Making a brass infill plane (Hattori Hanzo, DP)

[Hattori-Hanzo]

The mitre plane is roughly 6" long and made from Cz108 brass and 01 tool steel.
It has Box wood infills.

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[Hattori-Hanzo]

And finally a size comparison to my last mitre plane

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The last plane is starting to take on a nice patina

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[youtube]HwJF3AdZ9-I[/youtube]

Thanks to every one who has been watching and liking this thread and the videos, I welcome any comments constructive or otherwise.
cheers
Dan.

 

[sploo]

Absolutely superb - the plane and the box.

 

[rxh]

Excellent work. I like the detail for securing the lever cap - is it your idea?

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Sorry for the late reply chaps I've had a pretty tough month.

At the start of Feb I received the devastating news that the family run business I had worked for the last 18 years had gone out of business.
Myself and colleagues, one of whom had worked there for over 30 years where all shell shocked. It was an incredibly sad day to see it all go.

Thankfully with the help of family and friends I have been extremely fortunate and managed to find another job.
Furniture maker positions are sparse around here but I have settled into a new role with a small team of cabinet makers.
Fingers crossed it works out, having a mortgage and 1 year old daughter to support it certainly has been a worrying time.

I had plans to make many more planes in the future but obviously this will be put on hold. All of my plane making tools and materials have been put into storage while I sort through the rest of my woodworking tools for what I'll need for the new job, as you can imagine after 18 years there is a lot of stuff to go through, don't think I'll need my Yankee screw drivers any more

While the new place is equipped with some very fancy modern machinery there is no engineering lathe for me to play on, no engineering vices or tools, I need to settle in and figure out how I will continue with plane making. Again this wont be for a long while.

Thank you for the comment on my last plane @sploo

@rxh The stainless steel locking pin was my idea, I'm probably not the first person to do it but I've not seen it on another plane.
It's was needed to get over a problem of the lever cap coming loose over time when planing.
I put this problem down to the tapered blade and the clock wise rotation of the thumb screw causing the lever cap to push backwards thus releasing the blade.
I racked my brains trying to come up with something that would work and that didn't spoil the look of the plane too, in the end this simple solution won.

This was the last thing I made for myself at my previous work and the last thing I'll add to this thread for a while so I'd like to share it with you.

I'm very lucky and been given a small amount of Rosewood so I've made a start on the marking gauge.

Working on the main body on the engineering lathe.

I parted off a small section of brass and then fixed it between two nuts on a bolt and secured that into the lathe.
I needed to round both sides of the brass collar.
I'm sure this isn't the ideal way of doing this but I have limited tools and it seemed to work okay.

I needed a way to secure the brass head and collar to the wood as the glue was only temporary while I machined the initial shape and not sufficient to hold the pieces together permanently.

I carefully marked hole positions on the collar and drilled the holes, I then used a bolt to align the two parts and drilled the first hole through the collar into the wood. After the first hole was drilled i inserted a spare drill bit into the hole to keep it aligned and then drilled the second hole.

With the brass collar and Rosewood drilled I then repeated the process to drill the head of the gauge.

I've ordered some m3 stainless bolts that will run through the holes securing it all together, just waiting for them to arrive.
Once its all fixed together i'll mount it back on the lathe and final finish it.

In the meantime I drilled and tapped an m8 hole into the side of the brass head.

and then made the locking thumb screw.

Most of the thumb screws I've seen for marking gauges are short with a larger diameter but I wanted a longer sleeker looking one.
While doing so I found out I could knurl longer pieces of material, I always thought you needed an automatic feed on the lathe to knurl longer pieces but I hand fed this knurl and it turned out great
I still can't get my head round how this works and how manually moving the knurling tool doesn't just leave a mashed up mess but I'm pleased i can do it.

And finally machined a recess in the head for the cutter to sit into when not in use.

That was all for today.
Just waiting for the bolts and the steel rod to come in the post and I can make a start on the shaft of the gauge.....it's not going to be a simple shaft though.

Finally got the stainless steel tube and rod in the post so I could continue with the marking gauge.

I started by threading one end of the steel tube.
Quickly realised Stainless steel is a bugger to work with, it's very hard and can't be rushed.

After that I started on the micro adjuster which I'm making from brass, much nicer to work with!

I knurl a short section and drill out the centre to thread onto the stainless tube.

Then add some chamfers and part them in two ready to work on some more later.

I also made a start on the cutting wheel again from stainless steel.

I bevel the rod and then square off the end to a sharp edge.

And finally drill and counter sink the head to accept a bolt before parting off completely from the rest of the rod.

Going to try and harden the cutting wheel with my map gas torch and quench it in oil, like I do my plane blades but I'm not sure how well this with work with stainless?

I've still got to work on the inner shaft and the main head of the gauge but its getting there.



Slowly working my way through the marking gauge build, it's almost done and I've turned my attention to a box for it.

Totally over the top for a marking gauge but I'm keeping a theme going

Using some American black walnut I Put a 15 degree bevel on some strips then glued it together to make a dodecagon.

Masking tape makes for an excellent clamp to hold it all together while the glue sets.

I glued all but 4 edges so I didn't have to split the box afterwards. I also added some ends to the box which I'm thinking of reinforcing later with some brass fixings, though not totally decided yet.

Next I made some liners for the box out of some lovely birds eye maple veneer.
Using some make shift weights to hold it in position while the glue dries.
And a test fit held in place with some quick cramps to see how it will work.

Once the glue has dried it holds the shape well, Next I'll fit it into the box using some bead to hold it in place.

That's it so far.

I've got to work out a base for it to sit on and a latch to keep it closed but I've got a few ideas on that.

Slowly progressing with box.

I made some inlay for the ends of the birds eye liners. I wrapped it around a circle of MDF so it holds the same diameter as the liner.

I've also made the brass clasps that the marking gauge will sit on inside the box.

Started with some brass round bar that I tapered at both ends.

Then drilled through to make the half rounds that will hold the marking gauge.

After some more shaping with hand files they are nearly finished.

Lastly I drilled and taped the bottoms to accept a bolt and polished them up.

Here they are test fitted to the inside of the box. I still have a lot of work to do sanding and cleaning up the box.

Finally I made a start on adding some decorative dovetail bows to the out side of the box, they will also aid in securing the ends of the box in place.

That's it for now.

Finally got the box finished tonight, I think in the end the box took longer to make than the marking gauge.

Spent the past couple of days polishing and waxing it.

I've got a few more bits to tidy up and I've got to strip the marking gauge down to degrease it all then I'll take some photos of the entire piece which I'm hoping to do over the weekend.

Here's a quick snap I took on my phone.

I've also been working on a short video of the build process. I didn't have time to go into as much detail with this project so it jumps about a bit but hopefully I'll get that finished with the photos.

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

The marking gauge and box and finally done. I've really enjoyed making this piece though it took a little longer than expected.

Managed to get the photo's done yesterday.

The box is made from American black walnut, Maple and Birds eye maple.

Here you can see some of the lovely figuring on the birds eye maple.

The marking gauge is roughly 200mm long.

It's held in place inside the box by a brass collar which is fix in place by a neodymium magnet.

[youtube]XKNTTJ1BUvg[/youtube]

Thank you all so much for the kind comments during this thread, I hope to be back with a new project in the future.

 

[AndyT]

Stunning! If you are going to go over the top, this is the way to go!

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

Very sorry to hear your work bombshell though. Hope you find a way through it that makes good use of your obvious talents.

 

[thetyreman]

I think you could honestly do the planemaking thing for a living, I really am impressed with the high level of craftsmanship in your work, there aren't many with your level of talents, good news on the new job. =D>

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks for the comments guys it's really nice of you to say.

While I really enjoyed making these planes I don't think I have anywhere near the experience needed to produce them to sell.
It would be great, but I imagine it would be an extremely difficult path to go down to try and make money from full time.
The market for bespoke planes must be quite small and any one seeking one will go straight to a known maker like Bill or Karl.

I also think if I where doing it to a time scale it would suck all of the enjoyment out of it for me. I like to think I have an eye for detail and fairly high standards but the only reason I can achieve this to some extent is because I'm doing it all in my own spare time, no dead lines to meet, no compromise (until my mind starts thinking of the next project)
I also like to learn new things and skills, I've learnt so much from making these planes and enjoyed making them probably more than I will using them.

Saying this I had planed to try and design a unique plane for my next one, then make a batch of 3 and put the best one up for sale if I thought it was good enough.
I'd never get back the labour cost but I wouldn't really be doing it for the money more for that fact someone wanted something I'd made.
I'd make a terrible business man :mrgreen:

It might be something I could look into doing on the side in the future, you never know whats round the corner.

