The Kit Plane Dilemma

Since appearing at HandWorks in May we have once again began getting inquiries about the availability of plane kits. I guess events like Handworks create traffic to the web page and when folks see that kit orders have been suspended I guess they naturally assume that at some point we will once again offer that product.

I can say with 99.9% certainty that we will not resume offering plane kits, and as of today those items have been removed from our web page.  Many of you will ask why?

 As our backlog of completed plane orders grew we had to make a change in the way we allocated our time in order to meet our obligations for those products. It seemed every time we needed a certain component to complete a plane, we had exhausted our inventory fulfilling orders for plane kits. This was having a negative impact on our ability to deliver completed planes in a timely manner, which of course is the main stay of our business.

My Mother always warned me to never say never about anything and so I won't say that at some point in the future we won't change our minds and decide to offer another plane kit product, but as of right now we have no plans to pursue that type of offering.

We certainly appreciated the customers that purchased kits from us in the past and regret not being able to offer this experience to future customers.

As a small business we have a limited capacity to produce and so it seems appropriate to pursue what we do best which is making hand planes to a very high standard.

Ron

Once Again......Did I Mention that I Like Olive Wood?

When I returned from the HandWorks Event I had a couple of days of paper work to take care. Mostly stuff I put off while finishing up the last few planes I needed to ship out to Iowa. That was okay because frankly I was pretty physically exhausted and need some downtime to re-charge.

When I returned to the shop I was reminded that I had an 812-50S plane very nearly complete sans wooden bits. This plane was for my good friend Steve Walls and I had tried my best to complete this plane so as to have it displayed at HandWorks but it was just not to be. Time ran out.

Sometimes haste makes waste and the piece of wood that was to go into this plane was not one you would want to be rushed in working. Quite a while back on a visit to my shop Steve had noticed this piece of Olive and inquired as to whether it was available for a plane of his choosing. I told him it certainly was but that it would be a while before it was dry enough to use, to which he replied, "I can wait".

The wait is over. I had anticipated the day I would turn this piece into plane parts because I knew if it survived the drying process it would be special. All looked good until I roughed out the rear profile of the tote. An internal stress check was revealed right above the curve leading into the neck area of the tote. To say I was disappointed would have been an understatement.

Misery loves company so I immediately called Steve to tell him the bad news. As I was talking to Steve it occurred to me that maybe I was throwing in the towel on this piece a bit too quickly so I decided the piece was special enough to invest a bit more time just to see how it would turn out. I'm glad I persevered. I set about forming a plan for repairing the defect in a way that would look natural with the rest of the piece. This piece has many dark contrasting streaks so I went with a dark repair that I hoped would blend. Sometimes faith and perseverance pay off.

When Steve and our mutual friend Charlie Levan make the trip to my shop to pick up a just completed plane for one of them it has become a tradition that I always make an apple pie which we mostly consume after lunch.

There will be apple pie at my house tomorrow and I'm looking forward to the pie and the company.

Oh, did I mention that I really, really like Olive Wood? Yep, I thought so. I like pie too.

Ron

HandWorks Aftermath and Patina

One thing I've known for quite some time now. When the Brothers Abraham, Jameel and Father John, decide to do something, anything, they do it very well. The HandWorks Event was a perfect example of this fact, it may have been the perfect storm of hand tool woodworking. Given the weather on Saturday in Amana, Iowa the word storm certainly applies, however people were not deterred they continued to show up in large numbers. I think they all knew HandWorks was going to be a historic event and how many times in one's lifetime do you have a chance to be part of history?

Photo From WIA in Valley Forge

Jameel and Father John promoted this event as the effort of many independent toolmakers. If making ready our display of wares, traveling to the site and setting up our respective booths, and demonstrating our tools and talking to the attendees, was the effort required of us then we did our part. 

However all of us know who did the planning, organizing, created the web page, sought out the venue (which was perfect), laid out the booth spaces, unloaded the trucks, rented the screen and projector, set up the screen and projector, returned the screen and projector, cleaned up, reloaded the trucks and took the trash out, the list goes on and on. Many of these activities performed during a pouring rain. All of this was done by....who other than "The Brothers Abraham."

When considering all the above, the rest of us did very little but reap the benefits of the work of these two quite capable young men. We've thanked them already but it seemed a pitiful sentiment considering the effort they put into this event.........so I will shout from the roof top.......

ABRAHAMS ROCK, ABRAHAMS ROCK, ABRAHAMS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We displayed several tools at HandWorks that contained parts that had patina or the look of age. To me this is just an opportunity to create a different look or texture on some tools. The look is interesting and it makes the brass pieces quite maintenance free.

