Derek:
I finally got some time to piece together a jack plane. Mine isn’t nearly as refined as yours, but it does the job. It is 16″ long with a 2″ wide Hock double iron that I put a 10″ radius on. In initial use the plane took almost identical shavings to my scrub plane so I rehoned the iron to flatten the bevel out some. Much better, now it takes thick wide shavings. I don’t have any rough saw boards that need dressing at the moment, but I think this plane will be a time saver over my scrub plane. I decided to go with a closed tote for two reasons, strength and it gives my index finger a place to rest. The plane really isn’t much to look at, might have looked better if the tote were open. I originally planned to put a Ron Brese iron in it, but I just didn’t feel this plane would do Ron’s iron justice.
gdblake
Replies
I see this is addressed to Derek but hope you don't mind me askin' what wood did you use for body and tote ?
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Roc:
The plane stock is eucalyptus and the tote is Brazilian cherry. Depending on which variety, Eucalyptus is a member of either the myrtle or gum family. I bought the wood about nine years ago to make several planes that were given as gifts. I had just enough left to make this plane. The wood has become brittle and didn't work as nicely as it did nine years ago. Freshly planed this eucalyptus has a pinkish color, but changes to an orange-tan with several days exposure to sunlight.
gdblake
The plane stock is eucalyptus
Hi Gregory
Yep, thought so. It is a gum and a close cousin to Tasmanian Oak or, Victorian Ash, as it is also called in Australia.
I am presently building a wardrobe out of Tassie Oak. It is a medium hard wood, cheapish here, but hard to work as it often has striations of soft, reversing grain. What is your gum like to work?
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek:
I honestly can't say. Other than this eucalyptus, I don't think I have worked with any other species of gum. Most of my work has been in oak, walnut, cherry, birch, maple, or pine. When I was young we built cabinets and bookcases out of what was called cabinet grade pine. It had narrow, close growth rings that generally worked well. The boards we used in shop were all either quarter or rift sawn, heavier and darker in color (sort of a tan) than the pine I see today. It also was knot free. I have been told it was prabably a species of fir that we used then and not a true pine. That could be, but the wood wasn't prone to splitting like any fir I have worked, planed very cleanly even on endgrain and was heavier in weight. On some of it the resin growth rings became very brittle if the wood wasn't worked soon enough. The wood also darkened with age, looking very much like the eucalyptus I made my plane out of. Perhaps it was actually some species of gum.
gdblake
Hi Gregory
That is a wonderful plane! It looks balanced. I like the closed tote (and time will tell whether I should have done the same for mine).
Like roc, I am curious about the wood. It looks so much like Tasmanian Oak (of course it cannot be), which is not an oak but a gum (the early colonial woodworkers in Australia search for familiar species, or something that they could use as a replacement of their home countries). Perhaps you have a wood I can use for comparison?
This is from a current project..
View Image
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek:
The plane stock is made from the same stash of eucalyptus that I made my razee jointer out of several years ago. It was very disappointing to work with. It has become brittle and would not yield a crisp mouth or chamfers like it did nine years ago when I bought the wood. The plane is a little toe heavy, but that seems to work in its favor as a hogging plane. I need to get some rough sawn boards and give the plane a good workout before I'll know if I'm happy with it or not. I do think it would look better if I had made it a razee like my jointer. I am very happy with the tote however. I borrowed the pattern for it from Handplane Centrals' main page. It is the tote shown on the infill panel plane. The tote is very comfortable and I like the "Old World" look of it.
The 2" iron I bought from Ron Brese is a really nice piece of steel. It is hard and polished up to take a very keen edge. I haven't decided, but I will either make a smoother or a panel plane for it. It will have to wait though until I can come up with a plane design that suits my fancy.
gdblake
Tasmanian Oak (of course it cannot be),
I can get some here at my local supplier here in Chicago Illinois USA. Not many sticks but they look nice. I have no idea what to look for if it good or bad wood! OWL Hardwoods... A PLUG FOR THEM.. Very nice folks to deal with... I love em!
I think I mostly like that they have MANY MANY sticks OF Many different woods marked with the price to pay.. OK, some junk wood...
Des Plaines
926 S. GracelandDes Plaines, Illinois 60016847.824.5025
Purchaser beware? Hardly.. And Graceland.. They never told me Elvis blessed the wood in here! :>)
Edited 10/9/2009 4:57 am by WillGeorge
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