Woodworking, tools and general DIY
While researching plane makers, I came across an old article from someone claiming to have invented double bevelling plane irons , which most people would call a back bevel today: I’m sceptical he invented the idea, although it is possible. It seems more likely he improved it by using think cast steel irons instead soldered … Continue reading...
Happy Christmas everyone! For a while now I’ve been working on a database / wiki of plane makers. The goal is to create a fast, easily searchable database of every plane maker, past and present, from all over the world that is completely free to use. It has taken a lot of time but the … Continue reading...
I recently aquired a plough plane with arms that had definitely seen better days. Both arms had snapped at some point and were barely holding together. The initial plan was to repair them, but given how they snapped, it’s questionable if glue alone would hold up to the various strains the arms will be placed … Continue reading...
I recently acquired another oilstone. Like so many old oilstones it was covered grim, so much so that it was hard to tell what it was. A small chip on the side was the only clue to what it was. A couple of days soaking in a bucket of water with a dissolved dishwasher tablet … Continue reading...
While doing some research for a project, I came across a newspaper announcement which claimed President Johnson, the ex-president of the United States (1865-1869), had invented a combination plane: Ex-President Johnson has invented a combination plane. – Waverly Watchman 02 Dec 1873 That seemed surprising if true. A look into Andrew Johnson’s background didn’t bring … Continue reading...
This wooden jack plane was in need of a new handle, the original had broken off and been replaced with a crudely made handle that was painful to use. This is not a valuable plane. It looks fairly modern, probably ~60s, and has no maker’s mark. It has little historic or monetary value and is … Continue reading...
Beyond Ballistics recently posted a video about a home-made rust remover: After experimenting with it for a few weeks, I can say it works! Below is a before and after example of de-rusting an Acorn plane: The recipe I used is: After testing with and without surfactant, and I’m not sure it makes much difference. … Continue reading...
I’ve finally got around to making a box for the cleaned up India stone. It’s nothing fancy, just a plain box made from some beech. One thing I do like to do is to make sure the stone is centred in the box, that way the lid will fit perfectly either way around. I also … Continue reading...
Old oil stones are often covered in gunk, so much so that it can be hard to tell what they are. I’ve had some that were so bad that even after scraping as much gunk off as I could, I still couldn’t even tell if they were natural or man-made. I have no idea how … Continue reading...
I recently came across a YouTube video of a massive European-style plane titled “World record – largest plane in the world” which made me curious to learn more. According to Guinness World Records, it was made by Schreinerei Fust who appear to be a Swiss carpentry business and it measured 7.13 x 4.37 x 2.10 m. … Continue reading...