Making a Curved Bottom Hollowing Wood Plane

In this episode I build a Round Bottom or Hollowing Plane. This plane is also referred to as a Coopering Plane, which is a hand plane, meant to create a concave surface. This is an important tool for a shipwright who is “backing out planks” in carvel planking.
The construction method used on this razee plane is in the Krenov style. This type of construction is done by laminating the plane with several pieces of wood, as opposed to the old method of mortising out the throat of the plane.
In designing my plane I was taken by a Jack Plane I saw in The Unplugged Woodshop that Tom Fidgen had built. In my plane, not only is the bottom rounded, but also I increased the length and made the handle larger to fit my hand better.
In 1981 Ron Hock began making blades for Krenov’s planes, and is still the leading manufacturer of this style of blade. Because I’m making a round bottom plane, I would have to alter a purchased iron, so I decided I would make my own iron from some O1 tool steel.
“If you’re going to make it, make it beautiful.”
Bob Emser
PLANS FOR THE PLANE
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/ plans-for-curved-71547177
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Carvel Planking Playlist:
• Carvel Planking
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• Season 2 - Haven 12 1/2
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[@dennisdownes9319]

Bob, your work IS truly art!! Before I got to the end of the video, I stopped and went back, because I "almost" missed you stamp your logo in the blade. I did see it at the end. Serious attention to detail and beautiful. DD

[@gentlemandude1]

I would be very interested in seeing the tempering process in detail. Thanks for this great video.

[@danebender6166]

Well you certainly made it beautiful, and by the looks of it great performance, awesome work mate, cheers, from the land down under!

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@blainejeffreys]

Make your pin longer and spike one end on the lathe, then place everything in position and tap the other end of the pin making a perfectly marked and located position of the pin. Then cut off the pointed end of the pin to final length. Beautiful work.

[@jorgebutruce6498]

Good work Bob! Perfect and funcional I enjoied and paid attention step by step in yours instructions1

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Glad you liked it!

[@bradleydaniels9639]

Beautiful 👍

[@paladin0654]

You make Norm Abram look like a rookie! The plane is a work of art, I'd be afraid to use it!

[@paulgomm3157]

I would really appreciate if you would go though the process of tempering steel as my kids like how you explain things Im a boat builder but to my kids im just a dad Thank you very much Paul gomm

[@victorpeixoto5792]

Bob you are amazing!

[@brianmcguire5005]

I would really enjoy you making a video about heat treating! Awesome video! All of your tool making videos are absolutely amazing!! Keep up the great work!!

[@TomFosberry]

Once again, thank you. I too do not use the water and I'm too old and debilitated to build a boat, even if I had the room. But to watch you work, to see the beauty in what you create. I may well build some of the tools. Hard to resist :-) Thank you. Kind regards, Tom

[@user-oj4xh8cg2l]

awsome. Very nice bit on Krenov, really considerate of you to put things in perspective...

[@PaulHarold]

At first I thought, oh man, another tool....then after watching I said, wow, another awesome and beautiful tool! Nice job, Bob.

[@cosavoladora6808]

Excelent!!! Thanks!! 🇦🇷👍

[@horatiohornblower868]

This is not a plane, this is a true work of art. Like everything you make. Thank you for sharing your great talents with the world, Bob!

[@thomasarussellsr]

"If you're going to make it, make it beautiful." Well, this backing plane sure did come out beautiful, that's for sure. I have seen many videos on hand made planes, but for some reason this one made the most sense to me. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Also, why not touch-mark the body as well? You put in the work, let that person in the future who finds this at a swap meet know that this iron goes with this body. Maybe even number the tools with matching numbers. They should be worth something in the "used tool" market in 50-100 years. Numbers matching lets the seller and buyer both know this goes together, for sure.

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Damn, Bob. By the time I get caught up making all of the beautiful tools you are showing in your videos I'll be too old to build a boat! Love the tools you show as well as the boat build. It is amazing to see how an artist approaches things many of us take for granted (tool making, boat building, wood working in general) and turns them into a class on making beautiful and functional art. Thank you so much and have a great week. Stay well.

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Matt Evans-Koch Thanks!

