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Worked with a timber framer who has found some pretty bizarre stuff in oak. My favourite was a cross section of tin bucket complete with handle - the tree must have started life in one!

The makita is a lovely tool, motor and body all one machined casting etc. Highly recommended.

With poor steel, there is a physical limit on how sharp it can get (Not very, there's a clue). Looking at a broken piece of steel through a microscope you can see it is composed of 'grains' of...

Here's another way of doing things, somewhere between Marty's and the Eastman (Gibson).

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Nearly ready to call it finished:

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Ha! That's a damn fine box, you should put some strings on it.

Thanks, it's been good fun. It might have been patentable till I shared loads of pictures of it! I've no real interest in making this a serious commercial venture, beyond maybe a short run at a local...

The ball joint is left loose, but not 'floppy' at the moment, it seems to work best. I wish I had a load to post out for testing!

Here's the finished handle, seems to feel good. Boxwood with a little blackwood dot because. The length is adjustable, the ferrule is threaded.

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Thanks. Not sure if I'm misunderstanding you, but the ball and socket mean the handle angle can be anywhere from 20 to 50 degrees or so. It keeps the control in your fingers rather than at the end of...

Rolls-Royce huh? I'll take that! The shape on the bottom of these is actually not what I'd call 'consistent', this sketch shows the profile. It's really exaggerated, of course:

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It sort...

Thanks oliver. Here's a quick update with the adjuster:

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Thanks Graham, I was really pleased with it. To be honest string changes are a right faff with that design though! Definitely needs some revisions, perhaps just tweaking the 'teeth' down with a saw...

Been a while, you might have seen a few updates I posted on maestronet? (traitor).

Anyhow, here's the latest. I've been using CAD to juggle the insides around, and reduce the bulk of the thing -...

The blade is 01, I'm used to using it and I like it a lot. I might experiment with some others, but I've yet to feel the need. Tempered right it feels damn close to old-school 'cast steel' in use,...

The taper does seem to work well, although it would give the irons a very finite life? I was talking to a very experienced violin maker a few days ago, and I was astonished by how quickly he got...

A quick update: found the adjuster!

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Interesting that the blade is levered up against a cap rather than pushed onto a frog, I'm surprised it doesn't want to chatter. Are the Veritas palm planes arranged this way, anyone who has one?
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Thanks for all the great responses, I can't tell you how helpful that is. Loads of great ideas here, I'll get some photos of ergonomic mock ups and the next prototype up ASAP. What a fantastic site!

I would love to get this and subsequent prototypes in the hands of working luthiers, if anyone in the England wants to give these a go I'd happily send them round for a few days. I'll need 'em back...

Hello all, I'm working up some designs for finger planes as part of my degree - I'd love to get some feedback on what I've got so far. A few things I'm trying to work in:

- Some kind of palm...

If anyone in the uk needs a large one - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252297775208?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

For the modern luthier on the go! It says it holds a temperature around 60 degrees (140 farenheit) which seems spot on - I think I'll take a punt.

How about this, with a wooden base and a smaller cup inside? Easy enough to run it from a variable supply. Looks nice and neat.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=261597885134&alt=web