Basic Tools For Metal Plane Making – Part I

Making infill planes – from little planes, big planes grow

Infill plane maker, Cameron Miller, gives a rundown of the basic tools needed for making metal planes. Part one of this article concentrates primarily on vices, saws and files.

When I made my first metal dovetailed plane I had very little in the way of specialised planemaking tools. In fact, if the truth be known, I had nothing – except maybe an willingness to try my hand at a new skill, and learn from any mistakes I may encounter. This eagerness pretty much proved to be all I needed however, as many workshops – including mine at the time – already contain many of the tools needed to make planes.

The tools I did use were a hacksaw, a half round bastard file, a set of cheap needle files, a 6″ rule, a machinists’ square, a set of twist drills and fortunately for me, a variable speed bench drill. I say fortunately because although an ordinary hand or power drill can be used for any of your planemaking needs, a properly set up bench or pillar drill goes a long way in making everything just that little bit more accurate and easier. Luckily my first attempt at this new method (I’d made quite a few wooden planes already by this stage) was a success – although the mouth was a little on large size. However the plane worked, it looked good, and I was encouraged enough to experiment with different tools, methods of work and ideas. Before too long I had little planes everywhere – dovetailed planes, riveted and fabricated planes, planes made from bits of channel sections and angle profiles, planes that worked well, planes that didn’t work so well and planes that just ended up looking like bits of scrap metal (because essentially that’s what they ended up as). In a way I suppose it didn’t matter that some planes ended up in the rubbish, because at least I could learn what was important and what wasn’t, what worked and what didn’t. It was also a smart move, I believe, to make small planes rather than larger ones, as it is a lot easier to justify a mornings’ work as a “learning experience” than a whole weeks work!

Encouraged by my initial success, and armed with an ever increasing repertoire of knowledge and skills, I decided to buy more tools, make some that weren’t easily available and branch out into making bigger planes. I also bought books on old woodworking planes and scoured a few libraries for back issues of woodworking magazines featuring planes and planemaking. This is one thing that many people may tend to overlook – or at least under-value. The fact that too much knowledge can never really be enough and that it’s one of the best “tools” available to us as makers.

The following list of tools consists of tools you already have, tools you may need to buy or make, and some tools that although are not essential, greatly assist in the production of metal infill planes.

Essential Tools

Hacksaw
10″ File (Flat bastard)
8″ File (Half Round bastard)
8″ File (Three Square bastard)
8″ File (Round bastard)
8″ File (Flat smooth)
8″ File (Round smooth)
Set of 6″ Needle Files
Points File
File Card
6″ Steel Rule (150 mm)
12″ Steel Rule (300 mm)
6″ Square
Sliding Bevel
Protractor
Steel Marking Gauge
Dovetail Template
Bench Vise
Anvil or Steel Block
Small Ball Pein Hammer
Centre Punch
Set Of Twist Drills (Imp. or Metric)
Metal Countersink Bit
Hand or Power Drill (Preferably with stand)
3/4″ Forstner or Sawtooth Type Bit
3/16″ Tap and Die (or Metric equiv.)
1/4″ Tap and Die (or Metric equiv.)
1/2″ Tap and Die (or Metric equiv.)
Tap Wrench
Awl or Scribe

The Bench Vise — By this I mean an engineers’ bench vise. A woodworking vise is not appropriate for this type of work as it will not hold the material sufficiently and will probably be damaged in the meantime (the wooden jaw linings at least will). You do not necessarily need a big vise. I have made many planes with a 4″ wide vise bolted to a piece of wood and then clamped to anything from my workbench top to my Black and Decker Workmate and even to a demonstration bench made from an old drinks bar for a national woodworking show. I’ve been known, on occasion, to clamp my vise to the kitchen table – but of course you will probably need a very understanding wife or partner if you’re not living alone.

A set of “soft jaws” to suit your vice would also be desirable, and these can be bought from most hardware stores. Avoid buying the very soft rubber ones as they tend not to support the work sufficiently and are not very durable. You can make a set of soft jaws yourself of course.

Shaping Tools

Saws — With any luck you’ll probably already own a hacksaw, or at the very least have access to one. Hopefully it will have a nice sturdy frame, is easily adjusted for tension and able to mount the blade sideways or at different angles for certain work. Some people like to have an adjustable frame for blades of different lengths but I’ve not found this to be very beneficial myself. If your hacksaw doesn’t match these requirements you may have to buy a new one. It will soon be apparent if this is the case.

You may also have a need for one of the junior hacksaws that are available on the market. Unfortunately many of these are poorly designed so choose carefully.

Hacksaw blades come in a variety of tooth sizes from 12 teeth per inch to 32 tpi. For thinner material it’s better to use a finer toothed blade. Ideally blades used on brass and gunmetal should not be used on steel, though this is not always practical. Blades also come in a range of flex abilities but I tend to only use the harder or medium flexibility grades. These are quite brittle however and care must be taken in use. I also believe that it doesn’t pay to buy cheap quality brands as these often break too easily or dull too quickly, sometimes both at the same time. Buying these “bargain box” items is just a false economy.

