Router Plane KIT Update
You are always so supportive of all that we do and we wanted to let you know that news about our new router plane instructional video was one of our most popular ever. When we asked who would be interested in a kit of component metal parts we did get a large enough response to go ahead and source the supplies and that is what we have been doing. For some components, it was a question of finding good quality parts available off the shelf and then negotiating prices that guaranteed consistent specs, quality and supplies.
The components that were trickier were the ones we had to have made and that’s the retainer bar and the tool steel cutting iron. We put it out to different manufacturers for a price but in most cases, the prices came back prohibitively high. It was not a question of looking for cheap prices but realistic ones resulting in the quality parts we required. We searched far and wide for manufacturers only to discover a local engineering company three miles from us that could custom make the retainer bar to give us exactly what we wanted straight off. They delivered right on cue and we have already taken delivery to meet our immediate needs.
For the blades, we were quoted prices from different sources. We wanted something made here in the UK with a short supply-chain and quality we can verify. We got a few different quotes but the prices came in at too high a cost to package and pass along. We kept going until we arrived in Sheffield, England, the home of the steel industry and tool manufacturing. Sheffield still has a reputation for good steelwork and engineering. Our last piece in the puzzle came in at the exact price we needed to put together all of the components for completing the kits. All that is left now is for the first test batch of 100 pieces to arrive so that we can ensure the quality we want before placing a bulk order. There are a few steps to the process of making a good blade with a retentive, long-lasting edge and that is what’s happening now.
We aren’t quite there yet but we are at the important stage of figuring out, handling, stocking up, packaging and shipping safely around the world.
So far, we think we can have everything lined up to ship out the first thousand or so in February with additional batches in the months after that until everyone who wants to place an order can get hold of it.
Update
The metal parts are either readily available or can be made but if you want to buy a kit with all the metal parts ready to go we have you covered:
We have put together all the metal parts needed to make your own router plane. The parts are high quality off the shelf parts in the case of the washers, bolts, and nuts. In the case of the retainer bar and blade those are both made here in the UK by trusted manufacturers to a high standard. The blade is made from O1 tool steel and hardened, tempered, and ground to a 25-degree angle. You just need to hone the edge and it is ready to use in your router plane.
Dear Paul,
thank you for the update, and this is very good news! It is always good to have something to look forward to, and perhaps more than ever this year. During the winter months my unheated workshop is not a place to stay for very long anyway. I am very glad (but not surprised) that the focus is on quality, not a rushed job.
Dear Paul,
You have taken a marvelous initiative by posting the two youtube videos and then by offering the metal kit. Before reading this blog I had no idea that it takes so much time, effort and organisational talent to put together a metal kit. Nice packaging by the way.
Many tnaks,
Ton Kuipers
The Netherlands
Potentially great news on the progress of developing the kit(s). Best wishes for success on the fabricating of the cutter.
Will there be only the kit for the closed throat router or will there also be a kit offered with the narrower blade shown in some of your open throat routers?
Many thanks.
Have you considered setting up a distribution point in the USA to keep costs down for customers in the US? My experience sourcing from suppliers is that over the last 18 months shipping costs to the USA from the UK are cost prohibitive. The shipping costs often exceeding the value of the parts.
This is one reason (shipping cost) I did not show an interest in these kits sooner. I am quite interested, but concerned about the final cost. I do want to thank you Paul for helping with this new project!
Stocking with US distributors has never proven successful for us as there are many hidden costs US customers don’t see that come out of our pocket and it is too complicated to go into here. What we did with the books we sell is absorb some of the cost on a global level ourselves. This seems to have worked just fine and we are likely to do the same with the router plane kits. Yes, it costs us, but the outcome is that people get the product at a more realistic price.
I order the kit when it becomes available. I trust it will come with an excellent set of instructions and diagrams.
Paul,
How in heaven, do I order?!
Apparently using this blog page and the selection above only worked for some.
Is everyone else just out of luck?
