Saturday 15 February 2014

Rosewood Infill Plane

I have just finished a 1 ¾” low-slung smoother, which is the largest of a set of four that I am currently working on. Here is a picture of me rough shaping the body of the plane. I always enjoy this part of the process.

After rough shaping, I then lap the sole and sides on my granite engineer’s plate.

In last years “Commission” blog, I talk about the changes I made to the shape of my low-slung smoothers but I did not show a photo of the old shape next to the new.
New (Left) and Old (Right)

Aesthetically I think the new shape is an improvement. The new shape of the front and rear infills also fits my hand more comfortably. The infill wood is Kingwood (Dalbergia Cearensis); a very dense, stable and beautiful rosewood.
Low-slung smoother, 1 3/4" wide blade & 7 1/2" long body


Working with different species of wood is one of the things which I enjoy most about woodworking and plane making. Finding precious pieces, hoarding them in my dehumidifing closet, weighing them, measuring them with my moisture meter, it’s all a part of the hobby. Here’s a picture of one of my pieces of Kingwood. Seven percent moisture content and ready to use.