Replies

1. 
   dirtstirrer | Mar 08, 2004 10:43pm | #1

   Scott,

   Why not a wooden molding plane? 

   Steve
1. 
   ScottInMadtown | Mar 09, 2004 12:11am | #2

   Dirt Stirrer,

   Welllll.....I've never made a wooden molding plane before for starters.  Secondly, I'd like to get this toy box done this century vs. next.

   What books can you recommend for creating wooden molding planes?  Would the plane need to be a skewed blade plane for cutting through the end grain, similar to a panel raising plane?

   Scott

1. 
   dirtstirrer | Mar 09, 2004 02:06am | #3

   Scott,

   Well, I bet you wouldn't have to make one from scratch.  A set of hollows and rounds will do practically any profile you could imagine.  You don't need the whole set of course for one profile.  No, you don't need a skew bladed molder for most profiles.  You do need a sharp edge and a light cut, you'll find the standard blade geometry will work fine.  What profile are you making?

   I get my molders mostly from estate auctions, antique shops and Ebay.  They are not too expensive, from those sources.  If you want the best stuff, try this http://www.planemaker.com .

   I've got a book here by John Whelan, called Making Traditional Wood Planes, that is interesting. Might be helpful.  I remember a thread a while back where Larry Williams listed a few books.  Try a search through the archives for plane making.  I don't make my own, but I sure prefer them over routers.

   Give me an idea of the profile you're cutting and I might be able to help you out with some sizes of hollows or rounds.Steve

1. 
   ScottInMadtown | Mar 09, 2004 05:06am | #4

   Steve,

   Here is a CAD picture of the profile.  It's about 1inch by 1inch.  As you can see there is a step, then a cove, then a step, to a ogee or I guess it would be a cyma something, and finally a round on the bottom.  What do you think?

   Scott

   
1. 
   dirtstirrer | Mar 09, 2004 09:45am | #5

   Scott,

    

   Well you certainly didn't pick the easiest one, but did a crown molding on a secretary looking pie safe not too long ago, that bears a striking resemblance to your molding set on edge and scaled up.  Here's how I did mine. 

    

   First, using the table saw or a narrow plow plane, establish those "steps".  Just cut from the surface of the board to the depth.  Next, tip the board onto its edge and make a cut to set a constant thickness of the nose of the profile.  OK, here's were it gets fun.  Get out your smallish round, like a 1/2", and go to work on that little quarter profile.  You can tilt the plane at a 45 degree cant, and use the top of the second saw kerf as your guide.  Cut down to the right depth, leaving those little flats in place to give you the steps, oh, might want to practice first. Now go with a cyma curve plane, grain direction would determine whether you choose recta or reversa.  Once you get the cyma done, finish the nose with a 3/8" hollow, or a nosing plane. 

    

   I made it sound a lot more complicated then it is.  I've also cut cyma curves using a big set of hollows and rounds, probably 1" or so in this case, and just eyeballing the position of the transition.  Not mathematically correct I suppose, but it looks just fine. 

    

   Most plane makers I know of, use their own unique numbering system, so the dimension is the radius of the arc, with a hollow or round cutting about 60 degrees of an arc. Cutting your maple won't be easy, but it'll be faster then you might expect.  To do your endgrain, make sure your planes are very sharp, and take a light pass. Best part?  No sanding!!! 

    

   There are a lot of people in this forum who have far more experience and knowlege then I do, so if any of you see errors in my approach, please let us know!

    

    Steve