 |
Here is one I prepared earlier. This one was a casting found in a junk
shop that had a basic rectangle shape, no blade, and was badly filled with
softwood. I cut the
shape into it, removing some ugly pitting and softened the top by cutting
the curves and chamfers. The blade angle was much too high, so I lowered
that also. I riveted a brass block for the upper surface of the wedge to
bare against, and closed the mouth by soldering on the steel sole.
Click here
to see more views, including a close-up of the throat.
|
 |
I found this group of tools in junk shops whilst on holiday at the
beach. The gunmetal infill plane had no front bun, and the rear Mahogany infill
was stuck in with hide glue.
Another good candidate for a steel sole. I use simple mild steel plate
1.6 mm (1/16 inch) thick bought from the Iron Monger. I have seen suggestions
for old saw blades, or spring steel, and think they would be complete
overkill, and much too hard to work.
|
 |
I prepare the metal surfaces as
you would any metal before soldering, back to bare clean metal. I use a
propane torch, a few fire bricks to place the steel on when heating, flux,
lead solder and a steel block to cool the sole when the steel is in
position. I hold the body with a pair of vice grips on one of the ribs,
then clamp them in the wooden jaws of a vice so the body is level. |
 |
The body is warmed from
underneath, and fluxed and "tinned" with the solder. I wipe the
molten solder over the surface with a cotton rag. When the surface is completely
covered, I add a little puddle to the front and back in the middle. Then I
do the sole, heating from below, flux it and coat that surface with
solder.
Solder is 50/50 lead / tin, and flux is Baker's soldering fluid, (zinc
chloride 40%) Simply the stuff lying around for 20 years!! Plumbers stuff,
not special. |
 |
I hold the steel with pliers and
flip it over and place it on the body. Then heat again from the top and
bottom until the sole drops, and the solder flows out. The aim is to
evenly heat the entire job so it all gets to the melting temperature
together. I use a pair of pliers to stop the steel from floating away, and
place the steel block on top to cool it all down. |
 |
The sole is now ready for hacksaw,
file and scraper to clean up. I will drill through and cut the throat with
a hacksaw and files...very carefully...I have a few infill planes to get
those dimensions. |
 |
This was another candidate for a
steel sole so I did it immediately after the smoother. The throat was open
a little, and there was a huge casting flaw in the base. There were traces
of lead on it already. It must have had a sole fall off, probably badly
soldered. This one came from *bay, I knew the throat was open, but when I
got it the Mahogany infill was loose, thankfully also glued in and easily
removed. |
 |
When the sides are finished, I
will scribe the blade line down to the sole, that will give me the line
for the back of the throat. I will be cutting the throats over the next
few weeks, and will add to this page as I do it. |
|
continued
on page 2 |
