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I wanted a Infill but could not afford one and metal is really not my specialty. The answer was to take a $2.50 knock off Stanley # 4 and grind out the guts and stuff it with Mahogany. I bought a cheep tapp and die set and a small amount of 1/2" thick brass for $5 and made the lever cap with a stationary belt sander. The Brass is fairly soft and was easy to shape with only sand paper and a 1/2 round file. I tapped a 1/2" hole thought he top center for the cap screw, which is a stainless steel bolt with the top ground round. I tapped two holes into the sides of the cap and tapped it with 1/8" tapp and took 1/4" brass rod chucked it in the drill press and filed one end down so that it could be threaded. I used a hacksaw to cut a slot in the lever cap screws for easy removal.

I shaped the infill and clamped it in plane and then drilled and tapped it through the sides and attached it with 1/4" brass screws. I tapered the tops of the holes to allow the heads of the Screws to seat right in but I left them proud so that I could sand/file them flush with the sides and remove the screw head. They were pretty tight but I epoxy them in anyway so they would not come loose.

The blade is O1 tool steel I got from a friend that works at a machine shop. it is 3/16" thick and ground at 30 degrees and bedded at 55 degrees for tough grain and overall smoothing.

The hardest part was the bed for the blade and getting it perfect along with the holes in the sides for the Lever cap, which you can see I screw up by the elongated holes. Oh well next time it will be better.

It is very heavy compared to what I started with, but the heft helps with the momentum of the plane and it cut very nicely. I chose not to use an adjustor as it is intended to take very light shavings and once it is set up it most likely not be changed.

Hope you like and as always all questions and comments are welcome.

Thanks for looking.

Gallery

Comments

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Boy O Boy, talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear!
Kid, you could go in to business doing that!
That thing is a beauty and I bet you get a ton of use out of it.
Nice Job !!!
 

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Very nice job, good use of old tools.
I have a couple old stanleys laying around that may just be on the list
 

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Wow! That is a gorgeous plane you have made for yourself. It looks like it would be quite comfortable to use.

Great Job!
 

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Very nice. Are you sure that was a Stanley knockoff. It looks like it was a Stanley Handyman not that it had any value…it looks plenty valuable now. Great work.
 

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That looks like a plane I can use. It looks inviting to the touch and I bet it would suite its purpose well.
 

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I'm so glad I found these pics! I've been wanting to do that for a very long time, maybe now I'll attempt it. Great job!
 

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What a superb idea - beautifully executed Adam. Thanks for sharing it.
 

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Hi Adam,
Thats really a wonderful job you have done. I'm deeply impressed.
Can you tell me what the advantage of a infill plane are compared to a 'normal' no.4 plane?
Best thoughts, and deep respect,
MaFe
 

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for one who doesn't like to work with metal, you do a very nice job.
 

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I second that! Your metal work is beautiful and I wouldn't even attempt that!
 

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Mafe, some of the advantages are Mass. Tight mouth. Thick iron. Solid bedding. 55-degree bed angle for gnarly grain and it Looks cool.
 

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Impressive!
 

· In Loving Memory
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Extremely well done Adam, and clever thinking too.
 

· In Loving Memory
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wonderful workmanship ,and looks beautiful too you're a genius alistair
 

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I don´t know how I ever missed this
but DAMM it looks good for a first shot except for the few minors you say
hope it will serve you well
and good luck with the next planes you make

Dennis
 

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saweeeeeet looken plane.
 

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Great idea and superb execution!

I have a couple that will benefit from like treatment.

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