You shouldn’t have to buy any special saws for the wooden parts of your plane – unless of course you have no saws at all! I wouldn’t recommend using any of your expensive Japanese saws on any Rosewoods or Ebonies either. It could prove to be a very costly exercise.

Files — There are a very large range of files available and although it may be desirable to have virtually one of every size and shape it is by no means a necessity. In fact you may find you’ll only use half a dozen types regularly.

Files are classified according to their shape or cross section profile, their size and the type or nature of the cut. There are many different profiles but the most common ones are: hand, flat, square, round, half – round and three square (or triangle). The size is determined by the length between the shoulder and the tip of the blade – not the length from end to end. This is usually described in inches. The type of cut refers to the pattern and coarseness of the teeth. Single cut files have rows of parallel teeth across the face at an angle – usually between 65 and 85 degrees with the axis of the file. A double cut file has a second set of teeth crossing the first at an opposite angle. This has the effect of breaking up the teeth and creating many more diamond shaped teeth. The double cut style is the most common tooth pattern for files.

Files are further classified by their coarseness of cut relative to the spacing of the teeth. The names commonly used to determine the grades of cut are: dreadnought, rough, coarse or middle cut, bastard, second cut, smooth and dead smooth (sometimes referred to as super smooth).

Like hacksaw blades, it pays to buy good quality files – at least for your most used ones. Also files that are used for brass and gunmetal should not be used on steel, if possible.

The bastard file is the most useful file for roughing out work as it allows for rapid removal of stock. The second cut and smooth cut files are used for final shaping and finishing. A hand file with it’s safety edge (HSE) is useful for protecting sensitive surfaces.

Needle files are small files that are extremely handy for delicate or fine work. They are only five or six inches long overall, and come in a wide variety of different shapes and profiles including: hand, flat, square, round, half – round, oval, knife, three square, barrette and warding. These are great for getting into small areas like the corners of dovetails. Most of these profiles are useful for one thing or another, and I find that grinding the back and modifying the barrette file is particularly ideal for the corners of small dovetails.

It is also good to know that most needle files can be fitted to the lower clamps of some of the older type scroll saws, providing that they use a piston – style system rather than a rocking arm and that the scroll saw top can be removed. You’ll then get double duty from your scroll saw by turning it into a filling machine.

Riffler files are also handy to have for hard to get to places – especially on some of the wooden infill parts and casting patterns. They are basically double ended files that are bent into different shapes as well as having different profiles. The range of shapes that are available is truly staggering, as I currently have about 85 types – not all of which I understand their use. Riffler files can usually be bought individually from specialised suppliers, or they can be bought in packets of seven or eight.

This may sound contradictory to what I’ve said before but I find that although there are high quality needle and riffler files available I tend to buy the cheaper brands. Files are, by their very nature, regarded as consumables (like glue and sandpaper) and although I will buy better quality larger files, I see no reason to buy one good quality riffler file at $30 a pop when I can get a whole packet of eight “cheapies” for $4. I find that most of the cheaper riffler and needle files last a long time anyway. I must also say that I only extend this “cheapness policy” to riffler and needle files and certain “F” style woodworking clamps.

Another file that is good to have is the type made for filing the distributor points on motor cars. Usually under a millimetre thick, it’s perfect for filing the mouths of small planes and the extremely tight mouths of mitre, shoulder and rebate planes. These files are usually double sided, so it’s wise to carefully grind the teeth off one side for safety purposes (the planes’ safety – not yours!) Unlike needle and riffler files, try to get a good quality points file, as I’ve found the cheap ones to be just a little bit too cheap.

For handles, knobs, cushions and infills your usual woodworking rasps should suffice – although it’s always good to finish off the shaping with metalworking files, remembering that some of the timbers almost feel like metal to work with.

It should be noted that the Black and Decker company make an electric sanding tool called a Powerfile, which is great for hogging out both timber and metal, as well as other material. Using it on metal takes it’s toll on the little sanding belts but you can easily make your own belts if you feel up to it. I should add that it’s best to take the dust bag off the tool if you’re sanding steel, otherwise it might catch alight.

You may want to make a special file called a planemakers float, for truing the bed of your plane, although it’s probably only necessary if you intend to make several planes. These are basically very coarse single cut files which only have between four to seven teeth per inch. These teeth are cut at a different angle from normal files and are usually spaced or staggered unevenly to help prevent chattering. They can easily be made from old chisels and files.

Like any tool, files need to be kept in good condition if they are to work properly. Ideally they shouldn’t be allowed to knock together or they may break their teeth. It’s a good idea to store them in a rack or hang them on the wall of your workshop. Needle files and rifflers should be kept in their packets or possibly in a stand of some sort. It is also good to have a file card or wire brush handy to clean out clogged teeth, especially if you’re filing aluminium or other soft metals.

Click here for Part II.