Router Plane Plans

With vintage cast iron router planes becoming rare and almost as expensive as their modern reproductions, shop-made is the way to go. There are different designs of router planes out there, but I've settled on this one because it allows easy blade adjustment. It does not hurt that it falls within my range of skills and tools as well.

I'm working off this design, which is free if you register. I am going to make some changes to it to suit my materials and available hardware.

First of all, I have a board of sweet cherry (Prunus avium) that, after planing, is 29 mm thick. The original design calls for thinner material, but I see no point. If anything, the extra thickness will allow me to make the shape more organic. I am making the boards slightly longer and wider as well.

I'll need to get a single DIN 466 thumb screw for the adjustment mechanism, but for clamping the blade down I have just the thing. I think these two vintage wingnuts will be much more comfortable. They come from an old curtain rod tensioning mechanism.

I am seriously considering clamping the blade down with a piece of wood, not metal because I happen to have a thin strip of maple. I intend to make this strip bulge in the middle so that it works as a spring when tightened. Should be better than putting split spring washers there. But if this idea does not work out, I can always make a metal replacement.

The blade is actually a blank for a metalworking lathe cutter. It is some variety of high-speed steel, and while its characteristic red-hardness is of no use in a hand tool, it can at least better withstand the rigors of grinding. I've spent an hour shaping the primary bevel on an electric grinder, and two more to flatten and hone it. I dread the thought of making the notch for the adjustment screw. I guess I'll use diamond cutting discs and needle files.

The handles don't look right to me. I can always add them later or maybe use a different handle construction. First, I'll see how the plane looks without them.

All right, enough planning. I have everything I need except for the thumbscrew, so I'll start on this right away.