 

[Inspector]

You do make a nice tool and you could sell some for some extra tool buying money. If you were to make three planes and sell two the money could go towards a lathe, milling machine, tooling for either, a small forge, heat treating oven or anything else you had a hankering for.

Pete

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks Pete.

A small lathe of my own would be nice, I will miss experimenting with brass round bar, making thumb screws and the like. I;ll have to come up with an idea for square ones that look good.

 

[IWW]

Cheers, Hanzo - sorry to hear of your travails, but sometimes life's upheavals lead to a better situation, so let's hope that is the case for you.

........... The stainless steel locking pin was my idea, I'm probably not the first person to do it but I've not seen it on another plane.
It's was needed to get over a problem of the lever cap coming loose over time when planing.
I put this problem down to the tapered blade and the clock wise rotation of the thumb screw causing the lever cap to push backwards thus releasing the blade.
I racked my brains trying to come up with something that would work and that didn't spoil the look of the plane too, in the end this simple solution won....

I had a similar problem in how to keep my 'wedge levers' in place when using thumbscrews instead of a simple wedge. Adding a screw adjuster to a plane makes wedges a problem because they are much less convenient to loosen & re-tighten when you want to make adjustments to the depth of cut. My solution was to set a small cylinder of brass in the wedge under a thumbscrew through the bridge. It needed something to protect the wood anyway, but by making a divot in the brass it gives a positive locating point ensuring the wedge is in its correct position. I discovered after I'd worked it out for myself that Tom Norris used an almost identical solution on his screw-adjusted chariot & shoulder planes at least 100 years before ago!

Whenever thumbscrews have to bear on a metal surface, having a rounded point on the screw minimises the slewing effect.

....A small lathe of my own would be nice, I will miss experimenting with brass round bar, making thumb screws and the like. I;ll have to come up with an idea for square ones that look good.

Yep, you can do a lot with a small lathe, and even cheap knurling tools will do a good job on brass. However, you are probably looking at a cost that is a bit out of reach in your present circumstances. I've got a couple of ways of making acceptable thumbscrews without a metal lathe. The one on the left was done using a bit of brass bar, a stainless steel bolt and a file - I think it looks presentable.

You do need a tap, and a drill-press makes it easier to get the head drilled & tapped square, but it could be done without a DP. can do a post on them if anyone is interested, others may have even better ideas thay can add to make a useful reference.

If I were going to try to make a living out of plane-making, I would also invest in a decent milling machine to speed things up & take the tedium out of cutting mouths, for e.g. A good linisher could speed up the clean-up after peening, too. Going full-tilt, I think I could do a good plane in 3 days, so with overheads time & materials, it would not be a cheap product if I costed in my time at a sensible rate.

I think you've shown that you have oodles of talent & the ability to solve problems, but there's a lot to running a successful small business. You'd also have to establish a solid reputation before you could charge enough to make a good living at it. Which all takes time, & meanwhile, you have to feed the family!

My day job earned me far more than making planes or furniture would have, plus I'm possibly an even worse businessman than you are, so it was an easy decision for me to remain an amateur. I got to the point where I can sell my excess planes easily at a price which covers materials & overheads, and that suits my situation admirably as a retiree. I have no ambitions to become another Holtey or Carter (even if I had the talent!), and as you wisely said, working endlessly to deadlines quickly takes the fun out of a hobby....

All the best in your new role,
Ian

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks Ian really appreciate your reply.

Your thumb screws look great. Interested to know how you created the groves, was it all just very careful filing?

Thanks for the tip on the divot too, I'll remember that for the future.
Funnily enough I did try rounding the bottom of the thumb screw which helped a little but still the problem persisted. I wonder if adding a divot to the blade would have cured it? trouble is the divot would have to be elongated to allow for blade wear.

Back to bridge and wedge I think

Cheers.

 

[IWW]

..... Interested to know how you created the groves, was it all just very careful filing?......

For the long grooves, I made a shallow cut with a small hacksaw, then filed these with a 4" DEST file. The circular grooves were made by chucking the thumbscrew in my wood lathe, spinning it very slowly, and applying the file in the desired spot as it spun.

..... Thanks for the tip on the divot too, I'll remember that for the future.
Funnily enough I did try rounding the bottom of the thumb screw which helped a little but still the problem persisted. I wonder if adding a divot to the blade would have cured it? trouble is the divot would have to be elongated to allow for blade wear.

Back to bridge and wedge I think ....

