Top uses for combination plane?

[LancsRick]

I've been given lovely present for Christmas from my grandfather, a near mint condition Record 50A combination plane complete in the original wooden box. I'll confess that I've never used one before, so my question is what operations would you view this as the go-to took rather than a traditional plane or powered router?

 

[D_W]

Plowing grooves or slitting if it has a slitter.

 

[Dovetaildave]

"what operations would you view this as the go-to took rather than a traditional plane or powered router?"

I don't like noisy routers and didn't used to have a wide selection of woodies to hand, so it was my go to for quite a long time, particularly grooving as I think my first woodie was a rebater.

Frame work; picture frames, doors, windows etc. 16c coffers and chests, anything really that would require grooves, rebates, beading, lipping its very versatile.

The Woodwright's Shop season 14 episode 10; http://www.pbs.org/video/the-woodwright ... nel-doors/
You don't need a panel raising plane as Roy has, two grooves and a block plane was how we did it on our C&G 585 pt1 all those years ago, (wistfully looks skyward). making our (raised and fielded) two panelled lower and upper glazed doors.

If you dont have any wood to suit those frame items to hand, then you could make a box or two, sir Roy does a good box; http://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-sh ... ooved-box/ (must admit to not having made one, Ala Roy as yet)

You may need to make up a sticking board or such if you don't have a holdfast available, and possibly a peg in the front of your bench to aid the face vice in holding long lengths when grooving n rebating for framing.

I think i read through the blog from thingy-ma-jig at Cornish workshop after butchering a few lengths, in retrospect its worth reading beforehand ;http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/combinationplanes.html


Have fun with all those shavings.

Regards,
Dave

 

[LancsRick]

Great thanks, plenty to look through there. It's got a full selection of cutters included, it really is near mint.

I'm moving house next year to a place with a larger workshop (some would call it a double garage!) and one of the things on my list is to make myself a nice bench with holdfast holes etc.

 

[undergroundhunter]

Up until I got a wooden plough plane my combination planes were primarily used for cutting grooves, I've never had much luck with the beading cutters though.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I've struggled with the beading cutters on mine - they really need to be very sharp (and that's hard), AND you need everything set up very carefully.

I find once set properly it works well but practicing to get the adjustments spot-on takes ages and can waste a lot of stock. And I struggle to stop it following the grain, but then I'm left handed, and they're really intended for right-handed people.

But it's much quieter than a router, apart from the cursing (which you usually can't hear over an electric motor). ;-)

 

[knockknock]

Besides grooves, rebates, tongues, I have done the following:

spline stock, 1/4" square stock: Using 1/8" blade make a deep groove on the edge of a board, then make a groove on the face of the board to cut off the wall of the edge groove. The cut off edge groove wall is the stock desired.

1/2 round moulding: Bull nose the edge of a board, then cut off the edge by making a groove on each face of the board. Then to remove the slight tail, run the piece over a plane clamped in a vise.

 

[devonwoody]

"what operations would you view this as the go-to took rather than a traditional plane or powered router?"

I don't like noisy routers and didn't used to have a wide selection of woodies to hand, so it was my go to for quite a long time, particularly grooving as I think my first woodie was a rebater.

Frame work; picture frames, doors, windows etc. 16c coffers and chests, anything really that would require grooves, rebates, beading, lipping its very versatile.

The Woodwright's Shop season 14 episode 10; http://www.pbs.org/video/the-woodwright ... nel-doors/
You don't need a panel raising plane as Roy has, two grooves and a block plane was how we did it on our C&G 585 pt1 all those years ago, (wistfully looks skyward). making our (raised and fielded) two panelled lower and upper glazed doors.

If you dont have any wood to suit those frame items to hand, then you could make a box or two, sir Roy does a good box; http://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-sh ... ooved-box/ (must admit to not having made one, Ala Roy as yet)

You may need to make up a sticking board or such if you don't have a holdfast available, and possibly a peg in the front of your bench to aid the face vice in holding long lengths when grooving n rebating for framing.

I think i read through the blog from thingy-ma-jig at Cornish workshop after butchering a few lengths, in retrospect its worth reading beforehand ;http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/combinationplanes.html


Have fun with all those shavings.

Regards,
Dave

Dave I really enjoyed your thread and the woodwrghts video. I have got the Record combination plane and the 50 blade set , and my original mortice chisel which is now 60 years old. My wife came in to see what all the chat was about on the video and said you could make a new set of doors for our kitchen. Oh she then thought there are rather a lot of doors and I thought the same, could take a few summers to complete that job.

But the biggest problem I thought was getting hold of timber like that chap in the video and cutting those mortices, I don't think they make timber like that anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!! :roll:

 

[woodbrains]

"what operations would you view this as the go-to took rather than a traditional plane or powered router?"

I don't like noisy routers and didn't used to have a wide selection of woodies to hand, so it was my go to for quite a long time, particularly grooving as I think my first woodie was a rebater.

Frame work; picture frames, doors, windows etc. 16c coffers and chests, anything really that would require grooves, rebates, beading, lipping its very versatile.

The Woodwright's Shop season 14 episode 10; http://www.pbs.org/video/the-woodwright ... nel-doors/
You don't need a panel raising plane as Roy has, two grooves and a block plane was how we did it on our C&G 585 pt1 all those years ago, (wistfully looks skyward). making our (raised and fielded) two panelled lower and upper glazed doors.

If you dont have any wood to suit those frame items to hand, then you could make a box or two, sir Roy does a good box; http://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-sh ... ooved-box/ (must admit to not having made one, Ala Roy as yet)

You may need to make up a sticking board or such if you don't have a holdfast available, and possibly a peg in the front of your bench to aid the face vice in holding long lengths when grooving n rebating for framing.

I think i read through the blog from thingy-ma-jig at Cornish workshop after butchering a few lengths, in retrospect its worth reading beforehand ;http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/combinationplanes.html


Have fun with all those shavings.

Regards,
Dave

Dave I really enjoyed your thread and the woodwrghts video. I have got the Record combination plane and the 50 blade set , and my original mortice chisel which is now 60 years old. My wife came in to see what all the chat was about on the video and said you could make a new set of doors for our kitchen. Oh she then thought there are rather a lot of doors and I thought the same, could take a few summers to complete that job.

But the biggest problem I thought was getting hold of timber like that chap in the video and cutting those mortices, I don't think they make timber like that anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!! :roll:

Hello,

The timber he makes the frame and panel doors from is just Yellow Poplar. Ordinary and dead cheap and available at all timber merchants. (Not DIY sheds or builders merchants) great for painted kitchens etc. It is often green but fades over time and light exposure.

Mike.

Mike.

 

[Dovetaildave]

[/quote]But the biggest problem I thought was getting hold of timber like that chap in the video and cutting those mortices, I don't think they make timber like that anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!! :roll:[/quote]

Would that be the amazing replicating feature of the wood ?;
Mark out the joint, one tap with a chisel and its a finished mortice/set of mortices..... three saw cuts later and its a whole frame being assembled in under 25 minutes, complete with the presenter being able to throw in a few jokes.

He uses the same supplier for all his episodes, yes wish I could get some of that stuff. =D>

If you love handtools and a history lesson thrown in and a little wordplay...... then sir Roy's the one to do it

Regards,
Dave

 

[AndyT]

I agree with all the above, but if we're plugging St Roy, then this one should be added to the list - he shows what a combination plane can do and compares it to specialist planes.

http://www.pbs.org/video/combination-pl ... on-vp5ie6/