Perhaps you can publish a product sales page we can go to, and reserve one?
Cheers,
Jeff
What a fabulous offering Paul! Thanks.
Outstanding, I’m pleased you have gone forward with this project.
I’ve been looking high-and-low for the tool steel stock for the blade in short lengths (so as to be actually reasonably priced). All I’ve been able to find is high speed steel, which, if I am not mistaken, will not hold an edge like O1 or A2.
I can’t wait fir this kit, and would be more than happy to beta test.
Good morning Frank,
I got my 01 bar from the Rennie Tool Company, Email: [email protected].
Stock description; 10mm Thick Ground Flat Stock All Widths x 500 G.F.S 01 Steel Gauge Plate. G.F.S( 10mm sq. x 500mmG.F.S.
Hope that helps.
John.
I had the same issue, but ended up just going with the HSS cutter. The piece was even cobalt HSS, which was a bear to cut and shape, but honestly it has been working very very well.
Personally, so long as you have good diamond stones, it seems to hold an edge very well. It might not be as keen, but I don’t think many routered surfaces are show surfaces. This it may not matter if the cut is slightly less than buttery smooth.
hello, A2 steel is a pain to sharpen even with diamonds, water stones are the way to go, I’ll go for O1.
Regards
Have a look on Ebay. There several suppliers of O1 steel in short lengths.
I have the same issue. Shipping to Mexico is cost prohibitive from anywhere in the world. I’m a handy guy and will fabricate the components from stock I can buy locally.
Nice to hear you are making progress on getting the metal parts manufactured at the quality and at a cost-effective price. I look forward to hearing how the testing goes and when orders can be placed. Have a joyful holiday season.
I was able to find all of the parts at Amazon Prime for good prices. They weren’t EXACTLY the same, but functionally the same. The hardest part was working simultaneously with metric and imperial measurements.
What is happening with regard to your proposed book with all of your original information that you finally managed to bring back under your ownership.
We are working on everything. I think we are doing well on all the different fronts and the team are all amazing.
“We shall fight on the seas and oceans, in the air, on the beaches and landing grounds, fields and in the streets and in the hills. We will carry on the struggle until the task is done”
To paraphrase another British gentleman. 🙂
I’ve tried to source the parts here in Norway, but it is difficult. I can get a lot of stuff from the internet, but not from one spot. That will render the costs so high that a new Veritas or Lie-Nielsen router plane would be justifiable for me. Which defies the purpose of this, really. The DIY factor being perhaps the major one. 🙂
Is the shipping to Canada a problem similar to the US?
Geoff
Ontario
We have no problem shipping to the whole of North America and most of the rest of the world either. It’s not prohibitive as we absorb some of the shipping costs.
Paul I plan to order multiple kits will this help both of us on the shipping to Ohio?
Paul’s shipping to Canada works fine. I got my Essential Woodworking Tools book delivered here in Canada with reasonable shipping cost and a reasonable shipping time. They got shipping sorted.
Great news about the router parts, looking forward to purchasing them. Cheers Paul, have a peaceful Christmas and new year.
Thanks Paul. Over the years, I’ve built some tools such as a scrub plane, frame saw, spoke shave, etc. It’s kind of fun to build ones tools. Not that I need another routing plane mind you, I will however likely order and build two.
I am less than a decade away from retiring. I plan to go back to school to study woodworking at the Krenov school (used to be called College of the Redwoods). I want to get better and as a CA resident it costs almost nothing for me to attend if I can get in. Part of me would like to show up with mostly handmade tools in my jointers chest. If I make a few tools each year, it’s possible.
My wife ask me what I wanted for Christmas and I just found it. Thanks I hope the kit is offered even if it does not make it for Christmas.
Thanks much,
David Grindel
Hi Paul, you are a Star! NO A CONSTILATION!! PLEASE do not ship to South Africa via Postal services! The goods will not arrive. Rather offer a service of a DHL collection at our costs. You kindly sent 2 of your books via Rooks… at your cost and only 1 arrived by pure chance 8 months later. The DHL collection costs for us is not an issue.
