Hi Ed,

I used to use one of those digital angle gauges quite a lot before I sold my milling machine.

They are very simple to use and work very well....but small enough to loose in an untidy workshop(shed) like mine ! 🤣

Bob.

A new tool in my collection.

Really accurate and easy to use.

One Handed Planes.

Stanley have been making a couple of slightly different sized smoothing planes for use with a single hand for many years, and these can be very helpful to the model boat builder who often has work to do on the hull when it may not be possible to securely hold it in a vice or Workmate etc making it more difficult to hold and use the larger and more commonly used smoothing planes that are designed for two handed use.

Almost all other smoothing planes are usually bigger and need to be held with BOTH hands and are awkward (but not impossible) to use single handed.

The two sizes of singe handed planes made by Stanley both have low angle blades and suite one of the original carpentry uses of planing across end grain woods, but are also really good for use when building a model boat such as when making the angle on the combined keel and doublers, or when removing any excess ply skinning etc where it can be more efficient than sanding away with files, sand paper and other abrasive tools such as a Surform or PermaGrit tools, although I still use all of these as well!

The smaller size is No 60 1/2 (approximately 1 3'4" wide x 5 3/4" long) and the slightly bigger and wider model is the No 90 1/2. (approximately 2" wide x 6 1/4" long).

Both have "low angle" cutting blades and have a ground recess in each side of the casting to give a better grip on the sides - helpful for one handed use.

Both planes also have an adjustable throat that that can be loosened and adjusted to give more of less clearance in front of the cutting edge of the blade.

Stanly also make another small plane that is about the same size as the No.9 1/2 but it is designed for two handed use (model No 220) which can also be handy, but is not as versatile as either of the two that were design specifically for one handed use (and it does not have an adjustable throat plate).

All three of these handy size little planes are now regarded as "collectable" and can be bought secondhand on eBay etc.

I have pictured my three examples here and include the No 9 1/2 that I was lucky enough to find on eBay this week!

All of these little panes have probably been "closely copied" and are available new from various manufacturers (and cost less than buying any of these used originals), but I do like the old original planes and I enjoy owning and using them and sharpening them etc.

Bob.

I used to have a very small bubble level that I used for levelling my record deck but the underside of the plastic housing was open and only any good on a good sized level surface and the quality wasn't brilliant either but it did the job.

A few years ago, needing to get the mounting level for a servo mounted under the side deck, so space was tight, I looked around and found these, small, nicely made and stable on all faces. Just the job and I've used them many times since.

Chris

I do have two sets of those files actually Chris.

I keep one set at home and the other (well used) set in my travelling toolkit for use at the club or when I am away.

They were very inexpensive to buy and when they became available again a year or so after I bought my first set, I bought another set as the first set was so handy and had not worn too badly at all.

It's always worth looking in the middle aisle when visiting Lidle or Aldi - you never know what these supermarkets may have as their stocks tend to change from week to week.

I would never say that their quality is the best, but it is certainly not junk and works well enough for the price paid.

Bob.

Have you got two sets of those files Bob! 🤔

Hi Lew,

That is a good idea.

I worked in the Development department of a shoe factory when I first left school and was taught to be a pattern cutter.

New designs were drawn onto a last, and then the shapes were cut with a knife from cartridge paper, and these shapes were later used to have steel blade profiles wrapped and welded around them to become the cutting knives to cut leather under a hydraulic cutting press.

We used a basic "clicking knife" handle but always made our own blades from HSS hacksaw blades. The clicking knife handle also had a basic clutch to hold the blade - just like your Xacto handle that you are using.

This is basically the same idea as yours - except you are using the handle to hold the blade as a saw blade to make a very useful tool.

I still have my original clicking knives and the HSS hacksaw blades that were ground down to make the cutting blades are still in daily use 60 years later!

Old (or broken-off) hacksaw blades make very good knife blades when they are re-shaped and sharpened that can genuinely last a lifetime.

Bob.

Just five minutes ago I was cutting out a 1/8 inch plywood bulkhead in one of my Springers to add a new item. Having some problems to make the cut in a confined space I was using a hacksaw blade but it was too springy.

I am probably not the first one to do this but I thought I would share this with you all anyway: Modify a hacksaw blade, new or the less used ends of old blades, and cut into shorter length pieces. Modify (grind) one end to fit into the large XActo handle. You can make an assortment of lengths and teeth per inch.

Lew

A basic set of small files is an absolutely essential addition to any model boat builders tool set OMHO.

They don't need to be very expensive as we seldom use them to file steel or any other very hard metal, but this simple set from a well known supermarket have reasonable quality and work well enough.

Found in that middle aisle that is full of things we didn't know we needed before the weekly shop, this set came with a useful handle that can be fitted onto the files shanks which can be handy now and again.

Bob.

I used a David razor blade plane in my school days when I was shaping the aerofoil section of my control line model aircraft , and that would be over 65 years ago!

This plane took the single edge razor blades that were commonly available then, and I often held the blade in my hand to cut balsa wood as it cut better than the Xacto knives !

The David razor blade plane that I have now is probably a lot newer (maybe only 40 years old?), but I think the original one had a metal wing nut rather than the black plastic moulded one shown here.

I also had a small Xacto moulded plastic tool case that had a number 1 (small) , number 2 (medium) and number 5 (large) sized handles in it with a selection of different blades and a razor saw blade to fit the number 5 handle.

There is every possibility that the Xacto moulded "plastic" tool case was actually moulded in Bakalite as it was a bit fragile around the points where the metal hinges fitted........and sadly it has failed to survive!

The number 5 Xacto saw handle had a moulded handle on it and the razor saw blade that it took was very handy for cutting some of the hardwood engine bearers - but was not a patch on the Tamiya razor saws that I use these days.

In the Xacto moulded tool case was also this red cast iron miniature smoothing plane that came in handy when shaping leading edges although I always preferred to final shape these with sandpaper wrapped around a suitably size hardwood block.

This is my original Xacto miniature smoothing plane and so it is probably over 65 years old!

During my time at home I wanted to strip and clean these olde tools but until the wound on my thumb has mended a bit I am reluctant to risk splashing any oils etc into it, but if I can dig-out my pack of black plastic "mechanics" gloves, I may do it in-between time when waiting for the glue to dry as I continue t work on the Sprite Plus.

Xacto tools have been copied by several different manufacturers sine the 1950's, but I have never seen the Xacto miniature plane copied by anyone.

Bob.