Toni : Looking for tips on making a Hand Plane!

So, after seeing one of your planes during your visit, and later seeing your stop at Ron Hocks, I was wondering if you had any tips on making a wooden hand plane?

I purchased Ron's Krenov style hand plane kit and will attempt to put it together this weekend, if I get some shop time.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Pictures, we need detailed pictures...

Well, This is about as far as I've gotten with the kit...

Hi Brent.

Is not that difficult as you may think, just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.
You can have a look at my post in the tutorial section where there are several pics that may help you, and I know for sure that there is a video in youtube from Ron Hock that shows the whole process. I'm sorry I can't provide you with the links to them but just make a search and you should find them.

Do hone your blade thoroughly, and make the sole as flat as you can. Do not shape it until you have used it on scraps and got the feeling of it. you can just round the edges if you want to. As far as it feels OK in your hand the rest is just decoration.
You can can control how narrow you want the throat by sanding down the sole, although that I believe that that kit is so good that you will not need to do it.
There is a downloadable sheet of instructions from the college of the redwoods, that will give you more information about it, although I think it is the same that you have with the kit.

And to keep me and the pic police happy do not forget to post pics.

Will do.

Thanks!

Do post some pictures and comments as you go along Brent, I would love to tackle this project myself one day, and the more build thread we have the better!

Best of luck

oh, did I say we wanted pictures

brent there is a thread from toni back aways and maybe in the tut forum that defines it very well..

Hey Brent if i can do it you certainly can. I see that kit already has the important part. The position of the hole to hold the cross pin for the blade support and the blade.

In fact i would say you taking the easy way out here. For a guy of your capability.

My suggestion coming from having made my own copying the thread Toni has mentioned is to be careful on the throat width. You pretty much have the blade support piece of the middle section dictated in position by the holes for he cross pin, but the front section proximity to it will determine the throat size. I would look to make my throat pretty tight. On my own made version i did not spring for the luxury of a Hock blade (which i regret) because i was uncertain I would suceed. I also was weary of making the throat to tight. So now i have a very agrresive "scrub plane" for want of a better word. I have some more of the wood i used and intend to make a few more of these types of planes, they are such fun. My next though will have a shape to the bottom kind of like mouling planes or rebate planes.

But i will buy the blade first and design around it.

Making tools for woodworking is a great activity Eh? I enjoy it as much if not more than using them.

Have fun. Oh and get ready for another vortex.

This is something I want to do some day. I have planes for several hand made tools that I have stored in a note book for 3-4 for planes & other hand made tools.

I couldn't help but think how far we've come & we're still playing with blocks & it's still fun.

Rob Keeble said:

So now i have a very agrresive "scrub plane" for want of a better word. I have some more of the wood i used and intend to make a few more of these types of planes, they are such fun. My next though will have a shape to the bottom kind of like mouling planes or rebate planes.

Click to expand...

Rob, you can fix that by passing the body several times through the jointer so that the throat becomes even bigger, and then glue a sole with a proper slot on it.
To make it real tight, start by placing the blade down until it contacts the front edge of the slot. Mark that point with a pencil and make some passes on the jointer until you're close to that point, then continue eroding the bottom on a sheet of sandpaper until the throat opens enough to your desires.

I hope I've explained it properly, if not let me know and I'll post some sketches