How to make a Plane Tote | Paul Sellers
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Creating a new handle for your bench plane is one of those rites of passage every woodworker should go through, and this will likely be the first time you will see it done using hand tools.
From tackling the complexities of laying out to shaping and fitting every part of the tote, this video walks and talks you through every step to applying the final finish. You will love engaging with this video before you tackle your plane handle remake!
To access the Plane Handle template click here: woodworkingmas...
Due to the current public health situation our team have been unable to film as normal, Paul has been busy making and filming several small projects himself! Each project is released on Woodworking Masterclasses a week before it is released on UA-cam. To access these projects a week earlier, head to woodworkingmas...
Team Paul
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To access the Plane Handle template click here: woodworkingmasterclasses.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Plane_Tote_drawing_v1.pdf
- Team Paul
Paul Sellers many thanks for this.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skill. It was an absolute pleasure to watch you make that beautiful handle. Now I will give it a go at making my own.
@@JH-et7ig d
@@JH-et7ig da 6
Ben
Mr Sellers I love your videos. Never rushed Do it one do it right. Never a corner cut. If everyone on earth took this amount of consideration and pride in their work the world would be a better place
An hour and a half of Paul giving us a real masterclass, wonderful!
and americans make masterclasses web style that u pay and here paul does it high-end style for free!
@@shintarolin1933do you cry when Paul sellers uses inches too?
Dear Paul, my wife and I enjoy watching your videos. Myself for the instructional value and my wife because it sends her off to sleep. Each to their own i suppose.
I usually watch in the morning...Paul's videos are a bit like sitting down to a cup of tea and a chat with an old friend.
Jeff Dutton definitely. He laid back and even tempered demeanor makes him the best on the subject matter. I’ve learned most of what I know from Paul and I appreciate his effort greatly. Could never sleep through a video, too interesting for that.
Dear Peter
Watch more et get more peace and quiet
Can you imagine Paul doing a Gordon Ramsey when he finds out we made a mistake 😁😁😁😁
Paul, you did it again, drawing in tens of thousands of viewers to watch you do something most will probably never do ourselves in a movie length episode. No matter, there are additional lessons to be learned in every video. Plus, there's the added benefit of time spent with your soothing voice and demeanor. In the time of Covid that is priceless.
Fantastic attention to detail for folks who want to spend much of their productive and/or leisure time in their workshop. We can all end up with some fantastic things! And the side-parting surely shows we all in for a treat based on tradition and reliability. Who doesn't like a chunky lump of yew?
Plugging the 1/4 inch hole to get something for the snail to grip is so clever. 👏🏻👍🏻
After repairing about a dozen rear handles and a couple of knobs, as well as making a few new knobs and totes, I came up with another way to make the top and bottom final recess for the seat and the nuts. My 7/16 inch auger bit was not suitable for this as the snail on it was gone, so I used a 3-12 mm step bit instead. This has proved to be a lot easier and more crisp cutting way to make the recess for me.
For the repaired pieces, where the top or bottom part of the handle with the hole were replaced by a new piece of wood, I bored from the other side using a 6 mm brad bit (~1/4 inch) until the brad came through the top or the bottom of the new wood. I then used the step bit in a drill to drill the recess from the location where the brad of the 6 mm bit came through and followed the angle of the hole.
There is probably an imperial version of the 3-12 mm step bit making the fit to the nut even more precise, but from my experience the 12 mm recess is quite good.
1:26:28 A hake brush. Soft goat hair. I thought you said 'hate brush' at first!
Thank you Mr. S. for another excellent video.
Only a Master Craftsman like yourself can cut with a big rip-saw with a precision of a surgeon to a minimal line that needed only a bit of “tweaking” to get it to the shape you wanted...
I watch carefully every move you make...
Bravo, I just love it.
