Replies

1. 
   Napie | Oct 10, 2007 06:47pm | #1

   Make one.

2. 
   mwenz | Oct 10, 2007 06:53pm | #2

   Hi Jeff,

   One way for obtaining tapered irons would be to watch eBay for vintage plow irons. Buy the lot (often from a single up to 8).

   For a parallel iron, you can contact someone like Jim Reed to simply make a cutter. His email address is [email protected] 

   Address is:

   Jim Reed
   510 Middlebrooks Circle 
   Tallahassee, FL 32312 

   You will need to discuss the dimensions. So having a working plan of the plane is a good idea.

   Take care, Mike

3. 
   dherzig | Oct 10, 2007 07:02pm | #3

   Toolsfor workingwood or Japan Tool Wood worker sell plough planes and blades.

4. 
   chuckh | Oct 10, 2007 07:12pm | #4

   Jeff,

   You might try "The Old Plane Iron Shop" on ebay.

   -Chuck

    

5. 
   Lataxe | Oct 10, 2007 07:51pm | #5

   Jeff,

   LV possibilities (you'd have to cut the 1 inch rabbet blade down but could maybe make several blades from it).

   http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3&p=46324&cat=1,41182,46334

   http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3&p=57678&cat=1,41182

   There is also a Mujingfang wooden plough plane sold, with either a single 1/4 inch blade or with a set of 5 blades in various widths.  I can't find one on the web after a short search but you might.  They are cheap and the blades are remarkably good (I have one, cost £25 in the UK - $50 - with 5 blades).

   Lataxe

6. 
   alanplanesaw | Oct 10, 2007 10:51pm | #6

   Jeff,

   Have you "talked" to Larry Williams, of Clark and Williams.  Chances are he has them, can definitely make them, may even have such a plane in stock.

   Alan

7. 
   DwightShrute | Oct 11, 2007 12:35am | #7

   If you mean grooves instead of dadoes (with the grain, vice across it), then I would suggest buying a 1/4 inch "Fat Max" chisel from Lowes for $7, grinding the back of it to the thickness that you want on belt sander while the handle is still on, then cutting the handle and whatever extra part of the blade you don't want with a hacksaw or Dremel tool. I have made plow plane blades for the Sanley #50 like this.

   If you're really talking about dadoes, on the other hand, then you're probably going to want a skewed cutter - not as easy an exercise, but do-able with jigs.

   It's the way we do it down on the beet farm.

8. 
   danmart | Oct 12, 2007 04:25pm | #8

   You can buy tool steel from suppliers and experiment with heating, bending and grinding without much expense. Its a good skill and its not that complicated. Most of the annealing and hardening I do is by color. I started out as dummie and now I'm up to happy knucklehead status. This summer I'm on my way back to another blacksmithing conference in an effort to become a journeyman knucklehead.

   MSC sells small pieces of this hard steel called momex. You can buy it in small pieces and make blades quickly. Just grind, polish and fit to your plane.

   Truthfully, I would look around for some old joiner blades, and grind them to shape. Now something to consider: if you are really cheap(like me) and have some time just grab some old useless small files and grind them to a shape you want. They are plenty hard and they hold an edge. I take all my old small triangle file and grind them into engraving tools for brass engraving. They hold a point very well. If you screw up, what have you lost? You will be learning a new skill too.

1. 
   mwenz | Oct 12, 2007 06:06pm | #9

   If rolling one's own smaller cutter, the files do work well. This is a V-groove plane I picked up a while back that someone in ages past used a triangular file to make the iron (craftsman made plane for that matter).

   View Image

   View Image

   The last picture does illustrate that the bed needs to accomodate the file's triangular shape if used.

   It's a good user.

   Take care, Mike

1. 
   danmart | Oct 12, 2007 11:56pm | #10

   That's nice. From the photo it looks like a very steep pitch on the blade setting??

   Dan

1. 
   mwenz | Oct 13, 2007 12:18am | #11

   Hi Dan--thanks. It is steep at 70 degrees. Actually scrapes/cuts well, especially across the grain (obviously). I've used it just on some quirks on moldings I have dabbled at in my spare time. I may have to try making one at a lower pitch. But in really hard woods, even long grain seems to work OK.

   Take care, Mike

9. 
   cowtown | Oct 15, 2007 06:48am | #12

   Why don't you scope out one of the exquiste record, sorby or marples 43 planes, just a tiny device to do precisely what you want, or if yer "murican" inclined, a slightly kludgier stanley 50; the equivalent being the record/marples 44. These English tools are somewhat off the radar of the satanley tool collectors, so my last point of reference is 25 to 35 bucks for one of the 43's

   Not that you couldn't take an old small square file, anneal it,shape it to the size you want, sharpen itup and size it precicesly to yer drawer bottom thickenss (which more than likely ain't precisely 1/4" anyway) , harden it up , hone it up and cut yer own plane body to fit. Varve and decorate as you feel inclined.

   If yer making drawers, then you gotta already have the technology at hand to do this. try it. Make it work.

   Have fun

   Eric in Cowtown