I read not long ago about a carpenter who honed a crown (1/16 center to nothing on the sides) in the iron of his low angle block plane. He claimed that it made scribing with the tool much easier. I have seen this done to a lesser degree on smoothing planes to keep the edges of the iron from leaving lines and to a greater degree in scrub planes. I am not sure what the benefit would be in a block plane used specifically for cutting to scribe lines. If anyone has ideas I would love to hear them. What would be the best way to hone the crown?
My thanks,
Justin
Replies
Not sure I follow you. Is the carpenter using the plane iron as a scribing knife? Otherwise, I don't get the scribing with a plane question. Can you clarify?
The iron is in the plane. There is a radius honed into the beveled edge. I imagine it resembles the iron on a scrub plane. I am wondering what benefit this would have following a scribe line in door casing, cabinet fillers,etc. if any.
I think the basic advantage would be that the plane would take a deep cut if centered on the board, but would take a fine cut for final fitting when the plane was held off center. It sounds like it would be worth trying, and keeping a separate plane with the crowned blade, if you did a lot of installation work involving scribed fits.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
When I have used a cambered iron on a block plane it was for what is called "backing out" a molding during installation. Walls are rarely flat and square and so the relief provided by the cambered iron will allow scribed moldings to sit flat.
No idea if that is the case here, but it is a common practice. On large crown moldings, I have even used my #40 scrub with a milder camber to back out moldings.
Take care. Gotta go to work.
Mike
Justin,
No need to camber the iron of a block plane. That tool is designed for one hand usage and therefore the camber is not necessary. You simply tilt the plane to bevel an edge.
As far as I am concerned a block plane is not a smoothing plane and therefore does not posses the same characteristics.
I was a carpenter for many years before turning to furniture, and I can tell you that a camber is not worth the effort to make for such a rudimentary tool.
J.P.
P.S. That does not mean do not learn how to properly sharpen your tools.
Edited 8/3/2006 2:35 pm ET by JP
I honed the camber into the Stanley 60 1/2 that I keep as a backup since purchasing a Lie Nielson and it is well worth it. By tilting and twisting the plane I am able to cut very fine slivers of a shaving or by twisting the plane differently I am able to effortlessly hog out large quanities of wood. I do quite a few trim upgrade projects and often must scribe base, casing, and filler strips to wavy walls. This sould make life a little easier.
Thank you for your time and responses.
I run into the same types of fitting situations. I just open the adjustable mouth on the plane and set the blade for a deeper cut. When you fit to irregular surfaces, you are not making a straight cut, so you are not using the plane in a traditional way. You are often chopping sideways, making small hollows in an otherwise straight piece. I've never found the need to alter the sharpening of the blade. As soon as I did, I'd want it to be straight across. A jigsaw and a beltsander are quicker and more easily controlled.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I think John White has the answer. I have done carpenter work off and on most of my life. When paneling or finishing on the inside of a house, I usually always carry a block plane in my apron. Grinding a radius on the iron would save a lot of time normally spent adjusting the plane as carpenters usually try to work rapidly. I'm going to try it on my next job.
If I want a long shallow cut I place the length of the plane with the length of the cut. If I have to cut a short deeper cut I turn the plane sideways to the cut and it will cut a radius or deeper shorter cut.
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