Making a Wooden Plane
Glue Up
Notice the staggered clamps, and the 1 piece cauls |
Preparation
Any glueup can be tricky, but I've learned little organizational tricks to overcome my natural inclination to ruin the project 90% of the way through it.
The first is to have everything ready and well organized on the bench. Water, clamps w/cauls, glue, dowels, newspaper, mallet. I've migrated to Gorilla Glue because it has a longer open time. I don't have to rush like I normally would with PVA or white glue. It's also better at gluing exotics and is creep resistant. So far, I've been very happy with it - but I still distrust adhesives. Ok, the fact is I like to blame adhesives for my gluing problems, but that's besides the point.
Make sure that your surfaces are flat, clean and smooth. Store bought lumber will probably have noticeable milling marks. Gently scrape them to get a good surface. Hand planing is best, but don't be too aggressive. We're constructing a 3" wide glue joint, so the better the contact is, the better the end result. Trying to clamp out a cupped/bowed/twisted board is asking for trouble. The surfaces must meet cleanly end to end. No gaps, or you will have problems.
Dowels
Make sure the dowels are short enough so that they can be pounded flush with the sides. Having to trim them while the glue is setting is always an adventure. If they're proud of the sides, the cauls will not work, so make sure they'll end up flush or even sub-flush. I chamfer the ends by spinning them against the blade of my handplane. Make sure they are sized accurately. If they're undersized they'll serve no purpose, because the pieces will be allowed to shift regardless of their presence. Take my word for it - cheap hardware store dowels are not to be trusted. Double check their fit before the time comes. I also lightly countersink the holes in the sides and the body to help things align and slide into place.
Oily Woods
So, everything is ready and right at hand. Lightly mist the inner sides with a spray bottle (water), and wipe off the excess. This is only necessary with the polyurethane glue, but since that's what I'm using, I'll mention it. It needs a minimum amount of moisture to enable the curing. During the dry season, my wood's moisture level is borderline, so this is a precaution. PVA users can ignore this completely.
Do It
Put the pin in one of the sides, making sure that it's facing the right way. Forgetting to do this, or putting in in backwards presents a definite problem.
Spread glue on the inner pieces and press it to one side. Spread glue on the other side of the pieces and press it to the other side. Tap in the dowels, and setup the cauls. I like to use one big caul on each side. Multiple cauls make me fumble, and it makes clamping more work. I start clamping at one end of the plane and work my way to the other. I stagger the clamps. You're bound to have your own clamping strategy, so go for it! I think I have a tendency to overclamp, so I have switched to using less pressure. It seems to be working for me.
When you're clamping, watch the sides and body to make sure nothing is sliding out of place. This shouldn't happen because you have those tight fitting dowels to hold things together. If it does happen, release the pressure, and maybe use a caul on the top or end to help hold things in place. For a 10-12" plane, 6-8 decent clamps are sufficient. No special kind are needed: C clamps, lightweight rapid action, cabinetmakers wooden clamps, heavier duty Bessey "tradesmen", etc - they all work well. Resist the temptation to put it in your vise. My one outright failure was a result of this. I know I'm being redundant, but I don't want this plane to be a wasted effort.
Beer
At this point, go back into the house and grab a beer. Better yet, grab a friend/spouse and make them come out to the shop so that you can show them how much progress you have made! Let the glue set completely before moving on.
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Steve Spodaryk
Medford, MA
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article
12.10.2008
- Making a Wooden Plane
Introduction
Tools
The Iron
The Chipbreaker
Wood
Marking Out the Blank 1
Marking Out the Blank 2
Forming the Plane Bed
Drilling the Pin Holes
Making the Pin
Test Fit
Glue Up
Post Glue Cleanup
Adjusting the Mouth
Making the Wedge
Test Run
Shaping the Plane Body
Troubleshooting
Advanced Topics
- Making a Wooden Plane
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