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My first hand made plane

Project by GaryK posted 657 days ago 2013 views 6 times favorited 46 comments Add to Favorites Watch

Well, this is my first attempt to make a hand plane. This is the end result and I will make a blog on exactly
how I made it.

I used hard maple for the sides, sepele on the inside, and cumaru for the sole.

Now cumaru (aka Brazilian Teak) is a interesting wood. It is very hard. It feels like wax, and is real slippery.
I think that it would make an excellent sole for planes. We shall see how it works.

I will give more details when I blog it.

Wood is judged by Janka hardness scale. Here are some examples:

cherry 950
beech 1300
white oak 1360
wenge 1630
padauk 1725
cumaru 3540
lignum vitae 4500

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.


46 comments so far

View Jeff's profile

Jeff

997 posts in 993 days


posted 657 days ago

Pretty slick (no pun intended), Gary. Can’t wait to read the blog.

How was it to cut the joints for the sole to the body?

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

View Max's profile

Max

14540 posts in 1172 days


posted 657 days ago

Very nice. That is some pretty fancy joinery on the sole. I will be looking forward to hearing how that was done in the blog. Nice work.

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7675 posts in 1117 days


posted 657 days ago

Wow, looks great and you’ve piqued my interest in that cumaru!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View sharad's profile

sharad

721 posts in 703 days


posted 657 days ago

Unbelievable work. Data on the hardness scale is very interesting. How is it done and is data available for other woods like Burma Teak, Oak etc. Eagerly waiting for your blog.
Sharad

-- patanjali

View mrtrim's profile

mrtrim

1698 posts in 779 days


posted 657 days ago

great looking plane gary ! they build a lot of decks and docks with cumaru around here , its a bit hard on the equipment though

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9549 posts in 887 days


posted 657 days ago

You can check out the hardness of various wood here:

Flooring wood
http://www.countyfloors.com/about_janka.html

Others
http://www.sizes.com/units/janka.htm

This guy sells cumaru on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/EXOTIC-WOOD-LUMBER-CUMARU_W0QQitemZ140203169160

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View WhiskeyWaters's profile

WhiskeyWaters

94 posts in 705 days


posted 657 days ago

Great lookin’ plane Gary. I hope the blog shows how to do the joinery on the sole, it looks great.

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1767 posts in 896 days


posted 657 days ago

Looks like it’s going to be a user and a keeper…

What are the dimensions – and which wood is the steel and which the bronze? Also, did you forge that iron last night? Smiley goes here.

Where did the iron come from? I can wait for the blog if I have to…

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

View Lakey's profile

Lakey

99 posts in 671 days


posted 657 days ago

Beautiful job, Gary – the dovetailed sole is fantastic. Are you taking orders?

-- "No Board Left Behind"

View Recycler's profile

Recycler

40 posts in 663 days


posted 657 days ago

The wood selection makes for a beautiful plane. It’s got a vaguely sportscar-ish look to my eye.

The iron is interesting. It looks like a very thick iron with no chip breaker. If that’s the case, PLEASE tell me the source!

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

3427 posts in 963 days


posted 657 days ago

Gary, you certainly are giving ECE a run for the money. Nicely joined sole and a beautiful plane. Can’t wait for the blog.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

View Greg Salata's profile

Greg Salata

85 posts in 661 days


posted 657 days ago

Looking forward to the blog as well.

Tell us about the iron.

View Blake's profile

Blake

2764 posts in 773 days


posted 657 days ago

That’s awesome, Gary!

Thanks for the Janka scale info, very interesting.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

View Scott Bryan's profile (online now)

Scott Bryan

20783 posts in 721 days


posted 657 days ago

This is a nice plane.

You simply just couldn’t go out and buy a Lie-Nielsen or Veritas could you? Up to now they have been pretty much the benchmark plane series. Now it appears as if they are going to have trouble matching up to the Kemper line.

I like your choice of woods and thanks for info on the cumaru. I have always called it brazillian teak since I am dealing with leftover flooring and this is the term that flooring manufacturers have given it. But cumaru is the proper name.

A blog on this construction would be interesting. I would love to see the woodworking on the sole as well.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

11335 posts in 773 days


posted 657 days ago

Do you ever make anything that doesn’t look great? Nevermind…, retracting the dumb question.

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

3710 posts in 878 days


posted 657 days ago

Nice job Gary.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

View Les Hastings's profile

Les Hastings

953 posts in 672 days


posted 657 days ago

Very nice Gary, excellant!

-- Les, Wichita, Ks. (I'd rather be covered in saw dust!)

View Gary's profile

Gary

446 posts in 1223 days


posted 657 days ago

Great work Gary. You don’t mess around on anything you do.
That’s been on my list of things to make for too long. It’s a long list.

-- Gary, Florida

View DAN 's profile

DAN

6461 posts in 882 days


posted 657 days ago

another wonderful project. tight, crisp and sweet

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

View griff's profile

griff

941 posts in 661 days


posted 657 days ago

great looking plane Gary, I`ve yet to make a plane or even learn how to use one.

