Last Project 1

I went to David Stanley's sale and bid for this yew log (I think) anvil, it had been used by a previous owner for leather work as it had lots of circle impressions hammered into the top and it was quite uneven, about 3/4" out of level.  I sawn the top offand planed it level, quite a job.  I intend to use it to hammer on and I love it to bits.  Amazing how much pleasure you can get out of a stump of a tree.  It cost me £35, it has already had the linseed treatment.

I have stamped my mark 4 times around the edge of the top, this will probably get erased in time, but i intend to make a better job somewhere on the side.  It already had 4 leather feet when I got it.

I am making a plane out of a steel backed tenon saw by Buck recently given to me.

I have put a bronze bridge in it, and at a later date will add a bronze sole, or maybe a steel one.

This plane will have a skew mouth.

This shows the plane with the sole fitted and the boxwood infill.

  The same piece of burr boxwood for the wedge and a snecked iron by Ibbotson.

I have started to make a Norris 11 replica, I have made a few of these in the past, mainly bronze with my name on, but this one I hope to be more the part.

D/T steel body, gunmetal bridge, rosewood infill, very fine mouth as Norris, large cheese head screw in the rear, as it should be.( thank you David Burman)  Just the bridge to finish.  This plane will be as near to Norris as possible!!!

I have now made 2 identical planes, apart from the bridges.  The second plane I have turned the bridge upside down, showing the cupid bow at the top.  The original plane had the cupid bow on the bridge at the bottom.

Both planes are now finished.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I have just finished a miniature mitre plane out of a saw back by Spear & Jackson, it has a centenary mark around the heel.  I have made a wrought iron bridge as used on the very early mitre planes.  Rosewood infill

Brass and stee,l D/T cupid bow rear decoration at the back, my name and an anchor on both sides.  Sheffield made iron.

Very fine mouth.

I think this is the first plane I have made with a steel body and a Bronze sole, front and bridge.  This is to show the dovetail construction more easily.

Notice how thin the bridge is.

I have used my last piece of Ebony to infill the plane, I don't use Ebony very often.

I have made a long narrow plane using a Groves brass back for the body and the bridge has Buck London, this piece was cut out of another tenon saw.  I have put a little cupid bow at the back of the heel, this is a first for me.  (See 3rd picture down)  The Boxwood infill is very stripey.

I have now coloured the boxwood.

This picture showes similar studs that I could use at a later date.

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