My latest creation. Small block plane, steel with a floral etching. It was inspired by the planes made by Leonhard Danner originally built in the 1560s. 4-3/8" long x 1-1/4" wide x 1-1/2" tall (3" with the tote). 7/8" wide blade. It weighs in at 2lbs. Riveted construction.
A little bit of both. Mostly, I make things for me. The things that I'm happy with and I think others will like I'll make those to sell from time to time.
Beauty. For the etching, are you using fiber stencils or cricut or? That’s a big area to cover and looks very even
I used a vinyl cutter to make the resist. Then used a 12v DC power supply and salt water for the etch.
Cool, it’s a nice design. I’m a sawmaker and I etch my brass and steel. Im going to make some presentation saws with brass “escutcheon” plates and want to put a nice etched design on it like you have. The vinyl cutters work great but it’s hard to get a design like that to fit onto oddly shaped areas using the software. Need a graphic designer or something for each individual project
The software was the thing I struggled the most with. I'm thinking about etching part of my bench vise. My plan is to trace the area I want to etch on a piece of paper. Scan that into the software and then do some cropping to that scan. I think it will work. I may end up hiring a designer as well.
That’s a good idea. Then you can know what your boundaries are. I was thinking of drawing something and transferring it to a software, but I’d need a) draw something that doesn’t suck and b) know how to still clean up the lines anyway using some editing program. It’d be good to tell a graphic designer, “okay here’s the space you have to work with, go crazy”
I've been using Inkscape. It's a free open source program. There is a feature in there labeled "trace bitmap". I've used thay to trace my own drawings.
I hours into getting this design. A graphic designer could probably knock it out fairly quickly.
Thanks for sharing that. I don’t know the names of programs like that. I’ll have to check it out
Wow, gorgeous.
Thank you!
Fancy
Thanks1
I can't imagine how many hours that took or what it would be worth if you sold it. Almost too beautiful to use. Excellent work.
Thanks! I estimate I have about 30 hours into the build.
Wow, beautiful work!
Thank you!
I hope to create something as finished as this, someday.
Today is the day!
That’s really incredible
Thanks!
Love it, I’ve really been into these early/medieval metal planes
They certainly have been a fun rabbit hole for me to go down.
Nicely done. This is a great example to the thousands of potential laser owners that many use cases for spending thousands on a fibre laser, can be done even better with a few dollars worth of material and a bit if time
I considered the laser, but given the cost and the shape of the plane a simple vinyl sticker worked perfectly!
Electro-etching is mind-screwing for a lot of people. Not long ago, someone on one of the knife making subreddits was complaining bitterly about investing $2500 in a fibre laser to put his makers mark on his knives, and was getting crappy results.
I showed & explained how to make a $10 etching system, and he was almost apoplectic; it did a Much better job, deeper etch, and much more uniform contrast
I was shocked how easy it ended up being. I'm now looking at etching everything. The only limit is my ability to create masks.
Stunning
Thanks!
Stunning work, congratulations
Thank you!
Beautiful work, you nailed it
Thanks!
Beautiful looking but something that seems to have slipped everyone else's minds. Does it plane well? I love it btw and certainly don't see why form should follow function.
I've tested it with some curly maple so far. It left a smooth and tearout free surface that was ready for finish. I could get some thin and fluffy shavings with it.
It feels pretty good in the hand. Small enough used comfortably one handed, but large enough to get two hands on it.
My plan is to use it for flushing up stringing and inlay. That will be the real test.
That sounds excellent. I love that you make it for a purpose. Do you make Morris style infill planes too?
I've made a small mitre plane. That was my first metal plane. My interest lately has been in recreating some of the more obscure planes from history.
Unreal
oh hell yeah
Wait you made that?!
Oh wow! That is just beautiful! Thank you for sharing this.
Completely and utterly beautiful, as always. Can’t wait for the video on this one! Any chance of an electro-etching tutorial?
The video should be out on the 12th! I'm planing on doing an etching video. I just have to figure out how to make it interesting. Etching was surprisingly easy!
Oh wow
That is so spectacular that I don’t think I would use it. Well done!
Insert DeNiro you you you’re good you
Fantastic piece for any collection
That looks incredible. Do you do this to sell or just because you want things and have the skills to make them?