#6 vs #7 (infill) question

[Peter Tremblay]

I've very slowly been working on a few projects over these last few years: bombe secretary and some infill smoothers.  My ministry keeps me very busy (I love what I get to do) so I don't always get a lot of shop time.  And I'm finding out that I tend to be a bit scatter brained in the shop.  I do what seems fun at the time so I don't always complete projects in a timely manner.  I've usually got a few projects going at once.

I stopped caring about this a while ago and now I'm in the shop to have fun and relax.


So, I hope to have the infill smoothers done in the next few months.  As I get ready to finish these planes I'm thinking about possibly making a larger infill plane.  At one point I was thinking about making myself a set; smoother, jack, and jointer.  Right now I'm reconsidering that.  Now I'm thinking about a smoother and a panel or jointer, hence this post.

The reason that I'm probably not going to consider a jack is that when I use a jack it is really just a big scrub or a shooting plane.  The rough work of a jack needs a fairly open mouth.  Making an infill with a wide open mouth seems counterproductive.

So, to make a long post longer, what size might I consider for a larger panel/jointer plane?  I'm thinking about a 2 3/8" wide iron bedded at 50*. It's the length of the sole that I'm not sure about.

One thing about the current infills are that they have some significant heft to them.  I'm using Lignum Vitae I'm a glutton for punishment this wood is exceptionally miserable to work with and it is very heavy.  But I've got the LV so it seems to be the thing to do.  

I'd like to use this plane primarily for jointing boards but also for truing larger surfaces after the jack plane.  The longest boards that I've jointed in recent memory have been about 50".

So my main question, considering weight and utility what sole length do you think a larger infill ought to be, 18" 20", 22"?

[barryvabeach]

I have more infills than I care to admit, but all but one are smoothers, and my one bigger plane is a panel plane based on a St. James Bay Tool Casting - it is 15 inches long and extremely heavy.  I can't even think about what one that is 20 or 22 inches would weigh.   I certainly would not consider making one in that size range. 

Also, when you are edge jointing ,  most of the plane is unsupported on either side of the work  ( assuming you are edge jointing 3/4 stock ) which would require that you devote considerable attention to making sure you did not go so off center that the plane started to tip over to one side or another.  While I love my infills, I don't think they will do well in a fall.  When I edge joint,  I use either a #6 Clifton or a # 7 Stanley.  I find they do a pretty good job, though on occasion I find that the boards are a little high in the middle.  Then I go back with a coffin infill smoother, just in the middle, and take off a tiny amount and check the fit.  I can usually get it so that their is the tiniest gap in the middle, which closes when I clamp.   That may be more info than you need, but unless you really want a workout, I would go smaller than 18.  I never worked out all the physics of it, but my guess is that if the board you are planing is longer than the plane, you are still relying on technique to get the board flat, not the length of the plane body.

[cputnam]

Weight is the 1st thing I thought of. Using a # 8 is enough of a workout without adding weight, IMO. I'm looking at woodies these days. A closely set cap iron does the job of tear out control better with less effort than the infills I have seen.

[Peter Tremblay]

Weight is the 1st thing I thought of.  Using a # 8 is enough of a workout without adding weight, IMO.  I'm looking at woodies these days.  A closely set cap iron does the job of tear out control better with less effort than the infills I have seen.

This is where I'm weird.  I loath cap irons.

But I did try my hand at a jack sized woody recently.  It came out OK but not perfect.

[iclark]

I do not have a recommendation for your jointer length. Sorry.

Do you have a recommendation for a source of lignum vitae?

[Peter Tremblay]

I do not have a recommendation for your jointer length. Sorry.

Do you have a recommendation for a source of lignum vitae?

Sorry about that.

That was a bit of a brag.  My lignum vitae was given to me by folks who had some sitting around for a few decades.

[iclark]

Sorry about that.

That was a bit of a brag.  My lignum vitae was given to me by folks who had some sitting around for a few decades.

No problem. I understand about the brag.
It was a good one.

[Peter Tremblay]

No problem. I understand about the brag.
It was a good one.

[attachment=34790]

[hbmcc]

What!!! ?? That's firewood. Make some smores...

[jerry s]

I've very slowly been working on a few projects over these last few years: bombe secretary and some infill smoothers.  My ministry keeps me very busy (I love what I get to do) so I don't always get a lot of shop time.  And I'm finding out that I tend to be a bit scatter brained in the shop.  I do what seems fun at the time so I don't always complete projects in a timely manner.  I've usually got a few projects going at once.

I stopped caring about this a while ago and now I'm in the shop to have fun and relax.


So, I hope to have the infill smoothers done in the next few months.  As I get ready to finish these planes I'm thinking about possibly making a larger infill plane.  At one point I was thinking about making myself a set; smoother, jack, and jointer.  Right now I'm reconsidering that.  Now I'm thinking about a smoother and a panel or jointer, hence this post.

The reason that I'm probably not going to consider a jack is that when I use a jack it is really just a big scrub or a shooting plane.  The rough work of a jack needs a fairly open mouth.  Making an infill with a wide open mouth seems counterproductive.

So, to make a long post longer, what size might I consider for a larger panel/jointer plane?  I'm thinking about a 2 3/8" wide iron bedded at 50*. It's the length of the sole that I'm not sure about.

One thing about the current infills are that they have some significant heft to them.  I'm using Lignum Vitae I'm a glutton for punishment this wood is exceptionally miserable to work with and it is very heavy.  But I've got the LV so it seems to be the thing to do.  

I'd like to use this plane primarily for jointing boards but also for truing larger surfaces after the jack plane.  The longest boards that I've jointed in recent memory have been about 50".

So my main question, considering weight and utility what sole length do you think a larger infill ought to be, 18" 20", 22"?

depending on the size of your projects i think you could get away wiyh a 18" plane for a jointer. if i remember correctly jim kingshott used walnut on the long jointer he made to lighten the load a bit.