combination bench plane
2018
At Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, every senior was required to enroll in one of thirteen research labs. I chose the Prototyping & Engineering Materials lab where I decided to design a combination bench plane.
In the world of woodworking there exist three types of bench planes used for refining rough wood into usable pieces; the jack, the jointer, and the smoothing planes. The functions are determined by the length of the entire underside, and the angle of the mouth where the blade meets the wood underneath the plane.There exist products that offer a combination of profiles for a molding plane, but no combination bench planes.
Toe
Mouth
Back
Using Fusion 360, I created CAD files for a singular body piece, and interchangeable toes and backs to satisfy the different functions of the different planes. They are easily swapped using a single socket cap screw on each side, or two on the top. After completing the CAD, I readied the pieces in CAM to be completed on a CNC milling machine.
Due to its availability, I chose to mill the pieces out of aluminum for the proof of concept. I then sourced some extra handles and front knobs for the final assembly.
