Compass Plane

[gromit]

Amongst many projects I'm making a rocking horse on bow rockers and would like to track down a compass (or circular) hand plane.

I found a Stanley #113 some years back but it's incomplete, the knob that controls the curvature of the base is missing. It has a LH thread on the outside and a RH thread internally. To add to the pain the cast section it screws into has been broken and bronze welded so the thread may need cleaning up which means determining the thread and organsing a LH tap. Mine is also missing the palm rest behind the blade.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r4IAAOSwa5RgHEO4/s-l1600.jpg

I found a knob on Ebay which after adding freight etc. comes to over $60. I'm just trying to convince myself that a $60 knob is worthwhile especially as the thread may still need re-tapping.

The outside of the curve I can probably do with a conventional hand plane, the inside with spokeshaves. Neither will be easy to get an even curve.

Any other ideas how to finish plane a large curved piece of timber ?

Colin

[Tins]

I have a friend who is an absolute first class cabinet maker. I don't mean he builds kitchens, he had a piece in the National Gallery. He's in Avonsleigh. I'll run it past him, but he's usually pretty busy so don't hold your breath. But he'll know what you want.

[Don 130]

Amongst many projects I'm making a rocking horse on bow rockers and would like to track down a compass (or circular) hand plane.

I found a Stanley #113 some years back but it's incomplete, the knob that controls the curvature of the base is missing. It has a LH thread on the outside and a RH thread internally. To add to the pain the cast section it screws into has been broken and bronze welded so the thread may need cleaning up which means determining the thread and organsing a LH tap. Mine is also missing the palm rest behind the blade.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r4IAAOSwa5RgHEO4/s-l1600.jpg

I found a knob on Ebay which after adding freight etc. comes to over $60. I'm just trying to convince myself that a $60 knob is worthwhile especially as the thread may still need re-tapping.

The outside of the curve I can probably do with a conventional hand plane, the inside with spokeshaves. Neither will be easy to get an even curve.

Any other ideas how to finish plane a large curved piece of timber ?

Colin

Make one......

Compass planes (http://hackneytools.com/category/hand-tools-2/planes/compass-planes/)

Don.

[gromit]

I have a friend who is an absolute first class cabinet maker. I don't mean he builds kitchens, he had a piece in the National Gallery. He's in Avonsleigh. I'll run it past him, but he's usually pretty busy so don't hold your breath. But he'll know what you want.

Thanks.


Make one......

Compass planes (http://hackneytools.com/category/hand-tools-2/planes/compass-planes/)

Don.


Those in the link are fixed radius, the one I have is adjustable concave/convex.

I may have to make an adjustment knob, just need to work out the LH thread. Alternatively I bite the bullet and pay $60 for the secondhand knob and hope that the thread in the repaired section is OK.


Colin

[350RRC]

Amongst many projects I'm making a rocking horse on bow rockers and would like to track down a compass (or circular) hand plane.

Any other ideas how to finish plane a large curved piece of timber ?

Colin

Use a router on the end of a radius arm. Radius arm can be made of ply, etc.

Screw the centre end of the radius arm and the work piece onto a sheet of chipboard. Perfect result inside and out.

Always use care using routers.

DL

[gromit]

Use a router on the end of a radius arm. Radius arm can be made of ply, etc.

Screw the centre end of the radius arm and the work piece onto a sheet of chipboard. Perfect result inside and out.

Always use care using routers.

DL

Big diameter so I'd need a very big workbench.

I'd prefer to use hand tools, the basic shape of each rocker is from two pieces cut on a bandsaw.
I'll post a picture of one I made some years back, I remember struggling to get the curve smooth. Just to complicate things the bottom of the rockers isn't square to the sides along the whole length because the rockers sit at an angle.

Colin

[350RRC]

Big diameter so I'd need a very big workbench.

I'd prefer to use hand tools, the basic shape of each rocker is from two pieces cut on a bandsaw.
I'll post a picture of one I made some years back, I remember struggling to get the curve smooth. Just to complicate things the bottom of the rockers isn't square to the sides along the whole length because the rockers sit at an angle.

Colin

Chip board is common at 2400 ish long, that's a big radius. Do it on the floor.

