How to Make a Tote for a Hand Plane | Making a handle with hand tools 

Nice tote, I like how the staining from the rough cut makes it look aged. Are you going to make a front knob to match?

i have large hands and a number 3 stanley hand plane, the smallness of the tote kinda hurts my fingers a little .. can i enlarge the tote? or is that a mistake? or should i just buy a larger hand plane? edit: it's short .. it squeezes my fingers from the top and bottom .. can i make it taller if i have clearance between the tote and the iron?

Yeah buddy, I've got the fee-vah! My first handle shaping was building board bows/long bows. You couldn't have convinced me that such a comfortably round handle could come from what looked so thin and flat. I guess it's like what a psychotic maniac sees when doing cardio...an elliptical delusion.

Glue sticks are great!! Dollar store YAY. A heck of a lot cheaper and less messy than adhesive spray. Come off easier. The only thing that I could fault them for is that the paper may wrinkle if a glob of glue is left behind. I just roll out the wrinkles, good to go.

I just finished making mine using the template and a blank of my favorite hardwoods, walnut/maple/walnut. It’s absolutely stunning.

Like it. So how would you transport your wood planes whether it's a wood frame or a steel frame?

OMG who cares what people think about your pattern attachment method?? It's *YOUR* preferred method, and it actually makes perfect sense. 🤷‍♂️ But, of course, everyone else's way is always best... 🙄 Keep doing what you're doing. It works. VERY well actually.

Great video, as always. It inspired me to have a go. The grain on the tote is a weakness, so I have made mine in two laminations of macrocarpa. It’s a bit like Maple. If I had a dark wood I would have used three. I cut a groove in each half for the threaded rod, and I crossed the grain for each half to give strength in both axes. If I did it again I would use three laminations with the inner one vertical and spaced for the rod to fit snugly. It’s much more comfortable than the Stanley totes which are a bit thin for me.

HELP!...I realise this is an old thread, but do you know where I can get a pattern for a Stanley Bailey No.7 tote? I thought this video was great and now want to have a go at bringing back to life a plane I saved from my Father-in-Law's garage (he was originally a joiner/carpenter as a young man) and I've salvaged some of his old tools. I've tried looking at the Lee Valley site which was the pattern you used and put a link to, but the page is no longer there and I can't find anything else on their site now.

Oddly enough my first handle i used a glue stick (the same purple one) and it worked great. It was before i saw you use it. It was just the thing available

English is not my native language, so I had to look it up in a dictionary. The verb "to tote" means to drag, to pull. I did not find the noun "tote". Since pulling a plane does not make a lot of sense, I guess calling it a handle is fine. A couple of years ago my neighbor's walnut tree did not survive a nasty storm, so I got lucky... The walnut has been drying in my basement for quite some time. I can make gorgeous totes and handles for the next 300 years.

Hi! You are a real inspiration for me. As I saw you using files and rasps for making a handle, and as I want to make two handles for my saws (one 26" saw with thumb hole and one dovetail saw with open pistol handle), what set of rasps and files would I want to have, knowing that I don't own any file or rasp at all yet? Also, where I'm going to buy them (Glardon/Vallorbe rasps and files, produced at 50km from where I live, and surprisingly not that expensive for Swiss tools), they offer specialised file in either wood or metal. As I will mostly work on wood, the choice seems pretty obvious, but will it be still possible to use them occasionally on metal without destroying them instantaneously? Thank you so much for your help. (by the way, please excuse my possibly broken English, which is due to my condition of not being a native speaker (although there are non native speakers who master the language, but it is not my case (yet)))

Great job explaining your process. Very helpful!

What kind of rasp is the one that is half course and half fine? Great video as always!

This is a terrific video. The step-by-step explanation was just right. You made 30 minutes feel like 5.

I made my own tote too, but I'm embarrassed to admit I called it a handle. I did not know any better until now.