We received several inquiries as to how we accomplish the application of this finish. As with many finishing techniques it requires several steps performed in the proper sequence. It is best to start when you've refined the brass to a finished state. I use a cold gun bluing solution applied while the brass is freshly brite and it needs to be applied until the surface is quite dark. Darker than the final finish desired. Wipe the excess solution off and allow it to dry quite thoroughly. I typically remove the excess coloring with either #0000 steel wool or gray Scotchbrite abrasive until I have the look I desire. At this point I apply a liberal coating of Tru-Oil finish to the parts and remove the excess with a cloth. I put the pieces in my finishing kiln overnight. The dry and warm environment cures the oil finish. I then just lightly buff the cured finish with steel wool.

One of many highlights of HandWorks was the favorable response to the new Shooting Board Plane that I developed to work with the new "No Rock" Chute board from Vogt ToolWorks. Most were fascinated with the ease of use.

The past week was a testament to the continuing interest in hand tool woodworking and I was very pleased to see that many of the attendees were in the young adult age group. Regardless of what you hear, hand tool woodworking is alive and well and the increased interest by young adults proves that there is a bright future for the craft.

If you weren't able to make it to HandWorks.....We Hope to See You Next Time!

 If you attended HandWorks....Thank You!

Ron

HandWorks This Weekend

Independent Tool Makers all over our country have been working toward making ready for the HandWorks Event this weekend. I made my last two shipments to Iowa on Monday. Julie and I will be making our way to Amana on Wednesday. We're looking forward to meeting new people and seeing old friends as well. Thanks to the generosity of my customers I will have more planes on my bench at this show than any show we have participated in to date. So in this post I thought I would give a bit of a preview.

First off is the Winter Smoother  completed just this past Saturday. This plane's body is made from 0-1 tool steel and has Koa tote and Knob. It's a smallish smoother with a sole 8.125" long and uses a 1.875 wide iron pitch at 50 degrees.

This tool has a patina finish on the brass parts which gives it a very different look. It also gives the brass a no maintenance finish.

This size plane is becoming more and more popular. This tool is nimble enough for edge work yet substantial enough for working the faces of panels.

Another similar tool from the Stainless Steel line of tools is the 812-50S Smoothing plane. This plane also has Koa tote and knob and in this case the figure is curly. As of late we have upgraded the stainless used on these plane bodies to 440C high carbon stainless.

Nothing looks quite like Koa. Whether it has curly figure or not it always has interesting color variations that range from dark to light in contrast. It is lighter in weight than a lot of the dense infill woods that plane makers use, however it takes an excellent finish and feels great in the hand.

This one of my favorite planes and the next one will have Olive wood which is a material that I always look forward to working.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Over the last couple of months I've been working with Tico Vogt of Vogt ToolWorks developing a plane made for use with the new "No Rock" Shooting Board. This plane will of course work in any style shooting board but the ability to fasten to the "No Rock" board makes it somewhat unique and versatile. Like I said this is something completely different from an overall design aspect. I took a "Woodworking Goes Industrial" approach to this tool. The model number for this tool is 125-38SBP but we've taken to calling this plane the "Brute". Weighing in at around 10 lbs. we expect people will be able to shoot 5/4 stock with ease.

And here's a picture of the "No Rock" Shooting Board

The "Brute" plane will be on Tico's Bench at HandWorks this weekend and the plane below will be on my bench residing on a Vogt Toolworks 'Super Chute"

A "Colluser". (definition: Collector and User) See Below.

There will one more older relic at HandWorks this Weekend and you may have run into this relic at other woodworking events. 

Fred is a great supporter and patron of small independent toolmakers and an avid Hand Tool Woodworker. In fact there is not enough room here to list all the great things Fred does that helps the Hand Tool Woodworking World go round. Beside being a great customer Fred also helps fund product development for many small toolmaking shops. In essence he has a great influence on what tools are made available by the small toolmakers. There will be tools at HandWorks this weekend that would not be there without his support and assistance. Thanks Fred!

Hope to see you in Iowa this weekend,

Ron

Isaac Smith, Saw Maker, etc.

As new saw makers come on the scene I take notice of their work and I started taking note of the work of Isaac Smith a while back. As of late his work has started showing the attention to detail that is unique among only the best and most particular of craftsman.

As some of you know I have quite a collection of dovetail saws all made by contemporary saw makers. Recently I commissioned Isacc Smith to make a saw for my collection. I sent Isaac a piece of my prized Macassar Ebony for the tote and what I got back is a saw that I’ve been enjoying immensely.

Isaac’s work is impressive to say the least. To say the most, the saw functions as good as it looks.

When people have the opportunity to try all of my saws side by side they typically come to the conclusion that my Eccentric Saw, made my Andrew Lunn, is without a doubt the top saw of the bunch. Bear in mind all these saws are wonderful tools so I’m not dismissing the work of any of these fine craftsman. Nevertheless the saw I recently received from Isaac Smith is possibly the equal of the Eccentric saw.

