where to buy a molding plane

Re: where to buy a molding plane

James Watriss

>Well, you can look for one on ebay. You could also try Clark and Williams, but last I heard (in May) Larry said he was pretty much backed up for the next year on molding planes.

Re: where to buy a molding plane

MikeW

>Hi Bill,

Failing being able to find one, you can do a good job (depending on the wood) by lightly chamfering both edges and making a still scraper to finish the rounded profile.

I would get the LV Scraper Plane replacement blade for $10 and grind the profile. You would be best off to also make a wooden holder for it, which is simple.

Often one needs to grind scrapers for different molding planes to finish off anyway.

MikeW

Emailed a favorite source who offers:

David Barnett - Venice, FL

>Unusually crispy D.R. Barton #16 hollow. Good++ $25.00

I filled out your spam interceptor so you 'should' get it. Thought I'd better echo it here -- just in case. If you don't receive it, email and and I'll resend.

Re: Emailed a favorite source who offers:

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>"Crispy", eh? That's a pretty big hint as to the possible identity of the rustmonger. Of course, there are emulators, and the term is not copyrighted. (Hope it doesn't imply "fire sale' :^)

BTW, I got my half set (hollows and rounds, in even numbers from 2 to 18) from Tony Murland. I was looking for some with a higher bedding angle than most of the ones built in the U.S.

Bill, While the names of most molding planes describe the shape of the profile left in the wood, someone was really cantankerous when they named these, and instead named them for the shape of the plane's sole. So, as David implies, the hollows cut convex moldings, and the rounds cut concave moldings. Go figure.

Perhaps

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>a #4 hollow plane (depending on maker; there is no standard size) would do what you want. Another option is a 1" bead plane. It depends on what 1" means for your project. Are you trying to create a feature that resembles a 1" dowel or is the arc just 1" across? Good luck with your project.

Re: where to buy a molding plane

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>Bill -

I'll share my experience with creating convex profiles with a hollow molding plane. Working with a plane which has the desired finished radius didn't work for me. In use, the ends of the iron are in the work, the center part is not, a series of ruts is created and it is tough to get to finished size with these ruts eliminated.

My method is to get very close to finished profile with bench planes and block planes, (or use a rabbet plane if space is an issue) then eliminate the facets I've made with the bench planes by using a hollow plane with a slightly larger radius than the final profile. In your example, I'd try an 1 1/16" or 1 1/8" radius plane for a 1" profile. This will get you very close to the final shape. A little scraping and/or sanding will complete the task.

Ed

thanks for the practical advice

bill tindall

>It seems of late that I need a half round( or approx. half round) profile on a variety of edges where the lumber thickness is around 13/16 to 7/8". I haven't found the concave spoke shave particularly beneficial and I have yet to figure out the Stanley 55 I inherited.

The faceting with a conventional plane followed by ??? seemed to be the way to go, so the question remained as to the best way to refine the facets into a smooth round. Fileing was tedious(maybe less so if my facets were more perfect). From the discussion it seems that scraping or a hollow plane works. To my surprise the planes appear cheap so I may try both approaches. The thought crossed my mind about making a plane , but I have no idea how to make the concave sole.

Close, William... close.

David Barnett - Venice, FL

>While the Merchant of Ashby's involvement would seem likely, lexically, in this instance a couple of fez-sportin' fellows from a certain Tool Hut in upstate November Yankee propose a haggle-free swap for the requisite spondulix.

Re: thanks for the practical advice

Greg Bétit, Vergennes, VT

>Bill,

If you're working hard wood the 55's throat might be too open. Try shimming it tighter. I find that they're great for working green riven stock into chair spindles (following a draw knife), but my 55 is not so good on dry hardwood. The LV or LN concave is much better for this latter application.

Greg

Re: Close, William... close.

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>I've never had the pleasure of doing business with "Akbar", but I took notice of a recommendation from Chris Schwarz on this forum just last week.

I also found this definition of spondulix.

Re:Buying New Making your own

Barry Va Beach

>Bill, you have a few options. Some merchants are offering new asian hollows and rounds at very attractive pricing. Woodcraft carries a few priced at $30.00 each although they are not in the traditional shape. Other vendors have a more complete selection of sizes at similar prices. As to old- ebay or an online dealer of old tools in the US will get you something in the 15 - 30 range. While Tony Murland has a great selection, and I have purchased planes from him, I think he has a minimum order and shipping is very expensive from Britan. The third option, make you own, which I also have done, is fairly simple and involves only 3 steps - Step 1 - Buy Todd Herrli's video which shows you how to make it, Step 2 print out the article ( I think it was posted by Scott Post?)http://home.insightbb.com/~sepost/woodwork.html on making an ovolo plane which goes through the process step by step, and then step 3 make the plane. In terms of time, it will take a while to cut out and then shape the iron. The actual plane making is not all that hard - once you have glued up the blanks and cut out the iron - I would guess it would take a weekend or two to make one plane. Whichever path you choose, good luck. BTW- the use of a straight blade plane ( bench, shoulder or rabbitt) is generally reccommended to get the profile close - because it is easier to sharpen that blade - getting a round blade sharp at just the right projection from the sole is fairly tough so you want to save that blade from too much wear.

