Pictures are better than words when it comes to describing how to make something. So yesterday, I made a curved sole finger plane, keeping a camera within reach to record each step. I hope these photographs will be a useful supplement to the written instructions in my last post. Read across the rows to stay in sequence and click on any of the thumbnails for a larger view and (sometimes) more detailed comments.
-
- Quarter sawn block of elder
-
- Lignum vitae
-
- Blade
-
- One flat surface on each block
-
- Gluing the two together
-
- Flattening the back of the blade
-
- Block planed square on all sides
-
- Sliced into a sandwich
-
- Checking the width of the middle of the sandwich
-
- Marking for the saw cuts
-
- Middle layer sawn
-
- How it goes back together
-
- How it goes back together (2)
-
- Glueing it back together
-
- Re-assembled and glued
-
- Planing the sole
-
- Making a wedge
-
- Positioning the crossbar
-
- Drilling for the crossbar
-
- Drilled
-
- Turning the crossbar
-
- Checking with the blade and wedge
-
- Crossbar installed and glued
-
- Shaping the top (1)
-
- Shaping the top (2)
-
- Shaping the sole
-
- Shaped sole
-
- Adjusting the mouth
-
- Curving the cutting edge of the blade
-
- Trying it out
-
- Finalising the shaping of the top and throat
-
- Carving the wedge
-
- Cutting excess length from the blade
-
- The three parts finished
-
- … and assembled
-
- Testing
-
- Tight mouth
-
- The finished plane
Finely Strung 