I need help - the rest of the story....

I purchased a Harris tools travisher from a woodworker in Ohio via another forum. He seems like an honest fellow. He told me that he bought it in a group of tools - sold all or none. Anyway, it was unused, came packed safer than Fort Knox, and looked great.


so then I started to look more closely at it.


the iron is unhoned, and looks new.
but as I carefully extended the iron, a crack appears.


Now, like I said, the seller is an honest guy. He offered to do whatever I like to make it right. He is even willing to pay for a new iron - which will cost just a few buck less than I paid for it. I think I'd rather just send it back to him. Do any of you think this can be fixed? If yes, how? I've thought of epoxy or solder, possibly even welding. Looking at the iron though, it looks to me like the design is really poor, with almost no steel around the threaded rod, and therefore, a manufacturing defect. I wrote to Harris tools, but they have not responded yet.

Before anyone says it, I know that with a travisher or spokeshave, one must advance the iron a little at a time on each side, so as not to stress the threaded posts. I was very careful, and did not damage the tool.

So what would you do?

Ack - that looks like it broke right in its weakest spot ... that can't be good. I wonder if the wood moved enough to cause that (since it's an unused tool, afterall). I'd probably give it back if I were you.

give it back and start over! it might be fixable but then your looking at another one thats new for just touch more correct? new one ,,who is to say how long the other side is going to hold up

The problem with doing any welding on the iron is that it's likely to destroy the temper of the metal (make it soft). So it'd have to be welded, then re-tempered. Probably not worth it.

It *might* be possible to wrap the majority of the iron in a wet rag and braze the end. And braze is almost as strong as a weld.

If you're going to return it to him, tell him I'll buy it cheap and take the risk of fixing it. That way, he can get a few dollars out of it - and maybe I'll get a travisher (of course, maybe I'll get a mess).

Mike

I think you should return it.

If it were me, with shipping charges and all that jazz, I'd fix it, I know I could MIG weld it without destroying the temper, there is this jelly that you can buy, it is really thick, and you can load it onto the steel, even on the underside, I'd buy a pot of this jelly and then I'd weld it up, I'd also most likely change the design a bit and add a bit of steel in the area that it broke, and adjust the wooden handle part.

Best of luck!

Wish I knew how to braze and weld. Just not in my current skill set...

is there someone you know that brazes near you? if so that would be an option.. like stu said it could be welded as well with the right setup,, i would braze it less heat,,and adjust the wood like stu suggested,, but thats becasue i can braze and have the stuff to do it

I don't know any brazers around here. Maybe I can check out some welders. But this job will require a light touch and some fair skill, it seems to me.

Larry - do you really think it could be brazed to be strong and also not damaged in the process? Might you be interested in doing me a favor?

Thanks,
Ken

eek!

is this a antique or a tool that can be gotten most anywhere? theyre arent any folks near you??? i would try ken but i am fair jaunt from you over in New york and the shipping would be something that you are looking at as well... i am not saying i wouldnt do you a favor, i am always willing to help out.. but his doesnt look like a logical one here

larry merlau said:

is this a antique or a tool that can be gotten most anywhere? theyre arent any folks near you???

Click to expand...

Well it isn't an antique - it's new [unused but pre-owned] but it's not something that's readily available, hard to find one in good shape that's been used.

I'll see if I can find someone around here who can do good quality brazing.

Thanks anyway Larry.

Ken

Take his offer and return.
Then look for one of a different make. Where that broke, it looks vunerable and even a new blade might do the same thing.

Ken, if you look to a pro to do it, try finding someone who is good at TIG welding, which is kind of like brazing, but using electricity for your heat source, not burning gas, it is one of the best ways to weld that kind of tool, but good TIG weldors are not easy to find. I'm confident that if you found a good TIG weldor, it could be fixed better than it was new.

Look to racing car builders, they do a LOT of TIG welding.

You might want to ask over at >> Hobart Weld Talk << Forum, I'm a very inactive member there, but they are a good group, always answer the questions I've asked. Maybe you could find someone through that site, ask for help, be willing to pay for it, and you might get lucky.

Cheers!

Decisions, decisions - you guys have given me some good suggestions. Thanks.

If you want you can send it to me and I can TIG it for you. I've TIG welded planes in the past, and even constructed hand planes using welded up steels instead of casting them. Its nothing to be done lightly, and I am not trying to say that it's no big deal because it is, but I am truly qualified at this sort of thing.

Here is a picture to show what can be made with a bit of steel, a TIG welder and some wood. It's not done yet, but its coming along.

Travis, and Larry

I really appreciate your offers to help. I'm mulling it over right now. I'll PM for address etc. if I go with the repair route. Travis - you do some mighty nice work there.

Ken

Travis, I had to study that picture a while to know what I was looking at.
Beautiful work.

Frank Fusco said:

Travis, I had to study that picture a while to know what I was looking at.
Beautiful work.

Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean, but I assume its the quarter? I put that there so that you get a sense of how mirror-like the stainless steel polish is. Trust me it looks better in person.

As for the tig welding you can see in the oval slot for the chip clearance how the two side plates are made up of 1/8th steel, while the sole of the plane is made up of 3/4 square stock milled down. In other words its a lamination. The two side plates are tig welded to the bottom square stock, with wood infilled above that.

Its actually pretty simple, and pretty rugged design. How many planes do you know of that have a sole thickness of 3/4 of an inch of solid 316L stainless? On this plane, I kept the tig welding to a minimum to prevent warpage, but in some areas you can see where the side plates and bottom sole are 3 different pieces. On the next one I would try and weld more so that everything looks monolithic.

By the way, there is more on this plane in the Hand Tool Haven Section and in the interest of NOT hyjacking this thread, we can discuss it more there. I simply wanted to show that tig welding can work on hand planes.

First glance, looked like clear glass. Was not readily apparent what the object was. The reflection was a fooler.

And now... the rest of the story

Travis very kindly offered to TIG weld the blade [as did Larry]. This is the result:



Notice the mirror polish Travis did.

So, many thanks to Mr. Johnson in Thorndike. Now I just have to master using it.

Ken that is way And Travis should defintely take a bow on the great welding

Good news to start the New Year. Thats how I like it.