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With the demise of Shepherd Tools recently it is felt that there is still a demand for Infill planes in component form.<!—-> <!—->
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Having spoken with Karl on this subject I discovered he has been looking at doing this for some considerable time. Before such a project is embarked upon there is a need to do a bit of research and gauge just how popular these will be.<!—-> <!—->
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It is proposed that there will be 3 component planes<!—-><!—->
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A…… thumb sized plane. <!—-><!—->
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B…… Smoother Plane. probably an A13 <!—-><!—->
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C……Panel Plane….either a 15 ½” or 17 ½”<!—-><!—->
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All 3 planes will be available in kit form or as separate components, leaving adjusters as optional. No timber infill parts will be provided. All customers will receive General arrangement drawings, templates and instructions along with the components.<!—-> <!—->
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All components will be made at a high standard of accuracy not yet achieved in this format. <!—-> <!—->
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The product is aimed at the competent woodworker and they will be able to build it without any machines. This means sides with holes already drilled, profiled and bevelled; dovetails with no more work other than peining; and the bottoms complete with frog already in situ and machined with mouth. The adjuster, if purchased, will be complete.<!—-><!—->
The planes will be stamped with Karls initials and the blades will be standard issue with the Holtey logo <!—-><!—->
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The pricing will be slightly above than that set by the defunct Shepherd tools but still be accessible making it a viable project. <!—-> <!—->
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It’s still early stages as yet and feedback would be appreciated. It is planned that there will be the smoother plane available for delivery before Christmas. They will only be sold off the shelf, no deposit will be required and customers will only be charged once product is ready for dispatch. <!—-> <!—->
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Regards<!—-> <!—->
Ian<!—-><!—->
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Replies
Ian,
A Holtey DIY infill???? Too cool!! Great idea!
James
I hope so James
regards
Ian
I hope this works out; I'd be interested in both the panel plane and the smoother.
James
I'd be interested in the smoother and possibly the panel plane.
thanks houston heights
regards
Ian
I'd consider the thumb plane. I built the smoother and panel from Shepard.
In terms of price, some part of the Shepard price was the milled wood, so, hopefully just the metal could be a bit cheaper.
Please contact via this forum if this develops into a reality. I would be interested in the smoothing plane in kit or component form, but would be hesitant to scratch-build the same. The opportunity to have this quality of components and proper instructions would be very attractive.
Thanks handrubbed....at present we are guaging if theres a big enough market....Karl is also looking at another website which will have a link from his present one....you will be able to check on progress from this if it gets the go ahead.
regards
Ian
I'd be interest in the thumb plane in about a year, and one a year for the others after that. Good luck!
Mark me down. Very interested!
thanks carney
Currently, a finished Holtey A31 thumb plane is 2250 pounds sterling, that is $4262.00 US dollars. The long plane is $14,552.00. You have to add shipping, insurance, custom duties and maybe import tariffs. There may also be a fee from your bank for an international exchange. A kit may put a Holtey in a few more woodworkers hands. Even in kit form, the planes will still be a significant investment for most. What makes these planes so unique is the adjuster. I would only want one with an adjuster. For actually doing woodwork, I'd be interested in the improved miter and the A13 smoother. For me, these are the two planes where exact precision would be worth the expenditure. My opinion isn't relevant, I would not spend the money for a new LN, let alone a Holtey, to be honest.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Ian,
Can you give us an idea on the pricing? Just an estimate, we won't hold you to it!
Lee
I don't think you'll get a reliable indication of demand or price sensitivity from this forum - some of us are potential customers, many are not, and many of your potential customers are not here!
Shepherd Tool's main attractions were their production standards (which apparently improved as they grew, and which I was quite impressed with when I got my 2 kits), and their price. The first (fit and finish) was probably about right, and the second (price) was probably far too low!
The only test will be to go to market. Good luck. We need a high-standard supplier of kit infill planes. At the right price, I'd be interested!
Malcolm
Thanks Malcolm,
we still have a lot to think about but still optimistic that it can happen.
nice planes by the way ...
Ian
Bit of news,
It is now going to happen......Karl has put up a new page on his website via the projects heading.
I would be grateful if people from here who are interested sign up for his updates.
Thanks to all and we hope to make it work.
regards
Ian
Who is Karl? On what website?
Hilmar
Edited 5/15/2006 8:13 pm ET by h12721
Hi Hilmar,
http://www.holteyplanes.com/
is Karl's web site...
Take care, Mike
Hi handrubbed,
The kit parts will be machined with cnc....this is done not for speed...but for accuracy and repeatability. If you purchased a kit today but never built it for 5 years then damaged a side then we could still supply a side that will have the same fit and accuracy as the original kit . have a look via the projects page
http://www.holteyplanes.com
I have also had a few emails with regards to my involvement with Karl
To avoid any confusion i wish to make my position clear....I am helping with researching,marketing, promoting, and with the build instructions of the componet planes.
The component planes will be designed and manufactured entirely by Karl Holtey
hope this clears up any confusion
Ian Dalziel
I guess a few of us were wondering, Ian.
All I can say is ... well done! I wish I had an Ian Dalziel nearby!
Malcolm
I'm encouraged to see that you have decided to offer at least one model for late 2006 delivery. I would like to venture one question regarding component parts. Would it be a heresy to use CNC machining techniques to replicate the needed metal parts in quantity? I realize we are talking about hand tools here. But in kit form, the components would appear to be straight forward machining operations. Perhaps this approach would have no appeal to Mr. Holtey.
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