February 2006 - Handplane Central

DID YOU KNOW…

Making planes can be a difficult task, but the most difficult part is actually finding good information on planemaking and how to go about it. Handplane Central simplifies the process somewhat by providing a wealth of information and various tips and tricks on making planes, as well as the tools and materials necessary for planemaking (and how to make the plane making tools themselves in some instances).

Stanley No. 103 Block Plane

Manufactured: 1877 to 1962 Length: 5-1/2 inches Blade Width: 1-3/8 inches Construction: Cast iron Finish: Japanned Features: Small “pocket size” plane Uses: General purpose block plane Average Dealer Price: $10 to $60 Average eBay Price: $12 to $48 Type 1: $100 to $260 Other Notes:…

Why Make A Hand Plane?

C.R. Miller explores the reasons why it might be desirable to start making your own hand planes and other tools. Make Your Own Hand Planes? Why Would You Bother? Back in 1994 I was giving a planemaking demonstration at a National woodworking show. The plane…

Basic Tools For Metal Plane Making – Part II

Infill plane maker, Cameron Miller, gives a rundown of the basic tools needed for making metal planes. In this second part he concludes the article by concentrating on fabricating, marking and layout tools. Joining And Fabricating Tools Drills — Drills are essential for planemaking, not…

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…

Timbers Used For Pattern Making

When it comes to making the patterns used for castings, there are some fundamental attributes that need to be considered. Woods chosen for this purpose should be straight, and evenly grained, sufficiently dry and most importantly, dimensionally stable – with only a small amount of…

Parts Of A Wooden Plane

While the various names to describe the parts of hand planes may differ slightly from country to country they are, for the most part, standardized. For instance what is known as a “cutter” or “iron” in Britain and Europe is generally called a “blade” in…

Some Hand Plane Making Tips From Bill Carter

Following on from our interview with British hand plane maker Bill Carter, Bill has given Handplane Central a few of his tips and tricks that he has discovered over the years while making infill and wooden hand planes. On keeping things in their place: What…

Interview With Infill Plane Maker Bill Carter

After spending most of his working life as a carpenter and cabinetmaker, forty-eight year old Bill Carter decided that he would like to make handplanes for a living from his home workshop in Leicester, England. That was in 1987 and although he had made many…

PlaneFest 2006 – Worlds Best Hand Plane Makers Unite

If you’re into hand planes – most notably infill planes – you may or may not have been aware that something very special took place in Michigan a week and a half ago on Friday (10th February). The event took place in the workshop of…

Books On Wooden Plane Making

There are a number of different ways to make a wooden plane, though some purists may have you believe that there is only one “true” way and that is to make them out of a solid block of wood. To my way of thinking this…

The Norris Adjuster

It could be argued that the main feature which places Norris infill planes above all the other makers, as far as collectors go, is due to the ingenious, though somewhat flawed, Norris adjuster. While the adjuster feature is a “latecomer” to British infill planes it…

Thoughts On Hand Plane Sole Flatness

It should be said that almost all hand planes on the market will need some adjustment and a little attention, when you get them home from the store, in order to make them truly sing. Any plane will be made better by a little fettling…