Making totes:keeper or prototype
Jack Guzman from Maine
>I recently picked up yet another stanley #5 with a broken tote.The plane was encased in thick rust.I found it lying on the ground at a year round outdoor flea market.It only cost $5 and it cleaned up nicely.There was no pitting remarkably.I haven't dated it but it has 3 patents. The sole is perfect.
Anyhow,I'm sick of glueing these things so I figured it was time to try and make one.I only have a small bit of rosewood so I decided to make an oak prototype in case I messed up.I have lots of red oak.
I solved the hardest problem first. I got the angle of the long bolt to the sole with a bevel,marked it on the wood,them made a 90 deg.line off the bolt line and cut that line.Using that line as reference I cut a parallel line.I took this block with a vertical line drawn on it(bolt line)and drilled a counterbore and then through drilled for the bolt.Then I cut my sole line. I laid the broken tote pieces on this line and drew the outline.Then it was just a matter of cutting away everything except for the tote.I used a bandsaw,paring chisel,circular and low angle spokeshaves,float,patternmakers rasps,wood file and finally card scrapers and sandpaper to get it smooth.
With the tote bolted down I marked the front hole and then removed it and drilled it.The only problem I have with the prototype is that it's perfect.I'm thinking of just using it as a tote.I treated it with blo-turpentine and it's drying. The picture is from before the oil.
Are there any downsides to a red oak tote? I never saw one before,but it looks great.I'm going to make a few more using both rosewood and cherry .I'm always needing totes it seems.
Next thing is a saw handle,my apple is almost dry enough.
have fun---Crackerjack
