Thursday, October 12, 2017

Making an infill plane from scratch 15, project completed.

Yesterday I managed to complete the Norris style adjuster and mount it. I never got around to write a blog post about it, since it was getting a bit late.

Today I realized that I couldn't really put it off any longer. There wasn't much work left to do on the plane save for sharpening the blade and make sure that it was seated well on the bed (frog). Flattening the sole and sanding everything once again.

I silver soldered the threaded part to the adjuster base, so it is not possible to do any lateral adjustment with this adjuster, only depth adjustment.
A recess was made in the front of the rear tote, by first drilling a series of holes and later chiseling the waste out. I painted the back of the base with a whiteboard marker, and I could see where it had rubbed off, that there was a high spot. The same method was later used to check and adjust the seating of the blade.
The rod with the adjustment screw could have been a bit longer, but I guess that you don't adjust such a plane all the time, and I prefer that the adjustment screw is not protruding too much form the plane.

It took a bit of fiddling to find the best initial position for the retaining ring and the threaded rod, so everything worked fine at maximum and minimum depth adjustment.

Eventually I had to file a bit more from the underside of the lever cap, to be able to slide it under the fulcrum pivotal rod (it has probably got some other name).
This caused the lever cap screw to be just in the shortest range. So I think that I will make a new screw with a 1/8" longer threaded portion.

Today I sharpened the blade and after doing that I inserted it in the plane and tightened the lever cap screw. With the blade in place and the screw tightened, I then started to flatten the sole of the plane.
The idea of doing this while the blade is in the plane and in tension is, that it could potentially distort the sole of the plane a bit, and therefore it is best to flatten while everything is as close to working conditions as possible.
I also took the time to mark the bed with MMXVII for sake of good order.

Our lapping plate is new, but still I am not convinced that it is 100% flat and true. But I guess it is good enough for a home made infill plane. And besides it is what I have.

After some more sanding I treated the wood with some olive oil. I guess that it will slowly be absorbed by the wood, and then when I get home I can give it some paste was or some linseed oil as I have originally planned.

I tested the plane to see if it would work, and it actually did. I was able to plane a small piece of Bubinga both ways. It wasn't the most dramatic grain run out, but it did its job perfect with the grain and against it.

Conclusion of the project:
This project required a lot of metal work and comparatively little woodwork. There was much more filing and sanding compared to my usual projects.
There were a few difficulties that arose during the course of the build, such as less than ideally positioned holes etc.
The Norris style adjuster is a cool feature, but I tend to think that hammer adjustment would have been better. It could easily just be my adjuster that isn't the best - but now it sits there. If it ever acts up or seizes to work, then I can always remove it and either fill out the gap left behind, or just leave it as it is.
I personally think that the plane came out all right. There are a few places that still has got some minor scratches, but it was meant to be a tool, not a sanding contest.
My favourite part of the plane is the front tote where it blends in with the sole. And the lever cap with the massive number C954 cast into the front.
If I had been at home I doubt that I would have persevered during such a project, but out here it is more a matter of doing something to keep myself busy in my spare time.
I am not sure that it works any better than a regular Stanley, but it looks better in my opinion, and besides, I think it is the only infill plane in the world that was made on board a ship.




Infill smoother, steel and Bubinga.

Finished with olive oil.

Lever cap from aluminium bronze C954



Test shaving in Bubinga.

Parts for the Norris adjuster.

Completed Norris adjuster.

Making a recess for the adjuster.

2017





26 comments:

  1. Jonas,

    Beautiful....like you I doubt I could ever finish a job like that at home, just too many doggie butts to scratch and treats to give. Even on shipboard my congrats for your sticking with it to the end. Again I'm not sure I could have done it.

    As one of my PAX (5 at the time) used to ask just as the wheels went in the wells: "How much longer is it" before you rotate home.

    ken

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    1. Hi Ken

      Thanks a lot for the nice comment.
      It shouldn't be too long before I get to take a walk in the woods with Bertha and scratch her behind the ears.
      The crew rotation plan calls for a crew change on Wednesday the 18th, but there seems to be a bit of uncertainty if that date will still be valid. We should be informed by the company today regarding what they decide.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  2. Holy crap! It turned out stunning! Hats off, Jonas. You've raised the bar even higher for what's possible with limited tools and space, with no compromises. Congratulations, and I hope you get some satisfying use of this beautiful tool.

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    1. Hi Brian

      Thanks a lot. I think I'll have to make some projects out of elm (such a nice wood), so I can utilize the 50 degree angle of the plane.
      I could also do what I usually do: put the plane in the drawer for Sunday tools, and continue to use my old Bedrock No 4. That is probably the most likely scenario.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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    2. It would be a pity. I think you should use the snot out of it. :)

      Delete
    3. I can try to make that as my New Years resolution: To use the snot out of my infill plane.
      Sounds like a better resolution than taking up exercising or reduce the cursing and swearing :-)

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  3. Really incredible work, Jonas. Congratulations! And it seemed like you made it so fast, too. I hope it makes you smile every time you use it.

