Moulding plane repair

[Sheffield Tony]

Oh dear. This seems to be becoming a bit of a habit. I make pizza for dinner on a Saturday night, drink a bit too much wine with it, then buy some tools I don't need on ebay.

The latest incident is a collection of moulding planes. A few issues, some woodworm, some loose boxwood inserts, and one missing piece from a side bead.

What I am wondering is how the boxing was held in in the first place, and how best to fix it. Was it glued ? Would a smear of Titebond liquid hide glue be appropriate ? I don't have any box to hand, but I do have hornbeam and some spindle, which seems quite a bit like box to work - could either of these do as a substitute ?

Secondly, woodworm holes. One plane is pretty much riddled, but there are a tolerable number of holes in some others. Is it safe to assume the worm has gone, or to treat ? I have heard of a blast in the microwave as one approach. And any suggestions for fillling the holes ?

 

[AndyT]

When I get round to repairing boxing on one or two planes that need it, I shall use a little liquid hide glue to help.

Box was normally cut obliquely so that the wearing surfaces were end grain. Using side grain might reduce the working life by a few decades! :wink:

I'm sure your other woods will be fine. I think they were not commercially available on the scale that box was - at least, noir spindle.

You can get sticks of brown wax for scratch repairs. Heat a tiny screwdriver over a lighter flame and use it to melt a little wax into the woodworm holes and smooth over. Use a darker colour than the wood and they can disappear nicely.

 

[swb58]

I don't think it's safe to assume anything when it comes to woodworm. Give them a good application of killer to be on the safe side and will also help prevent trouble in the future which you might not get with the microwave method (great idea though!)

I've heard of people in the secondhand clothes trade putting items in the deepfreeze to kill unwanted livestock.

 

[lanemaux]

If you think pizza and wine cause e-baying you may want to avoid Taco and Tequila Tuesdays amigo.
I'm also looking at reboxing a plane for a friend , a fairish chunk out of a rebate of his dads. I was wondering if a chunk of pear or apple wood might suffice.

 

[Racers]

I use box cut at 45 deg, its what is in there in the first place.

The wormy one, seal it in a bag and pop it in the freezer for a few days.

Pete

 

[jimi43]

I just made it a tight fit and tapped it in...

...it hasn't fallen out yet...

..and I didn't have a piece big enough to have end grain...which would also be rather a waste but I'm pretty sure the amount of use I will give it, the difference would be negligible.

Let me know if you want some box...I can send you enough to do the repair.

Jimi

 

[bugbear]

..and I didn't have a piece big enough to have end grain

I think the originals are done with multiple small sections. But your long grain piece will probably outlast you...

BugBear

 

[Plumberpete]

As far as gluing box into a beech recess is concerned - I'm sure I've read somewhere, someone suggesting using a tiny amount of wood glue at one end of the boxwood insert to secure it. This would then allow for the different expansion and contraction rates of the two different materials. I haven't tried it myself but it makes sense. I'm sure someone will say if this isn't right.

As for woodworm, I would agree with Mr. Maddex. I usually put the wormy offender into the freezer for a week and then, using a syringe, inject every hole with woodworm killer. Maybe a bit over the top but I've never had a reinfestation!

To remove scratches etc. I use a solution of 1/3 turpentine, 1/3 boiled linseed oil and 1/3 white vinegar with 10ml of methylated spirits. Using .000000 (I think) wire wool, I clean the entire plane lightly. This helps blend the natural oils and patina, giving a uniform colour.

 

[JohnPW]

William J. Armour, in "Work, The Illustrated Journal for Mechanics" (1898), wrote that boxing was glued, but didn't give any more details:

Side beads:
...it is afterwards glued in and allowed to dry for a day or two.

Sash Fillister:
The box should go in with a firm tap of the hammer, although not too tight, for fear of splitting the wood; then make the place for the mouth and glue in.

I presume at that time, it would have been hide glue.

http://www.handplane.com/32/practical-plane-making-1/

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Thanks for some really useful tips. I don't know when I'll get around to that repair to the boxing, I think I may try out the hornbeam, I can then use a bit big enough to get the grain orientation parallel to the iron. I'm sure that when oiled with linseed it will look not much different to the box.

I've looked a bit more closely.at them. The ones with worm holes I've quarantined in ziplock bags for now. Still deciding on whether to freeze of microwave any residents :evil: The worst is a large side round marked "W. REES" (?), but the worm holes look old to me. The others are mostly Greenslade and Routledge. Three side beads 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 have a few, possibly more recent worm holes. The 1/4 is the one missing its boxing. The remaining ones, 7 H&R, a John Moseley 3/4 torus bead and a 1/8 side bead are free from holes, but the boxing on the 1/8 side bead has moved and will need persuading back into place.

Those wax scratch repair sticks - I think I've seen the Liberon ones at a local antique shop. I'll have a look when I'm next passing.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I replaced the missing bit of boxing in this 1/4 Routledge side bead last night. The new bit is hornbeam, it is made of two pieces, but the grain is angled roughly parallel to the iron, as is the original piece at the front. The original bit was loose, which was handy because I could take it out and measure it. The new bit is a fairly snug fit, with a smear of liquid hide glue to be sure. Shaped after fitting, roughly with a wooden rebate plane then with a scratch stock.

I only gave the iron a few swipes over an oilstone, it could use more, but it seems to work now. The new bit does look very "raw" though - I hope it will blend a bit better after drinking up some linseed oil. If not I may have to try and darken it somehow ?

The next problem is a 1/8 side bead, which is bowed along its length by too much for it to be used as is. What do you think are the chances (and method !) of straightening it, or is that one beyond help ?

 

[Plumberpete]

The next problem is a 1/8 side bead, which is bowed along its length by too much for it to be used as is. What do you think are the chances (and method !) of straightening it, or is that one beyond help ?

Steam and clamps?

 

[AndyT]

The only advice I have ever seen for bowed moulding planes is that they are so cheap and plentiful that you should just ignore them and buy only the straight ones!

But given that you've got this one from a job lot, I reckon that there's not much to lose. And as a green woodworker, you have presumably got easy access to a source of steam for bending? (I'm thinking that on this scale you could even use a saucepan with a perforated vegetable steamer in it, if you don't mind the kitchen smelling of boiled beech for a while... )

If it works, you've got another user. If it fails, you've got a spare iron and some old beech to make replacement wedges from. Either way, the rest of us would learn from your experiments!

Btw, if you want to tone down the colours on the nice new boxing on the other plane, you could use leather dyes (like Jim does) or some Van **** crystals, or just some very dark shellac (eg button polish).

Another way apparently is to use linseed oil and slowly 'cook' the oiled wood in a low oven / back of the range. This accelerates the natural darkening. I realise this is not very helpful now that the wood is glued in - but I only just heard about the technique - sorry!

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Steam was the approach I was thinking of. First off though, I have left it hollow side down on a sunny window sill to see if it moves back a bit. Perhaps it has been sitting one side in a damp place.

Failing that, I'm thinking that the wallpaper steamer and a biscuit tin may be part of the next attempt. I suppose the steam will affect the patina, but it doesn't have much of a patina to speak of anyway. I have a couple of 1/8 side beads, and both look hardly used with full length irons. Presumably not a commonly used size. The boxing is already loose, so no need to worry about steaming making the box fall out.

The cooking approach is an interesting idea - a bit like sand shading veneer, perhaps ?

Editied to add: Incidentally, on the subject of cooking - the wormy planes I gave 50 seconds on full power in the microwave. Iron removed, of course ! The plane got quite warm, so anything living with a higher water content than the wood will not be alive anymore, I am fairly confident.

Thanks for the suggestions.