My wife handles the printing needs of our home office, and she always comments on the beauty of your sketches when I send her your templates. Game recognizes game as the kids say,
Thank you as always,
-CY Castor
There a good woodworkers out there, (like me), great woodworkers, (like I strive to be), and master woodworkers that very few should claim to be. Paul Sellers, however, is in a very elite field of GOD level woodworkers. Paul, thank you for your teachings, and for inspiring me to keep trying to get better. Man, I’ve made a few plane handles in my life, but nothing compares to yours… I really should’ve payed closer attention in math class (way back in the 70’s 👴🏼). Peace!✌️
Best vlog by far, 👏 Mr Sellers is the man!
Hi Paul! Thanks for getting your long drill hole way off the line. It made me feel much better after just screwing up a long difficult boring operation in my shop. It delights me to know that it happens to the best of us.
Sorry, but I did it on purpose to show the efficacy of the method for centralising the handle! Just joking!
For me, boring the hole into the already shaped handle was the difficult thing. It didn't come to my mind to first bore the hole. Clever trick! Thanks for sharing.
@@michaeldornhausen8807 same here. I did most of the cutting then drilled, on my first attempt. Made it a complete waste of time and material. Hade to start over again, in which I drilled first the second time. Then the grain was just a bit off in my white oak and the bottom finger snapped off. So, I adjusted my angle of drilling on the third attempt and got the base "finger" in some squirly figure and that held together quite nicely, but was a bear to shape. Ended up with a fairly nice tote though. Still holding strong over a year later. Most of the shaping was done with carving gouges then fine tuned with a lot of file work and sand paper as I did not yet own any rasps. I still inly own one, so far, a 4 in hand. I want a shinto so badly. But this Covid garbage has me with no income at the moment.
If the operation was boring, no surprise you screwed it up, you just have to make it interesting
@@Paul.Sellers You made me crack up!😆
The amount of times Paul winds up saying something like, "Oh, that went much better than I thought it would!" is stunning. :)
That's the kind of 'luck' that only comes afters years of mastering your craft
I really enjoyed this one, Paul!
Paul Great advice. . All your videos have great advice. I just made this. My tote screw angle was 60 degrees so I created a 30 and 60 wedge and used the drill press. That seemed to work for the hole. Used the templates too they were very handy. So my plane that I put aside for the last 2 years with a broken tote, now planes like new. Thankyou Paul for the no non-sense approach to teaching. took about 3 hours..
another 5 star video. watched this and the recondition hand plane video . pulling an old stanley jack plane out of the junk drawer for some long overdue love. thank you.
fantastic to see real woodworking in 2020 , sure, using power drills, etc. but the Bulk is by hand, WELL done, and nice project.
Sir I salute you. You are not only an exceptional teacher, in this fast moving world you also bring calm and patience to your followers. I have decided if I want to do meditation I will watch your video what ever you do. Thank you again for teaching such valuable lessons.
I have made a goodly number of plane totes and knobs over the years, yet I enjoyed watching this video every step of the way. Thank you!
Thank you I really appreciate watching your videos.
18:28 wrong line was struck :0
Thanks Paul for your great video's, it helps with my woodworking which I picked up the past half a year now. Made myself some wooden bicycle handles!
Yup, I noticed that too. Fortunately, it sorted itself out.
Watching you from Portugal for a long time and it has been a true pleasure to see a real master of the trade in action. Always instructional. Thank you for classes. I would like to wish you and your team a merry Christmas and a great new year. Thanks again.
Great instructional video!
I have large hands and most handles never fit properly in my hand, and compromise the control of the tool. This will enable me to “dial in” the tool and minimize the pressure points and make using it a joy to use!
THANK YOU!
What could be better than a nice cuppa, my new Trend T4 arriving, and a masterclass in hand tools from an outstanding UA-camr?
Thanks, Henry!
Thank you so much for this video. Earlier today, I started making a new handle for my vintage Stanley Bailey no 4 (which had arrived with a broken tote a few weeks ago). I gave up after getting the 6mm hole misaligned (I started by drilling the larger holes, then cut the blank to shape first before attempting to drill the 6mm through hole). After watching this video, I've selected another piece of timber and marked it out, ready to drill the 6mm hole first before even marking out the shape. It's 10.37pm now and I can't wait till tomorrow morning to get started.
