LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

The infill on these planes is **************************************** eucalyptus, though the character of the wood is so different in each that you might not know it. Ron Hock supplies my irons, but I do everything else in making my planes.

I also follow my own nose in designing them, as you probably guess, and I readily acknowledge that my nose doesn't take me down the pathways of traditional plane makers. I also acknowledge the risks inherent in the design of these planes: Drop one of these babies and you might crack the bun or even lose that lovely fillip on the tote that sits so nicely on the web between thumb and first finger when you work this plane.

I have no idea where I got the idea for the bun. I only know I don't like the knobs I see on most ordinary planes, and the word "clunky" comes to mind when I think of the buns on Norris infills. As for that lovely fillip, I can tell you that my wife and I spend Sunday afternoons at a particular spot on the ocean just north of our home on the central coast of California, watching the shorebirds skitter over the wet sands looking for their afternoon snacks.

What do shorebirds have to do with anything here? Take another look at that fillip. Can you see the head and bill of maybe a avocet (that is, one with a short bill)? How about a godwit, also with a short, upturned bill? How about a lowly duck?

I call these planes my shorebird planes.

Gallery

Comments

· Registered
Joined
·
2,217 Posts
That's is a damn beautiful plane, wish I had one in my shop. Never seen eucalyptus like that, it looks good. How are the sides attached to the sole? The brass lever cap and pin outlines look great, too.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
7,457 Posts
Impressive to say the least, keep doing the good work!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
2,600 Posts
Oh my.

I'm usually not at a loss for words.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
17 Posts
No need for a blade. These are just too darn beautiful to use. Thanks for allowing us to see your meticulous work.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
2,789 Posts
Very very nice work, sculpture for the hands to use !
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
3,537 Posts
Yes that's a real beauty. I love the design.Might I recommend you to study a few German European plane design as your work shows a sign of that kind of influence.Not exactly but heck you might enjoy looking at their designs of handplanes.I bought quite a few over the years from Germany myself and am most impressed.Your plane here is tip top Brother simply beautiful workmanship and design. Alistair
 

· Registered
Joined
·
841 Posts
Outstanding! Beautifully crafted.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
9 Posts
Wow. Many thanks, folks. I made my first plane two years ago last January, and I've done nothing but make one plane after the other since then - 30, maybe 40 planes in all, many of them still on a shelf in my shop marked "This is how you don't do thus stuff, bub."

The sides and base are 1/4 inch mild steel joined with dovetails and 1/8 inch round steel pins driven through the sides into the sole as well, though the pins probably constitute over-engineering. Each joint is peened and filed twice, maybe three times in what machinists used to call "cold welding." The amazing thing is that steel flows like water, given time and the push of the ball peen hammer, and the joints disappear.

I have the basic shape cut on a water jet, but with the exception of the irons - Ron Hock specials - I do everything else in making a plane. I do love the things - the heft, the feel, the sound of the iron on wood, the gossamer shavings curling up out of the mouth.

I'm about half done with another No. 4 with a black acacia infill, and I'm toying with the idea of making a matched set of three planes - a No. 3, 4 and 5 - out of the same wood. That would be a tall order, and I'm not sure I'm ready for it quite yet.

We'll see. Meantime, many thanks for the kind words.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
9 Posts
RussinMichigan - Here are two pix of shavings measuring 0.0015. The infill on this plane is black walnut ebonized via the vinegar-and-steel wool method.

Alistair - Interesting that you find traces of German plane making in my work. Tell me more.


 

Attachments

· Registered
Joined
·
9 Posts
Bieser - Not sure whether the rules will let me answer your question.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
9 Posts
Bieser - No can do, apparently, until I have five posts under my belt. You can reach me via my website www.juanvergara.net.

Hope I'm not breaking the rules with this.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
5,968 Posts
Wow! Absolutely gorgeous. Don't even know what else to say.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
647 Posts
Those planes are beautiful. Nice work.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
657 Posts
Wow, great looking planes. I think it is great that they are different from most planes. Could you post a blog showing your build process?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
9 Posts
Julian - That's a good idea. I'm about half way done with a plane for a client back East and am about to order steel for three more planes, so the timing might be good. Thanks for the suggestion, and stay tuned.
 
Top