New Old Plane

Jim DeLaney

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Austintown, Ohio
The wood on this old Ohio Tool Razee smoother was pretty much beyond help. It looked like maybe a previous owner had planed about a quarter inch off the bottom, leaving a mouth that was literally half an inch wide, and the blade didn't have enough adjustment left to fully retract.

So...I decided to make a new body for it. I used hard maple for the cheeks, and a piece of Jarrah that Jim Niemi gave me several years ago for the center section. I think it came out pretty well:

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One of the prettier transitional I've seen!

I've mostly skipped them as the wood is usually pretty toasted but might have to rethink that theory as they do pop up fairly cheap around here at times.
 
Very nice work Jim, both plane and photographs showing the finished plane.

I would have enjoyed seeing work in progress shots. I take it on a plane like this there is no frog adjustment?

Was this in your VAST collection or is it a new acquisition...given u recently returned from a trip to a wwing show. ;)
 
...I take it on a plane like this there is no frog adjustment?

Was this in your VAST collection or is it a new acquisition...

Right about the frog adjustment. The main bedding for the blade is its resting firmly against the wooden base. The frog supports the upper portion of the blade, and allow for its adjustment, but the real support is the lower portion. About half the blade's length is supported by the wood.

The basis for this one came from my VAST, ( :rofl: ) as you put it, collection. I actually have several of these transitionals, and have used them a lot. Something satisfying about the wood-on-wood sound and feel of a transitional plane.
 
I had one like that, that I added a half inch of bloodwood to the bottom. Not as pretty as yours, but it worked. Good job on that restoration. :thumb:

Yeah, I've got one with a slab of Lignum Vitae added to the sole, and another with a mouth patch of (I think) ebony. Both work well.

The wood on this one had some other issues besides the worn sole, hence the replacement body.
 
So whats the difference between Jarrah and Lignum Vitae, both same family if i recall correctly "mate" lol. In SA we called them blue gum trees why i have no idea.
I do know Jarah was choice wood for railway sleepers in SA and other places at the time railways used wood for sleepers.
Derek Cohen gets to use a lot of Jarah in his tool projects.
 
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