repurposeing
#8
There have been, and I am sure there will be again, times when I wished I had a chisel plane. As far as I know my only choices for one was Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen. And those are over $100.

Now I had cut the front of from a regular angle Dunlap block plane before and it works well for cutting glue off from glued up panels so I could send them through the drum sander and somewhat functioned as a chisel plane but I always thought a low angle block plane would work better. Well it is very cold outside and my shop has been put to bed for the winter and I thought now is a good time as any to do it  so I used my Dremel tool with a cut off wheel and cut the front off from the block plane. Actually I did it to two of them and I may offer the other for sale in the S@S section when I get around to it. I shaped it a bit on my disc sander. And the pictures is of what is left.

Tom


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#9
(12-26-2017, 04:56 PM)tablesawtom Wrote: There have been, and I am sure there will be again, times when I wished I had a chisel plane. As far as I know my only choices for one was Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen. And those are over $100.

Now I had cut the front of from a regular angle Dunlap block plane before and it works well for cutting glue off from glued up panels so I could send them through the drum sander and somewhat functioned as a chisel plane but I always thought a low angle block plane would work better. Well it is very cold outside and my shop has been put to bed for the winter and I thought now is a good time as any to do it  so I used my Dremel tool with a cut off wheel and cut the front off from the block plane. Actually I did it to two of them and I may offer the other for sale in the S@S section when I get around to it. I shaped it a bit on my disc sander. And the pictures is of what is left.

Tom

Some of my other repurposing items are chisels found at a flea market for a dollar or less, reground into dovetail chisels. I did a 1/2  dovetail chisel that I posted a while ago and lately I started on a quarter inch dove tail chisel. One needs to be a lot more carful with the quarter inch chisel. Not done yet but I will get there. Now none of these tools look nearly as nice as the ones from the big boys but flea market prices are a lot easier on my budget.




repurposing


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#10
I did that once with a block plane on which the front had broken off.  I found a chisel just as useful.  I still have it, but it doesn't have toolchest room.
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#11
(12-26-2017, 05:40 PM)Bill_Houghton Wrote: I did that once with a block plane on which the front had broken off.  I found a chisel just as useful.  I still have it, but it doesn't have toolchest room.

I have chisels and they work great for a lot of applications. I also have a set of cranked neck chisels and they also help fill in the gaps. As mentioned, I also have a  couple of fish tailed chisels that work well, but if one uses a dovetail jig, then a fish tailed chisel isn't something one wouldn't need in his tool chest. I also have a corner chisel but do not have any mortising chisels. And I forgot to include the set of but chisels.

But there must still a need for a chisel plane because Lie Nielsen still sells one for $140 and Lee Valley sells what they call a trimming plane for $159. And they wouldn't have them in their catalog if they couldn't sell them because there was no call or use for one. 

I have been to the place where, unless one has a cranked neck chisel, a regular chisel won't reach. My other cut off plane worked as a last resort, But I always though a low angle plane would work better. Will it work as well as a Lie Nielsen or a lee Valley in all applications? No but my plane cost $135- $153 less for that one time when it is needed.  

Since I don't have all the answers, I thought I would pass on an idea for what it is worth. It is up to you to evaluate it for what it is, except it or reject it on its own merits for you, not someone else's bias. 

Tom
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#12
Would your newly made chisel plane work better if the blade corners were rounded up a bit? Less tendency to dig in?
Steve

Missouri






 
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020








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#13
(12-27-2017, 06:47 PM)Stwood_ Wrote: Would your newly made chisel plane work better if the blade corners were rounded up a bit? Less tendency to dig in?
What corners are you talking about, on the plane body or on the blade? No corners are rounded on actual chisel planes, but then they don't have side either and because of the block plane design I can't get away from sides. As stated, my shop has been put to bed for the winter, we had a high today of zero, so I haven't had a real chance to put it through its paces so I am not sure of anything at this point.

If you are asking about rounding the blade I can always do it later, if a problem arises. I did have a Lie Nielsen chisel plane for a while and it didn't have a dig in problem. I didn't use it enough to justify owning it when I had other shop needs so I sold it. But there is a big difference in prices between this one and that one. I can afford to have this one setting around for that special time. While it function in all application compared to the LN? No.

I do not know if I answered your question on not. If not please let me and the rest of us know.

Tom
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#14
The blade. Take those corners off the blade.  Less likely to groove the wood.
Steve

Missouri






 
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020








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