New plane maker and design

[ByronBlack]

Now before I get started. Even though i'm promoting this site and plane maker as a new and original design, i'm sure in the depths of some dusty mouldy book, Bugbear or Alf will find an early pre-war (1st world war) design that pre-dates this.

So anyways, here's the link:
http://www.blumtool.com/pages/benchplanes.html

The guy is an amerian from Iowa i think, and makes really nice looking wooden planes with a very unique (see caveat) frog and blade system. In today's money with the strong pound they seem to be quite good value - i'm tempted to try the smoother..

 

[Alf]

One for the 'Bear - he can spend a happy hour combing patents. Instead I'll howl a scream of agony over "very unique". It's either unique or it's not.

I'm sorry, I may not be BugBear by name but I have my little grammatical foibles...

Cheers, Alf

 

[ByronBlack]

didn't realise the forum has descended to grammatical discussion, thats a slippery slope if I've ever seen one, i'm sure we can all pick each other up on grammer and spelling for the next thousand years.

I was just trying to simulate a bit more interest on the forum. Maybe I wasted my time?

 

[Smudger]

I'll do grammar if you want, but in the meantime I like the planes - the jack is especially handsome, I think.

I couldn't see the blade clearly on screen, but at $6 it's got to be small! And the prices don't seem to be excessive.

Are there any reviews for them?

 

[ByronBlack]

Smudger, I found them from the woodworking online blog where there is a brief review: www.woodworkingonline.com

 

[bobscarle]

I don't normally go for wooden planes but the smoother looks lovely. I would certainly be tempted by it if I thought I could do it justice.

Thanks for the link BB. It is one that I will keep in the hope of improving enough to use such a tool.

Bob

 

[philip marcou]

Byron,
"The guy is an amerian from Iowa i think, and makes really nice looking wooden planes with a very unique (see caveat) frog and blade system. In today's money with the strong pound they seem to be quite good value - i'm tempted to try the smoother"
Er, even if the guy is an Amerian I think you should not resist the temptation- they look most interesting. Get one , try it out and tell us ....
I'm danged if I understand how the frog/blade system works.

 

[Alf]

Oh well, I suppose there was always the odds-on chance you'd react like that, BB, even with the preemptive apology. Heigh ho. It's like a dado blade to Scrit, s'all, but my apologies again.

The claims for the thin blades are a bit of a blast from the past I thought - just what Stanley was saying how-ever-many years ago. The look is, well, it's not my cup of tea but not a little like Bob Wearing's plane designs? I dunno, it's all in the results when all's said and done. Someone going to take the plunge then? Or has Phil already ordered...? :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[MIGNAL]

I hope it's nothing like the obstacle course that you are presented with on the ECE primus planes - what a ridiculous idea that tensioning device is.
That's why it is difficult to beat a simple single blade and wedge, once you've mastered the hammer tapping there is not much that gets in the way.

 

[philip marcou]

"That's why it is difficult to beat a simple single blade and wedge, once you've mastered the hammer tapping there is not much that gets in the way.[/quote]
It's a matter of perception-given the Stanley Unlimited Backlash System on the one hand and the Where's Me Flaming Plane Whacker on the other I believe it is a simple matter to come up with a post peg and stem adjuster with virtually no backlash.... :shock:

 

[ByronBlack]

Alf - sorry that i'm that predictable, but (this is just for arguments sake) If you knew I would 'react' like that and you felt a need for a pre-emptive apology, why raise the issue at all as it was clearly off-topic. BUT I accpet your apology, and I in turn apologise for my post. No bad feelings I hope.

Phillip - i'll definitly be trying the smoother (order on the way) - I hope I didn't make it sound like that it was a bad thing for him being american.. just pointing out where they are made.

Mignal, but all accounts from what i've read and the mini-review it sounds like a very easy to adjust blade. Not sure how it would be sharpened though.

It's a very simple looking with an all in frog/chipbreaker/etc.. so I think it might work nicely.

 

[woodbloke]

Alf - sorry that i'm that predictable, but (this is just for arguments sake) If you knew I would 'react' like that and you felt a need for a pre-emptive apology, why raise the issue at all as it was clearly off-topic. BUT I accpet your apology, and I in turn apologise for my post. No bad feelings I hope.

Phillip - i'll definitly be trying the smoother (order on the way) - I hope I didn't make it sound like that it was a bad thing for him being american.. just pointing out where they are made.

Mignal, but all accounts from what i've read and the mini-review it sounds like a very easy to adjust blade. Not sure how it would be sharpened though.

It's a very simple looking with an all in frog/chipbreaker/etc.. so I think it might work nicely.

BB - hope we get some good close up pics of the plane when it arrives and an in depth review....sounds very interesting, 'specially that cutter/frog arrangement - Rob

 

[Philly]

Or has Phil already ordered...? :wink:

Ahhhhh............ NO! :lol:
Not for me - I have too many wooden planes at the moment :wink:
Philly

 

[Colin C]

Or has Phil already ordered...? :wink:

Ahhhhh............ NO! :lol:
Not for me - I have too many wooden planes at the moment :wink:
Philly

Thats not stopped you before 8-[ :wink:

 

[Gary Blum]

Hi All,

This is actually my second post here. I wrote about a week back in response to the new plane maker thread and when I posted the message "report to moderator" was all over the bottom of my post. I got scared thinking I had broken a rule so I quick deleted my message. Didn't want to start off breaking the rules. Charley was good enough to tell me that happens the first few times you post, so I'm ready this time.

I'm the Iowan whose planes are the subject of this thread, so just wanted to check in and say Hi to all and would be glad to answer any questions about the tools.

I've been lurking on this site for a few months and have enjoyed the theads and the banter back and forth.

Kind Regards,
Gary Blum

 

[Philly]

Welcome Gary!
Philly

 

[Chris Knight]

Gary,
Welcome to the forum! Some serious thought has obviously gone into your planes and other tools - I am impressed.

I wonder if you could explain how a chisel is securely held in your sharpening box - its seems as if the clamps are designed for your blades rather than any old chisel or other plane blades?

 

[Paul Chapman]

Welcome to the forum, Gary.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Gary Blum]

Thanks for all the nice welcomes. I knew I had nothing to worry about being an American.
To answer Chris' question about the sharpening jig:
It is definitely not clear by looking at the pictures how the chisel or plane blade is held for honing. The narrow workstop just stays set squared to the angle block. The other one with the two slots is then pushed against the chisel or plane blade and the outside thumbscrew is tightened. At this point the chisel or plane blade can be removed and will fit back between the two workstops snugly. I use it this way for most of finer grit sharpening or when a blade just needs to be touched up. You just hold the tool with one hand and run the stone with the other. It's like doing it freehand only your angle is always right and you can move the stone any which way you want.
You could do it this way for coarser honing, but it's handier to have the tool clamped. The mechanism for this couldn't be any simpler. The other screw is simply a countersink head and the female matching countersink is in the workstop. When you tighten the screw it forces the slot wider and since you are screwed tight on the one side the other side against the blade moves out slightly and wedges the blade between the two. It was a real Eureka moment when I discovered this worked because I had spent a long time trying to come up with rather elaborate fixes to the clamping problem.

 

[Chris Knight]

Gary,
Thanks for the info. I had guessed - incorrectly - that the edges of the clamps were angled to form a "dovetail" to capture the blade, seemingly this is not necessary.