Wooden Compass Plane

G S Haydon · 22 Mar 2016

Reading Custard's thoughts on how using a cap iron effectively on a compass plane could be helpful I was reminded of a wooden compass plane we have.
The plane seems pretty original but sadly to fragile to use. The plane iron in nice but quite new and that seems supported by the fact the cap iron screw slot has been fiddled with. However it looks to of always been a double iron plane.
There are no makers marks that I can see. Possibly it was craftsman made but the detailing is very sharp, so much so that it seems to be suggestive of a professionally made tool.
What I found interesting was that the wear in the mouth was vertical. In my attempt to make a Jack Plane I followed an example with an undercut wear that I found tricky to do. Seeing this plane make me think a vertical wear would be easier to work with.
Anyway, just thought you'd like a look based on recent discussions.

D_W · 22 Mar 2016

Vertical wear is definitely much easier to work with when making wooden planes. The follow-on wear (angled back), I suppose would give better wear life to the mouth, but it opens up surprisingly fast if you have to lap it, anyway (something not to be worried about on that plane).

That looks like a very nice plane.

Years ago, I bought a victor 20 (i think that's what it is), and admittedly only used it a couple of time. Two years ago, I replaced it with a wooden compass plane of English make (can't remember who), that I'd have thought was unusable five years ago because of the large mouth. I'm sure the double iron is what makes it work (in terms of keeping you from damaging the work) despite having a huge mouth. I replaced the metal plane only because I have zero ability to keep metal planes from rusting if I use them infrequently.

That one you're showing is very nicely made with a fairly small mouth. The shape of the good eye makes me think it was professionally made.

G S Haydon · 22 Mar 2016

It makes me want to have another crack at the process of making a plane but right now I have to many things I'd like to do!

Corneel · 22 Mar 2016

That's a very nice one. The edge between the eye and the chamfer is also very narrow, not easy to make like that. This plane is well made in every aspect. Pitty of all the wormholes.

G S Haydon · 22 Mar 2016

Agreed! Very fine details and those pesky worms......

D_W · 22 Mar 2016

Euro Beech must taste better than American Beech. We don't have too much of that in our wood, but I've noticed it with some frequency on imported planes.