If you like woodworking, and you like tools, what better project for a weekend than making a woodworking tool? One specialty plane that I’ve been wanting is a router plane. These planes are used to level the bottom surface of grooves and dadoes which have been cut using a chisel or other tool. The planes come in various sizes and construction types. Most commercial ones are (were) made with a metal body, while most craftsman made routers (and a few manufactured ones) have wooden bodies.
Over this past weekend I made a router plane using John Wilson’s excellent instructions in the August 2005 edition of Popular Woodworking magazine. His photos and text made for a quick an simple project.
I formed the wooden body of the plane from a well-seasoned plank of white oak a friend had given me several years ago. Since I’m not a metalworker, making the right-angle cutter and the holder to attach it to the wooden body was obviously the most challenging task. I I did an ok job shaping and grinding the cutter and holder, and they do work, but I think some fine-tuning is in order.
I did find it humorous that I used an electric router to round over the edges of my new manual router. In fact, all the operations in making this hand tool were done with power tools … bandsaw, drill press, belt sander, drum sander, and router.
Over this past weekend I made a router plane using John Wilson’s excellent instructions in the August 2005 edition of Popular Woodworking magazine. His photos and text made for a quick an simple project.
I formed the wooden body of the plane from a well-seasoned plank of white oak a friend had given me several years ago. Since I’m not a metalworker, making the right-angle cutter and the holder to attach it to the wooden body was obviously the most challenging task. I I did an ok job shaping and grinding the cutter and holder, and they do work, but I think some fine-tuning is in order.
I did find it humorous that I used an electric router to round over the edges of my new manual router. In fact, all the operations in making this hand tool were done with power tools … bandsaw, drill press, belt sander, drum sander, and router.
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