    Matt McGrane

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    1. Hi Matt

      Thanks a lot for the nice comment.
      I hope it will make me smile whenever I use it, but like I told Brian, I have a bad habit of putting nice tools away and only saving them for Sunday work. So I will probably end up using my regular old Bedrock No 4 plane just as I normally do. But I suppose that I could try to change my ways of working.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  4. Sailors rule and there isn't nothing we can't do once we put to sea. Impressive work, congrats.

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    1. Hi Ralph.

      Thanks for the nice and true words.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  5. That is one sweet looking plane Jonas, hats off!
    My only concern is the used of olive oil, being a vegetable oil it will turn rancid... Mineral oil would had been safer, but heh, you used what you have at sea...
    As Ralph, the underwater sailor said: Sailors rules... the sea not the airspace :-)

    You never cease to amaze me... Bravo Zul;u

    Bob, scratching Rudy ears, sipping coffee

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    1. Hi Bob

      Thanks. I hope the olive oil wont start to smell or decompose, but I doubt that it will.
      I think I am going to give the plane some linseed oil or some paste wax once I get home.

      The problem with mineral oil is that there are so many additives in it today, and some of them might not be that fine for the health.

      Brgds
      Jonas (who will be scratching Berthas ears in about a weeks time)

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  6. Congratulation, very nice plane.
    What thread did you use for the adjuster (left/right - pitch).
    Sylvain

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    1. Hi Sylvain
      Thanks a lot.
      For the adjuster I used regular right hand thread. M8 on the large part and inside that there is M5. The small threaded rod on the retaining ring is also M5, so when the large rod is advanced by turning the knob clockwise, the smaller rod is screwed furter in. and the total advancement is the difference in the pitch of the two threads.
      M5 = 0.8 mm/turn
      M8 = 1.25 mm/turn
      So one full turn of the adjusting knob/screw will advance the blade 0.45 mm.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  7. Looks great! I hope it does see some use, and I think you are right that it would be easier to do than at home. An infill has long been on my to-do list and it just keeps getting put off, especially as my supply of tools has fewer holes in it, there is not really a "need" and just a desire to have done it at some point (but not actually to do it)

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    1. Hi Jeremy

      Thanks a lot.
      At home there are simply so many other things that would be fun or interesting to build and probably also some on the "honey do" list.
      Some of the pages I read about building an infill plane suggested that you should start out with something small and not too complicated, but as usual I ignore that kind of advice. Though I can see the sense in that kind of advice now.
      I guess I have the same feeling about building a boat. I would really like to do it, but I haven't really got the need for it.
      Brgds
      Jonas

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  8. Replies
    1. Thanks Bill

      I think the wood really stod out once it got a bit of oil.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  9. The dovetailing is necessary for a brass/steel plane and is part of the fun even for an all steel one. But what about using an U metallic profile for an infill plane?
    Sylvain

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    1. Hi Sylvain

      I think it is a very viable route to do that. I actually looked in our stock when starting the build, but we didn't have any U profile.
      Technically you could also use a square profile, and saw of the top. But our only piece of that profile is a 4x4" square piece. And that would be much too large for me.

      Silver soldering or brazing could also be an option, but it requires a bit more equipment and I am not really convinced that there would be a huge benefit compared to regular dovetailing. And besides I think that dovetailing looks good.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  10. Before you put it in a drawer (in the Sunday Tools Cabinet?), send it to me. :O) Just Kidding. That is absolutly stunning.

    Sure you want to come back to the cold?

    Cheers
    Pedder

    Cheers
    Pedder

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    1. Hi Pedder.

      Hmmm, sending it away also seems kind of tough considered all the time I have spent on making it. But I know that it would find a good home in your workshop :-)

      Yes I really want to come back to the cold weather - and to a nice fluffy dog. It is too hot and humid for me down here.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  11. Some future day a tool collector will try to puzzle out just what fine tool maker created this tool and search in vain for another

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    1. Hi Jerry

      Thanks for the nice comment.
      There might be a bit of confusion since I have used an old E.A. Berg iron for the plane. So perhaps there will be some discussions regarding why the plane says 2017, when the iron clearly is a lot older.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  12. Wow, I am completely shamed! You did that so quickly and with such a beautiful result! Here I haven't even gotten started yet. Amazing work, you should be proud!

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    1. Hi Kevin

      Thanks a lot for the nice comment.
      I think that my build confirms your original ideas about thinking and planning the position of the holes very carefully before drilling them.
      I had to plug one set of holes, and the cross bar for the lever cap was originally not the plan. Instead I had planned for some screws to come in from the sides of the lever cap. But it ended up nice and it is working.

      You shouldn't feel bad about this seemingly fast build. Out here while at work, I have no obligations to tuck in the children for the night, walk the dog, help with preparing food or general cleaning or other things that I normally do while at home.
      So nobody will frown at me working a couple of hours each evening after supper.
      Such a stunt is much harder to pull off while at home.

      I found that once I got to the woodworking I became a bit more eager to work on the project. Making the totes and the infills were much more interesting to me than completing the metal work.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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