So long have we waited to see how you would make a tote with just hand tools The wait was worth it, not to forget all the little extras you put in that we will be able to use on other projects. Fantastic video and beautiful tote too, even looks like it was from that hand plane 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Well... that’s a pain in the rasp. Thanks James.

Nice job. Question ... about 16:49 it looks like there's a split in the horn at the top. Later it's closed up, though still slightly discolored. Did it split and you repaired it, or was it just a wood imperfection that got less noticeable as it was rasped down? Either way, enjoyed it. I like the BLO best too.

Why is the handle called a tote?

Bravo for turning down corporate sponsorship.

You know me, I was looking for a template to make a new tote and bam, your video popped up, I was like, well I should have known my buddy would have a video on this. Thank you so so much for taking the time to share this with us,. Since you mentioned it, I too agree, the rough from the original weathered look makes it look so much more authentic and i too like it. I do the same with a lot of the leather work when I can get away with it, use the rough edge in lue of the razor sharp cut edges just makes it feel more authentic , yeah, that may be the word. I was able to find the download for both of the templates, Just FYI, the link you had posted previously with this video is a dead link, so if you want I can come back and add the links to the message, but I don't want you to think i am trying to spam your comment, section so for the time being I didn't link the, but i found them via google search, lee valley tote template pdf and they both pop up for the two different Stanley sizes. Thanks again kind sir and have a blessed week. I think this is something I can pull off one handed so I am gong to give it a go sometime this weekend. Dale

You do such nice work. I enjoy your videos, keep 'em coming!

It's plane to see, a thing of beauty!

Tote. Handle. Meh.... The back one is the tote, the front one is the knob, but both are types of handles. I'm not aware of anything regarding the etymology of the word itself that suggests it's a handle of any kind. It mostly seems to derive from words meaning to carry, to bear (as in toting a firearm) or to drag around... and since you don't drag the plane, it still doesn't tally exactly. So use whatever word you feel like, really!! "Voila" is another matter, though and a personal pet peeve - Pronounced "Vwa-Lah", rather than "Wah-Lah"... !!! [insert "GRR" face] :-p Nice long video, and the handle sits rather nicely against the wooden body and the front knob, too. It's got me looking around my workshop and wondering what other handles I could have a go at making.....!

What is the 4 way rasp that you're using? Do you have a link for it? Trying to find a decent one, but Amazon and Rockler don't have many reviews...

Another option on the handle would be to make homemade plywood by gluing 3 pieces of thin wood together, with the middle piece's grain running at 90 degrees to the outer pieces'.

Very Very Nice. Not sure I want to tell anybody that I just watched you rub oil and wax on your tote till it felt just right in your hand... Nice video. That makes 9. Awesome.

I've got a transitional I need to restore. I actually started on the tote at one point, and lucked upon a piece of "sapo" (not sure on the exact species) where the grain moved in a bit of a fork. I laid it out so that the grain ran at about 45° along the grip and ran straight along the bottom. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out... after I finish about 100 other projects of higher priority.

I thought for sure we'd see a scraper on this project. I got to say, it looks better than the tote I just made from laminated white oak a couple of months ago. There is a poor beginner's quality video covering some of it and the finished project. I actually used some power tools and some carving knives for mine. Using the previous broken tote as a template.

I don't know what "speing" means. I like your big rasp, I have similar one a little bit smaller. I need some rifler rasps. I have noticed the hand made rasps lately and OMG they are expensive.

Nice video - white oak, who'd have thought you'd use that... 😉 interesting seeing files used so much on wood. Also is that your new bench, looks like it's already taking some abuse!

James, can you cut with the saw both hands are you ambidextrous in your sawing and your filing?

We needf an update every six months on how the handle is surviving. Is white oak suitable for a tote, or is it too vulnerable?

Hey James, I think this is the best video you ever did for many reasons. I think a tote is not easy because it requires a feel and an eye for the subtleties. Also I love that you used a brace for the long whole and I was floored how accurate you did it. I've always tried to use a drill press but your way looks so much easier. I want to make several of these but just can't get to them with other things hanging over my head. Great work. Keep it up.

