Sarre Plane

[rxh]

Last year we had the Silchester Plane thread:
silchester-plane-t81216.html
This contained interesting discussions of various subjects including: tool making, metallurgy, history (e.g. Roman work benches) and also some humour. Quite a few people have liked trying out the plane that resulted.

In the same thread, Andy T and Bugbear drew attention to another ancient plane in the following links:
http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Resea ... 96-201.htm
http://www.florilegium.org/?http%3A//ww ... e-art.html
- the much smaller Sarre Anglo-Saxon plane. The original was found in 1863 buried at Sarre in Kent and dates from about A. D. 600.
I decided it was time for making another ancient plane copy. At least three replicas have already been made by others so I won’t exactly be breaking new ground but I thought it would be fun to make and interesting to see how it performs. Progress reports to follow…./.

 

[tobytools]

Looking forwards to seeing it, I can speak for everyone when I say everything you make is sublime
Keep them comming

TT

 

[rxh]

Thanks Toby,
I began by making a scale drawing.

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

Just read the silchester plane thread and other links. Fantastic. Really looking forward to following this build. Thanks for doing this.
Paddy

 

[AndyT]

I too am certain that this will be a good one!

A great way to find out more about an alternative approach to plane design plus the pleasure of watching the quality of your work.

Will you be using horn or wood? The description by the great Bill Goodman says it was red deer antler for the body.

After all, you wouldn't want to use something that would decay after only a few hundred years! :wink:

 

[rxh]

Thank Paddy & Andy.
I don't know where I could get a suitable piece of bone or antler. However, Douglas (condeesteso) has kindly given me a nice piece of boxwood. Here are the first few photos:

 

[bridger]

In your drawing it looks like the blade width tapers down towards the edge. Is it so?

 

[rxh]

No, I cut it from 1/8" thick gauge plate (O1 steel). The supplier's name is a happy coincidence

 

[Alan Smith]

What an interesting subject, made all the more so by the fact that I am reading it as I sit in a pub in Sarre!!

 

[rxh]

Thanks Alan. That seems like an ideal spot to read about this subject

Here is the next batch of photos, concerning some of the metalwork of the plane. The sole is made of 1/8” thick brass (I don’t know where bronze sheet can be obtained). The “turned up end bits” were made separately because I couldn’t make 180 degree bends in the sheet without cracking it. Even the 90 degree bends required the metal to be annealed several times during bending. The end bits were attached by pinning and soldering.

 

[blackrodd]

A Stunning, really interesting, and worthwhile WIP. Yer a man of many skills, most enjoyable, Thanks for sharing.
Rodders

 

[bugbear]

Very nice work, and some interesting vise-in-a-vise techniques.

A man after my own heart...

http://www.woodworkinfo.site88.net/tour.html#vise_stick

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Fascinating work, especially with the complicated fabrication at the ends of the sole.
Have you been able to get a good look at the original plane and deduce how its ends were made?

 

[Corneel]

Wonderfull! I like your exploits into the history of the plane. Any ideas about trying an old Greek model yet?

When you have trouble forming brass, then you choose the wrong mixture. I have used MS63 (CuZn37) with great succes to make backsaws. I do get a bit of surface cracking but nothing serious. Annealing the brass helps too (heating to red and let it cool down again).

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Did the brass start out as brass flats, or brass plate ? At my local metal stockist at least, the flats seem to be CZ121 (good for machining, not for cold forming) and the plate is CZ108 (better for cold forming).

But in any case, it is coming along rather nicely.

 

[rxh]

Thanks Rodders, Bugbear, Andy, Corneel and Tony.

Bugbear – thanks for the link. Lots of interesting stuff there. I especially like the “vice on a stick” idea and, since I have been given a smallish woodworking vice, I intend to give it a try.

Andy – I haven’t seen the original plane yet but from what I have read it seems that one end was a cast “lump” integral with the sole and the other end was formed by bending the sole back through 180 degrees and then up through 90 degrees.

Corneel – I don’t know of any Greek examples. If you have any information please tell us

Corneel and Tony – I think my brass is CZ121. I would be interesting to try bending other grades.

Here are some more photos:

 

[bridger]

....sniperoo.......
Here are some more photos:

My, what a pretty riveting hammer...

 

[Corneel]

No pictures from Greek planes I'm afraid. It seems thatno artefacts have been found. But there are some Roman planes found in Pompei.

http://antiques.lovetoknow.com/Antique_Wood_Planes

 

[rxh]

My, what a pretty riveting hammer...

Yes, and handy too
We had a thread about it a while ago:
an-unusual-little-hammer-t66186.html

No pictures from Greek planes I'm afraid. It seems thatno artefacts have been found. But there are some Roman planes found in Pompei.

http://antiques.lovetoknow.com/Antique_Wood_Planes

Thanks Corneel. Maybe the Goodmanham plane should be next so as to complete the set of copies of planes found in England?
http://www.handplane.com/906/the-ancien ... ire-wolds/
I'd have to find a substitute for ivory - perhaps "Corianum Dupontii" would do?

Here are the latest photos. It remains to sharpen the blade and maybe adjust the mouth. It will be a few days before I have time to do this.

 

[AndyT]

You tease!

How can you leave us dangling on a string like that? We need to know if this is as good to use as the Silchester plane! It certainly looks as good.

And I for one think that your ivory substitute idea is a good one, and I know that there are some members reading this who have stashes of suitable offcuts - you didn't think you were joking, did you? :wink: