Shoulder plane iron

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Redbeard

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Hi all,

Amongst my collection I inherited from my father I have a couple of nameless "Slater" style shoulder planes.

The 1 1/4" has everything there but the rather beefy brass 1 1/2" is crying out for some love, the wood infill is missing as is the iron.

Wood is obviously not an issue though happy for advice on what's best to use, bigger issue is the lack on an iron (unless it turns up from somewhere in the depths of the workshop).

A 1 1/2" shoulder plane iron seems to be reasonably unusual, only seen one used one for sale. Can anyone point me in the direction for a new or old one.

Cheers
 
Rosewood of some sort. I inherited someone else's dad's Slater bullnose and used to have a 1.5" shoulder plane by slater. It's easier to make a replacement iron than it is to find one.

Rosewood for the wedge. Softer wood won't feel the same and may get squash by the metal parts. I'd make you one (iron) free if you were in the states.
 
DW wrote Rosewood for the wedge. Softer wood won't feel the same and may get squash by the metal parts. I'd make you one (iron) free if you were in the states.
Just as a matter of interest what steel are would you use to make a plane iron , O1 or something similar. (we call it Gauge Plate here in South Africa)
Regards
What part of PA are you from, I spent 6 years working in the US and my office was in the center of Philly.
 
Thanks for the offer D W, I assumed this might be the case. I'm fortunate that I have a metalworking friend who can assist.

As much as I'd like, can't quite use the fabrication of an iron as justification for my own mill..... or can I?

Not sure I have any rosewood at the moment but have a few hardwoods that may suffice.
 
The iron will be pretty straightforward for someone with the kit. O1 works easily and will give a good iron.
 
DW wrote Rosewood for the wedge. Softer wood won't feel the same and may get squash by the metal parts. I'd make you one (iron) free if you were in the states.
Just as a matter of interest what steel are would you use to make a plane iron , O1 or something similar. (we call it Gauge Plate here in South Africa)
Regards
What part of PA are you from, I spent 6 years working in the US and my office was in the center of Philly.

I've had the best luck with 01, 52100 and 1084. Any of those would make a lovely iron. Well, I've had excellent luck with cts-xhp, too, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a joined plane and it's expensive.

I'm on the western side of the state just north of Pittsburgh. I grew up closer to the East and probably have more of the habits and manners of someone from that side of the state. The two ends of the state are almost like different countries ( the west side is farther from the beach, but the people are nicer. It's more like a Midwestern city).

Did you like living and working in Philly?
 
Thanks for the offer D W, I assumed this might be the case. I'm fortunate that I have a metalworking friend who can assist.

As much as I'd like, can't quite use the fabrication of an iron as justification for my own mill..... or can I?

Not sure I have any rosewood at the moment but have a few hardwoods that may suffice.

I hate to poo poo the mill but you can make an iron down to thousandth just with a hack saw and a file. I've,made a lot of metal things without a mill. Maybe 100 or more over the last decade.

But you can still get a mill :)
 
I'm just looking for an excuse, A mill has been on my shopping list for a while and I occasionally get tempted on eBay, however I'm trying to force myself to wait until the workshop is in better shape.

Very fortunate enough to have quite a bit of space but it's mostly full. I think the spindle moulder and big old wadkin mortiser will have to go before I can squeeze a mill in somewhere.

Plus the workshop is in the basement so the thought of struggling with machinery in/out keeps my finger off the trigger a bit.
 
I've had the best luck with 01, 52100 and 1084. Any of those would make a lovely iron. Well, I've had excellent luck with cts-xhp, too, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a joined plane and it's expensive.

I'm on the western side of the state just north of Pittsburgh. I grew up closer to the East and probably have more of the habits and manners of someone from that side of the state. The two ends of the state are almost like different countries ( the west side is farther from the beach, but the people are nicer. It's more like a Midwestern city).

Did you like living and working in Philly?
Thanks for the reply They call it the City of Brotherly love , but we found it the most unfriendly of all the cities we visited in the US ( Lived in 5 states , worked in 9 and visited 38 of them so saw a good portion of your country , and 3 Canadian provinces as well)
Spent 9 months consulting in Harrisburg , which as you say was different to Philly/.
Richard
 
hah....I didn't want to pigeonhole you into that opinion, as there are sometimes friendly people around philadelphia, but I recall seeing a study at one point where they rated women by attractiveness and attitude in each city, and Philly was rated as the worst place to look for a date (the women are pasty, out of shape and rude relatively).

You've been to more cities in the US than I have, at least in terms of major cities, but I've probably been to 20. Philly is bad (parts of it are dangerous), but Boston is similar but different. In Boston, when you walk down the street, instead of scowling, people will often look the other way to make sure you can't engage them.

Canada is sort of similar -Toronto, etc, very sociable. Western canada, some of the provinces have a tradition of kicking patrons out of bars if they stand up with a drink. You sit when you drink, you stand to leave, because the areas are kind of roughneck and they assume that anyone standing with a drink is only standing to fight (that's an edmondton rule - I thought that one was hilarious).

Here's my assessment of PA:
1) Philadelphia - if someone talks to you, they'll talk about themselves. Often be unfriendly and disinterested (won't ask you anything - if you want to get a word in, you need to butt in and tell them - it'll turn into a contest but if it's philly friendly, it'll be a friendly contest. If it's not friendly, there may be a fight).
2) Harrisburg - someone will probably introduce themselves and talk about them, not ask you anything about you, but they are friendly and the contest will not occur
3) in most places in pittsburgh, people will ask you how you are, genuinely wait for you to answer, remember what you said and not overtly offer things about themselves.

I grew up nearest to harrisburg. I feel like the rudest person alive sometimes out here in the western side because I get distracted and forget to ask people anything small talk style (and I remember my upbringing, rural central PA where asking all the time was seen as suspicious). "wie gehts" as the amish and pa dutch would say "how's it going" is plenty. "How's your mother doing" if you've mentioned health issues in the past can be seen as nosy. In pittsburgh, it's de rigueur, but to top it off, if you forget to ask, most people will conclude something positive "I'm sure they forgot because they had something tying up their thoughts" not "oh, what a thoughtless person".

Going so far in that direction, you go to nashville, and everyone will ask you how you're doing. Be ready for it so that your response isn't like mine...hah... (look over your shoulder for the person who someone else must be talking to. and then get stunned and say....wha.....what? oh. hi?)
 
Other difference. Road signs here in PA say things like "Aggressive driving prosecuted"..."Aggressive driving area, fines doubled", things like that. All road signs are threats or backhanded statements warning you.

In the south, signs may say things instead like "Welcome. Drive Friendly!". Where's the threat?
 
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