Ron Brese of Brese Plane recently asked me to be a beta tester for one of his new small smoother infill kits. I was happy to oblige, and honestly a bit flattered. Although I've been using pre-WWII Stanleys and Lie-Nielsen planes for over a decade, I've never touched an infill plane. I've always admired the craftsmanship and purported excellent performance of these tools, so I'm quite eager to get the plane up and running.
You might notice that the top edge of the plane body sides are flat, versus the beveled treatment than Brese gives his finished planes (see pic below)
I asked Ron to keep the top edge flat since I plan to overstuff the plane, the infills lapping over the edge of the sides. I'm hoping this will make for a bit more meat to hold on to, since this plane is rather small (about 6" long). Mock-ups in a cheap wood will help decide the final shape.
Jameel,
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested in watching your progress on making the infill plane! Do keep us up-to-date as things progress.
I like the idea of an infill kit, giving people on a somewhat limited budget the ability to maybe pick up an infill at a somewhat reasonable price.
And there is just something about taking part in making your own tools that appeals to me, as well.
That's exactly why I bit when Ron Brese asked me. I've wanted an infill for some time, but the price was out of my range. If these kits work out (I don't see why they wouldn't) Ron will have a nice product for us infill fans. I was all ready to tackle making an infill from scratch, but this kit will let me get my feet wet without a bunch of hacksawing and filing.
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