My rendition of a Float 1 of 5

Re: My rendition of a Float 2 of 5

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>The float and handle, to show the tang mostly. Hope the tape measure helps.

Re: My rendition of a Float 3 of 5

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>a shot of the assembled float and of the file that I used. Next time I will use a smaller one to make more tpi/fine teeth.

Re: My rendition of a Float 4 of 5

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>After assembly I took a few swipes with it along the grain of a 2x4. It cut pretty well I thought and am sure that it will smooth up a rough mortice quite easily.

Re: My rendition of a Float 5 of 5

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Here is a shot of it cutting across the grain of the same piece of 2x4. This was only a few stokes and it really ripped thru it.

I really see no need to harden this float as I think it cuts just fine. I may make another one than attempt to harden it to see if it makes any difference.

I have another blank all cut out to make a side float, but I dunno when I'll get to making that one.

Hope this post helps somebody, and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

We'll be watching your experiments, Todd

Bill Houghton, rainin' here this evenin'

>

Re: ? from non-metalhead

Mike Hamilton

>Hi Todd,

I wondered about hardening the float. Especially when you make one going the other direction (not much mass behind the teeth after filing, might it bend under pressure?) Can you harden 'mild steel'?

Curious about all aspects of tool-making, experienced at none.

Regards,

Mike Hamilton

Plainfield, IN

Way to go, Todd, good on you.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Answer from non-metalhead

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Mike,

I have no idea what will happen if I try to harden mild steel. I too am a non-metalhead and I don't even suspect what I don't know. the great thing about breaking into new areas is that you don't have to do much to learn a TON.

Grab up a few tools,--hacksaws, files, propane/MAPP, and scrap metal and have at it is all I can say.

T.O.

Not too hard

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>I would go easy on the hardening until I used it a bit. A float is like a saw and is intended to be touched up. If you harden it too much that touching up will be difficult. Another point is that floats are terminal tools and are used after others have done the hard work. The usage should be light. That said, a soft float may bend and too much wear would make you sharpen it into a nubbin. I do not know what the hardness should be. Maybe harder than a scraper blade but softer than a chisel??????

Re: Answer from non-metalhead

Phil Joines Krum, Tx

>Mild steel can't be hardened like tool steel. It can be "case hardened" either be heating and appling case hardening compound (from a welding supplier) or the old way of puting it in a small crock with hoof parings and heating the whole thing in a forge. this adds carbon in a thim layer to the steel. It would probably make it too hard to file. I haven't done it myself.

Re: My rendition of a Float 5 of 5

Mike Fitterling

>Looks nice, Todd! I'm in need of a bed float, so I will be interested in seeing the side float as, from what I can tell, the making must be about the same except for the iron being rectangular rather than triangular.

4140 *LINK*

woodburnbob

>Nice show and tell, Todd.

A few years ago, I tried clapping together 6 of the bottom blade of these:

It was a disaster. I might have gone on to "re-treat" all the teeth to new angles, but instead quit while I was ahead. There's much to be said for cutting one's losses in life.

Anyway, according to matweb (link below) it looks like mild steel (e.g. 1018) has a Rockwell C hardness of about 13. A high quality and available steel, which is lightlly pre-hardened and tempered and thus still "machinable" as received, like 4140, has a Rockwell hardness around Rc 30. I presume you already know the estimated Rc hardness for many of your cutting tools, e.g. 52 for may plane blades and chisels. Files are harder. One brand of file is available which is harder still.

I'm sure if Larry Williams sees this thread, he'll have some insights he might share.


http://www.matweb.com/search/GetProperty.asp

Wheels turning . . .

s.mackay@worldnet.att.net

>Probably missed it but . . . your tang is just "pressed" in and done ? Or did you do a pilot hole ? I just know if I try that its going to skew off to one side.

Re: Wheels turning . . .

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Steve, you missed this:

To fit the tang into the handle I loaded a small drill bit into my drill and drilled two holes, one above the other, than kind'a carved out the the little mortice slot. I simply jammed the tang in and called it good.

T.O.

Simple, elegant . . .

s.mackay@worldnet.att.net

>and VERY cool ! Do you figure you could find ferrules easily or canibalize from other things ?

Re: My rendition of a Float 1 of 5

Todd Hughes

>Good work but I don't think I have ever seen any floats with teeth that looked liked that and I sort of collect original floats and have filed out more then a few myself....here is a photo of an old one I have.You can see that the teeth lean forward a good deal more then yours which look like they are standing straight up and down. I think with having them lean forward like these old ones they would cut much better.

Most of the floats I made I made out of annealed old chisels though have done some out of old files but using a chisel will save you some time and trouble. I've hardened and tempered some but probably not really needed ,the old ones I tested all seem to be pretty soft. Probably want them to be about like a saw blade......Todd

Re: Original Float

Paul in NJ

>Very interesting Todd. It looks like progressive rake on the teeth, but correct me if I am wrong, just the opposite of a hand saw. Do your other floats look like that too?

Paul Dzioba

2 minutes...

Brad in Ottawa

>for looking so good!

Seriously, slow down! You are making the rest of us look bad! Your bench, the vise, the float. Next thing you will have built a whole set of hollows and rounds, AND finished your honey do list!

Thanks for sharing!

Brad

Re: Original Float

Todd Hughes

>Most if not all have teeth shapped like this [think I have two where the teeth are sort of criss cross] but don't know about the progressive rake...if hand filed the spacing will not be exact...Todd

Re: Simple, elegant . . .

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>No, I'd just use short sections of common copper pipe for ferrules.

T.O.

Re: My rendition of a Float 1 of 5

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Well, Todd, now you've done it--caused me doubt and confusion. ;~) I went back and rewatched the float making segement of the video, and I am now certain that I am not certain if I did it as did he, tho I am fairly certain that I did. His do see to have a slight more slant to them compared to mine, tho not as pronounced as yours.

Perhaps this is one of those cases where either style of tooth will do the job eh? I do think that I'll have a go and making teeth along the lines of yours to see if there is a difference or not.

In your post above you stated ".....if you use a chisel it will save you time and trouble". By this do you mean to make a float out of a chisel?

Thanks for the pic of your Vintage one.

T.O.

Re: 2 minutes...

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>No danger of me making the rest of you look bad. I am so far behind that I think I'm actually first. ;~)

Finish the Honey-do list? HA! I have a greater chance of either being hit by lightning, or winning the lottery.

T.O.

Honey do list!

Ernie Miller

>His wife gave up on the Honey do list a long time ago. She told me the yellow pages have some one in there that can fix any thing. No need to wait for years for it to not get done.

Looks real good Todd...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>I like the look of the handle, looks comfy.

Where's mine?