New rear handles (totes) for hand planes

[D_W]

I too used Bubinga when I restored my stanley No.4. Cheaper than Rosewood and just as good. Mine was blander looking than your stripey stuff.
I honestly can't remember how I drilled the hole. I only had a cordless drill at the time so I think used an oversized piece of wood and referenced everything from the resulting hole. . . . I guess.

I have probably (not recently, but in the past) made a dozen handles for planes before getting interested in building entire planes - made them out of indian rosewood, cocobolo and macassar ebony (whatever was inexpensive in the shorts bin at the local plastic/MDF/Aluminum junk and dust collector woodworking chain). A friend and I tried drilling with a long reach bit and a drill press setup, but always had wander problems. I found it a lot easier just to use a cordless drill and drill from both sides of the handle, meeting in the middle, with a marked line on the handle as a visual cue.

Always shaped them with a rasp, file and then sandpaper, and never had one that needed to be thrown away from that. The templates are nice, but often don't create a handle that is flush fitted all the way around with the base on a given plane.

 

[Racers]

I reground a long drill bit into a brad point bit and it seems to be very good at going straight.

Pete

 

[ED65]

Is it a crazy idea to bore the holes using an auger bit in a brace or would that still be prone to wandering?

 

[D_W]

It can still wander (the brace).

The challenge will be if you use something really hard, getting the brace to bite all the way through.

Auger bits might be too wide for most shaft diameters, too. The hole that the rod goes through doesn't need to be that precise and clean. The hole that the boss sits in does since you see the top of it.

 

[sploo]

The hole that the rod goes through doesn't need to be that precise and clean. The hole that the boss sits in does since you see the top of it.

Indeed. With the handle thickness of 15/16" (about 24mm) you could probably get away with drilling a pretty fat hole all the way down - it just needs to be a smaller diameter than the boss/nut/washer (~11.5mm) at the top of the bolt so it's got something to press on.

As noted, the hole for the front screw (#5) and pockets for the stubs on the plane body (#4) do need to be accurate. On the #4 you don't want to be off by more than 0.5mm or you'll have problems.

 

[ED65]

It can still wander (the brace).

I'm going to have to experiment drilling into end grain, see how much deflection I experience. My augers are all solid-centre, supposed to be better at this than Jennings-pattern, so I wouldn't have thought there'd be much problem.

As to the diameter, well obviously I was assuming the maker had a bit of a suitable size It's just blind luck but of the few auger bits I currently own one happens to be about the right diameter.

The hole that the rod goes through doesn't need to be that precise and clean. The hole that the boss sits in does since you see the top of it.

My wording was sloppy, I meant using the auger for the through hole only. But actually my auger bits usually drill cleaner entry holes than other bits of similar size so they wouldn't be a terrible choice, assuming you could get the alignment dead on.

 

[Bedrock]

Going back to your problem with the bottom face breaking out, surely it would be simpler to take a sharp chisel to those corners, to close to the finished profile, before routing, much as you would if you are planing end grain?
One of my several projects in hand, is making a rear handle for a new plane in American Black Walnut. I am thinking that I will bore the blank with a hole for the rod from the bottom to about 15mm from the top, before final shaping. Cut off the top 25mm., plane both faces to a fine mating surface, then use one of the blind rivets that are sold in engineering outlets, glued into the short bit. These blind rivets are sold with a variety of internal threads, only metric. Some - those that Axminster sell, have a coarse external thread for screwing into the recess, rather than gluing. Glue the two pieces of the handle back together and finish to the final shape.
This way, the top of the handle has no nut showing, which is fine if you are not worried about matching a Bailey design, or making from new. If, as described above, the main hole is oversize, you have enough wiggle room to ensure the bolt lines up with the rivet. All you are aiming for is to strengthen the handle by putting it in tension.

 

[sploo]

Going back to your problem with the bottom face breaking out, surely it would be simpler to take a sharp chisel to those corners, to close to the finished profile, before routing, much as you would if you are planing end grain?

If you got the ends of the tote (that are at risk of chip out on the router) exactly to shape then yes, that'd work. What I found with bubinga is that even a bit of material to remove can cause chipping, so it is probably better to just leave a few mm of material on top and below the tote, allow that to chip, then cut it off (or have some suitably shaped material supporting the ends to avoid chip out). Or just shape the whole thing by hand of course.

One of my several projects in hand, is making a rear handle for a new plane in American Black Walnut. I am thinking that I will bore the blank with a hole for the rod from the bottom to about 15mm from the top, before final shaping. Cut off the top 25mm., plane both faces to a fine mating surface, then use one of the blind rivets that are sold in engineering outlets, glued into the short bit. These blind rivets are sold with a variety of internal threads, only metric. Some - those that Axminster sell, have a coarse external thread for screwing into the recess, rather than gluing. Glue the two pieces of the handle back together and finish to the final shape.
This way, the top of the handle has no nut showing, which is fine if you are not worried about matching a Bailey design, or making from new. If, as described above, the main hole is oversize, you have enough wiggle room to ensure the bolt lines up with the rivet. All you are aiming for is to strengthen the handle by putting it in tension.

