Traditional Boatbuilding Tools

[Mike]

I was looking up a term used by our new chum, Beachbum, to describe a convex based plane - the ones used, for example, to make hollowed oar blades or paddle blades and which the pros use for fitting planks snugly to the turn of a frame at the bilge. Beachbum told me his was a 'bollow'. I Googled that term and found this very interesting trad boatbuilding website (http://www.rovcom.co.uk/shipwright_tools.htm).

Naturally, I found myself going over the whole site, oogling the lovely boats and reading the little gems of expert advice and opinion posted there. However, I treat all information gleaned in this way with some skepticism for opinions, of course, vary widely. And one man's opinion can be seriously misleading, no matter who that man may be.

That said, I think we can take the information gleaned from the linked page as well established fact. The tools of the trade are very well known - and Beachbum has it right, as we see. The plane of which he spoke is indeed a 'bollow plane'.

I'm rather interested in the plane immediately below the bollow, known as a compass plane, or a circular plane, or by some as just a curved plane, and intend to get me one of those in the not too distant future. An Indian outfit, 'Anant' produces a modern copy of the old Stanley #113, which is a good buy at around £100.00 when compared with the ancient, worn, examples on the market. I have yet to hear someone comment on how these planes do but it seems to me they would be useful in boatbuilding. They can be set to plane either convex or concave and are none too common these days.

There is even one that is powered, I have found, called a 'Virutex' (at around £300.00), though all power planes tend to worry me just a little in that they are mostly just useful for ripping heaps of waste timber away and, if not used with care, can leave you with a huge pile of shavings and not enough timber left for the job in hand. Much better, I feel, to take wood off slowly - and by hand - at least when you haven't much wood to waste in the first place.

Enjoy the link, guys and gals. I certainly did.

Best wishes

Mike :captain:

[Beachbum]

I was looking up a term used by our new chum, Beachbum, to describe a convex based plane - the ones used, for example, to make hollowed oar blades or paddle blades and which the pros use for fitting planks snugly to the turn of a frame at the bilge. Beachbum told me his was a 'bollow'.


Will happily put up the dwg's for the small Bollow plane made here when i can get them scanned, but I have also used some made from old flat soled wooden block planes simply spoke shaved convex on the two planes and the blade reground to fit the curve. The amount of curve on the sole being defined by the hollow desired i found when making my oar that i used a few different sizes of plane. I have even used a steel one fabricated from a Stanley No.4 smoothing plane which was interesting!


I'm rather interested in the plane immediately below the bollow, known as a compass plane, or a circular plane, or by some as just a curved plane, and intend to get me one of those in the not too distant future. An Indian outfit, 'Anant' produces a modern copy of the old Stanley #113, which is a good buy at around £100.00 when compared with the ancient, worn, examples on the market. I have yet to hear someone comment on how these planes do but it seems to me they would be useful in boatbuilding. They can be set to plane either convex or concave and are none too common these days.

I have had a play with an old compass plane but i too am yet to be convinced! Its not something we bother to use here and i have not found a need . . . .yet! Be interested to hear how you fair with it though Mike, I have not heard great things about Anant but pinches of salt etc!

Cheers

BB

[Mike]

Will happily put up the dwg's for the small Bollow plane made here when i can get them scanned, but I have also used some made from old flat soled wooden block planes simply spoke shaved convex on the two planes and the blade reground to fit the curve. The amount of curve on the sole being defined by the hollow desired i found when making my oar that i used a few different sizes of plane. I have even used a steel one fabricated from a Stanley No.4 smoothing plane which was interesting!Thanks BB

Nice to hear you've used a few - and the tips on fabricating from a wooden block plane are worthwhile. How on earth was a Stanley No. 4 modified to do the job? Sounds like some serious metalwork there. I guess it was a wide radius conversion?

I have had a play with an old compass plane but i too am yet to be convinced! Its not something we bother to use here and i have not found a need . . . .yet! Be interested to hear how you fair with it though Mike, I have not heard great things about Anant but pinches of salt etc!Yes indeed. I hesitate to dive in on the Anant. However, I would prefer to use one first. I've heard they don't do a very good job. Interesting to hear that boatbuilders don't bother with 'em. I guess a good spokeshave will do just as well in the right hands.

I have a little Lie-Nielsen convex plane, as I said, and she's a beauty. Bit small, though, but a very comfortable tool to use. Fits in my hand like a glove. The idea of a compass plane occurred to me to be potentially useful for strip planking on a larger hull. However, it might depend on the achievable curvature (radius).

Thanks again, BB. Happy New Year to you. :approval:

Regards

Mike