I wanted a way to protect the blade of my hand plane from damage when I set it down or while it’s in storage. The saddle you see pictured here provides the protection I’m looking for. Now, the saddle lets me leave the blade at its proper setting, without worrying about it getting damaged when it’s not being used.
The saddle is simply a platform for the plane to sit on. I made the base, then glued on side runners to fit against the sides of the plane. A cove routed along the top edges simply provides an easy grip when removing the saddle from the plane.
Two adhesive magnetic strips (available at most office supply and hardware stores) hold the saddle to the sole of the plane. They also keep the blade from resting on the bottom of the saddle and dulling or damaging the edge.