March, 2024
I’ve been slowly collecting Stanley vintage hand planes and spoke shaves over the past few years and now have a significant collection with no place to put them. It’s important that they not rest on their blades, but difficult to find a way to store them without this issue. In searching the internet, I came across this clever design that hangs on the wall and provides easy access to the tools. Of course, I needed to modify the design to meet my needs for the collection of tools I own since the dimensions vary. This was a 1.5 day build excluding the acquisition of the material.
Design
I started by taking a big piece of paper and placing all the tools onto it. I arranged and re-arranged a few times to get the configuration I wanted. I really struggled with the spoke shaves because of their unusual shape.
Each hand plane has a different width, so I had to measure carefully and allocate enough space for each. The height of the display was driven by my 2nd longest hand plane (No. 6) + 3/4″ wood spacers on the top and bottom. The width was driven by the width of all the hand planes + 3/4″ spacers + I an extra 1/8″ inside each slot so it would not be too snug. The total display turned out to be 20″ High x 21″ Wide. The 21″ width turned out to be almost perfect for my longest hand plan (No. 7) to sit across the top.
In the end, I settled for the plan of installing some hooks along the bottom to hang my spoke shaves. Each spoke shave already has hanging hooks in each handle, making it easy and convenient. This resolve the issues of the unusual shape and their tendency to slide out of their slots.
Wood
Next, I went to my local hardware store to buy some lumber. I was originally going to buy some nice Oak (anything but Pine!), but once I saw the price, I decided against that. I settled for some nice pieces of Poplar. I searched through the stack for straight pieces that had an interesting grain pattern and found lots. I bought four planks of 1×6 and one plan of 1×8 which ended up being the perfect amount, with a bit left over just in case.
I used my miter saw to cut the wood to length. For glued pieces, I added an extra 1/2″ length to give me room to clean-cut the top and bottom after the glue dried. I used my table saw to slice thin 1/4″ strips of wood to use as the separators between slots. Rather than fuss with a tricky taper cut on my table saw, I just used a track saw to cut the 1×8 sides.
I then used my pipe clamps to quickly glue up four pieces of 1x6x24″ long for the back board. After that was set, I put it aside and glued up four more pieces of 1x6x20″ long for the display board. I saved the best looking grain patterns of wood for this piece. After the glue was dry, I used my track saw to clean up the edges of the laminated pieces and trim it to size, taking extra care to keep it square.
Then the fun part! I had to find a way to use the hand planes that I was displaying. So, I used them to plane the laminate boards by removing the glue and flattening high points. Prior to starting this project, I had finely honed each blade to “scary sharp”, so really excited to see the thin ribbons of wood curling up with each pass and I quickly and effectively cleaned up the boards in a way I would not have been able to do with my small machine planer. Some were a bit easier than others to adjust during working, so I still have some clean-up and tuning to do.
I used a 1/2″ Forster bit to cut hanging holes into the back board. I also used a drum sander to round over the corners for a nicer appearance. I used my orbital sander to sand down all pieces using 80-grid then 220 grit. I then wet them, let them dry and hit them again with 220-grid and then hand-sanded using 400 grit. Poplar is a softer wood, so this was quick and easy.
Assembly
I used #8 x 2″ screws for the assembly with pre-drilled and counter-sunk holes throughout for a flush fit. Using various clamps and jigs, I was able to do this quite easily. My plan was to put the trip pieces over the top of the front screws to cover them – I just had to remember not to shoot a brad nail into the screw!
I stopped short of installing the dividers because I wanted to stain first and install them after. A this point, I really got to appreciate the heft this display was going to have. The display itself weighs about 30 pounds, and then the steel hand planes easily add another 50 lbs. I’m really hoping the hanging holes are strong enough to hold all this weight. I briefly considered adding screw holes inside, but decided against it for now and I’ll make a call if I see any kind of cracking or issues with the weight.
Finishing
I prefer darker wood, so I used some Minwax Penetrating Stain Dark Walnut #2716 which got the wood pretty dark, but still able to see the grain pattern. I used a foam brush to liberally apply the stain onto the wood and wiped off the excess after about 10 minutes. A single coat was all that was needed. I separately stained the thin divider strips to ensure complete coverage of all sides. I let it dry overnight.
The next day, I did a quick wipe down and then installed the thin divider stips onto the display face using a brad nail gun. I used a square to keep the strips perpendicular when installing, carefully measuring the gaps on top and bottom. I used and extra thick strip along the bottom to give more strength and surface area as this will hold a lot of the weight of the planes, so I added extra nails into this piece for strength. Everything else got the minimum 2 nails, just to keep it in place.
For protection, I applied a liberal layer of General Finishes High Performance Topcoat with a foam brush. This provided a nice satin finish and will protect the wood.
Installation
I used some #14 x 3″ screws directly into the wall studs to provide anchors for the display to hang – the biggest I have on hand. I REALLY hope this is enough to support the weight! I was a bit skeptical about the angle of the display board, and it’s ability to prevent the hand planes fall out, but once installed, everything seems fine. Best of all, it takes the weight off the blades, so I can keep them sharp and ready to go. I also have room for 3 other small planes if needed.
To hang the spoke shaves, I bought a set of 4″ hooks and screwed them into the base. I made sure to get hooks that where big enough to let the spoke shaves hang properly, but also small enough diameter to fit inside the pre-drilled hanging holes (1/4″).
Conclusions
Overall, I’m very happy with the final product and relieved I finally have a way to safely and effectively store and showcase these wonderful tools. Some of these hand planes date back to the late 1800’s and they are still as good as the day they were made – a true piece of history, and I’m proud to own them and actually use them.
Other thoughts:
- By planing the wood down more (maybe from 3/4″ to 1/2″), I might have been able to reduce the weight of the overall piece. I could have also cut a big hole in the back that would have still provided strength and rigidity.
- I think I’d like to add labels to each slot to showcase them more.
- I thought about cutting shallow grooves in the wood where the blade protrudes to further remove the risk of putting pressure onto the blade, but I don’t think it’s necessary since the weight is toward the back, and not straight down.
Bithead's Blog 