC). The number "680"comes to mind (or, at the moment, is more noticeable among all the utter junk that my mind is churning through!). It was "veed" on one side, back-step welded one pass, the back was "veed", b-s welded one pass: this was repeated for three passes each side over two days. I guaranteed the job 'til they were out of sight.
 
Ah the joys of brazing cast iron…

View attachment 132927
Who wants to tackle this one? I am not sure what I am going to do here. It’s an issue. If you have ever done brazing you will understand the issues of alignment and warpage. The RU bed moves left and right on a way system by rack and pinion. Not only do I have to braze the cracks but I sure the bed doesn’t bind. Planes will need grinding or lapping. If the alignment is to far out or the warpage to great, your done.

That crack gap is huge. Did you ever fix this? Is something with this kind of damage repairable? Will it crack again? How about bolting bars of steel across the cracks after braising?
 
That crack gap is huge. Did you ever fix this? Is something with this kind of damage repairable? Will it crack again? How about bolting bars of steel across the cracks after braising?
Nope! I am in a battle with my ex girlfriend. The bimbo used title theft and common law so I am feeding lawyers and just about earning my law degree. The same bimbo burned 5000 dollars with of CITES pre ban timber collected over thirty years. If a woman does not respect your shop and shop time———RUN!

The good news is I have connections all over the world. There are Four wadkins in storage in England. Only I know where they are. And English law will not require me to cough up the location!

Can it be fixed? Maybe. If not, my Amish buddies will pour a new one. It’s grey iron so they would use class 60 grey iron. It would require me to make a new pattern set but I am cool with that.

it may be able to be brazed or I can use a special rod and technique cited by the other poster. Bottom line is I have options.
 
Back
Top