Search this site

2011 Regatta

We need Volunteers

Subscribe to our channel

Let's get together - Join our Group

Join our Events Page in facebook

drupal counter

Ben Bentley, '08 and his traditional, wooden planes a beauty to look at and work with

posted Sep 17, 2010 2:24 PM by Sophia Chiou   [ updated Sep 17, 2010 3:49 PM ]
Ben Bentley, class of 2008, started a small scale venture recenlty, which started as a hobby and is turning out to be an opportunity for a profitable business.  He's manufacturing traditional, handmade shipwright's planes and they are just great, to look at and work with.  Read, what Ben told us.

My planes are based on traditional american shipwright's planes, which are generally a bit longer and narrower than other wooden planes. They are almost always made of some kind of exotic hardwood, which is more durable than the Beech typically used in plane making. I make some of my planes in the traditional pattern, and try to add elements of my own design to others, while still using classical design cues.  They differ from iron planes in that they are much easier to push because they have less friction over the wood surface being worked.  They are also more forgiving to being dropped, as they will not crack like iron, and are easily repaired.

I make every size and style that there is a need for.  I have made very small special purpose planes, as well as a 28" long Jointer plane.  I have made several Spar planes, which are some of the most useful planes for a boat builder, although they are very uncommon.  I have also come up with a design of my own for a plane suited to fairing boat hulls which i have not seen anywhere else.
 
I have not begun to seriously market my planes yet, although I have made and sold several to local boat builders and craftsmen on request.  My boss Donn Costanzo has also been very supportive and has commissioned a few to give as gifts to his friends.  I am working on building my own collection for now, and getting faster and better at making them. 
 
I have made some of the simpler coffin bodied planes for $300, which I think is a great value in a unique hand-made tool.  Prices will greatly depend on the complexity of the design and materials used.  I would like to build them on a custom order basis, tailored to each owner's requests.  I will have a website setup for them soon, followed by a catalog, and eventually I will begin marketing and hopefully selling them.
 
Some of my favorite woods to use for plane bodies are Cocobolo, Lignum Vitae, and Live Oak.  I like using Apple, Cherry or Walnut for the totes and wedges.  I have been able to purchase or trade for a wide variety of hardwoods from various sources, and will soon be making batches of planes in Osage Orange, Purpleheart, and Angelique.
 
I use a traditional oil and wax finish on the planes.  it provides a lasting protection that wont chip or flake off, and helps stabilize the plane against temperature and humidity.  It is also easy for the owner to re-apply a coat of wax periodically to maintain the nice, satin sheen of the plane.
 
I have used new irons from Lie-Nielsen and Hock, but I really prefer to use antique English or American laminated irons.  They generally need a bit of cleaning and tuning up, but the steel is superb and they give the planes a more traditional feel.  I have been buying them up whenever I can and now have a box full of all sizes awaiting planes to be made for them.  Once I have my own shop set up I plan on forging my own laminated irons, something I don't think any american plane maker is doing anymore.
 
I have made a small coffin plane of live oak in about 12 hours, and my latest scrub plane in blood wood took almost 3 times as long.  The complexity of the design and the toughness of materials are the biggest factors.  Lignum Vitae  is very hard to work with chisels, and requires frequent sharpening of your tools.  This makes a plane of this material very time-consuming compared to one of Live Oak, which is a pleasure to work.  I am also working on them in my spare time, in addition to my full time boat building job, so completing one is usually a matter of weeks.
 
My planes are unique, not only because of my designs, but because they are made traditionally.  I am trying to not only sell planes, but preserve the long practice of shipwrights making their own planes to work with.  Even my most elaborate planes are made to provide lifetimes of honest work, not to become display pieces or collectors items.
 
Soon I will set up my website, and begin showing them at boat shows, and start taking orders.  Based on the response I get, I will start devoting more time to making and promoting them.  Keep an eye out for my planes around IYRS, as well as at the boat shows in the next couple years.
 
For now, I just finished the restoration of Banzai, a NY-30, this spring.  This summer I have been doing repairs and refits on a few different yachts, as well as restoring a Beetle Cat with a client in his personal wood shop.  This winter we are restoring a triple-planked Luders 49 yawl, and building a new replica of a 1915 25' Gil Smith sloop.