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Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

Abingdon, VA – Tree Cutting & Portable Sawmill

Making a cutter box

Posts

Making a cutter box

#1

Making a cutter box

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>Now that I have made cutter sets for the Miller plane, I have some time to work on a cutter box to house the little guys. This one is for a client who is a member of the *Blade of the Month Club*. It starts with some poplar. I am not lazy, just *time challenged*, so I went to the box store and picked up some 1/4" poplar. Finding precut and surface treated stock makes this project a snap. Next I made a pattern of the set on paper to use as a template. Then I cut the box front and back to size. Then I cut some strips to glue as spacers and then I glued up the box. First picture is of the box with pieces roughly in place.


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Re: Making a cutter box

#2

Step #2

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>The next step is to glue everything in place. As Norm says, you can never have too many clamps. Next lesson is tommorrow after the glue dries.


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Re: Making a cutter box

#3

Step #3

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>OK. So I have no patience. The glue dried and I was eager to proceed. Next step is to square up the box and even up the edges. (I might have used a table saw to even up the cross grained sides.) For the top and bottom, I resorted to my trusty #4c with its special homebrew blade. Dogged the box to the bench (notice clever use of scrap).


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Re: Making a cutter box

#4

Step #4

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>It is easier to hold the plane at a 45 degree angle and make light skew cuts. The box likes it and the box yields some pretty curly skew shavings.


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Re: Making a cutter box

#5

Step #5--Open the box

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>Time to open the box. I like to seat my cutters deeper than Stanley. All that needs to show is a little bit of blade--about enough to pinch with your fingers. Mark the box and proceed. You can use an antique back saw for this cut or you can use the tablesaw. I might have used the quickest method.


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Re: Making a cutter box

#6

Home at last!

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>Here is the final shot with the finely honed cutters in their new house. The box will help ward off rust and will keep them sharp for use.


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Re: Making a cutter box

#8

Re: Home at last!

Ernie Miller

>Blade of the month club? that really sucks them in for the long term comitment. I can see it now this is a custom squed blade for a for a rabbit plane I don't have the plane but if I ever find on missing a blade I am set. I know yoou just have repete customers that just seem to be calling every month. I will try and post a picture of a project I just finished last night.

Re: Making a cutter box

#9

I've made these kind of boxes for all my planes...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>That has multiple blades. I like to a 1/8" piece of wood between the blades to keep them from banging into each other when being taken out or put back. I prefer the purple broccoli rubber bands to hold the blade case together.

Re: Making a cutter box

#10

Purple band

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>I have spent more brain cycles than I care to count thinking about ways to keep the box closed. The purple band is as good as any way I have been able to come up with.

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