Sycamore & walnut scraper plane (more work).

[MikeG.]

I started off by calling the wooden plane maestro himself, Philly, and getting a nice blade made and sent. He was very helpful indeed..........thanks again Phil!! I asked for a 45 degree bevel, and the blade is 3mm thick.

Then I grabbed some offcuts of spalted sycamore:

and cut some shapes:

Some of you might remember a set of bedside tables I ballsed up. When I cut the walnut legs off, I set them aside for the day I would need to make a scraper plane (!! Oh Yeah?!)

Then I glued all the bits together........some might have spotted this image in another thread:

I have missed a photo or two here......never mind. I sliced up the walnut sandwich, and cleaned it all up to give a thin veneer of walnut on my sycamore. Then marked out the main lump of timber:

Did some cutting and chiselling:

These are all the main bits made.......the blade will lean forward by 5 degrees at the top:

Stuck it together:

I picked just abnout the least spalted bits of my sycamore stock I could find, but it still isn't very easy to work. Next step was a whole lot of cleaning up and shaping:

Another photo or 2 missing........

I made a temporary wedge, pushed it all together, and gave it a try. With a bit of mucking around with the setting, which I find tremendously difficult at the moment, it worked beautifully. You can see some shavings of oak here.

One coat of oil, so far....

Remember, this is a tool, not an art object! Judge it on the scrapings and ease of use........and on that criteria, I think it will be fine once I have learnt how to get the bloody wedge out!! Saying that, there is a proper wedge under construction at the moment......I just need to attach a shackle hitch to it so that I can use a winch to remove the damn thing........

I was going to turn up a couple of knobs for this, but it feels so nice as it is that I changed my mind. That, and the fact that I would be accused of heading off down 2 different slopes in the course of one project.

5 hours construction time........(+1 hour to load onto UKW).

Mike

 

[Calpol]

That's fantastic Mike, really, really like the walnut detail. Fantastic 8)

 

[pitch pine]

Fabulous, simple and a work of art. I might borrow your idea....

Nick

 

[Evergreen]

Mike

That's a really cool-looking, original design. Good workmanship too.

But isn't it a bit narrow for a scraper?

 

[Digit]

Like that Mike. That is not a cabinet scraper, is it a plane iron?
I made a much more sophisticated one sometime ago and the most pleasant result was the musical note it produced as it his the bottom of the dustbin!
Yours is such a design improvement on the normal ones I think I might have crack at one like it.. (When time permits!)
I recently acquired some Walnut from a piano, it was veneered with Rosewood and Mahogany!

Roy.

 

[woodbloke]

Good plane Mike and works well. I agree about setting up the depth of cut which can be sometimes be very difficult :evil: on a woody, 'specially to take a whispery shaving - Rob

 

[John. B]

Well Mike I think it's a work of art, as well as a tool. :tool:
If I may dare to suggest, a small turned brass flat bottomed knob deeply screwed into the top of the wedge.
A loop of cord attached to a sliding dent puller, the kind used in panel beaters shops.
The loop around the knob, sharp upward donk with the puller weight and bobs yer uncle, out it comes, no damage to anything :lol:
(Merely a suggestion you understand)
John. B

 

[MikeG.]

Thanks very much folks.......I'm grateful for your positive comments.
Roy, Evergreen..........yes, its a plane iron, ground to 45 degrees, and 2 inches wide. You couldn't really go much wider than that because it does take a shaving, albeit a thin one, and it gets a bit hard to push.

PP, if I wanted to keep my design I wouldn't publish on the internet!! Feel free to copy!

Calpol......I'm flattered

Cheers......

Mike

......now, about this rugby.....

 

[Steve Maskery]

Very nice indeed, Mike. I keep saying I'll make a plane. I made a sliding DT plane years ago and could never get it to cut nicely. I think I binned it in the end.

The front part, where it supports the wedge, is necked, isn't it? What's the purpose of that Mike, as I would have thought that it just makes it more difficult for the shavings to escape?

Cheers
Steve

 

[MikeG.]

Sorry John, you posted whilst I was writing.....

Thanks for your comments, and I'm glad you like it!

I did think about a hole in the middle of the wedge, with a hole through the blade and the body of the plane behind.........and another wedge to whack in to that hole (a bit like releasing a morse taper). I'll come up with something!

Mike

 

[MikeG.]

Steve,

I can't keep up!! The shaping of the shavings hole was to give a bit of guts behind the wedge. I didn't want to have just a thin edge either side, crushed eventually by driving the wedge in. This spalted sycamore isn't very strong, so I erred on the side of caution, reasoning that I can always cut a bit more away later. Judging by how hard it is to get the damn wedge out, I don't think I need have worried.

Mike

 

[wizer]

Well done Mike and although you say it's not to be looked at, it's very attractive. Quirky, but that's your style isn't it? Please bring to the next bash, I'd love to see it in action!

 

[MikeG.]

Cheers Tom!

As for "quirky, but thats your style" ...........all I did was cut out the bits that I didn't think needed to be there..

Mike

My daughter has a very different take on my style, and I'm about to revive an old thread to tell it her way.

 

[wizer]

I like it Mike, Vive la difference!

 

[Ironballs]

Very different, but striking too. Like the simple approach and build time. Maybe a little scalloping on the sides for grip and aesthetics?

How many planes are you on now then? And don't forget your spokeshaves

 

[Mr Ed]

I sliced up the walnut sandwich

I knew it was a sandwich!

Joking aside Mike, it looks like a very useful tool. Nothing quite so satisfying as making the tools you use yourself, in my opinion.

Cheers, Ed

 

[OPJ]

Very nice, Mike. I really like the walnut detail.

What's next on the list then - bevel-up smoother or low-angle jack???

 

[Racers]

Hi, Mike

Nice plane.

Don't worry you will get the hang of it, use a setting plate, a scrap of MDF put the blade in untill it touches the MDF then tap the wedge in.
It needs a flat on the front that you can strike to release the wedge, may be you could mortice a small peice of something hard in the front slope, end grain maple or box.


Pete

 

[MikeG.]

How many planes are you on now then? And don't forget your spokeshaves

3 planes now, 1 spokeshave (that I can find..........I must have leant the other one out). Far more than I need :wink:

What's next on the list then - bevel-up smoother or low-angle jack???

What's a smoother Olly? Isn't it pureed fruit? :wink:

So Pete, you tap the front end to get the wedge loose? It looks like I took just a little bit too much away from the normal design........ho hum. I'm working on a revised wedge that should let me get a better grip. I'm also working on some big lumps of green oak.......by way of complete contrast.

Mike

 

[xy mosian]

What a beautiful piece, and undoubtedly very useful too. As for getting the wedge out, is a 'Striking Knob' out of the question? I have never tried one on a scraper plane, do they work in that case?