[Don 130]

A friend makes the chairs shown. I'll ask him how he does the curves. He trained as an antique restorer in the UK168779and if you look at that wooden compass plane again, you'll see it is adjustable, but not in the same way as a metal one.
Don.

[gromit]

A168779and if you look at that wooden compass plane again, you'll see it is adjustable, but not in the same way as a metal one.
Don.

Concave yes, convex no.

Also making a curved sole plane is a bit of a Catch 22. How do you make the curved base ?

Last time I managed with a conventional plane on the convex and a curved sole spokeshave on the concave plus lots of checking & fine tuning. I really don't have time to get into plane making and I cannot justify over $60 for the adjustment knob for my Stanley 113 so I guess I'll use the same method.

Colin

[Lionelgee]

Hello Colin,

I was interested in finding out how to use a compass plane and I found this clip on YouTube. In preparation to use the compass plane the person uses a saw and then a chisel to remove the bulk of material. Then he uses a round spokeshave which can be used instead of a compass plane. The presenter describes using the saw and chisel technique prior to using a compass plane. Accessed 17th February 2021 from, How to Use a Compass Plane Stanley 113 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BTDYcBFLwE)

I was also surprised how many of the Stanley Compass planes are available in America via eBay - and parts. On eBay I typed in "Stanley No. 11"

They are quite an impressive looking piece of kit; made when art and craft were equally important.

Kind regards
Lionel

[gromit]

Here's a picture of the last bow rocker I made.

The compass plane would have made the job easier, I'll keep looking at the trash & treasure markets......


Colin

[Parker]

Having mucked around with planes I'd say that the timber is key. Beech, oak or the like is what used to be used for compass planes working on curved parts. Aussie timbers are not like that. Softwood would be a PITB.

My best curves have involved careful band sawing with a fine saw blade, going really slow. And then my 3" belt sander with 240grit followed by hand sanding to as fine as was still creating dust. Scraping is good in theory but the grain is not uniform on a curve so also difficult.

Hand sanding always wins in the end and is controllable.

:)





Amongst many projects I'm making a rocking horse on bow rockers and would like to track down a compass (or circular) hand plane.

I found a Stanley #113 some years back but it's incomplete, the knob that controls the curvature of the base is missing. It has a LH thread on the outside and a RH thread internally. To add to the pain the cast section it screws into has been broken and bronze welded so the thread may need cleaning up which means determining the thread and organsing a LH tap. Mine is also missing the palm rest behind the blade.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r4IAAOSwa5RgHEO4/s-l1600.jpg

I found a knob on Ebay which after adding freight etc. comes to over $60. I'm just trying to convince myself that a $60 knob is worthwhile especially as the thread may still need re-tapping.

The outside of the curve I can probably do with a conventional hand plane, the inside with spokeshaves. Neither will be easy to get an even curve.

Any other ideas how to finish plane a large curved piece of timber ?

Colin

[gromit]

Having mucked around with planes I'd say that the timber is key. Beech, oak or the like is what used to be used for compass planes working on curved parts. Aussie timbers are not like that. Softwood would be a PITB.

My best curves have involved careful band sawing with a fine saw blade, going really slow. And then my 3" belt sander with 240grit followed by hand sanding to as fine as was still creating dust. Scraping is good in theory but the grain is not uniform on a curve so also difficult.

Hand sanding always wins in the end and is controllable.

:)

Last bows I made were European Beech.
Horse is from 'clear pine', no knots and fairly easy to carve.

Bows are made in two pieces joined in the centre.

Colin

[Bigpete]

Re metal plane. your local men’s shed will likely have to tools and experience to help, and if not will refer you to one that does.
They are a great and very economical resource for that type of one off work.

The runners are easy to make with a full size pattern drawn to full size onto say Bunnings thin ply and then cut out, as already advised, by band saw. The fact that you need the bottom cut at an angle is easily fixed by cutting on a band saw table set at the angle required, and remembering that the two sides may be different as a result of course, depending on your profile. Then finish with spoke shave sanding etc.
As a amateur boat builder that type of cutting is often needed as you can imagine.
Cheers

[gromit]

Re metal plane. your local men’s shed will likely have to tools and experience to help, and if not will refer you to one that does.
They are a great and very economical resource for that type of one off work.