The ever-elusive spondulix

David Barnett - Venice, FL

>Ah, yessss...* As Partridge suggests (and with whom I agree**) it would seem the etymology of spondulix (alt. spondulicks) was likely borrowed, if not outright klept, from the Gk. spondulikos (adjectival of spondulox, although I've not dusted off my Liddell-Scott to vet), a shell somewhat akin to the copious Kickapoo cowrie wampum hoarded in my very own wickiup, which the pizza guy appears not to prefer over the more mundane greenback, go figure.

__________________________

My friend the Senior got out of spondulix, and borrowed [my watch] to spout for the purpose of bucking the Tiger" (to interpret, his friend had run out of money and pawned the watch to get some more cash in order to gamble on cards, probably faro).

--"Vanity Fair," 1806

__________________________

*This was a favorite term of William Claude Dukenfield, btw.

**“Spondulics—coin piled for counting” is interestingly argumentative, however.

Re: thanks for the practical advice

Jim Crammond in Monroe, Mi

>Bill,

If you plan to cut a half round profile, the molding planes that were specifcally made for that purpose is called a nosing or step plane. These were used for stair treads, etc. The plane would cut the the half round profile with the board held upright in a vise without having to tip the plane.

These are not as common as hollows and rounds, but I would think some of the oldtool dealers already mentioned mentioned would have some.

Jim Crammond

Re: The ever-elusive spondulix

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>I thought the legal tender in Kickapoo was the Lower Slobovian Rasputnick?

Re: where to buy a molding plane

Alan Hamilton

>Bill,

You might try Woodcraft. Some time ago I bought a hollow and a round from them for very little money. They are Chinese, made from rosewood, and are pretty well made. The irons aren't the best, but are adequate for the little bit I use them. The radius is larger than you want; but as others have said, it's pretty easy to adjust the radius once you get the edge evenly rounded.

Alan

I hate to say phooie, but...

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>Cutting a round using a round plane is simple, fast, and repeatable. It is amazing--the plane cuts shavings and then just stops finding anything offending to cut off. At that point, your piece is perfectly rounded as if by magic. You can even hum a tune and look out the window as you go. It is quite pleasant. Other methods work, but they are hard, slow, and hard to repeat with consistency.

Pretty much self-jigging

David Barnett - Venice, FL

>Easy way to make cane shafts, tapered tool handles, non-marring ring, bezel, bracelet mandrels. All kinds of rounded and round stuff, just like Jim says.

At the risk of learning something new ...

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>... could you reveal the secrets of your success?

When I read Bill's original post it reminded me of my own first attempts with a hollow plane and my disappointment with the results.

How, using hollows, would you for instance strike a 1" diameter half-round on the edge of 1" stock?

Ed

I would...

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>Step 1--I use a whatever bench plane is handy to chamfer the sharp corners. Bench plane removes stock faster. Step 2--Pick the appropriate hollow--I think in my set this is #4 or #6 for a 1" diameter. Step 3--Round the chamfers while whistling a tune. Start from the sides and work to the middle. The last few strokes will complete the *crown* and the flat spot edge will magically disappear. If your plane is sharp, no scraping is necessary.

But what tune, man...WHAT TUNE??!!

Luke Herzberg

>

Why Inagoddadavida!

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>

My hat is off to you

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>You’re getting good results with a challenging (to me at least) operation.

When striking a long piece of molding where I have to walk along the bench I’ve found it difficult to keep the plane in the correct orientation so the ends of the cutter don’t dig into the work. A small knot or change in wood density is enough to rotate the plane slightly and dig in below the profile line. I’ve had the same poor result with pine and cherry.

Unlike complex molding planes, hollow planes (and round planes too) don’t have a built-in stop so it’s easy to go too deep, i.e. cut on the wrong side of the profile line. The plane doesn’t care; it will just happily keep on cutting.

Ed

I HATE KNOTS

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>they nick blades and throw everything out of adjustment. Only CLEAR wood for mouldings. If knotty wood is used, the knots should be gouged out with a chisel before applying plane.