Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi,

I'm curious what Ibex plane to use for shaping my braces for a steel string.  A few are available which are close in size (25, 30 and 36 mm size with 8,10,12 mm wide blades).  

I would appreciate any suggestions.   

Thanks,

Laurie

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

I use a small fingerplane I got here from one of the members made of brass and comes in either 1/2" or 5/8". His handle is "Mark" and he is from the UK. I have the 1/2". Should be able to find info on this in the Archive.

Mike

I use the 10mm flat sole one like crazy...ok I'm crazy but I use the plane
too...

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Are you asking because you like using planes for shaving braces? I think chisels are much faster and better suited for this task; planes always bump into other braces and cannot reach all parts of the brace anyways. Obviously builders with much more experience than me feel otherwise, but you should not feel you have to use planes.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

because i vacuum clamp my braces i find it easiest to do a rough preshape of my brace stock before gluing to the plate. then final touch up can be with a block plane, a small brace shaping plane lmi used to sell, and a variety of chisels.

by the way, i think mark sold his planes on the other "luthier"(no 's') forum.

I have the ibex - 18mm blade that I like a lot. A lot of guys use the convex blade but I use a flat blade. Not a whole lot of differance in the two I think.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Schneider plane from LMI. I'm very attached to it. Usually that and the glue-clearing chisel are the only things I have on the bench when the braces are getting carved.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Thanks for the replies - I used a flat soled palm plane (the little green one made in Germany from LMI) and the LMI glue chisel, but I nicked the top more than I liked and couldn't get some of the angles I wanted.  I was going for the shapes laid out in Cumpiano/Natelson.  It turned out ok (I like the sound) but seemed a little sloppy and I thought I could do less damage with a plane. 

Thanks,

Laurie

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

I love my bevel chisel from Woodcraft for shaping braces.  Takes the place of a left and right skew chisels.  While I'm at it I throw in a pitch for a draw knife from North Bay Forge for carving necks.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Like Michael, I preshape my braces on the bandsaw and spindle sander before attaching them to the top, the do the final shaping with a chisel. About 95% of the chiseling is done with the bevel DOWN. Much easier to shape curves and much less chance of gouging.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

I like chisels instead of planes also. I just started using a Japanese chisel that has a thinner blade. It is twice as good as any of my standard chisels.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

I have a set of very good quality chisels that I find easy to carve braces with.

Finger plane, chisel and sandpaper.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

i've heard many folks say they won't use a chisel to carve braces for fear of damaging the top. what puzzles me is they try to carve braces without using protection for the top. i learned very early in the piece to use flashing, shim stock, thin pieces of lexan, whatever, adjacent to the brace to avoid damamge in those inevitable, at least for me, instances when a chisel slips or the plane deplanes. i just cut a set of pieces to suit the bracing pattern, punch a hole and hang them on a shower curtain hook. when needed they are ready and waiting.

Here's a thread from last year.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

whilst i don't deny that proper technique goes a long way toward preventing slippage, and that its implementation is just a little bit useful in keeping viscous red fluid off the work as it is in preventing gouges, etc.

but i am not always as perfect as i would like to be able to say i am, and accidents do happen. the guards are my way of minimizing the consequences of my errors.

i can't specifically remember the last time they served their intended purpose, but to me that means they are just one iteration of the process closer to doing it again and saving me a goodly bit of grief.

and for those new to the game, if they serve to give them the confidence that they are not going to irreparably damage their top or back, they have served their purpose as well.

The Ibex 10mm flat sole. That little plane can remove a lot (or a little) wood. I've got pretty big hands and was skeptical with using such a tiny tool, but it still amazes me at how efficient that little guy can be.

Hey Michael,

Mark was here for a while also. I am banned from the other forum (having never posted there) so it was here that I (virtually) met Mark. He sent me a pair and they are wonderful little planes indeed.

Shane

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Canada

Laurie,

I have the largest curved bottom Ibex that Lee Valley sells, I think it is one size smaller than either Stew-Mac or LMI (can't remember which one) sells. I also use a 1/2" Sorby pairing chisel, also from Lee Valley. Some people here don't like the Sorby's, I like mine and have four of them, 1/4" to 1" but use the 1/2" most. Here is a pic of the tools and the results:



When I am shaping braces I put down two layers of low tack (the purple stuff from Canadian Tire) masking tape along each side of the brace and that offers lots of protection for me. I use the plane for rough shaping into a triangular form and finish off with the chisel, especially for the tight spots and then smooth it all off with sandpaper.

By the way, your top looks great!

Good luck on your plane selection!

Shane

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Canada

[QUOTE=LaurieW] I used a flat soled palm plane (the little green one made in Germany from LMI)[/QUOTE]
Interestingly, Richard Schneider made his first brace shaving plane by modifying one of those. He lopped off some of the toe and heel, shaved a bit off the sides and shaped a slight radius into the sole. That plane was the prototype for the one LMI sells now.

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] BTW a Festool vac is fully capable of sucking these planes right off the bench... [/QUOTE]
Thanks for the reminder Hesh. I'm planning to get (or make) a small plane, and I'll remember that as I get near it with the vac hose, thinking "I can get just a little bit closer without moving that out of the way." So far, the only thing that's made it all the way down the tube is a screw. I've come close, though. It's amazing how fast a vac can grab onto a shop apron tie and have half of it swallowed before you can react.

Actually, the green Kunz is available w/o the squirrel tail. I think it's a model 102.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

To protect the top from damage while shaving braces I take two strips from a broken tape measure, one on either side of the brace, taped to stick on the top.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

Though I do use chisels mostly for bulk removal I lean toward the Ibex planes and the Schneider plane from LMI. The Schneider plane can be trying at time during set-up but once aligned it’s wonderful to work with.

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka