A couple of months ago I dropped off some stainless and brass at my local jobbing engineering company. These guys mostly do ‘agricultural’. There was a tractor parked in the shop this lunchtime when I called and someone was operating a welder off in the dingy interior.
I’d left a drawing for the parts of a smallish (200mm long by 60mm wide) York-pitch smoother, and the tradesman metalworker thought he might be able to machine the dovetails and the mouth for me.
I heard nothing, like, forever. So I called in today, quite prepared to accept that it wasn’t worth their while messing about with one-off fiddly stuff. Wrong! The job was done! Nice bit of precision machining (I’ll put up some photos on my web site later in the week). I still have the file work to do, but already have the irons, and Philip Marcou’s 50mm shiny bronze lever cap, and a Norris adjuster, and enough Indian rosewood to complete the stuffing.
Thought momentarily about converting it to an ‘improved’ mitre plane, and may come back to that (I’d like, one day, to try a round-back fabrication, like Wayne Anderson does … I keep seeing those chopper-builders on TV beating metal into cool shapes and wishing I could do that!).
Edit, late Tuesday: noodled around on my computer drawing program this afternoon (should have been dealing with the mountain of work on my desk …) and came up with an Art Deco concept design. On paper, it looks kinda interesting. The panel ‘chopper’ inspired panel plane is on hold while I wait for a brass balloon knob for the front end, so I might make a start on plane No 6/Art Deco revival!
Malcolm
Edited 3/14/2006 5:35 am ET by Malcolm
Edited 3/14/2006 5:37 am ET by Malcolm
Edited 3/14/2006 7:34 pm ET by Malcolm
Replies
Talking to myself!
The 2 inch brass knob for my panel plane arrived from the UK today (another eBay win) so I'll finish that and put up some photos before embarking on the Deco job. I'll also put up a sketch concept for the Deco plane at work later today.
Any opinions out there about the prospects for 'different' plane designs? It works for kettles and vacuum cleaners!
Malcolm
Still talking to myself (but I'm used to it ... some people say I do it for a living!)
Attached is the concept sketch for a Deco-inspired plane.
Malcolm
Smaller image - previous version actual size
very cool looking concept malcom -- definitely worth pursuing, in my estimation.
I'm going to do it!
Still noodling with the detail. I've always liked Deco as a style, and when you think about it, those cool, elongated, swept-back choppers that are fashionable again are very Deco-ish in concept as well.
Deco household appliances, cars boats and trains, fine art and sculpture, furniture (heaps of repro Deco furniture on the Internet) ... why not hand tools!?
Malcolmhttp://www.macpherson.co.nz
http://www.public.coe.edu/~rroeder/main/bench/buckr.htm
Marvellous!
I've read about 'Buck Rogers' tools and never known what they were!
Do they appear for sale - on the Bay for example?
I'd love one!!
Malcolmhttp://www.macpherson.co.nz
The 714's turn up on eBay every couple of weeks or so. Typically sell from anywhere between $100 and $250, depending on condition (and who wants it at the time). Average price would be about $140-$170.Handplane Central
I should add that the 709's also appear from time to time on eBay but the prices for these are higher - anywhere between $120 and $420. Average price around $260-$280.Handplane Central
Thanks
I was just outbid on an unused iron in the original wrapping (went for about $60, I've been off-line for a couple of days and the auction expired) and couldn't bid on a plane because the seller wouldn't ship outside the US.
I'll do some looking around tonight, and leave an alert on the Bay in case these things do turn up.
Cheers
Malcolmhttp://www.macpherson.co.nz
Holiday Monday in Otago, NZ.
Spent a good bit of today almost completing my chopper-inspired panel plane.
Didn't go as sweetly as I like! Got the lever cap slightly out of alignment and had to do a rescue job (drilled out, tapped, screwed-in bolt, peened for tightness, re-drilled, correctly this time!). The rosewood has polished-up like metal, and the extended brass ramp that loops under the adjuster looks OK (well, it looks OK to me). The Clifton irons look good too.
My counter-sinking technique has improved, to the extent that the big brass screws that go through the sides and into the rosewood have visually disappeared, except for the slots - and I'm not sure I like that look!
I 'filled the tank' and took a few slices off of a rimu board - even in the unfinished state I could get 2.5 inch wide shavings and a shimmering surface. When I finish-lap the bottom it'll be the man in my shop!
Photos in a couple of days.
Also filed the dovetails in the sole and brass sides of the soon-to-be Deco smoother. Looks as tho it's going to fabricate cleanly, and the benefit of pre-machined pins and tails is that the fit is tight, and there will be minimal peening (but the angles are only about 5 degrees, so Philip won't approve!). Didn't quite get the buck done, so couldn't clamp it up and check for fit. Will do that tomorrow or Weds.
Malcolmhttp://www.macpherson.co.nz
Hi Malcolm
That is a interesting and fun design, the Deco infill that is. I do believe that tools should not be austere and ignore the aesthetic side just because they are tools. This one, like Wayne Anderson's planes, might however be accused of veering to the side of "the tool as art" more so than most. But I like it.
It reminds me a lot of one I built (the first plane I built) several years ago - well, it you close one eye and squint hard it will appear similar :) Back then I added a Jarrah infill to an old Stanley #4, and tweaked it with a LN blade, Mathieson cap iron and a 55 degree bed. It made very thin shavings on the worst that Oz could throw at it and I used it as a finish smoother for a time. It now languishes on a shelf as art since I have many other smoothers to use.
Looking forward to pictures when they are available.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek
There is a familial similarity! Why did you build that shape? I'm going to begin on my Deco revival project this coming week!
Malcolmhttp://www.macpherson.co.nz
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