Replies

1. 
   10fingers | Mar 20, 2003 09:40am | #1

   Hello,

   I haven't personally built a dovetailed plane but read how it goes.  I think you beat the crap out of the dovetails with a ballpean hammer to get the metal to fill the gaps and then sand it smooth.  Hope this helps.

        

2. 
   AJinNZ | Mar 20, 2003 10:47am | #2

   Chuck is correct in the method, however I think the technique is more of a series of firm taps, rather than whaling the tar out of it. <G>

   Make the dovetails in one direction as per normal, leave the thing a little proud and with repeated firm tapping, flare the metal pins into the dovetail the other way, then file it clean, sand/polish etc.

   If I recall what i saw and read correctly, it would be best to have a modest dovetail, rather than one with a large flare.

   The book I read that was the most useful was by Jim Kingshott. title was something along the lines of "tool making", however a google search will turn it up I'm sure.

   good luck 

    

   Wood Hoon

3. 
   Ricky_Yu | Mar 20, 2003 11:19am | #3

   The process described is called peening. The malleable metal flows into the gaps as one taps on it, something I wished my wooden dovetails would do. There was an article in the February 2003 of Popular Woodworking (#132). The author built a Spiers smoothing plane from a kit sold by the Shepherd Tool Co.

1. 
   SCFrankland | Mar 20, 2003 04:24pm | #4

   I am a woodworker by nature and I thank all for answering my question.  I have always hated working with anything metal (including hinges).  I will also look for that book mentioned.Scott C. Frankland

   Was the Newfoundland Wood Worker now the Nova Scotia Wood Worker.

1. 
   konrad | Mar 20, 2003 05:48pm | #5

   If you can find the Kingshott book it will be a great help - the only problem is they are hard to find. The article in Popular woodworking has some great pictures in it and will be a big help. You can also go to Shepherds website - they have part of their process documented there as well.

   There are several tricks to dovetailing an infill plane. Make sure there is no play in the joints - the sides should not be able to slide front to back. If they do, you risk having the profiles not lining up properly. As others have mentioned, do not beat the tar out if the dovetails. This will cause them to prematurely mushroom which you will not notice until you start filing down the sides. It will show up as gaps between the joints and not only do they look ugly, they are not as secure as they could be.

   It is also very important that the shell be square when it is finished. If it is not, you will have a very hard time fitting the wood infill correctly. There is a little bit of flex to the sides but not enough to correct a shell that is out of square. Make sure your piening block is perfectly square. If it is not, make a new one - it is really important that it is perfect. Use maple or beech, preferably quarter saw so it will be stable for when you make the next one :)

   Hope that helps, and keep us posted as you go.

   Cheers, Konrad Sauer

1. 
   SCFrankland | Mar 21, 2003 01:49am | #6

   Thanks I was out today and picked up the brass that I am using for the sides.  I am planning on brass for the sole of the first one to see how it all fits together and allow me to work out the bugs.  I have a large piece of 6"x6" Beech that I was planning on cutting up to get a nice quarter sawn piece.  I have looked at several different methods of joining the sides one of which was soldering the other was dovetailing.  The solder I think would take away from the over all look.Scott C. Frankland

   Was the Newfoundland Wood Worker now the Nova Scotia Wood Worker.

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Mar 21, 2003 06:36am | #7

   Hi Scott,

   As you know, Konrad makes some of the best quality infills in the world.

   http://www.rosewoodstudio.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=121

   There are also other companies of course, such as Shepard tool.  Herewith their instructions on how to dovetail a plane.

   http://www.shepherdtool.com/Building%20a%20Shepherd%20Smoother.htm

   Here's an article from popular woodworking on building a dovetailed plane, including pictures:

   http://www.popularwoodworking.com/features/fea.asp?id=1224

   You can log on to a plane making forum to ask these questions if you can't get the answer you're looking for,  specifically dedicated to people who make infills.

   http://www.classicplanes.com:1080/~planetalk

   Cheers, eddie

4. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Mar 21, 2003 09:04am | #8

   ps:

   Forgot the most important link:

   http://www.classicplanes.com:1080/expand?9#f9

   Hand plane book - how-to make dovetailed plane - the book's half written, but what you want could be in there.

   As well, a lot of hand plane makers post here if you can't get a reply elsewhere:

   http://www.traditionaltools.com/forums/default.asp?CAT_ID=1

   I'd steer away from a brass sole, I have visions of beautiful black streaks running down the timber left behind by the brass sole - do you think that this would be a problem, Konrad/Larry Williams?

   Cheers (again),

   eddie,

   (a confirmed member of plane-holics anonymous)

   
   

   ---

   Edited 3/21/2003 2:17:49 AM ET by eddie (aust)

1. 
   konrad | Mar 21, 2003 05:25pm | #9

   Thank-you for the kind words Eddie.

   All the resources you mentioned are great ones - they will all be very helpful.

   I also agree with you - stay clear of a brass sole. A few other things to be aware of with brass. It will chip, crack and break if you overwork it. I would recommend using commercial bronze (2201) as it is much harder and will pien like steel will. You could also use steel - but one big advantage of the 2 different metals is you can see what is happening as you are doing it and see in the end where things ended up. It will be a big help in trouble shooting if you need it. The bronze will also add more weight to the plane.

   I would also recommend doing some test dovetails first, just to make sure they are fitting together and the process you use works. It would be a shame to go through all the effort of cutting perfect sidewalls and a sole only to find out the process needs a little more fine tuning. It sounds like you were planning on doing that already, but I thought I would mention it anyway.

   cheers, Konrad

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Mar 22, 2003 07:26am | #10

   Thanks Konrad,

   I hope that Scott's gotten enough to get him sorted out now.

   Cheers,

   eddie

1. 
   BG | Mar 22, 2003 03:53pm | #11

   Eddie,

   Great stuff..thanks for sharing.  The links make it appear rather easy to accomplish..(famous last words).  In one of the articles it mentioned to use plenty of 'chalk' with the file? Do you have any idea what that is about?  thanks

1. 
   PaulReuter | Mar 22, 2003 04:50pm | #12

   'Chalking' a file has to do with rubbing ordinary chalk on a file before you use it on certain soft metals like brass & aluminum to make it easier to clean the file when the teeth clog up with the metal being filed.  If you don't use chalk, you will have to pick each clog out individually because the file card won't be able to clean the teeth.  I'd recommend a file card over a wire brush because the cards wires are finer and hooked to do a better job of cleaning the file.  File cards are pulled against the direction of the hook, not pushed.  For working with brass, buy a new file & use it only for brass.  If you use it on steel, even if it still looks sharp, it will no longer work as well for brass.  If it gets too dull for brass, it'll still work great for steel.<G>  Don't forget, more chalk after every cleaning.

   Paul

2. 
   SCFrankland | Mar 24, 2003 03:14am | #13

   Thanks for the links but I seen a Holtey plane and I feel in love.  Here is his website.  Worth check out but beware I don't want to see any of you people in my neck of the woods doing B&E's to pay for one.

   http://www.holteyplanes.com/Scott C. Frankland

   Was the Newfoundland Wood Worker now the Nova Scotia Wood Worker.

1. 
   efarmer4 | Mar 24, 2003 07:52am | #14

   OH MY GOD!!!!!!

   New hand planes in the $3,000 to 10,000 range!!!

   I want the No. 98 with Damascus side panels! I bet that'll break 20 grand....Does Bill Gates do woodworking?

   Talk about fancy tools that'll NEVER get used!

   But thanks for the link! Edward