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I don't really have a desire to build guitars (nothing against building, I just prefer to repair them), but I've been messing with a couple of different ideas and designs and I'd like some input from you luthiers on here on what your most used planes/tools are for carving braces and/or tops etc...

I am wanting to build smaller tools specifically like finger and palm planes so if you use tools similar to those then I'd like to see pictures and/or your experiences with them, what do you like/what don't you like.

Any thoughts/input are appreciated

I love my mini-plane from Stephen Boone, pictured here. The only reason I'm comfortable posting them is because Stephen's no longer producing them (to my knowledge).

I also love my violin maker's plane from Lie-Nielsen. My perfect mini-plane would combine the soft edges of Stephen's planes (they don't mark up or run grooves in my tops when I taper the sides of braces) with the blade width of the LN planes.

+1 to that. I get a lot of use out of my Boone plane, but it would be even better if it was slightly wider. I think 5/8" would be just about perfect. I have actually had some trouble with it scratching the soundboard when planing braces from the side, so I may modify it so there's a slight ledge to either side of the blade. But I'm talking 1/32" or less. Not the huge flat area to either side of the blade on most finger planes, which makes them useless for carving braces to triangular profile.

There are a few of us on SB's waiting list. He said he'd make a batch when he has time.

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Pat

I've got the Boone planes too, the flat and the round bottom one. They are great for carving braces.

I think you tried to post a picture? It's not showing up

Yeah IDK I think it's permissions on my photo albums. perhaps it's visible now. But if not it's jsut a pick of the BS plane and a back that I just carved up. They are great little planes that have many uses. I usually hog off big stuff with a chisel but then switch to the planes as they are very safe to use, no slipping and gouging a nice spruce top!

that makes sense, love the figure on that back! Looks like a nice set and I'm sure it'll sound great

If you can make a plane in the Laarman style, I will pay.

+1 for the Boome finger planes. I haven't tried the other finger planes but the Boone version is great

Stephen Boone's plane is great. It's just a pleasure to work with, not only because it is beautifully made for the task of shaping braces, but because it is a tool that was made with care to the greater cause.

Andy

I'm sure the Stephen Boone plane is better than my Ibex, but I can get some work done with the Ibex. The lowest part of the brace needs to stay untouched (due to the space between the side of the blade and the side of the plane), but I'm OK with that. I don't do precisely triangular profiles; they are more like round arches. I definitely like using a tiny plane instead of a chisel.

The little Ibex planes work well. I also have a couple of the veritas finger planes (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... ,230,41182) which I really enjoy. The flat bottom gets the most use. I find the small palm rest really helpful in maintaining precise control without having to choke up or become overly tense during longer planing sessions. However, it limits the ability of the plane to fit in some tighter areas.



I also like the Lee Valley take on the old squirrel-tail mini planes.



I find these the perfect size for quickly knocking down the height of a glued brace prior to shaping - having slightly more heft and size than a finger plane is useful in this role, without being as unwieldy as a full-size blockplane.

That said, having all these little planes is a bit of overkill. But overkill is fun sometimes

As much as I love those planes as well, that would be far beyond anything I could manage. Wood bodied planes are going to have to be it for me as it sits now.

Thanks for all the input gentlemen.

If it helps at all, there's a tutorial (of sorts...) here for making brace shaving planes that may take your fancy -
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10134&t=41387&p=545141&hilit=planes+padma#p545141

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

You can find plans for a round bottom plane in Steel-string Guitar Construction by Irving Sloane. Here an example I made years ago. They work great for carving archtop plates.

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http://www.cushmanguitars.com/.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

Thanks for the information gentlemen