Making Plane Handles

[Mike Wingate]

A thing of beauty is a joy forever. But not with flaky beech or plastic handles. Any tips on making turned front knobs and rear totes for Record/Stanley type planes. Assume I have the tools for the job.

 

[Anonymous]

i know nothing about turning but have made a few rear totes in the past. something along the lines of, paper template, bandsaw, drill press, round over bit, lots of sanding.

 

[CroppyBoy1798]

Voila! :wink:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/html/16j4010l.pdf

From what I can remember your best course of action is to drill the screw hole out first at the correct angle and then cut out the shape. You can always adapt it a little to suit your own hand or add a bit of extra flare 8) Keep us posted, and have a camera at the ready!

I have a set of Dakota rasps from Rutlands (theyre generic really) that I found invaluable for shaping a few saw handles that I made (just wear a pair of thick gloves and hack away at the wood until you get a rough shape that you like, they're quite effective.

 

[Vann]

http://www.leevalley.com/en/html/16j4010l.pdf

I see these are 15/16" thick. I've got fairly large hands and was wondering about making some totes at 1 inch or 1 1/8" thick. Anybody tried that (and was it better or worse)?

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Yes drill the holes first including the counterbore for the nut in the tote unless you want it to tear out a bug chunk of your finished tote

You need a long brad point bit the the tote any thing else can wander off line, I made one by regrinding a long seres 6mm drill bit. Or you can drill from both ends and hopefully meet in the middle. Use a drill press and vice mark a pencel line on the face of your stock so you can set the angle of the blank.

Pete

 

[Mike Wingate]

I have copies of the Lee Valley drawings. i will counterbore first, cut off the wedge and use it to line up the othe hole. I will give a 1/2 roundover bit a go on the router table, then file and sand.

 

[bugbear]

Here's Alf making a replacement for the Veritas handles she dislikes so ... publicly:

http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/planetote.html

Although Lee Valley also publish plans:

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.a ... at=1,46168

Here's a thread from OLDTOOLS on holding the tote when working on it:

http://swingleydev.com/archive/get.php? ... =1#message

BugBear

 

[Richard T]

Finishing - wise, I've been experimenting with what Karl Holtey says he does - using a file followed by wire wool.

I've been using a fine, straight cut file with a rounded back followed by a brillo pad. I'm really impressed with the results of this; it cuts out an awful lot of sanding - and it doesn't look sanded ... if you know what I mean.

The Mem bought me some proper wire wool the other day, so future efforts will be without traces of soap.

 

[Harbo]

Vann I am sure making them thicker for larger hands will be fine - you can always make them thinner if not a nice fit?
I use fine Auriou rasps which make short work of them and require very little sanding to finish.
I also have a Saw Makers Rasp which I bought in the States from Tools for Working Wood - it is one sided and curved on it's length. Again works very well.

Rod

 

[Mike Wingate]

10 minutes as a lathe demo at school has resulted in this Bubinga front handle. Needs polishing and fitting. I will clean up the steel studding and brass top screw.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 000670.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 000671.jpg