coffin plane query

[Tim_H]

I had a mad ebay moment and as the only bidder I am now the proud but slightly surprised owner of several wooden planes.

There are three moulding planes (one with a broken wedge top), a Jack plane (missing blade and wedge), a jointer plane and two coffin planes.

Having done some reading and YouTube viewing I intend to clean the wood with turpentine and treat with boiled linseed oil and clean up the irons with lot's of hard work! I intend to acquire a new iron and make a new wedge for the Jack plane, any advice on suitable wood?

Any advice welcomed as I am a complete novice when it comes to wooden planes!

My main question is about one of the coffin planes, it has an angled section in front of the mouth, which I thought at first was for an insert to reduce the mouth but the angle is odd. I would like to know if I am missing something? Could it be for a dovetail style insert? Any ideas?

Any help appreciated.

Thank you.

Tim

 

[Carl P]

Beech for the wedges - I use wood from a couple of utterly trashed jack planes I have, and yes, a dovetail style insert for the smoother.

Cheerio,

Carl

 

[bugbear]

My main question is about one of the coffin planes, it has an angled section in front of the mouth, which I thought at first was for an insert to reduce the mouth but the angle is odd. I would like to know if I am missing something? Could it be for a dovetail style insert? Any ideas?

I don't recall the reference at the moment (very old issue of Woodworker, I think) but it's "the other" way of patching the mouth.


The more common way is to chisel and rout (OWT) a mortise, and drop a piece in, but the cut you see on your plane can be made easily with just a saw and chisel, since one has full access. Further, the patch piece can simply be tweaked (and re-tweaked) to fit, since if the piece is cut overlong, you get plenty of "goes" at the job.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

I hope you didn't pay much - they don't seem to be in the best of health!

As said, beech is the ideal wood and a plane that is really past saving can be a good donor of nicely seasoned wood. It's a pity the insert has gone missing from the remouthed smoother but it's a neat way of getting a good fit. You just need to plane a suitable piece into the right dovetailed wedge shape, add glue, knock it in place and trim off the excess.

After that, getting the angles right on a wedge should be easy...

That said, the cheapest source of replacement irons is to buy an old and knackered plane - it would be easier, and probably no dearer, to buy a complete and usable plane.

For using wooden planes, you need to get the grip right, which can feel odd for your left hand if you are only used to gripping the front knob on a Stanley.

These pictures might help. For planing a broad surface, your left hand wraps round the top of the plane:

and to plane an edge your fingers go under the plane as a fence with your thumb on top:

Of course, the proper style of clothing is compulsory... :wink:

 

[Tim_H]

Thank you all for that.

I will get out my waistcoat immediately! I will also amend my planing technique forthwith and follow the instructions (pictures).

I will have a lookout for some beech.


The planes cost me £25 and free postage and they were very, very well wrapped and packaged, for the pleasure of fettling some well used old tools I can think of worst money spent.

The jointer plane I have used this week, I just sharpened the blade and without any great effort it is shaving down the 2x4s that I am making my workbench from. As someone who has not used a hand plane much I can see why you need serious chip extraction for powered planers and thicknessers, you don't half generate some shavings planing!

Thanks again for all the advice.

Tim