# Coffin Smoothing Plane, How to Make it



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

For anyone wanting to make your own coffin smoothing plane, I have created this guide that will show you my method of making a plane that will introduce you to hand plane making in which you can make a traditional coffin plane without using plane floats. In this guide you can make a smoother plane that will last you at least the rest of your life. Very detailed guide in pdf form, where if using Acrobat Reader this file can be read to you while you follow along if you activate read out loud (in the view tab). The guide is 24 pages with over 50 photos. I had this idea to make this plane and tried it which took about 8 hours to complete my first coffin plane...so I decided to make another in order to create this guide and prove it can be repeated. The second one took about a week because of all the photos and writing of this guide. Feel free to download my Garys Making a Coffin Smoothing Plane.pdf


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

thank you Gary...
excellent tutorial...


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Thanks Stick, I believe making planes in the past by laminating was a problem due to hide glue not being strong enough...but todays glues are so very strong and it doesn't seem to be a problem.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@gmercer...
you know I grabbed your PDF but I re-titled it...
to good to pass on...

.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Nicely written and documented Gary......should prove to be of value to anyone hoping to tackle such a task. 
a most fine How-To!!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks Gary. Making some planes is on my to-do list.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Hey Gary, I've been meaning to congratulate you on the "Handscrew Caddy" featured on page 8 of Woodsmith magazine [Vol. 38/No. 223] that you submitted in the Tips & Techniques segment of the magazine! That is an extremely clever gizmo you have created and shared there. As a reader of Woodsmith, I will say "Thank You" - because I will definitely build one of those. I also like your idea of cleats on opposite ends because when dismounted it needs handles!

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Making Hand Planes*



Cherryville Chuck said:


> Thanks Gary. Making some planes is on my to-do list.


Making side escapement planes, as in rebate or hollows and rounds are actually easier to make using my method of cutting the mouth, then laminating the upper side. Making the blade irons are more difficult though. The real key to making it accurate is making the wedge taper jig using a digital protractor (angle finder) and using a hand router with a long narrow blade, and a well tuned table saw. I've read about all I could find on making planes and have made quite a few various planes. There's nothing like the peace and quiet of using these tools, and especially the accuracy of the hand router.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Gary:
One other thing:


> thank you Gary...
> excellent tutorial...


A very big AMEN to what Stick said earlier!

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Woodsmith Mag*



OPG3 said:


> Hey Gary, I've been meaning to congratulate you on the "Handscrew Caddy" featured on page 8 of Woodsmith magazine [Vol. 38/No. 223] that you submitted in the Tips & Techniques segment of the magazine! That is an extremely clever gizmo you have created and shared there. As a reader of Woodsmith, I will say "Thank You" - because I will definitely build one of those. I also like your idea of cleats on opposite ends because when dismounted it needs handles!
> 
> Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


Thank You! The idea came to me here somewhere reading on Routerforums, Made it tried it, then sent it to them because it worked so good for me in my 13" x 19" shop. I won best tip and a K5 kreg pocket hole tool for that one (that I have not used yet). I also just submitted the wedge angle jig used in this guide to them but haven't heard back from them yet.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Thank You! The idea came to me here somewhere reading on Routerforums, Made it tried it, then sent it to them because it worked so good for me in my 13" x 19" shop. I won best tip and a K5 kreg pocket hole tool for that one (that I have not used yet). I also just submitted the wedge angle jig used in this guide to them but haven't heard back from them yet.


Thanks for making the step by step instructions . Looks like I might be able to do that. 

Herb


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## schnewj (Nov 18, 2013)

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic job on both the plane and the tutorial, Gary.


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

*Great Job*

Gary, I finally had a chance to go through your entire tutorial.

Truly an exceptional piece of work. Many thanks for going to all the time and trouble it must have taken you...I am extremely impressed, to say the very least.

Great job! :smile:


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Trouble with the Camera*



cocobolo1 said:


> Gary, I finally had a chance to go through your entire tutorial.
> 
> Truly an exceptional piece of work. Many thanks for going to all the time and trouble it must have taken you...I am extremely impressed, to say the very least.
> 
> Great job! :smile:


Keith,
I usually take pics using a camera on a tripod...But the battery failed and I wasted a lot of time trying to get one. The manual said I could use 2 AA Litheum so I tried alkaline instead...Camera still didn't work, so I used my 7" tablet camera instead. What a hassel...I had to hold the tablet with two hands just to snap a picture because of the placement of the button (on the screen) to take a picture. Couldn't use a tripod either. It worked out but I did have to put one blurry photo into the guide. I used as much detail as I could think of in order to explain what has to be done to make it work well. I have since picked up a 1/8" chisel so on the next open mouth plane I make I won't have to use a file. Now that the guide was done I purchased 2 Litheum batteries and now my regular camera works again...I think.


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## AndyL (Jun 3, 2011)

Excellent write-up Gary. I'm saving that one. Thanks for posting it.


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## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Gary, very well done, both the planes and the documentation. If I tried that the plane body would probably end as the head of a mallet.


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