[@genebauman1082]

When you take the time to make it look good it will always work good

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Indeed! I concur.

[@willclingon178]

Bob, first off, you are easily one of my favorite channels on KZbin (tied with Sampson Boat Co. & Stavros Gakos)! I greatly appreciate your craftsmanship. Your work is set apart in world of saturated content. Your mantra of "if you're going to make it, make it beautiful" is creeping its way into my work. Kudos! Secondly, I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to see the step-by-step process of shaping, hardening, and tempering of the cambered blade. Thanks so much!

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Thanks Will!

[@donnadimeo]

Love your style Bob. You’re just so calm and relaxed!

[@gav2759]

As one who spent his formative years building traditional wooden boats, I know the value of wooden planes to the trade. Any of us would have been proud to own your creation. I have to say, I would have preferred an oil finish to the lacquer though. Thanks for posting and helping to tide us over the surreal times we find ourselves in.

[@cranegantry868]

Very nice indeed!

[@Sillyturner]

Beautiful. Necessity is the mother or inventions. I can also picture in my mind fluted columns made with planes like this.

[@dunstanmidlane]

It's been said already, but wow your work is stunning. I'd really enjoy seeing a more detailed video on making the iron, if that's not too much trouble. Thanks for this amazing channel. I'll be copying your plane very soon.

[@tomtruesdale6901]

Beautiful plane Sir. If you could please go over your method of making the blade in detail.

[@rexsheldon1042]

I admire you talent sir

[@tugador3561]

Beautiful plane, Nice job👍

[@jeromewalton5553]

Thank you Bob, this was beautiful to watch.

[@carlogle6207]

I love the channel. As always, you come through with another great vid. You are an artist, my friend.

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Thank you Carl!

[@rozinant1237]

Excellent video Bob, one of your best! I don’t have a need for a hollowing plane just yet, but you have inspired me to dig out my Krenov books and have a go at making a plane.

[@johnlastname2397]

beautiful please more I would like to see more tool making and the tempering

[@doodlegoat]

An exceptionally clear demonstration of why I have neither the skill nor the tools to attempt such a thing. 10/10, beautiful, I hated it.

[@juliansullivan102]

I love your extraction system. That's firmly on my wish list

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

I'm glad you like it. It was a game changer for me. Thanks for watching!

[@thebigkahuna2753]

Bob, that was fantastic. I don't know if I have the skills to make a tool like this, but it's sure given me the confidence to give it a go. Thank you.

[@TheRuffusMD]

your videos are a prime example that the journey , is as important as the destination . your attention to detail and craftmanship are a joy to watch . arts that are almost lost today . thank you for your videos

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Wow, thank you! Thanks for watching!

[@jacktsonis]

Aside from being a generally awesome video... great tip at 24:25 with the welding magnet to hold the blade when lapping!! Definitely going to start using that.

[@lancerussell666]

When you're not building boats you can be making tools very nice I enjoy your videos thanks for sharing

[@hkimsey]

Excellent video! Thanks very much.

[@paulbadger6336]

Nicely done !

[@richardbohlingsr3490]

It turned out beautiful and the cut sounds super. I have always know that plane as a scrub plane. That's something worth passing down to the next generation.

[@cbbelanger1099]

Another great video. I enjoy your making of tools as much as your making of the boat.

[@markfoster8603]

Show off! Great build

[@unclevanm3230]

Thanks for sharing such a beautiful build. I truly admire your talent and ability to demonstrate each step of the process. I would also be interested in a detailed explanation of the blade treatment.

[@user-qi4cn4dr6w]

Great job

[@vincegordon6830]

Outstanding Bob!

[@phillipmitchell2254]

Thank you for keeping your art alive!

[@jimbo2629]

I’ve made myself a few of those wooden planes, mostly with Veritas Norris style hardware. I am not sure why, but I haven’t ever needed those locating dowels. With power tools these planes are fairly quick to make. I have used walnut and maple. I’ll make a round bottomed one like yours for Windsor chair seats. I always oil walnut before the final coats of lacquer or polish. I find in use they are very sensitive to adjustment, which makes me appreciate the Stanley Bailey system rather than the wedge. Despite that I always go for them first. I would be tempted to reduce backing out by using slab sawn pieces that would curve across as they dry out. Maybe it would work. Your plane sure is beautiful and functional.

[@passinthru4328]

Beautiful!

[@richardsiddon610]

Love to watch your work. Thank you Sir.

[@carpicabeckers6029]

Master!

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Fantastic, including your tools philosophy

[@mjschaeffer2112]

Looks amazing! I always love your craftsmanship!

[@peirob]

Very nice. Definitively, one of the best video on KZbin on plane making. I fully share your philosophy: if you want to make something, make it beautiful. Congrats.

[@waltereason832]

Like your builds, your explanations of project progression is excellent. Thank You

[@davidjennings9253]

Just Superb!!!!!!!!!!!

[@donnadimeo]

Fantastic work Bob! The plane is beautiful! I made a krenov style plane, and I’m going to add a strike plate based on this plane!

[@desertpoj]

Just a wonderful video. Yes I would like to see a steel tempering video. Thank you for the time and effort you expend producing these.

[@daleskidmore1685]

It certainly is beautiful and a really great demmo. I've made a few knives over the years and enjoy the hardening and tempering process very much. It is a useful skill to have as it means you can adapt and make tools that suit the needs of a boat builder, or generally a maker of anything. We have to be a bit of a Swiss Army Knife these days, lol.

[@SteveHayes1]

Bob, That's awesome!

[@rainbowchild63]

Hello,Bob! Perfect as always!Be blessed!

[@billcartwright9581]

beautiful

[@davidhenry7585]

I would very much like to see a video with full explanation of how to produce the iron

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

I’ll put it on the list. Thanks for watching

[@Clarkson350]

Your leg vise is awesome! Nice plane

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Thanks!

[@ogarridoa]

just discovered your channel. I'm a spanish luthier so nothing to do with boat building but I can tell you this is the best video I've ever seen on making a krenov style wooden plane ( I've watched a lot of them). I encourage you to keep making such pretty detailed well explained videos. You have a new suscriber. thank you.

[@davidc6510]

Another great and beautiful tool made by Bob. Thanks for sharing!

[@thadcampbell3563]

I like that you are taking time to explain how to make the plane. Instead of just doing the work. I would like to know what books are available for constructing wooden and infill planes.

[@mriggsdesign]

I just stumbled across your channel and I’m so glad I did. Your videos are amazing! Thank you for sharing your craft with us.

[@bobolander]

Been following for a while now, watching the boats come along, and really really enjoy the tool making videos too - the registration pins were a eureka moment for me - thanks for sharing and that's a really really good looking plane. wasn't sold on walnut as the body until you finished it. turned out beautifully!

[@MCsCreations]

Ohhh... Real life Agent Gibbs! 😮 Just subscribed, dude! Beautiful job!!! 😃

[@Tinmanstees]

How many are here to see how to build really cool tools as much on how to build a boat?

[@glencrandall7051]

I go either way.

[@daleskidmore1685]

I'm with Glen. I also like how, despite all the machines, he still sharpens his pencil with a knife, ha, ha. So many people seem to sacrifice hand tools for a few minutes saved.

[@hawazz1]

Thank you! We were starting to miss you! Nice to see videos like this one during quarantine :)

[@glencrandall7051]

Pretty much all has been said already. I will add: Well done and thank you.

[@langfactory4194]

Splendid job! I also would like to see a video concerning tempering process

[@tombaker3794]

Great video, excellent tutorial on making a plane, and your finished tool looks & works beautifully. Thank you for sharing this knowledge.

[@randyrru]

I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for making me forget about the pandemic for a little awhile. All the best to you and your family. Stay safe.

[@petermarsh4993]

Dear Bob, lovely work and a superb end result. Very clever how the lamination takes out all the difficult chiselling on the centre of the carcass. If you are lucky enough to have contiguous grain, one would have to look hard to see the laminated structure.

[@ludvigtande1236]

Stunning!!

[@nabelodesho2044]

Sir ur one pro man thanks for sharing and God bless you

[@ox29batdoctor]

Fantastic! What amazing skill and dedication. Great video!

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@kirillvakhromeev6519]

this is amaizing

[@alexandergalustov1986]

Definitely beautiful!

[@cairuterceiro6690]

Beautiful piece

[@DGAWDGAW]

Great job and build! My only criticism would be that you should have taken into account the grain direction on the handle. Making it like that the horn and the thin part are quite fragile. I any time it drop the horn will break. I learnt that the hard way.

[@cristrigotti9933]

Well done!

[@julianreynolds3475]

That is really beautiful work. Thank you for inspirational posts which I thoroughly enjoy watching

[@scottwooster4102]

I would like to see the process of tempering steel.

[@TheRedbeardster]

Nice work!

[@terrulian]

Excellent in every way.

[@pierrerousseau8770]

what a great plane ! Also great video !!!

[@oletorbergsen6086]

Perfection!

[@stevegem4155]

Sounds right

[@user-hr8zp3ts4o]

Спасибо! Было очень интересно и познавательно, хоть и на английском...

[@sampickett3843]

Great video and a really beautiful tool. I have enjoyed all your tool builds. There is a really good book by David Finck (with forward by James Krenov) called “Making and Mastering Wood Planes”. It goes into a lot of detail on the process. Thanks for the recommendation on Krenov’s book. I will be checking that book out.

[@mrklyles]

May be my favorite tool build yet Bob. Very nice. Is your disc sander variable speed? It looked on film like iit was running slower than most.

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Kevin Lyles thanks Kev, filmed in slow motion.

[@thePronto]

Bob: "I need to make a new tool to back out the planks for my boat. Perfect excuse to make a work of art."

[@michaeldjoven80]

Please show how to make the iron. Thanks! Mike.

[@OferNRaz]

Great video. Do you plan to share or sell the design? this looks like a great project for the next few weeks.

[@rclamond]

Thank you for the great video. Do you find that the flat single iron holds its depth well? The prevailing wisdom I've seen is that the iron should either have a chip breaker or else be a tapered single iron to counteract the force pushing the blade back as you plane. I too have some flat ground O1 tool steel I would like to turn into plane irons but the prospect of grinding a taper down the length is daunting.

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Hi Robin, It is true, it's a challenge to keep the depth of flat irons. I found that after several swipes with the plane if I gave the wedge a slight tap with the brass setting hammer it keep the depth. I, like you, was a bit daunted by the tapering task. This was the first plane that I've made so I thought I've give it a try without tapering. And as I said it preformed well. If I was working on a tight production schedule it would be worth the tapering. I purchased the 3/16" steel I used with tapering in mind. Perhaps I'll make another iron (tapered) and see how they compare. The other solution is to make a lever cap and screw to hold the iron. Perhaps this would be a less time consuming task. Thanks for your question. It's prompted me to think and rethink plane irons. Thanks for watching. Cheers, Bob

[@kadeknight6091]

Love the plane and style. You gave me inspiration to build my own. How has the walnut held up? I keep reading that it's too soft for plane making, but dang it looks nice!

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Hi Kade, The walnut show little to no wear. I think walnut is a fine choice. This plane is designed to be used on a soft wood like cedar (what most wooden boat hulls are made of). If the wood you're working is softer than what the plane in made of, no problem. Plans for the plane are on my Patreon account. All of the tool plans there are free for Patron at or above the Skipper Tier. www.patreon.com/posts/plans-for-curved-71547177?Link& Thanks for watching! Best wishes on building your plane. Cheers, Bob

[@clarkkent7999]

Beautiful plane. Nice addition to the custom made marking and bevel gauges, awl and dividers that I see you utilized in the making of the plane. Is the strike button purely decorative or is there some purpose for it? Also curious about the reason for quenching the blade in oil as opposed to water during the tempering process.

[@TheArtofBoatBuilding]

Clark Kent Yes, it is fun not only making the tools but using them as well. The tool steel I used is formulated to be oil quenched. The O in O1 stands for oil. If this steel was water quenched it would be to much of a shock. It is also why I preheated the oil. Water quench would most likely result in the steel cracking.