Hi Scott, Paul - good ideas. I threw some carpenters glue in the split almost immediately after it happened and left some weights on it overnight. I tried it out last night and it was cutting great. I was a little more careful snugging the wedge in place so hopefully the iron will come out a little easier next time. Now I know why they used to make those planes so chunky.

This design has taken a little getting used to. The sole radius is not a perfect match so getting the correct depth of cut is a little touchy. I is a very smooth cut though. The cutter moves that soft cedar no problem.

We'll see how this progresses. I'm already thinking about the next plane... surprised