It’s interesting watching the cutting and planing of the yew, you get a sense for the hardness of the wood from the sounds.
Almost sounds like munching.
I am so grateful Mr. Sellers. Thank yoU!
Excellent carving job! I especially appreciated the bit at the end to define "dilly dallying". That was like the delicious cookie for dessert!
This thing is literally looking how you are planing with its eye. :)
This is probably the most useful video (for me) that I've ever seen on UA-cam.
Great Video, many thanks. I managed to create a new and fitting handle for my Stanley plane - althoug I'm a dummy in woodworking. I'm impressed by your demonstration of woodworking using basic tools and simple infrastructure. Exciting!
Paul, as always a great and inspirational video. Thank you for sharing your skill and enthusiasm with others.
This guy doesn't *do* woodworking, he *is* woodworking.
Fantastic! And we see how so many items in our world were made before mechanization and power tools of any kind. Thank you for posting videos like these, I always knew these things could be done but had no idea how to get them made myself. Keep up the good work and please stay healthy.
thanks a lot Mr Sellers, i'v been getting into woodworking recently and i'v learned a lot from your video's, i bought almost all of my gears second hand, and the no 4 Stanley plane's tote that i bought was made of MDF and also was glued in, so i had to reap it apart to clean and fine tune it, and i wasn't sure how to go about it to make a new handle, but then you sir, uploaded this video, so I'm really really grateful.
Really love the yew! Awesome job paul!!! As always..love learning from you
Always a pleasure watching you work.
Amazing that this should come up as I'm sitting at my laptop. I help maintain the hand tools for a small tool lending library here in my town. One of my predecessors had bought a new Stanley No 5, which now comes with plastic handles, and I have thought of replacing them. I have salvaged many hardwood offcuts and was thinking of using cherry or walnut.
@Larry..tool lending what a good idea !! I am using cherry as the original tote was made from rosewood ..close enough for me..i also have been gathering apple wood from local orchards to use on old hand saws...
@Larry..tool lending -- what a horrible idea !! Your enthusiasm marks you as a true beginner in the tool trade, and as a certified old fart I'm looking forward to the day you realize that half the population are stupider & sloppier than average, and that most of those have signed up to your tool-lending scheme. Your altruism is laudable and your naivety is lamentable. Let's talk in 3 years about the wisdom of sharing edge-tools. But still ; Keep up the good work ! ( I mean it -- the world is made a much better place by people like you)
@@barkebaat I knew all that, but thanks. I'll make sure to label everything "For Use Only with Wood", and keep my sharpening station set up. ;-)
@@lajohnson1ly :
labeling...
pfft!
optimist
@@barkebaat It has never helped anybody to be that vainly and exaggeratedly pessimist. Plus you could simply give a heavy fine to anyone damaging the tools (in fact, that's actually what they do here). And if it weren't profitable, business lending tools would have gone bankrupt (there are a few that haven't, here anyway). I have no doubt the majority of people are stupid, but that doesn't make lending tools a bad idea, not in my opinion anyway.
Anything that can help against consumerism is a good thing.
It come out to be really beautiful. Thank you for the video!
Really another good one classic Paul Sellers video, thanks for the knowledge!!!
It's always great to see someone make something from scratch with hand tools ...
I find that I enjoy using my coping saw for more delicate work and sometimes, even the not so delicate work. This is definitely one of those need to learn things. Great video, cheers :)
Well done Paul nothing better than experience 🤠👍🔨
the knowledge, skill and love of the craft on display in these videos is fantastic. Thank you for these.
Hi Paul, how are you doing? I love your videos, you are the one who inspired me to do woodworking. Thank you!! Have a good day 👍🏻
I am in the peak of good health. Thanks for asking.
"Don't dilly dally talking to your mates". I do love Paul's videos. :)
"this has beeon a great project, i loved it, i loved every minute of it."
I love how easily Paul can rip a board down straight on the line. I can't even cut a tomato slice evenly for a sandwich. I cut wedge shaped tomato slices to the point I have made it a feature of the sandwich. Lol
I'm sure that comes with tons of practice but I'm just not at that point yet
Thank you Paul for this video. I have two hand planes I am refurbishing and both will need handles. I also have three saws I will be putting new handles on so this was very timely. Take care and stay well.
Yew is very difficult. I once made a hatchet handle out of Ipe. That was fun, but it is strong and added a nice bit of heft that makes carving very easy. Very, very nice. Thank you for the great video. Oh, and you did such a good job polishing I think I'll bring my shoes by.
Thanks for another great Free video...love it like that...stay safe...
What an utter treat.... Thank you.
Hi Paul.....thanks so much for the lesson! I have a couple to make but have been putting it off - this is quite the inspiration. Thanks for sharing and as always, have a happy day!
Paul, I greatly appreciate all the things you do for us, for free! You are a master of your art! Thank you
I've a big Diamond Edge jointer that I was given some years ago. It has no wood at all, everything else is great. I was thinking of making a tote and front handle for it. I hope it is pretty close to the larger of your 2 templates. You have motivated me to break out a special piece of mahogany I have stored back and get started. Thanks
I used to make pipes (for smoking stuff in) and I got really really good at drilling holes into some amazing shapes of wood, including branches off fruit wood and other hardwood trees. Being these pipes had residue that was up until now illegal, I threw of the remaining pipes into the woodstove, except for those that I had already sold or given away.
Thanks as always, oh, it's made to look so simple but so beautiful, therein lies the skill of a master craft person.
As for the tutoring, it's a joy to watch and listen in the knowledge I have everything I need to replicate the tote................
Simply beautiful.
This man just casually starts a saw cut on the corner of a block of wood. I have so much to learn.
Plane tote as a work of art. Thank you!
Well done, Paul. That Yew does make a beautiful tote and knob. Love the methodology. Somewhat similar to the way I did mine, but youy way looked a bit easier.
Thank you so much for the lessons
Thank you Paul, as always a wonderful tutorial. Keep up the great work
Paul makes this exercise seem so simple. I hope that my first attempt will be as equally successful. Thanks Paul ☺
So cool! A real master
Very classy looking 👍👍👍👍
Great job, wonderful, thanks a lot.
1:20:02 "we've got to get it dead right, so what I'm doing is eyeballing the centerline..."
I bet that explains why I never get anything dead right ;)
Thank you Paul. I have a perfectly good plane with a broken handle. Now I know how to fix it.
I've just completed my first tote. It was actually my 2nd attempt after shaping revealed an otherwise hidden split from the toe. 2nd time I tried boring after rough shaping and strangely I found it easier - I can only guess, for me, that having the shape and layout together helped me keep on track. Hardest part by far was the transitional curve 'twixt handle and toe.
Nicely done.
I just picked up a Stanley Handyman plane yesterday so now I'm doing the deep dive on YT. Heck I thought a "tote" would be a case to carry and store it in. Ha ha.
I've made one before, because my no. 5 originally had the plastic handles, which obviously I couldn't abide, but man, I didn't know much back then. I made the new ones out of birch, which works and looks quite nice (some old Stanley planes came with birch handles), but now I'm thinking about making new ones out of ash, or maybe even buckthorn if the chunks I have are big enough. Buckthorn would look awesome.
Paul, I recently came across your channel and blog and your videos which I enjoy immensely. That said I'm a thinking that you are the ," Mr Rogers" of woodworking. The world needs a lot more of that. Thanks for doing what you do. And no I don't computter with keyboards very well!
As always, fantastic, thank you.
The Lee-Nielsen method drills the hole at 90° to the face of the block and the grain, then lines up the pattern to the hole. This means that the grain slants down towards the front of the plane. Some folk might not like this, but it makes the process much easier - I could drill mine straight down on the drill-press. Lee-Nielsen have free patterns, even for Stanleys, on their web-site.
