| Project by Ron Aylor | posted 11-27-2016 09:49 PM | 3612 views | 8 times favorited | 13 comments |  |
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Inspired by Mads' recent purchase , and history nugget: ”... a device which creates long, spiraling wood shavings or tapers which are used to move fire from one place to another … most common in the era before matches … unique in that ordinarily wood planes are used to shape a piece of wood, whereas with a spill plane the shaving is the product,” I decided to build my very own spill plane!
Using an old coffin plane iron as a guide I laid out a 12° angled mortise of sorts at 55° across the face of a 10/4 billet of sycamore. Having dropped the billet several times and sending it across the shop once, I had to stop and make some needed repairs …
... a big crack …
... and a busted corner!
I then covered the floor of the angled mortise with a piece of curly satinwood veneer just to make sure things were nice and even.
The escarpment was, by far, the most challenging part of the plane as there can be no gap under the bevel of the iron or the spills will not curl properly. (The plane pictured here is actually my third attempt. The pine and oak versions were a disaster, BUT, I learned a lot.)
After adding cherry and persimmon fences, I finished the entire plane with boiled linseed oil and bees-wax. Now it’s time to make some spills …
Thanks for looking!
13 comments so far
tyvekboy
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2182 posts in 4475 days
#1 posted 11-27-2016 09:55 PM
Very cool.
-- Tyvekboy -- Marietta, GA ………….. one can never be too organized
mafe
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#2 posted 11-28-2016 12:09 AM
How wonderful!
I love the story you tell also about learning by doing and making all the repairs visible.
My fiancée came today with a big smile on her face with a spill in her hand as she lid the candles and said: ‘can you smell how wonderful it smells’.
Best thoughts,
Mads
-- MAD F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect.
bobasaurus
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#3 posted 11-28-2016 03:56 AM
I like it. What is that wedge set into? Doesn’t look like anything is there.
-- Allen, Colorado (Instagram @bobasaurus_woodworking)
BurlyBob
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#4 posted 11-28-2016 06:48 AM
What an ingenious idea. Well done!
Ron Aylor
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#5 posted 11-28-2016 11:21 AM
Thanks, Mads! My wife made a similar comment saying, “the house smells like Colonial Williamsburg.”
Ron Aylor
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#6 posted 11-28-2016 11:46 AM
Thanks, guys!
Bobasaurus – Thanks for asking … the wedge is held firmly in place by the thin persimmon fence, alone. If the iron is positioned incorrectly (too much higher than the bed of the plane) the wedge and iron will be knocked out! This actually helps to insure proper placement of the iron!
helluvawreck
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#7 posted 11-28-2016 01:52 PM
This is a wonderful shop made tool. This is really nice. Congratulations.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
Ron Aylor
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#8 posted 11-28-2016 02:31 PM
Thanks, Charles! This was a lot of fun … I now have spills all over the shop!
Ron Aylor
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#9 posted 11-28-2016 05:17 PM
Thanks!
Ron Aylor
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#10 posted 11-28-2016 05:18 PM
Thanks, Bob!Ub1chris
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#11 posted 11-28-2016 08:58 PM
I may have to try this before fire season next summer.
woodbutcherbynight
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#12 posted 11-29-2016 03:50 AM
Very interesting piece, excellent work!!
-- Live to tell the stories, they sound better that way.
Ron Aylor
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2649 posts in 2109 days
#13 posted 12-13-2016 03:40 PM
Thanks!
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