The runners are easy to make with a full size pattern drawn to full size onto say Bunnings thin ply and then cut out, as already advised, by band saw. The fact that you need the bottom cut at an angle is easily fixed by cutting on a band saw table set at the angle required, and remembering that the two sides may be different as a result of course, depending on your profile. Then finish with spoke shave sanding etc.
As a amateur boat builder that type of cutting is often needed as you can imagine.
Cheers

I'm a member of the local woodwork club (registered as a Mens Shed) and they have few hand tools and limited experience with hand tools. I regularly take down hand planes and they are often surprised that I still use them.
I was the first to hand carve a horse, they have all used angle grinders !

If you read the thread I've already made one set, just looking for a easier way of finishing the concave/convex surfaces. Patterns are hanging in the shed.



Colin

[Bigpete]

I'm a member of the local woodwork club (registered as a Mens Shed) and they have few hand tools and limited experience with hand tools. I regularly take down hand planes and they are often surprised that I still use them.
I was the first to hand carve a horse, they have all used angle grinders !

If you read the thread I've already made one set, just looking for a easier way of finishing the concave/convex surfaces. Patterns are hanging in the shed.



Colin

Oh ok got it. We have a full metal shop at ours, so metal jobs and thread cutting etc is easy here, and yes I see you have made one before....very nice it looks too.
No easier way that I know of than setting up a good band saw to cut the profile and angles....then use a spoke shave to get close to your desired under runner profile and finish it off with a scraper blade that you grind to the concave final surface you want.
If as you seem to, like using hand tools then a non abrasive way is with planes and scrapers for the under runner side. The inside of the runners would be ok with a convex plane. But by the time you go to the trouble of finding the best tool for the job, for what I presume is a one off more or less, just go with what you have?
Cheers

[gromit]

Oh ok got it. We have a full metal shop at ours, so metal jobs and thread cutting etc is easy here, and yes I see you have made one before....very nice it looks too.
No easier way that I know of than setting up a good band saw to cut the profile and angles....then use a spoke shave to get close to your desired under runner profile and finish it off with a scraper blade that you grind to the concave final surface you want.
If as you seem to, like using hand tools then a non abrasive way is with planes and scrapers for the under runner side. The inside of the runners would be ok with a convex plane. But by the time you go to the trouble of finding the best tool for the job, for what I presume is a one off more or less, just go with what you have?
Cheers

I'm almost there with an incomplete Compass plane so I'll have to stick with a spokeshave and sanding for now.

Our woodwork club has Mens Shed status mainly for funding purposes. I only attend on a Wednesday evening as I work full time but I get the impression there are only a few with any real woodworking skills.
Fortunately I have a lathe, mill etc. at home for metalworking.

Here's another horse on an unusual safety stand. Hand made bridle & saddle, missing a mane in this picture.

https://live.staticflickr.com/888/42996420081_032aa2f888_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28vrTHB)IMG_0753 (https://flic.kr/p/28vrTHB) by Colin Radley (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152321353@N07/), on Flickr

Colin

[Tins]

I spoke to my friend. He has one that is around 150 years old ( he won't lend it ). He says you should continue with fixing yours as you won't regret it. They can still be obtained, but the price?
https://www.thewoodworks.com.au/shop/hand-tools/planes-compass

[TonyC]

Hi Colin,
I have a plane that looks the same as the one pictured, it's missing it's blade.
No I don't want to part with it, but if I can provide any measurements or photos let me know.

Tony

[gromit]

Hi Colin,
I have a plane that looks the same as the one pictured, it's missing it's blade.
No I don't want to part with it, but if I can provide any measurements or photos let me know.

Tony

Thanks Tony,

Details of the external lefthand thread on the curvature adjustment knob would be helpful.
I could make a knob, it won't be as ornate as the original but would allow me to at least use it in anger.

Thanks,


Colin

[gromit]

I happened to be on Gumtree recently and searched 'compass plane'.
Found someone with an incomplete compass plane that was parting it out, got the adjustment knob for $25 including postage.

So finally I have a working compass plane !

Just need to wait for the woodwork club to re-open now.....


Colin