Jeff
Hi Paul
Thanks once again for your invaluable input and help to all the aspiring woodworkers.
Out here in South Africa most engineering firms and businesses close for the summer holidays. Sourcing parts can become difficult. Internet searches offer large quantities that would be impractical (and expensive) to purchase. I have managed to source or make all the metal parts, apart from the “tool steel” needed for the cutting blade.
Would it be possible to ship only the parts needed by anyone or would that place too much demand on the distribution and packaging.
The last Saffer (Jeff) has pointed out the difficulties in receiving packages in the mail and it would be wise to only ship items to us here in SA by DHL or similar companies.
Once again thanks for all the selfless giving and the sharing of your experiences.
May you and all your family have a blessed Christmas.
Kind Regards
Girvan
I concur with Jeff Kirby-Smith on shipping to South Africa. We would rather pay more for a courier service and know that we will receive it rather than use the South African Postal Services. I receive goods at my cost from the UK via UPS and gladly accept the charges. I am in Johannesburg.
No idea of the cost, (including shipping to the States) and I already want 3.
Thanks again Paul for your talent and imagination.
KS
I just had an international DHL mail express come from Sweden. I thought it would be months after placing my order. Three weeks order to mailbox. Padded envelope was about the size of your box in the picture. Came customs pre-cleared and from the time it got to the US customs port of entry to my mailbox was less than a week. Might be worth checking. I have sourced the materials but having it come from this forum as place of origin is more than just the materials.
I live in Canada and I can’t wait to get a couple of kits. I’d like to make one for myself and another for a friend.
Thanks so much for making this kit!
Thank you Paul for that excellent update news on your router plane metal components kit. Something really positive to look forward to in 2022.
All the very best season’s greetings to you and all your team.
Very excited! Have 2 cuts of wood ready! Just waiting for yalls parts kit to finesse and finish! Thank you!
Dear Paul,
I have been looking to purchase a router plane for some time (I have access to an electric router, but I’m weaning myself off power tools and finding my woodworking life to be more satisfying.) I look forward to purchasing, making, and using this router. Thank you for going to the trouble to source the parts.
Paul,
I just wanted to say that I love your videos and web site!
I’ve gotten started making your router plane and I’ve been able to find similar hardware, in a mix of metric and imperial units. Not my favorite thing to do but it’ll work. The most difficult item to find here in the U.S. is the beech wood. I found one vendor in Canada but shipping from there was $50 for two pieces of 5/4″ X 6″ X 24″ beech. So I substituted alder, but had to glue up two pieces to get the correct thickness.
The other hard to find items are the knobs. All is not lost though. I asked Santa for a wood lathe for Christmas so I just might be turning my own.
I’m still interested in the hardware package(s), even though I live across the pond. I’m planning on making a couple more routers as gifts.
Hi Paul.
A very happy Christmas and prosperous new year to you and your family as well your great team and those 500 some thousands of subscribers.
I’ve just finished using the new ‘P.S. style’ hand router and I’m very happy with it.
I’m in for at least 3 more.
All the best, john.
Good to hear that the kits are coming along. Looking forward to hearing when they will be shipping. Would like to know if we can order multiples on the first release or if we should only order a single kit this first time around. I am looking at making several for gifts.
Thank you Paul and your crew for your efforts bringing this to us. Have a very Merry Christmas.
It does all sound very interesting, would be a bit of a bugger to locally source some quality wood with the whole lockdown stuff but that’s just a matter of patience.
Does have me wondering what the final price would be, but I guess that’ll be revealed once the sample order comes out ok and the whole thing moves forward to the final step?
Cheers from the Netherlands, and happy holidays!
