Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
St James Bay floats
Jack Guzman from Maine
>I got the pair of floats from St James Bay tools.I tried the wide one on the bed of the handled smoother I built. It cuts fast,now I get it.Only problem is that the way they are now,it's painful to use them.I need a handle of sorts.The tang is just a stub,squared off and a meager 1"long by about 1/4" wide.Anybody made handles for these? Any ideas?I'm stumped.
thanks---Jack
correction 1 1/2" long
Jack Guzman from Maine
>
Pardon my ignorance. . .
Tony Sade (Charleston, WV)
>but what's a plane float? Tony
Re: Pardon my ignorance. . .
Jack Guzman from Maine
>It's specially made file for smoothing interior surfaces when building wooden handplanes.The teeth are all straight and even.They act like a bunch of scrapers.---Jack
Re: St James Bay floats
Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
>My first thought would be to drill a pair of holes in the tangs, and then to make handles more or less like knife scales, riveted or screwed through the holes.
Thanks, Jack-followup?
Tony Sade (Charleston, WV)
>What's the origin of the term "float"? Not exactly intuitive, IYKWIM. Tony
solution?
Jack Guzman from Maine
>I think I came up with a solution somewhere along those lines.I drilled two holes and countersunk them so screws could sit flush with the back of the tang.Then I mortised for the tang on one end of a rectangular piece of cherry so the float could sit flush with one side of the handle.As soon as I finish shaping the handle and get the kinks out of it I'll post a picture.---Jack
handle
Jack Guzman from Maine
>This looks a little odd but it really works.I have good control of the float.Now I need to figure a design for the one that cuts on the narrow.---Jack
Handle Pictures *LINK*
Mike in Northern Maine
>Check out the Norse Woodsmith website for a good picture of Clark and Williams floats with handles.
http://www.norsewoodsmith.com/img/float/Floats.htm
Re: Handle Pictures
Jack Guzman from Maine
>That explains the stubby tangs.I'm glad I didn't see that first. I like my handle style better.---Jack
Re: handle
Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
>That looks like it will work. It has to be more comfortable than the bare metal!
Yours look more comfortable.
Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
>
Re: Handle Pictures
James Watriss
>I actually got to use some of the clark and williams floats this weekend. Larry was giving a workshop at the school, on making his molding planes. He was a bit panicked at first... it was a 5 day workshop in 2 days time, but I must say, it was a singular joy. He's as down to earth and as personable as they come... and he loves what he does.
The handles are remarkably comfortable.
Personally, I'm not sure I'd want a longer handled one... they're easier to operate one-handed with a shorter handle. And in some cases, it's easier to feel where the high spots are without the inertia of a long handle throwing the tool around.
Re: Handle Pictures
Jack Guzman from Maine
>Thanks for your input. I'm still debating how to build the second one. Those guys know their stuff (and I don't)so I may try that style.---Jack