Now THIS is a blade ...!
A
couple of weeks before Christmas last year Jiri, my friend in Sweden,
sent me a plane blade. This was not just any blade. This was the
blade to end all blades ..
3"
wide (77mm to be exact).
9"
long.
I
cleaned it up to make the maker's mark clearer.
I
spent a weekend flattening the back of the blade. A weekend! I used
Shaptons, diamond paste and diamond stones, a belt sander, and the
side of a Tormek wheel. I have never had such hard steel to lap.
Never! That includes the supersteels I have been testing. It may turn
out that the steel has been incorrectly heat treated, or not heat
treated at all. If so, I shall have to redo it later. Meanwhile I can
report that the blade is laminated, beautifully done, and once hollow
ground and honed, takes an incredible edge that leaves a gleaming
finish on Radiata Pine (that is praise beyond all).
Here is a
comparison with a Stanley #4 (this one is a custom M4) and LN #4 1/2
(standard 2 3/8" wide and about 4mm thick). Did I mention that
the Berg is tapered and reaches 1/4"(just over 6mm) at the
working end?!
The
second part of the story unfolds.
Jiri gave me instructions
to build a plane. After lapping the back of the blade I noted that it
was not coplanar along its length. The face (that lies on the bed) is
perfectly coplanar, but the back tapers toward the edge. Mmm .. this
could be a problem if I use a wedge.
Enter Peter McBride.
Peter is an amazing planemaker and has an even more amazing
collection of infill planes. About two years ago he sent me a vintage
lever cap with a lever cap screw he made for it. The lever cap was 3"
wide. What on Earth was I do do with a lever cap that is 3"
wide. Well, the answer is put in a drawer and wait for Jiri to send
the blade!
It
was a little rough, and the picture here is after I cleaned it up.
There is a name, "Shepherd" on the face (no, that the
Shepherd boys from a few years ago) ..
I
also added a little mod to the blade. This was to make it usable
without cap iron (or chipbreaker). I did make a cap iron, but did not
like the effect. This blade does not need a cap iron.
The mod
was to shorten the top of the blade and infill the slot ..
I
think that the combination will be a match made in Heaven ..
Now
to the plane.
The question I would like to throw out is "what
would you build with this combination?".
Just for the
record I am nearing the end of the plane build, so I am not looking
for ideas. I am interested in what you see in the opportunity, what
you would do in my place. I wonder who would guess what I have done?
Regards
from Perth
Derek
April 2011