Wood Body Smoother—Walnut?

[phreddy]

Hello all. I’m planning to make a wood bodied smooth plane using the Veritas plane hardware kit. I happen to have on hand a big chunk of walnut—big enough that I could easily saw out a billet in quartersawn orientation. I would laminate something hard wearing (probably bubinga) on for the sole. Does anyone have any experience using walnut for this application? Are there historical examples? Or is this just a bad idea and I should look for something harder or otherwise more suitable?  Thanks.

Edit: this is the hardware kit. It uses a Norris style adjuster. Although there is a cross pin, I think it would be under less stress than a wedged blade.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/too...e-hardware

[barryvabeach]

I have not used Walnut for a plane body,  but IIRC,  I did see a few like that years ago.  I don't think it would be a problem with or without bubinga as a sole.   I have a number of wooden planes, and while tapping the iron works to advance the blade, I have never had much success in backing it off a bit for a less aggressive cut, I think the Norris style is a great idea.

[phreddy]

I have not used Walnut for a plane body,  but IIRC,  I did see a few like that years ago.  I don't think it would be a problem with or without bubinga as a sole.   I have a number of wooden planes, and while tapping the iron works to advance the blade, I have never had much success in backing it off a bit for a less aggressive cut, I think the Norris style is a great idea.

Yeah, I’ve had the same issue with backing out the blade. I can do it, but not with enough precision. I usually end up backing it out by too much, then advancing it more carefully. Much like dealing with backlash in a mechanical device. Thanks for your input.

[iclark]

Just thinking about the OP's post and possible issues.

If the walnut is quarter-sawn and the bottom is flat-sawn, then that would seem like a worst-case situation for differential expansion and contraction trying to crack the walnut.

Am I just worrying about stuff that won't happen?

[phreddy]

Just thinking about the OP's post and possible issues.

If the walnut is quarter-sawn and the bottom is flat-sawn, then that would seem like a worst-case situation for differential expansion and contraction trying to crack the walnut.

Am I just worrying about stuff that won't happen?

A valid point, to be sure. I don’t have a final decision on whether to laminate a different material on the sole or not. I would try to do so with the same grain orientation if possible, but I wonder how big a deal differential expansion would be in a glue joint barely more than 2” wide. I also wonder how important it is for the plane body to be quartersawn at all in a smoothing plane. I know it’s traditional in molding planes, where precise width is presumably more important. This chunk of walnut is big enough to cut out a billet in any orientation I want.

I’m still pondering. Thanks for helping me think out loud.

[tablesawtom]

I have the same kit from Lee Valley and have had for about 5 years now. I have the walnut chunk for it but I always seem to get distracted. I have even forgot about it until now so thanks. Make it how you want to if the wood fails over time then make it out of something else , you will always have the vise parts.

Tom

[phreddy]

I have the same kit from Lee Valley and have had for about 5 years now. I have the walnut chunk for it but I always seem to get distracted. I have even forgot about it until now so thanks. Make it how you want to if the wood fails over time then make it out of something else , you will always have the vise parts.

Tom

I recently came to the same conclusion (regarding using the hardware again in something else). In fact, I think I’ve decided against using the walnut and going with cherry. I did some reading and I don’t think grain orientation even matters.  David Finck describes quarter, rift, and flatsawn but does not express a preference. I’ve got some 8/4 cherry scrap and no better use for it so I think I’ll laminate it into a billet. I’ve got some bubinga on the way for the sole. If it fails, so what? I’ll reuse the hardware, I’ll learn something, and I’ll have fun. Thanks.

Addendum: https://lostartpress.com/products/making...1f00&_ss=r