I can't quite picture how you're going to then screw the handle into plane sole?

 

[Bedrock]

Yes, you are absolutely right - I was being blinkered on my own project where the handle will be fixed from below. One of those fancy Festool gadgets though?

Haven't used Bubinga so I don't know how fragile it is. Although I own two routers, I virtually never use them, preferring the satisfaction of hand work. Although time is not a factor for me, I wonder how long it takes to set up a router, with jigs, if safety dictates, against by hand. I seem to recall one of Karl Holtey's "Window into my Workshop" posts where he described making plane handles with a combination of machinery and handwork, and reckoning it took him at least a day. I know his standards are exceptional, but that seems a long time.

 

[bugbear]

I did have the idea of making a laminated handle with the middle pieces cross grain to add strength, but I never got round to it.
I would be interesting to see if it works.
Pete

It was done, historically; I've seen at least one example, which I think I've mentioned.

(search)

Yep.

post482059.html?hilit=%20laminated%20blade#p482059

BugBear

 

[D_W]

It can still wander (the brace).

I'm going to have to experiment drilling into end grain, see how much deflection I experience. My augers are all solid-centre, supposed to be better at this than Jennings-pattern, so I wouldn't have thought there'd be much problem.

As to the diameter, well obviously I was assuming the maker had a bit of a suitable size It's just blind luck but of the few auger bits I currently own one happens to be about the right diameter.

The hole that the rod goes through doesn't need to be that precise and clean. The hole that the boss sits in does since you see the top of it.

My wording was sloppy, I meant using the auger for the through hole only. But actually my auger bits usually drill cleaner entry holes than other bits of similar size so they wouldn't be a terrible choice, assuming you could get the alignment dead on.

Yeah, alignment dead on is a pretty stringent condition - if it's off a little then one hole is dead centered and the other is off enough to see - either by the handle being out of line on the base or by the hole for the brass nut at the top of the handle being in a bad place. The drilling by hand with a cordless drill is not as precise inside the handle, but it ensures that the holes top and bottom are in the right place.

Let us know how it goes. Because of the pressure that the rod exerts on the handle, it's one place where the internals of the rod hole don't have to be that precise. On something like a 4 where there is no front screw, it still doesn't need to be that precise except that the ends need to be marked at the angle dead on with the handle rod or the handle won't stay flush due to the lack of a front screw.

I've never tried to swap handles on any of my planes where I made a handle, but often wondered exactly what the replacement handles look like on a plane, if they generally fit flush everywhere or if they don't and nobody cares that they don't.

 

[AndyT]

Trying to follow Bedrock's post about fixing a handle from below... I think maybe this is the sort of thing you mean? Seen here on the under-loved 1970s Record 044C which at least won't need a screw through the sole like a smoother would.

A threaded metal insert is moulded into the handle. A countersunk screw fits into this from below. Beside it, a tapered pin (moulded as part of the handle, but it could easily be an inserted rivet) fits into a second hole.

Incidentally, I made a replacement wooden handle for this plane. It looks big and clumsy, because it is, but I have adjusted it to fit my hand, which it does. I just hot-glued a nylon wall plug in place for the bigger screw and used a plasterboard screw for the secondary fixing, which is good in the end grain. I offer this in case anyone else is feeling inadequate for not having inch thick boards of decorative bubinga, chunks of ivory, unicorn horn, etc! :wink:

 

[Bedrock]

Andy
In principle yes, but I have in mind that the rod from below is nearly the full height of the rear handle, so that the whole handle can be put into tension. More applicable to wood handles than the 044c as the plastic was probably stronger.
I bought a Stanley Bedrock 5 1/2 some years ago, and the only fault was that the top of the tote was broken off and missing. I planed it flat, glued on an unshaped rosewood top piece, drilled through from the u/s, and then finished to shape. Hence, I had the thought that if I drilled from the u/s virtually through to the top, then cut off the top say 25mm. Plane both faces to mate, enlarge the hole in the top piece to take what I am calling a blind rivet, glue all back together then carry out the final shaping and finishing. That way, there is no nut showing on the top of the handle. As Sploo rapidly pointed out, this would not work with a Bailey design.
As I understood Sploo's description, he had some problems with drilling a clean hole from the top, without break out of the top hole. Presumably, if the blank handle was overlong, you could carry out all the drilling from the top, then finish to the final profile, carefully cutting away any areas of breakout.
If you are working from new however, fixing from below could well be a solution. Doesn't the Holtey no 98 fix from the u/s, using a steel shoe bolted on top of the sole and overhanging the rear of the sole to allow bolting the handle from below?
I have in the past used s/s Allen bolts, self-tapped directly into end grain, on the legs of a coffee table, and have stood on it without problems. May not appeal to the more purist amongst us, but could work as well, without the faff of cutting the top and re-gluing.
If you google the Lazarus Planes website, you will see some interesting approaches to rear handles, including laminating vertically, with a brass central laminate, and totes in three pieces of contrasting timbers, glued together horizontally. I seem to recall the the designs, which vary from interesting to downright odd, did not appeal to BB. Food for thought though.
I would do a drawing, but my last effort with posting photos brought out my innate conflicts with modern electronics, and went to southern France to intelligent daughter, and back, to resolve camera issues, resizing etc..

