Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: Kalacricketer on December 02, 2014, 03:03:36 AM
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Guys !
I'm trying to source out a few round bottom planes as I can't find any in Australia or on eBay !
Flat bottom planes are everywhere but no rounded ones in sight..
I do refurbs and weight reductions and a round bottom plane would come in handy !
Any advice is muchly appreciated !
Kind regards Kyle
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Most of us have to make our own, they are very rare, particularly in the size you require and can often be very expensive. I would suggest getting hold of a wooden flat bottomed smoothing plane (better to have a narrow mouth). Shaping the bottom to be convex is fairly straight forward. The method I use is to first find a concave curve to match the convex curve you want on your plane. I have found old section of gas pipe are excellent for this if you can find some. The pipe is plastic and can be cut with a hand saw if you don't have a bandsaw and should have a wall thickness of about 18-20mm so it stays rigid enough. Obviously the pipe diameter should match the curve you want on your plane.
Remove the guts of the plane and roughly shape the flat bottom to a curve using a traditional flat plane. After sticking sand paper to the concave surface of your pipe with double sided tape work the curve into the plane until your happy. Next take the blade and possibly metal chip breaker if the plane has one and grind the curve to match the now shaped plane bottom. You can get a marker pen and use the bottom of the shaped plane as a template by poking it though the mouth of the plane. Once you have a reasonable ground shape on your blade you can change the sandpaper for various grades of wet and dry to hone the blade in the gas pipe former (it's a good idea to purchase a honing guide).
Good luck it takes a bit of patience with the blade but you should get a perfectly serviceable convex plane.
Cheers
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Thanks a lot mate !
I'll give it a try !
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BUY A TRAVISHER
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would something like this work?
(http://www.leevalley.com/en/images/item/woodworking/planes/60k2201s2.jpg)
(http://www.leevalley.com/en/images/item/woodworking/planes/60k2201s1.jpg)
here is the site, they have an international site too, one of my favourite stores :) I spend hours in there.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=55065&cat=1,41182 (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=55065&cat=1,41182)
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They are lovely little tools but I've always thought they would be too small for shaping a bat.
I like making my own anyway. :)
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They are lovely little tools but I've always thought they would be too small for shaping a bat.
I like making my own anyway. :)
They small for sure, someone like me who just likes to admire these instead of using them, the idea of making my own is pleasing but will result in a horrible outcome :) lol
If anyone needs/wants anything on the site let me know, I work 3 mins from the store and can pop over at lunch time etc etc..
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They are lovely little tools but I've always thought they would be too small for shaping a bat.
I like making my own anyway. :)
What size round bottom planes would you think would be ideal for bat making?
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(http://www.leevalley.com/en/images/item/woodworking/planes/07p1601s4.jpg)
I don't give up easy ;) (L) is a 1-1/4" in size...
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=64009&cat=1,41182 (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=64009&cat=1,41182)
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I have a couple of varying sizes including one tiny one I use for minor tweaking and tidying up near the spine and edges. think there are probably some pics in the section early on.
any size can be used for concaving. its probably easier for a uniform shape if its on the larger side but I prefer a smaller plane to enable me to see the area im concaving and means I can control it better. each to their own though
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Thanks for all the feedback guys !
I knew you were the best people for this !
I'll look into this
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In Australia you could try the Tool Exchange website, if you don't mind a second-hand plane
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Besides a round-bottom plane and a travisher, you could also try a heel shave (like this one):
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/039-SNELL-amp-ATHERTON-039-LEATHER-HEEL-SHAVE-OLD-TOOL-/121498259377?clk_rvr_id=742870604570&nma=true&si=tNzDenfcZ412VBuLpSPjDX0AG2w%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/039-SNELL-amp-ATHERTON-039-LEATHER-HEEL-SHAVE-OLD-TOOL-/121498259377?clk_rvr_id=742870604570&nma=true&si=tNzDenfcZ412VBuLpSPjDX0AG2w%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557)