Um, no, the divot idea only works on a wedge as shown, or at least some componenet that remains stationary as you adjust the blade depth. As you say, putting a divot in the blade for the thumbscrew would make adjustments rather problematical! Rounding the end of the thumbscrew is the best way of preventing/minimising slewing that I've come across, other than making a 'shoe" for the t'screw. That works very well, but they are cumbersome things that can get in the way all too easily...

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Bm101]

Firstly, sorry to hear you've had a rough time with work. Glad you have found your new situation and the mortgage is getting paid.
I suppose few of us welcome drastic change but it's inevitable and I'm sure you've hit the ground running.

Fantastic work as always thanks for posting. It's a real pleasure seeing you progress and I hope you can find a way to continue presently.

@ Ian
'You do need a tap, and a drill-press makes it easier to get the head drilled & tapped square, but it could be done without a DP. can do a post on them if anyone is interested, others may have even better ideas thay can add to make a useful reference.'

Yes please! =D>

What a cracking thread this has turned out to be.
Regards as always
Chris

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks Chris.

I do hope to continue making these sorts of things in the future.
I had a few ideas for other tools that I'd liked to have started, so fingers crossed :?

 

[FatmanG]

Thanks Chris.

I do hope to continue making these sorts of things in the future.
I had a few ideas for other tools that I'd liked to have started, so fingers crossed :?

You really do need to continue making. Amateur or professional is only a term given, in my eyes your planes are stunning as good as I've ever seen. I truly hope your situation settles down so you can continue to thrill us forumites with exceptional quality threads and craftsmanship.

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thank you for the comment FatmanG. I'm still very eager to make another plane just need to settle in and see whats what for the time being.

For the long grooves, I made a shallow cut with a small hacksaw, then filed these with a 4" DEST file. The circular grooves were made by chucking the thumbscrew in my wood lathe, spinning it very slowly, and applying the file in the desired spot as it spun.

Thanks for the description Ian, sounds straight forward but I bet its much more difficult in practice to get just right.

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Hello again all.

It's been a long while since I've made a post, I think it's fair to say its been an "interesting" year for most if not all of us.
I've settled into my new role though I am missing the variety that my old job offered, I don' think I can call myself a furniture maker anymore, I get looks of disdain if I pull my shooting board out rather than use the chop saw and don't mention my yankee screwdrivers (I jest)

My partner has also been affected by the pandemic and a few mouths after me was also made redundant. Again very fortunately she has managed to find work which is a huge relief.

I hope every one is doing okay and I hope this settles down soon so we can all return to some form of normality.

The passion to make tools is still burning within and I had started a new project only weeks before I was made redundant which had obviously been put on hold.

Thankfully I have had the opportunity and drive to start the project up again and thought I would share it with you.

Around the middle of last year I discovered Skelton saws and after hours of searching I was blown away by the ingenuity, quality and design of Shanes saws. I've not had the pleasure of seeing one of his saws first hand but I must have watched every video and seen nearly every photo. His work really is exceptional.

In particular I loved the look of his gents saw. A bit rich for my pockets but it sparked a desire to try and make my own, so late last year around October/November I started to make a pair of saws based on his but with my own interpretation. I planned one to be rip cut and the other to be cross cut.

I started with a piece of 300x50x9mm brass which I cut in half. This will form the backs of the saws

Next I had to form the slot for the blade to fit into. Ideally this would be done with a slitting saw on a milling machine but I had neither of those tools.
So next best thing was a set of cheap slitting saws for a Dremel which I used in a pillar drill with a backing fence.

The saws where "about" the same thickness as the saw plate I intended to use. I say "about" because no matter how well you set the pillar drill up it will inevitably make a "wobble" cut when forcing it laterally. More on this later.

After a quick test cut I realised I would need some hold downs to preform the cut

Taking it very slowly and in several passes I got the slit cut, certainly not the best way of doing it but I had to used what I had available and fortunately it came out ok.

With the slit done I could start to taper the backs and add the cove detail.
Tapering was simply done with hand files and the cove detail I did on the over head router which I didn't take any pictures of as I really don't advocate this way of doing it for safety reasons mostly but again I used what I had. (really would like to get my hands on a milling machine)

After a bit of sanding to clean up the machine marks the backs where at a stage that I could start to work on the handles of the saws.

It was a good few days work to this point as like normal I was just doing it in my breaks.

Next up the handles.

 

[marcros]

What style of handle are you making for these, a traditional saw handle or a turned chisel type handle? I don't know how better to describe them!