block plane

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ruby@magpage.com
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: block plane

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

James Krenov was the Paul Sellars of the 70's. He was a fantastic woodworker - simple strong designs perfectly executed - look up his work in google images. He had everyone making their own planes for smoothing - I never took the bait, but I have friends who did. His method of making a wood bodied smoother is pretty simple and has none of that cutting a mortice at an angle, and buying all the floats and getting finicky. It is just cutting pieces out and gluing them together. And the blades are available.

Here is a tutorial on making his smoother:

https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeT ... other.html

Nothing extraneous, all business

Ed
Ed M
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: block plane

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Do it Diane, they really are easy to build
I've attached a nice starting place for you.
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ruby@magpage.com
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: block plane

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

In the site I posted, there are step-by-step instructions. When I got to the bottom I realized it was written by a forum buddy, Derek Cohen. His website is one of the good ones - kind of a Frank Ford for hand tool users:

https://www.inthewoodshop.com

12-15 years ago he drew my name in a Christmas exchange. Knowing that my business was residential energy conservation he made me a working caulking gun out of half a dozen Australian hardwoods and brass.

Ed
Ed M
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: block plane

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Kevin Sjostrand wrote:Do it Diane, they really are easy to build
I've attached a nice starting place for you.
I've definitely given it a lot of thought I might try my hand at it. Thanks for posting the info. I've downloaded the picture you posted, and I'm going to study it.

I put my Craftsman jack and smoothing planes on Ebay, and both ended up with a huge amount of bids for some reason. I mean, they were both nice planes and I took care of them. I had them both turned up and honed them to scary sharp, but Craftsman aren't hugely sought after, so I was quite surprised.

At any rate they pretty much paid for the Veritas, so I ordered it. Hopefully it'll get here pretty quickly, because I need it for the neck I'm making. Here's a link to the one I ordered. I ordered one with their PM-V11 iron. http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.a ... ,230,41182
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: block plane

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

ruby@magpage.com wrote:In the site I posted, there are step-by-step instructions. When I got to the bottom I realized it was written by a forum buddy, Derek Cohen. His website is one of the good ones - kind of a Frank Ford for hand tool users:

https://www.inthewoodshop.com

12-15 years ago he drew my name in a Christmas exchange. Knowing that my business was residential energy conservation he made me a working caulking gun out of half a dozen Australian hardwoods and brass.

Ed
Thank you Ed for the link and information. I've bookmarked it and I'll take a good look at the site.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
BEJ
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:38 am
Location: Seattle

Re: block plane

Post by BEJ »

After reading the thread had to add my 2 cents. Been using blocks planes off and on for about 35-40 years in work and hobby.
After trying quite a few found the Stanley 60 1/2 to be about the best all around for most finish carpentry and guitar work. As a blockhead I just had to try the new Stanley Sweatheart 60 1/2. Found to be well made but maybe a little too large for my hand, didn't displace the old Stanley. But after a few guitars and brace trimming found the 60 1/2 to be a little too long, thus looked for a better solution.
Came up with a few different planes to try. A nice smaller one from Bridge City Tools, well made and seems to work real well. A plane off E Bay from China, made of cast iron, blade is a little thin but seems to work ok. A couple of mini maybe double mini from Lee Valley, work ok but maybe a little too small, will see how it goes with them. a pics of the collection....
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Last edited by BEJ on Fri Mar 03, 2023 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
BEJ
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:38 am
Location: Seattle

Re: block plane

Post by BEJ »

A few more pics...
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