Made a stairsaw and a dovetail plane

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

...mmm... I haven't posted any pics of the tools I have made for a while now.

A stairsaw has been on my to-do list for some time. I built this one over the past two weekends, about 6 hours in all.

The drive to build one increased recently after I completed a sliding dovetail plane. These two tools are meant to work hand-in-hand. For those unfamiliar with a stairsaw, they were used to cut the housings for stairs before the advent of the electric router. These days they are used for cutting the sidewalls for dados and sliding dovetails.

I am still in the process of filing the blade (donated by an ex-tenon saw). It is 10 1/2" long. The design allows the blade to extend and retract into the Jarrah body. It should be able to cut a sliding dovetail at least 1" deep.

The design is a little different from the typical stairsaw. Not just that it is very Gothic! I wanted something longer (blades are usually about 6" long) and with a deeper blade to use against a guide (angled for a 1:6 dovetail).

The dovetail plane began life as a very tired and bedragled skew rabbet plane. The inspiration for this plane actually came from the review I wrote on the Veritas Router Plane (where I demoed the router plane's part in creating a sliding dovetail).

This picture was taken pre-nicker (I had yet to add this):

... and these were taken of the nicker in the plane.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks Derek,

I know some of our lot haven't got either of them yet.

I live in a bungalow so stairs are no worry or tools for making them.

Super pictures but had to scroll the screen.

 

[ByronBlack]

Derek, top-work, both tools look fantastic, I especially like the saw! Do you do commision pieces?

 

[Philly]

Lovely work, Derek! the saw is especially pretty (seems to be a lot of that going on at the moment :wink: ).
Cheers
Philly

 

[AndyBoyd]

Stunning, just stunning

I find the few really nice tools I have in my collection, or the ones that were my grandfathers, just inspire me to to tackle beautiful and difficult projects all by themselves, I'm sure these 2 will do the same for you.

Da Iawn (Well done)

 

[Ian Dalziel]

Nice work Derek...I like the length of it as well, and it looks comfy to use. I take it with as much of the blade supported it cuts dead straight.


lovely job


Ian

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Thanks to all for the kind words, especially Byron who wrote

Do you do commision pieces?

:lol: I would starve if I tried to do this professionally! I believe anyone can make just about anything - given enough time. At my pace, however, one does not even entertain the notion of a production line.. :roll:

I think the person to speak to is MikeW. He is the consumate professional with enormous knowledge and great creativity. His prices are very reasonable for the time he puts into his pieces.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Aled Dafis]

Derek

Can you post more details of your dovetail plane as it's something I've been meaning to aquire for some time.

It so happens that I have a "very tired and bedragled skew rabbet plane" that could be modified.

Any info regarding the fence (including mountings) and the re-work of the sole would be most appreciated.

Thanks
Aled

 

[mahking51]

Derek
I second Aled's post above!
Martin

 

[bugbear]

Derek

Can you post more details of your dovetail plane as it's something I've been meaning to aquire for some time.

Aled

You're just hangin' round the wrong forums.

http://nika.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswi ... =1#message

BugBear

 

[Aled Dafis]

Thanks Bugbear