Matching Snipe Bill Planes (Left Snipe Bill build)

[MrRick]

 

 

 

 

 

In a previous post "Snipe Bill Moulding Plane" I made the Right One first. Typically, they come in pairs, a Left and a Right. And yes ... you really need both. I had made two blanks to be able to do this.

After mortising the bed and wedge angles, cheek, etc., I cut out and shaped the wedge per Fig 1.

 

 

Next, I cut out the blade blank per Fig 2.

 

 

Then, I placed it into the plane and scribed the sole shape onto the blade per Fig 3 and shaped the cutting edge, etc.

 

 

Afterwards, I removed the hardness from the steel blade per Fig 4. Usually my practice has been to let it air cool achieving hardness removal. Some practice cooling it down slowly by sticking it into sand, vermiculite, or even cat litter. I tried sand. I'll stay with air cooling.

 

 

Per Fig 5, after shaping the cutting edge, I rehardened the blade. When the Curie point is reached, then it's quenched in oil. Some do a quick 2 sec dip into water before moving to oil and dipping. I'll stick to doing only in oil. Water can produce fine cracking.

 

 

Now, it's time to temper the blade. Many bake in an oven but I don't care for this method.  You have no control in knowing  if it's actually tempered. I have a method that allows me control and time to quench in oil. First, I clean up a bit with steel wool so I can see the process as shown per Fig 6. I heat with my torch again. When I see the steel turn a straw (light yellow) color, it indicates a relatively hard steel that is tempered. However, this can happen very fast, so I sandwich my blade on top of another piece of steel so when I see the color changing, I have time to react. Temperature at this point is around 205-226°C (401-439°F). Then I quickly quench in oil again.

 

 

Now is the time for the finishing touch of honing the blade per Fig 7. I do this on my 225, 600, 1200, 8000 grit diamond plates and finish off with my 16000 grit Shapton Ceramic stone.

 

 

I hone the cutting edge using this technique per Fig 8.
 

 

Next, I shape the planes' body per Fig 9 and do some chamfering details, etc. per Fig 10.

 

 

In Fig 11, a "Strike Button" is added using Cocobolo wood. 

 

 

Last but not least, I applied the finish. I applied two coats of 1 lb shellac, allowing each to dry a couple of hrs in between coats.

Next, I applied two coats of 2 lb Shellac, allowing each coat to dry overnight. Then, over several days, I French polished all surfaces with Shellac. I let it rest one final night. I wiped and polished with Wood Butter.
Here's the results per Fig 12.

 

 

Thanks for Looking!
Cheers!
MrRick

Edited October 14 by MrRick

[lew]

I'm really impressed, not only with the craftmanship, but also with the tutorial presentations. Are you publishing these builds on a blog we could follow?

[MrRick]

Hi lew... thanks. No. I haven't published these on any blog. Just here like I've been doing. When I create and finish a particular woodworking project I usually document it in Word for posting. Why would putting this on a blog be any better than just following me? I always get confused between what a forum is and a blog. I just try to keep it simple as a general woodworking post. 

Cheers! Thanks for looking and commenting. That's important for me. 

[Grandpadave52]

Goodness, yet another amazing thread and plane. Rick, you should locate a local woodworkers supply store, community college, high school trades class or??? and consider teaching plane making. Your work and skills deserve to be recognized as well as carried on.

[MrRick]

Thanks Grandpadave52. I wouldn't mind but don't even know where to start. I would mind selling them though.