Mike

 

[sploo]

I bought a Stanley Bedrock 5 1/2 some years ago, and the only fault was that the top of the tote was broken off and missing. I planed it flat, glued on an unshaped rosewood top piece, drilled through from the u/s, and then finished to shape. Hence, I had the thought that if I drilled from the u/s virtually through to the top, then cut off the top say 25mm. Plane both faces to mate, enlarge the hole in the top piece to take what I am calling a blind rivet, glue all back together then carry out the final shaping and finishing. That way, there is no nut showing on the top of the handle. As Sploo rapidly pointed out, this would not work with a Bailey design.

Ah... so you can put a screw up from the bottom on the Bedrock planes? I didn't know that (but that makes sense re your idea).

As I understood Sploo's description, he had some problems with drilling a clean hole from the top, without break out of the top hole.

Actually no - that didn't cause any problems at all. With a sharp bit all the drilling was nice and clean, and after bandsawing the shape out and sanding it you'd obviously get a nice clean top entry hole even if you did get some tearout.

The issue I had was that I had to go back and deepen them. It turned out to not be that difficult on the drill press, but I was worried it might snatch, so I initially tried a method by hand, and it was that one that worked badly. Basically you "just" need to ensure the original hole is perfectly lined up with the drill bit, have everything clamped down, then go very gently.

Lazarus Planes - bonkers. Brilliant. Very steampunk. Love 'em.

 

[bugbear]

So the best way was to take a length of timber, rip it down the middle, plane the sawn surfaces true, route out a matching groove in each half, and then glue the two halves back together again. The glue line is virtually invisible and you're left with a perfectly centred hole running accurately through the column.

Watching Ray Mears, it turns out that this is how a tribe in the South American jungle make 8 foot (and more) blow pipes!

BugBear

 

[MIGNAL]

Hmm. . ,. that reminds me. I think the Bubinga handles that I did were from 2 x 2 turning blanks. I don't remember buying Bubinga in larger dimensions, which probably means that I drilled the hole in 2 or 3 pieces and then joined the pieces after.
Anyway it worked and is still going strong.

 

[sploo]

Hmm. . ,. that reminds me. I think the Bubinga handles that I did were from 2 x 2 turning blanks. I don't remember buying Bubinga in larger dimensions, which probably means that I drilled the hole in 2 or 3 pieces and then joined the pieces after.
Anyway it worked and is still going strong.

Nice. Mine came from turning blanks too - but 200x200x50mm (x2). I cut two 200x50x50 lengths for the front handles (one from each blank), and ripped one remaining 200x150x50 block into a pair of 200x150x25 (OK, just under 25mm) slabs, then planed them smooth. Unfortunately the other blank (after planing the outside) was too thin to get two 15/16" slabs, so I've left it for other projects.

 

[Bedrock]

Sploo

Sorry, I seem to be over-complicating. What I was trying to say was that for Bailey designs, clearly you have to bolt from the top. If you are building from new, then the design could accommodate the fixing from below, as with the 044 and the Holtey 98.

I agree with your comments on the Lazarus range. Highly original, entertaining, obviously very heavy and somewhat over-complicated, not always practical. Makes you wonder what he would do with a screwdriver. Wonder how they perform-I suspect that they are mostly for final finishing. You wouldn't need a gym membership.

Mignal - looks great.

 

[sploo]

Sploo

Sorry, I seem to be over-complicating. What I was trying to say was that for Bailey designs, clearly you have to bolt from the top. If you are building from new, then the design could accommodate the fixing from below, as with the 044 and the Holtey 98.

I agree with your comments on the Lazarus range. Highly original, entertaining, obviously very heavy and somewhat over-complicated, not always practical. Makes you wonder what he would do with a screwdriver. Wonder how they perform-I suspect that they are mostly for final finishing. You wouldn't need a gym membership.

Mignal - looks great.

No worries & understood. Yea on the Lazarus planes; I think I'd be too afraid to use one in fear of scratching it (I'd just put it on the mantelpiece)!.

 

[Planebasics]

A fairly simple method to drill a hole in a plane tote- since I can't post a link or domain/page references the method can hopefully be found in an article by Neil Mitchell 'How I Drill Holes in Plane Totes by Neil Mitchell.'