# Making Luthiers Planes Part 1



## duh Padma (Nov 19, 2014)

*Plane makein time*.
These luthier finger planes are a common design, found all over the net.
Here is me quick and dirty version on a brace
shaver, a flat bottom and a curved bottom all from an old Nicholson or Black diamond file. Once you have made these 3, you will know what you need your next ones to be like. Any wood will work, even a 2 x 4 but I suggest a hard wood like maple, here me using birch cuz me haz a block available, but I have made them from all sorts of woods.










So
a chunk of wood, some 1/8 or slightly thicker brass rod and an old
Nicholson or Black Diamond bastard file. Me don't like the new ones as
they are much thinner steel Here is

the layout....





























Cut a center piece slightly thicker than the file width. and two side
about 1/8 thick or thicker. The blade rests on the 45 to 50 degree angle frog block. The other angle don't matter much. Cut out as in pic, glue up and clean up the squeez out.










But
save the triangular cut outs for reinsertion to prevent blow out when
the holes for the rod are drilled. When dried , cut out each plane.










Lay out of hole is about 1/3 from the top edge and about 70 to 80 degree angle up from the bottom were the 45 degree face of the frog meets the
base.




















drill hole the size of your rod...me uses 1/8 inch rod.










Band saw out the shapes you like.









Cut brass rod to length. Tap it through and file or belt sand off. (don't got any rod, use a nail) 



Grind the file into 3 or 4 pieces. Grind one two,
quench 3,4, 5. grind one two, quench 3,4,5,6. grind one two, quench
3,4,5,6,7 and so on. Be very *carefull *not to over heat the file or you
loose the temper.



















the rabbit plane on the left will be covered in some another post










Or
if you want, the file can be annealed, then cut with a hack saw and
filed to final blade shape, but not to the final sharpen as a sharp edge
will tend to crack when hardened. Harden at about 1500 degrees or cherry red , quenched in oil, . Then to bring it up to R60-62, temper in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 min. and cool slowly. Now do your final sharpening and hone them up. All thats a hassle so me just grind the hard file nice and slow.



















Cut a wedge shape piece and file, carve or belt sand into a cone. Round the top. Drill a hole parallel to the blade and insert the cone as a push handle. Or if you got a lathe ...make a nicer one.

Experiment with different wedge angles to hold the blades in place.


Shape two file blanks to a flat edged iron and another into a curved iron. Grind the edges and a portion
of the back and front flat and smooth removing the cross cut teeth of
the file. Grind the other end square Sharpen and hone the two straight
edge irons. Do not sharpen the curved iron just yet. Then cut your wedges to hold the irons. Inset the wedge and iron and test the two brace shavers out. Tapping on the heal with a small hammer will raise the iron, tapping on the toe will lower it. Me usually just bang it down on the bench top to move the iron.


Here in endith part one.


blessings 
duh Padma


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

This is cool!


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Neat! I may have to make some of those.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

That is just too cool, they look like fun to make and even more fun to use.


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

Those look handy. You near Nelson BC?


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## duh Padma (Nov 19, 2014)

Yo, Alchymist congratulations or your map reading.


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