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Some of my tool builds

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I have been posting some of my furniture builds. Here are are few of the tools I have made. There are details and pictorial on my website for those interested in making their own:  http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/index.html

 

A few of these have been featured in Fine Woodworking magazine. This is one - a bridle plough plane ... 

 

The plough is based on the Mathieson Bridle Plough. The “bridle” is the method in which the fence is attached to the arms. For centuries many methods have been offered to ensure that the fence runs parallel to the skate. The bridle appears to have been one of the best, but it is difficult to build, and so few were produced.

 

The wood is West Australian She-oak.

 

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Its box plus set of 8 irons ...

 

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Since we are on boxes, the box alongside was an entry in tool-making competition across Australia in 2009. I think it placed third. Not great images, my apology ...

 

Jarrah box with drawer (containing drill bits and drivers) ...

 

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Inside the box is a small brace (throw of 5") and a screwdriver in She-oak. 

 

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This was carved from a solid billet. The hand rest is Tasmanian Blackwood. 

 

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Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

 

Fantastic looking tools. Looks like you may be ready to start your own tool business......

Um, Aw, :JawDrop:

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32 minutes ago, sreilly24590 said:

Fantastic looking tools. Looks like you may be ready to start your own tool business......

Thanks, but I have a day job I prefer (I'm a shrink - building furniture and tools is my therapy).

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

Edited by derekcohen

  • Author

Here's a router plane I designed that has been copied a bit. There are full build details on the page link early on.

 

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This features a brass support, spring-loaded holder, and depth stop (very important) ...

 

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Sharpening router plane blades is much easier if you use a method I developed:  http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/SharpeningRouterPlaneBlades.html

 

Vic Tesolin (of Veritas) has one of my router planes, and came to visit me a few years ago. I showed him the sharpening jig, and he made this video for Fine Woodworking magazine ...

 

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

 

Some really nice tools you have made.  Beautiful, just beautiful.:TwoThumbsUp:

  • Author

Here's one of my favourite tools: dovetailing knife and scratch awl. 

 

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I designed these about 10 years ago, made a lot of them for a few years as gifts, sold a few ...

 

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Basically, Dave Jeske (Blue Spruce) and I were making a similar design, which was aimed at fine detail work. I don't have the time to make tools to sell, and my good friend Chris Vesper (toolmaker extraordinaire) is now manufacturing them under his name (called the "Cohen Knife"). He does a better job (understandably! :) ). 

 

You can make your own. Details here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/A Knife for Marking Dovetails.html

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

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You may not be aware that I am largely responsible for popularising the ramped shooting board. Tico Voigt's original "SuperShoot" board was a copy of mine, but eventually he went on to design his own variation. Mine were built in solid wood (his are in ply). I designed and built many over the years. This is the last design ...

 

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I have a Stanley #51/52 shooting board, and got the idea from this for the side fence. This has become popular ... and is essential if you use a Lie-Nielsen or Veritas shooting plane ...

 

BuildingaMitredPencilBoxwithaShootingBoa

 

Donkey's Ear ...

 

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... shooting the ends of a box ...

 

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I tend to use this shooting board with a strike block plane I built. This has a bed of 38 degrees for a true low angle cut ...

 

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Details for shooting boards: 

 

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Setting Up and Using a Shooting Board4.html

 

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/ShootingforPerfection.html

 

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/ShootingBoardsfortheLNHandtoolEvent.html

 

Details for strike block plane:  http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaStrikeBlockPlane.html

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

 

 

 

 

 

My opinion would be that your work has transcended from craftsman to artiste. Kudos.

Gorgeous stuff. Now a question did you also make the metal parts on the plane?

Have you ever considered patenting any of your tools?

  • Popular Post

Well, Mr. Shrink, if I lived in Perth I would do whatever I could to persuade you to teach me how to do this.  I love the awl and knife set.  Also, the marking guages.  Thanks for the tour of your work.  It is museum quality and I am green.  Now, I have to get the mop.  I didn't realize I drooled so much on the floor.  :Laughing:

What Lew said .  

 

 

Those tools are just too beautiful to use!

11 hours ago, derekcohen said:

You may not be aware that I am largely responsible for popularising the ramped shooting board.

I am curious what advantages this has, or purpose?  Having seen this on several videos and discussed here I am interested in making my own.

A beautiful collection of tools Derek, many thanks for sharing with us.

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16 hours ago, Gerald said:

Gorgeous stuff. Now a question did you also make the metal parts on the plane?

Hi Gerald

 

I made all the brass and steel parts on the plough with the exception of the depth stop, which came off an old Matherson.

 

There are some images of this on the website.

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

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9 hours ago, Woodbutcherbynight said:

I am curious what advantages this has, or purpose?  Having seen this on several videos and discussed here I am interested in making my own.

The ramp on the shooting board is 5 degrees. While this is too low to impart a slicing cut, what it does it enable the blade to enter the wood at a slight angle rather than front on. This reducing the force of impact and the jarring that is experienced when using a straight blade and a flat shooting board.

 

By contrast, shooting planes such as the Stanley/LN #51, with a blade skewed at 20 degrees, slice into the wood. This reduces impact and creates a cleaner cut. The LN#51 has a 45 degree bevel down cut, while the Veritas Shooting plane is bedded at 12 degrees. With a 25 degree bevel, it has a cutting angle of 37 degrees. The Veritas not only cuts more cleanly, but lasts about 3-4 times as long as the LN.

 

Read this review: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/LVShootingPlane.html

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

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Here's a smoother you can all make ...

 

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It is an infill BU smoother built from the shell of a Stanley #3. 

 

Most bevel up planes have a 12 degree bed. If you add a 30 degree bevel to the blade, you achieve a cutting angle of 42 degrees. this is too low for interlocked woods. Most bevel up planes recommend a 50 degree bevel for a cutting angle of 62 degree. However, this high angle makes it difficult to add camber to the bevel (as there is too much steel to remove). 

 

I built this plane with a 25 degree bad, and it only needs a 35 degree bevel for a 60 degree cutting angle. That is fairly easy to get a camber on.

 

In practice, this has a phenomenal performance. It is small enough, with a low centre of gravity, to be used in one hand.

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

Edited by derekcohen

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20 hours ago, Al B said:

Have you ever considered patenting any of your tools?

Not really. What ever I design is offered via my website or forums to whoever wants to build it for themself. For the past 10 years or so I have been fortunate to be sent tools from Lee Valley/Veritas for pre-production testing. This sometimes begins with renders and plastic printed versions, and then ends with the real thing. It was a big thrill in 2013 to visit the factory and sit in with the design team. Some of the tools do have a small fingerprint of mine, but mostly it was giving them the go-ahead. I have many of the Veritas hand planes and a custom set of the PM-V11 chisels.

 

Some years ago I designed a jig/tool for Veritas for hand sawing tenons. They sat on the design for a few years, but it did not go into production. I do not know why. I think it is brilliant. The design was too good to waste, so it is on my website for anyone to copy ...

 

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/TenonGuide.html

 

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Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

 

Edited by derekcohen

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