Dear Mr. Sellers,
I am fortunate enough to posses the tools with which to produce the handles, knurled T nuts/depth adjuster and a blowlamp so I decided to crack on and make your router plane. I had a beech log (destined for the wood burner but, squirreled away in the garage until I found a protect worthy of it) out of which I managed to get the sole and the blade support, I did make one change and that was to the blade adjuster, mine is a knurled 5mm thick washer, under which I ran down a 6mm nut, now to set the blade I adjust the depth with the in the usual way, run the nut up under adjuster, lock it and set to work. Happy days!
Great initiative Paul. I had difficulties sourcing some of the metal components, namely the DIN466 thumb nuts @4.5$ a piece and the O1 tool steel. I already made my router following your design and instructional videos, having said that a box with spare metal parts for replacement of components would be quite welcomed! Thank you again for your generosity with the woodworkers of the world!
Thank you Paul and team!
I’m in the process of getting my 5/4 Beech lined up and can’t wait to make one (or more) of your router planes.
Your work is very inspiring and much appreciated!
Bill Porter
Bozeman, MT US
Until I found the HS Tool Steel 10mm x 10mm x 200mm, hardness HRC60~62TS (from China) for $13, the cost of everything was getting close to a knockoff router plane on Amazon. It took alot of searching to find the exact length of hangar bolt, inexpensive thumb nuts, and 1 3/4″ knobs. I had 3/4″ cherry wood (which I glued 2 together and planed off to 1″) and the metal for the retainer and am into it for $40 ish. Since the tools I have wouldn’t scratch it, I used my angle grinder to cut and notch the blade, it worked very well. After that, it was sandpaper. Depending on price, it would absolutely be great to have a kit.
Thanks for the update! I will be one of your first customers I hope….probably for more than one kit.
Hi Paul, i would like to know if the blade will be shipped ready to use and if the thumb nuts are made of stainless steel.
Many thanks for the detailed update on the kit.
A very merry Christmas.
My granddad was a foundry pattern maker and my dad was a custom kitchen cabinet maker. Both have been gone for a long time and I wish I had taken more interest in how they did their “magic” when they were alive. You fill in a lot of the missing gaps in my education, or the lack thereof. Kind ‘a wish we were neighbors! Please keep up the good work! I am subscribed to your Woodworking Masterclasses. Thank you.
Initially I was going to stick with the brass / allen key version that I made some time ago. but i like the idea of making your old women’s tooth version to compare them. Interestingly i fitted my brass version with door knobs as well, held in place by the male version of the of the connectors you used.
Thanks for all of the resources you share. i often end up watching your videos just for the tips techniques that I can use elsewhere.
Hello Paul:
I am very interested in the kit. I am in Washington State USA.
Do you have a price set for the kit yet.
Sorry about the disjointed comments LOL old age. Been following your You Tube channel and is a joy to see you work.
I’ve signed up to be informed once the kit’s released, but is there any news or guestimations about release date?
More importantly, hope you’re well Paul and family!
We are very close. Just the cutting irons now. getting the exact steel and the heat processing to the perfection we want is our final step.
I appreciate your having let us know the latest.
Hi Paul,
Any news yet on the dates for the kit?
Can’t wait to for the hardware kit to become available. I just bought a chunk of Honduran mahogany for this project and I’m going to start milling it tomorrow!
Haha fantastic, I just did the same with some sapeleie I had on hand today!
As you have requested for data, I am ready to place the kit order (from Boston). Thank youf or putting this together.
What is the price? What work needs to do to complete. Will you do a YouTube video on it please.
Jon
There is an excellent 2-part video on youtube.
Hi there, just wondering if the router plane kits are available yet? Thanks 🙂
Same here, looking forward to knowing when the kit will be available for sale.
Please some news about the kit, why not?
Any update Paul, spring of 2022?!
Cheers,
Jeff
I was on the list for information about the kits. I received an email today that kits are available and I placed my order right away. Thanks Paul and Team!
Thanks for the update. I hope to receive such an email.