Let me qualify something here. I’m in no way an authority on saws. But I am one picky individual when it comes to tools and this saw has impressed me. My methods for testing were nothing more than all these saws compared one to another on the same piece of wood. It could very well be that some might perform better in differing woods. Like I said it was not exactly a scientific test. It was more a test of feel and reaction.

Moreover every detail on this saw is pleasing and the tote feels wonderful in the hand and the areas that have defined crisp lines are not the areas that contact your hand. The tote embodies precision, comfort and beauty

I’ve also noticed that Isaac is making some other tools as well and I have one of his carbide Scrawls that I’ve been using for everything from marking for screws holes to turning burrs in tight corners on my plane bodies.

He also has introduced a saw filing aid called a RakeMaker. It has the same attention to detail as his saws.

Like I said, I’m not an authority, just a very pleased customer. You can find out more by following this link,  Blackburn Tools.

Ron

HandWorks Plane

In less time that we can imagine a lot of us will be gathering in Amana, Iowa for the HandWorks event. If the unique venue and the stellar gathering of tool makers were not enough to get you there then take this into consideration.

THERE WILL BE FREE STUFF!

Many of the presenters at this event will be donating tools to be given away in a drawing at this event. I'm happy to participate because this stands to be the hand tool woodworking event of the year.

I've wanted to make a version of the Norris #31 plane for quite some time and just never could find time to develop the process for this tool. This event was the perfect excuse to make time and I have to admit it's been an interesting endeavor. I've enjoyed using this plane for the last couple of weeks since it was completed and I'm looking forward to passing it on to whomever becomes the new owner at HandWorks.

The sole of this plane is 5" long and the bed angle is 20 degrees, bevel up, the infill is cocobolo.

If you are interested in learning more about the HandWorks Event click on the banner below, it should take you to the HandWorks page.

Ron

Automation and a Dodgy Left Shoulder

When I was a younger man I did not own industrial quality machines and I was prone to wearing out parts on the machines I used in my work. These days I'm older, yet I have industrial quality machines and now I'm wearing out parts on myself.

When I first began this blog I posted about the acquisition of a 1959 Covel #10 surface grinder. The old grinder has been a great machine. The cost associated with purchasing, moving the machine, and upgrading this machine are to a point where I really have more invested in the machine than it's relative market value. However as a result of this investment I know what I have,  a machine that grinds accurately and flat over the length of it's capacity which is always a question mark with any used surface grinder.

However the Covel came as a manual grinder which means all the moving parts have to be activated and run with physical action on the part of a human operator and the worst of these activities is traversing the table left to right constantly. This requires many repetitions just to grind the surfaces of one part. This finally took a toll on my left shoulder. One Friday morning  several weeks ago I began experiencing a stabbing pain under my left shoulder blade. I figured a bit of rest and some over the counter pain medications would fix this.....no such luck. In fact things got worse and it became evident that I would not be doing any grinding for while. I needed to give my shoulder time to heal.

Being persistent I starting teaching myself how to grind with my right arm only. I could do this but it was a slow process, futile really. I decided that while my shoulder was recuperating that maybe it was time to shop for an automatic surface grinder. A quick bit of research revealed that an automatic surface grinder with any chance of reliability was going to cost something close to automobile purchase type money.

Given the time commitment required to move one machine out and another machine in, and considering the investment I had in the Covel grinder I decided it might be worth an attempt at automating the Covel.

I read on many of the online metal working forums a lot of speculation about how one would go about automating the long axis of a surface grinder, however there was no documentation from anyone that had actually pursued and accomplish this to any degree of reasonable use so I contacted an automation company and proposed my plan for accomplishing this task and ask them if they thought it was a feasible idea.

They agreed that it was feasible, recommended a few changes to my plan and also informed me of other information I needed to gather in order to make reasonably informed decisions as to what components would need to specified and purchased. It seemed my gamble was going to cost somewhere around $1000.00 and there was no guarantee of success. Considering the price of an automatic grinder or worse yet, a new shoulder, I decided I would take the gamble and began the research required to fill in the blanks of how to undertake this transformation. The picture below shows all the major components required.

A 1/2hp  3 phase inverter rated induction motor, a 40 to 1 gear box (speed reducer), GS2 Variable Frequency Drive, not shown are the miscellaneous wiring devices, various pulleys and belt required.

The motor control configuration was sorted out after a study of the VFD manual....actually an extensive study. I have two other 3 phase motors in my shop powered by VFDs, however I would be asking this one to perform more complex motor control than anything required on the other machines. The picture below shows all the components mounted to the machine and also a belt/pulley guard fabricated for safety sake.

Basically everything operated as expected even though some parts of the system did in fact require considerable tweaking along with some tweaks to the vfd programming. Check out the video below of the newly automated grinder actually working.

Much to the relief of my left shoulder the automation of the surface grinder tables works great and operates very reliably. My gamble paid off. Now to get busy and make up for lost time.

Ron