I employed various chisels and files, and worked in from the top and bottom of the plane in order to open the mouth. It can take awhile because you need to be sure that all surfaces are as flat as possible.
I found it a little too iffy to cut the final angle of the abutments by following the pencil lines that I had marked on the outside of the plane. So I cut a 12º wedge from a thin board to use as a pattern to mark the angle on the inside of the plane.
After the abutments were cut to shape, I rough-cut a full size wedge on the band saw and cleaned it up with a plane. The fit of the wedge needs to be spot on in order to hold the blade in place, so there is a bit of checking, tweaking, and rechecking involved.
Once the wedge is properly fitted, some of the lower portion needs to be removed in order to provide a clear exit for shavings.
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| Ouch. |
At this point you have a working, but extremely painful to use, high angle smoother.
I think you just like saying, "abutment".
ReplyDeletenice work Kari,always a pleasure to see your outstanding work,a true crafts person.
ReplyDeleteregards
david
Nice progress
ReplyDeleteLove the step by step photos and the concise explanations. I feel like I'm taking a course in planemaking! Great job, Kari!
ReplyDeleteFrank Eastman
Thanks for the giggle, Ethan. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you, David and Rick.
Thanks, Frank. There isn't much on the internet about making one of these (at least not much that I've found), and I know of one reader who is making this plane along with me, so I'm trying to include extra details.
I've been waiting for you to reach this point to see if you were going to use plane floats to open the mouth or fine tune the bed. Many experts out there would have one believe you can't do a proper job without them but, at least from what I can see, you've shown what a little determination and a sharp chisel can do. Great job Kari. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteMark, that's correct. I did not use floats, only chisels and files. This is my fourth solid-body plane, but what has helped me to learn to create a flat wall, more than anything, is building that Roubo bench by hand. Suddenly,you can see where all the high spots are.
ReplyDeleteI finished flattening mine about six months ago. Nothing like a laminated Roubo bench top to teach you how to use a plane.
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again...it was worth all the sweat.
ReplyDelete