-- Mike, Bruce Mississippi = Jack of many trades master of none

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

7356 posts in 1146 days


posted 657 days ago

Again, great job Gary, you are setting the benchmark pretty much for everything around here, even small wooden boxes. mike, no offense Don.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

View Daren Nelson's profile

Daren Nelson

536 posts in 804 days


posted 657 days ago

That is indeed a nice plane. Good work.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

View USCJeff's profile

USCJeff

901 posts in 967 days


posted 657 days ago

Still salivating. Gotta try this.

-- Jeff, South Carolina

View USCJeff's profile

USCJeff

901 posts in 967 days


posted 657 days ago

I’ll add to my previous in seconding Scott. A how-to blog would be well read

-- Jeff, South Carolina

View sharad's profile

sharad

721 posts in 703 days


posted 656 days ago

Garyk, thank u for the information on hardness testing of wood
Sharad

-- patanjali

View mjlauro's profile

mjlauro

239 posts in 660 days


posted 656 days ago

Unbelievable Gary. My first hand made plane sits high on a shelf out of view. In fact my first attempt was so discourageing I put off trying again. Beautiful work I’m inspired to give it another shot, Thank You.

View Davesfunwoodworking's profile

Davesfunwoodworking

259 posts in 774 days


posted 656 days ago

Very nice Gary. Great job. I like it alot.

-- Davesfunwoodworking

View daltxguy's profile

daltxguy

568 posts in 813 days


posted 656 days ago

Beautiful work, Gary!
Interesting about the Janka scales. Unfortunately they don’t list any of the woods I have access to. I’ll have to look around and see how it compares to some of the NA/other imported species. I’ve always wanted to make a plane so I’ll be interested to find out as well as interested in reading more about how you made the plane.

-- Steve, New Zealand, www.steveracz.com

View Grumpy's profile

Grumpy

14932 posts in 750 days


posted 656 days ago

Sounds like a great choice of wood Gary.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

View MarkWilk's profile

MarkWilk

183 posts in 775 days


posted 654 days ago

very nice, and I can’t wait for the blog.

-- Mark, Florida, http://penturner.wordpress.com/

View jackd942's profile

jackd942

33 posts in 710 days


posted 654 days ago

Nice plane Gary…been thinking about making a plane myself. Be glad to read the blog.

-- --Jack D - Southeast Missouri -- http://deltawoodworks.com

View grovemadman's profile

grovemadman

558 posts in 671 days


posted 654 days ago

Can’t wait to read the blog – when can we expect it to be posted? I have been wanting to build one of these for a long time. Great job!

-- --Chuck

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9549 posts in 887 days


posted 654 days ago

It’s already done: http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/GaryK/blog/3460

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View USCJeff's profile

USCJeff

901 posts in 967 days


posted 652 days ago

THe janka info is interesting. I’ve got a pocket reference with the scale in it. I hadn’t used it too much, but it is good to know.

-- Jeff, South Carolina

View Billp's profile

Billp

335 posts in 1099 days


posted 650 days ago

Gary I’m not over your box of drawers and the bird cage yet. Can wait to see the blog, great work as usual.

-- Billp

View aaronmolloy's profile

aaronmolloy

117 posts in 679 days


posted 642 days ago

Good work gary your quite the craftsman

-- A. Molloy

View ShannonRogers's profile

ShannonRogers

370 posts in 687 days


posted 642 days ago

Gary,
Can’t wait to see the blog. I have had a block of Lignum hanging around my shop for a few years now and I was thinking that a plane sole might be a good use for it. I have no idea where to begin.

-- Check out my blog and podcast "The Renaissance Woodworker" at www.rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9549 posts in 887 days


posted 642 days ago

Already done. It starts here:

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/GaryK/blog/3460

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View PanamaJack's profile

PanamaJack

4447 posts in 976 days


posted 642 days ago

Watta job Gary. Just great wood working art.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

View Blake's profile

Blake

2764 posts in 773 days


posted 642 days ago

This is great Gary, I think I’m gonna make one of these soon.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

View Dusty56's profile

Dusty56

3502 posts in 587 days


posted 578 days ago

beautiful craftsmanship….are you going to put any finish on it ? Love to see the color change if you do !

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

View manilaboy's profile

manilaboy

122 posts in 834 days


posted 577 days ago

Galing!!

-- "Real jocks do it on a bench"

View Beginningwoodworker's profile

Beginningwoodworker

4231 posts in 572 days


posted 525 days ago

Thats a nice looking plane.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

View Moai's profile

Moai

721 posts in 292 days


posted 200 days ago

I know you post this project 457 days ago Gary, but it’s a beautifull plane!
I just ordered a Hock Iron + chip breaker + Krenov plans and I am going to give it a try.

-- Francisco Luna, San Francisco Bay Area.

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9549 posts in 887 days


posted 200 days ago

Moai – Keep us posted on your progress, and post it when you are done.

Good luck.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

17138 posts in 476 days


posted 200 days ago

As usual super well done, very nice palne .Quality your middle name

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

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