Hi Ivan,
I also received an email update but I believe it was sent to a limited number for the first 1,000 or so who showed an interest, which corresponds to the first shipment/tranche of 1,000 blades provided by a Sheffield manufacturer. Presumably subject to demand and email responses/sales additional people who showed interest may be sent emails or if the first 1000 are sold quickly, further tranches will become available. Fingers crossed for you.
That says a lot about how popular this is. I signed up about the time that I first posted in this thread (12:21pm on the day that this was announced).
Responded as interested, the day the blog dropped and so far, not been contacted with offer.
Surely the website can keep track of the number of people interested, so as too not leave people being ignored.
That doesn’t at first blush appear to be the case.
I hope someone on Paul’s staff is monitoring these comments and will respond.
Regards,
Jeff
Ontario, Canada.
Ok, found the email and ordered!
Looking forward to it!
Jeff
Ontario,
Canada
This post is for Paul Sellers and/or his staff.
I believe I signed up to be notified when the router parts kit was available.
Is there some way for me to confirm I’m on the list?
Thanks for your help.
Bill Porter
Bozeman, MT
Wondering the same thing.
Also, for those who have managed to order, could someone tell us what the selling price (either before postage or with postage to the USA) is?
Check your email boxes fellas, including junk and spam, mine flew in under the radar, but I found it and have ordered! 😁😁😁
Jeff
Ontario, Cdn.
🙏🇺🇦🙏🇺🇦🙏🌻🌻🌻🌻
Checked them all. Still no joy.
Do a search using “sellers” in your inbox, should include everything if you’re using Google mail…
My original request for kit was October last year….
Hope it helps….
Jeff
I believe that you folks requested postage times from international deliveries.
I order the kit on March 16, 2022. The package arrived today, March 26, 2022.
Thank you very much for the prompt service.
Regards,
Dave Owsley
I ordered March 22nd and I’m in Canada.
Expecting early April….
Jeff
Please help, I’ve been chomping at the bit for this kit for what feels like forever, I subscribed but I still received no email. Please Paul or Co can you help?
I ordered the hardware kit on March 17, but no kit yet. Expecting by mid-April since shipping is to the US. Any status on this would be appreciated.
Thanks for offering this kit and all the excellent videos.
Dennis
Ordered the kit on 23rd March. No sign of it yet.
I understand they just got another shipment of blades.
Waiting hopefully,
Jeff
Ont./Canada
Robert Crowe
26 /04 22
Hi could I have an update as to when more kits will be available .
Thanks
Robert Australia
As the blades come in we ship them out according to those who placed an order after we sent out emails according to stock. We are working down the list so if you did register your interest we will be getting to you.
stumbled upon this thread by mere accident, and good that I have… I read people’s posts about having ordered a kit. I am pretty sure I did request info on whether the kit would be available for ordering, but I must have been omitted somehow. Would like to order and will wait patiently but how to do it in the forst place?
(I have filled in the form here and got the “thanks for feedback” note already)
Received my kit three days ago (in USA). Everything included and the packaging intact. Awesome blade. Well done!
Great to hear. Enjoy, Ray!
I am anxious to order and receive the kit. My wood parts are ready to go…
paul. Oakland CA
Received my kit and am now working on the body with some nice quarter sawn sapele. The kit arrived in perfect condition. May I ask, is the iron already hardened and tempered or does it need any more work?
Yes, hardened and tempered in Sheffield by professional tool makers.
Hi Paul,
just wanted to say thanks. Have just ordered the parts and feel like Charlie with the golden wonka ticket. A heartfelt thanks to you and your team for seizing the initiave and keeping woodwork available to the many.
I cannot tell you how happy it is making something work like the router plane and knowing other will be getting their kits and starting their own router.
Mine got here other day in very good shape.
Other priorities right now, so building plane will have to wait…
Soon I hope….
Jeff
Ont/Cdn
And got mine to and I also got other priorities at present. I’ll get there. Thanks for speedy delivery and arrived in great shape.
John M
BC, Canada