This is a very informative video, thank you! For a new woodworker not even looking to make one of these, the way this guy explains what he’s doing with each tool and how to use them is great to learn. #subscribe

That turned out beautiful! I also like the fade out from the old finish, almost a sunburst effect. Thanks for doing this video. I have some totes I need to make for few planes.

Well said James, Patience is aqui!

I started watching this and ended up starting work on a bow sander. Awesome!

Thanks again for continuing to share your craft.

How thick is the oak you used? I dislike the handles that are 3/4" thick.

Did you make this video just to see how many times you can say "acrosst"?

"Oh I don't care, I got tons of white Oak around. Not even going to cut square!" Not like that guy in Newfoundland, what a loser. haha BTW, enjoyed watching this video, I love restoring old planes and have come across some broken totes.

I use a glue stck too, even for steel

James, you are wearing Holland footwear... and thanks for the video, I recently purchased some planes and they came with plastic "handles".

I think the reason that the pattern from Lee Valley doesn't align the bottom of the tote with the grain direction is less a question of strength than it is a question of ease of construction. With Lee Valley's pattern, the main hole through the tote (for the bolt) is exactly perpendicular with the edge of the blank, so it's easier to drill that hole with a drill press, etc. Rotating the grain direction by 20ish degrees won't really make the tote any stronger or less likely to split than the orientation that you used.

That was very enjoyable and informative. Great tote. Thanks for sharing your skills with us. 👍🇦🇺

Kesinlikle 1 milyon abone olursun

Seriously, your videos make me wanna get out in my shop.

Recuerde que tiene observadores de otras lenguas, por tanto debería hablar menos y hacer más.

Wow that rasp can cut threw that white oak fast. Great job!!!

Excellent! Next, are you gonna make a fancy tote?

Hi James, this is something I plan to start with this weekend (or next) to replace a Stanley# 4 tote. I am sure I will mess up my first attempt at least as I there are a lot of new things for me to try in this project here - drilling straight and perpendicular is of course a big challenge but I will try that until I succeed (hopefully sooner 😉). I have a couple of questions: 1) What is the thickness of wood you started with? 2) I haven't truly started working on hardwood yet. I only have access to a home depot nearby - which hardwood options would you recommend considering robustness, ease of use for tote? I believe they have predominantly red oak (sometimes white oak), I have seen walnut and sometime Mahogany. I don't think they carry beech or ask which I believe are more well known for making handles and knobs. Thanks!

Paul Sellars calls it a handle. It's a handle. LOL

A spokeshave would have been another useful tool

Looks good but this video is going to have to wait till tomorrow...I've been gone all day and am heading for bed....cheers...rr

Did the oak stand the test of time and use?

Ok, have to ask, what is the issue with using a glue stick? I have used this as well as spray adhesive, depends on what I have on hand.

24:44 dewalt power tool on a hand tool channel? UNSUBSCRIBE hahahahah

Wooden shoes have NO gription on concrete, huh?

where did you buy the 4 in 1 rasp/file set from?

Did you invent that bow-sander?

OK, so at 27:41 I thought I was going to have to tell you to get a room. :)

The adjustment lever on that plane looks bent downwards. 24:20

Nine, ha ha ha.

As a suggestion to other viewers make your custom tote out of softwood as a trial & error template. If you make it thick to start you can easily remove wood from the handle where you don't want it. Then put the plane through it's paces on some wood. How does it feel? When satisfied with the grip then make a hardwood version.

i love those transitionals

your intro is promoting your lathe project... I'm probably the only one that will notice.

Harika bir video

Tebrikler

Why didn't you cut that top side square before drilling the long hole for the shaft? So much easier to eyeball.

A suggestion: cut a line perpendicular to the drill hole (you already have the line drawn on your template) then you wouldn't have to drill at an angle.