At least here you actually have someone "teaching" you how to make the handle vs just handing out plans. There's a purpose behind this channel. Cheers :)
@@Ham68229 One does not negate the other. Better plans + the best parts of Paul's demonstration gives you the best of both worlds.
But, wouldn't that weaken the thinner sections at the palm hook and base finger being at a 45°angle?
@@thomasarussellsr Could well do. I'll let you know if mine breaks.
@@Ham68229 Certainly, and it's appreciated; but I needed a handle 3 months ago. ;)
Getting ready to replace 3 plane totes for my antique stanley's. I think I want to tweak the original design though. I'll try to make the handle a bit taller because my hands always feel cramped on the handle.
After watching the video in full I think I might finally go out and buy a dremel tool to do the shaping on the handle.
Beautiful
Спасибо вам! Как раз делаю ручки из дуба на рубанок №5 =) Очень вовремя ваш мастер-класс! =)
Thanks for that Mr. Sellers.
Wonderful Stuff. I have some sapele that I'll try. Love the gold color.
I never thought of using Yew for a plane handle replacement (I usually lean toward Walnut), but now I will have to reconsider. I made a pen kit once using Yew and found it to be the most comfortable pen to hold for an extended time. Hopefully I will find the same when using if for a tote. BTW - Thanks for the templates too!
Yes, yew has great interlocking grain whereas walnut readily splits and is brittle, so not my choice.
The whole process looks very similar to that I used for making custom handles for my compound bow. I didn't use yew but had access to ash and some maple. They felt and fitted my hand much better than the resin ones that came as standard.
Thank you very much, inspiring man.
Outstanding
I’ve been trying over and over more and more desperately to carve a new tote handle for an Acorn no 4 that I have. When everything seemed to must be lining up and it would still be rocking back and forth on the sole and I couldn’t understand what the heck is lifting the heel, I finally measured the actual angle of the threaded rod: it’s 60 degrees dead on 😖 so I guess it’s time for another one.
I prepared some English Character Yew about two months ago, to replace the plastic butt and stock on my rifle. This video is perfect timing almost as though you knew???
Looking forward too this one.
Was this hour and half video created in one shot? Seems like only masters can do something like that. Really impressive.
I was taught to use a file or rasp with a rocking motion - point of contact getting closer to you as you make the stoke, rather than following the curve away from you. With that style, getting an even rounding seems easier.
Beauty work EH!! From NS Can. Wish I had those band saw blades dude...............I'm brutal on those things.
If I uncovered a genie and was granted 3 wishes, one of the wishes would be for my tools to be as sharp as Paul Sellers! I've been trying to figure out what sorcery he uses to get them that sharp.
Excellent video that will be useful to many! When are you going to show us how to make the knob?
I just thought , as you worked through the 1/16th inch measurements , what a great opportunity to badger the Americans into learning about millimetres .
Very great video, i love your content, it is alway's usefull. I think i go make a tote myself to replace the plastic one.
Loved the video Paul 👌🏼👌🏼. Would have loved a close up of the wood at the planning and drawing stage......watching you do it on a small piece of wood from afar was......
Wonderful!
Another wonderful and informative video, thank you! I was wondering if you've ever considered shooting a video on making a new hand saw handle, particularly an open handled dovetail saw. I'm so dismayed at the current prices for vintage/antique dovetail saws on ebay that I'm considering building a saw from a kit (blackburn tools) but would need to make the handle and would love to see how you approach it. Anyway, thank you again for all your wonderful videos!
Id love to see paul build a marples prefabricated plane
Hi Paul, you made some positive remarks about the hand saw that you were using to rip excess off the sides of the handle. Of course inexpensive and superb were some of the words that stood out. Would you mind sharing the details, manufacturer and model? Thank you and thank you very much for the knowledge that you share.
-John
Sir I love the fact that u love to use all hand tool vs power tools butsir u r like me where I lay things down but that’s how I loose things when it’s rite in front of my nose but sir I do enjoy ur shows
Meant but sir