The Brese Small Smoother Kit

derekcohen | Posted in Hand Tools on June 28, 2009 04:27am

I have included below blog links to articles on building this smoother kit. They documents the steps I followed, the modifications required, and the construction.

It covers three sessions in my workshop. You will either find it riveting .. or fall asleep! 🙂 …. well it has been slow on the handtools forum …. 🙂

Ron Brese makes wonderful planes, and his kits are just as great. This plane is based on Karl Holtey’s S11 …

View Image

That’s the Holtey by the way … do you think I would show you mine and spoil the surprise? 🙂

One of the nice things about a kit is that you can modify them to reflect your own idea of what it should look like. So ….

Make a Plane from a Kit: Brese Small Smoother – beginnings

The Brese Small Smoother Kit: Session Two

The Brese Small Smoother Kit – Final Build Session

All comments and questions welcomed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Replies

Masrol | Jun 28, 2009 04:36pm | #1
Very nicely done.

Thanks for sharing with us.

masrolsumairi
flairwoodworks | Jun 28, 2009 09:08pm | #2
Derek,

Nice work. I especially appreciated the details of deciding how to "finish" the ebony.

Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
and now www.flairwoodworks.com)

- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Jimma | Jun 28, 2009 10:30pm | #3
What is included in a kit, in particular, is the metalwork done?

Oops -- just noticed your links which explain my interest.

Edited 6/28/2009 3:32 pm ET by Jimma
gdblake | Jun 30, 2009 03:05pm | #4
Derek:

I read through all three articles. Nice job on the Brese kit, you are a lucky dog! I got to try out Ron's planes during the Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event in Cincinnati. The small smoothing plane is not at all uncomfortable even with the infill being flat across the top. I think your domed top is an enhancement though. Ron's planes work extremely well. His were the first infills I've gotten to use that I thought were worth the price. A kit from Ron Brese would be a nice way to acquire an infill.

For those of us on a more limited budget Ron Hock offers sort of an all wooden version of this same style of plane as a kit. http://hocktools.com/KF175.htm . At the same event, I used a plane Ron Hock had made from one of his kits and was really taken with it. It was very comfortable in the hand and worked flawlessly. It was shaped just like the sample pic on Hock's website, just a glued up block of wood.

gdblake