Replies

1. 
   RMillard | Nov 21, 2005 03:04pm | #1

   I have had several scraper planes, and only one has been worth keeping, the Lee Valley. It does a very good job of smoothing and maintaining a flat surface. Despite that, I rarely use it, since my Lie-Nielsen No. 4 1/2 with a high angle frog will works well on any difficult wood, especially curly maple.

    The Lie-Nielsen and the Kuntz ( spelling?) both were sold off. The old Stanley 80 isn't too bad either, but its short sole makes it difficult to keep a flat surface.

   Rob Millard

1. 
   BG | Nov 21, 2005 06:36pm | #2

   Rob,
   With the 4 1/2, have you put a bevel on the edge of the blade(round the edge)? I've done about four projects since getting mine and two of those have not come out great.....not until I put on the high gloss finish did I see stripes from the plane..rats! Usually I'll scrape as the final step to avoid the stripes...but sometimes it just look so nice and it looks perfect...until the polish.
   I'd rather leave the blade flat...but.. thanks

   Edited 11/21/2005 5:02 pm ET by BG

1. 
   rbarlow | Nov 22, 2005 03:14am | #3

   Thank you for the suggestions I currently have a old no 12, but it is a little to big for smaller work.  I hear a lot about the LN's on this forum maybe it is time to purchase my first new plane.  Is the 41/2 a plane that you can use with one hand?

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Nov 22, 2005 03:46pm | #6

   " Is the 41/2 a plane that you can use with one hand?"

   In a word, "nope." The LN 4 1/2 is a beautiful plane and a joy to use, but it will require two hands in most applications.

   Mike Hennessy

2. 
   JeffHeath | Nov 23, 2005 02:45pm | #7

   rbarlow

   Block planes and shoulder planes are designed to be used with one hand.  Bench planes are designed for 2 handed use, requiring a balance of weight transfrer from the beginning of a cut, to the end of a cut.  You won't get much control smoothing with one hand.

   Jeff

1. 
   DCarr10760 | Nov 23, 2005 08:12pm | #8

   Jeff,

   That's what I always thought too.  But LN seems to refer to beval-up planes of all sizes as block-planes.  At least that's how they catagorize them on their website.  I wonder why?

   Best Regards,

   David C

2. 
   rbarlow | Nov 23, 2005 11:36pm | #9

   thank you for your reply as you can probably tell I am pretty new to wwing and don't really know which planes are used for which tasks except the obvious like rabbit, shoulder, jointer etc.  so my question is what is a block plane and what is it used for and any suggestions on what type to buy?  again thanks

3. 
   JeffHeath | Nov 25, 2005 03:31pm | #13

   rbarlow

   A block plane is the small sized plane.  They are about the same size as your hand, and are lower angle planes than bench planes.  Block planes are typically used for trimming end grain, as well as for light trimming, chamfering, etc...  If you are interested in really learning about planes, I would recommend that you pick up The Hand Plane Book by Garrett Hack.  In my opinion, it's a must read, sort of like the bible of hand planes.  The book will thoroughly explain all the different types of planes, what they are typically used for, as well as how to tune them up for maximum performance.  I really think you'd benefit from reading it.

   Jeff

4. 
   rbarlow | Nov 25, 2005 09:40pm | #14

   thank you I will def pic up that book.   much appreciated!  block plane sounds exactly what I am looking for.

2. 
   RMillard | Nov 22, 2005 05:05am | #4

   BG

    

   I do hone a very slight convex shape to the edge. When the iron is held to a straight edge, I aim for just a crack of light, at each edge. I know things are working right, when I get a nearly full width shaving, and the surface under a raking light shows an even smooth sheen. If I get the curve too pronounced the plane will leave slight furrows, which can show up under a glossy finish, and it takes longer to do the job at hand because only a comparatively small portion of the iron is working. I was never happy with just knocking the corners off.

   Rob Millard

    

1. 
   philip | Nov 22, 2005 08:38am | #5

   ...was never happy with just knocking the corners off."
   Same here-never could understand the reasoning behind that practice, because one is still making a "trench" with a flat blade-corners there or not, and this is aggravated if one slews the plane.
   A slight camber is the way to go, I believe, on all except the jolly jointer blade which stays flat.Philip Marcou

1. 
   Midnight | Nov 24, 2005 01:02am | #10

   Same here-never could understand the reasoning behind that practice, because one is still making a "trench" with a flat blade-corners there or not, and this is aggravated if one slews the plane.

   Sooooooo... what difference is there between a trench and a furrow....???Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

2. 
   philip | Nov 24, 2005 03:58am | #11

   Laddae, a trench is something I do not want to see after I have doctored one of those thick plane irons with a slight camber.
   A furrow is what you may see on my forehead when I see a trench.
   Also, I believe there is no plane big enough to plough a furrow, but I may just be making one heavy enough for that right now.
   How's that for an obfuscatory exchange?Philip Marcou

3. 
   Midnight | Nov 24, 2005 04:47am | #12

   How's that for an obfuscatory exchange?

   <chucklin...

   sounds like a cop-outn to me.... but each to their own..  I tried the cambered smoother.... top ended up looking like a ploughed park waitin for main crop tatties... I'll stick to my clipped corners...

   ;)Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

4. 
   Patto | Nov 28, 2005 04:49am | #15

   Mike,

   did you pick up the scrub by mistake:)

   Each to their own. Not sure of the DS answer for camber, but mine get not more than half dozen strokes on a superfine diamond plate with two-fingers pressure on one side, and the same on the other side. Don't have the tools to measure the radius (that's all anal anyway), but it is just detectable on a good straight edge. They are sharp enough that I can take a shaving over the middle two thirds of the mouth that feathers to nothing on both sides and is translucent at its thickest.

   My eyes are no longer good enough to see the hollows this produces.

   dave

5. 
   Midnight | Nov 28, 2005 06:08am | #16

   <chucklin...

   wish I had that excuse... setting up the blade when its cambered is a whole lot easier than when honed dead straight..

   <shrugs.... Like I said.. each to their own.... so long as you get the results you're looking for, does it really matter how ya get there...????Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

6. 
   philip | Nov 28, 2005 11:36am | #17

   Patto,---what is 'DS' ?
   Regarding young Michael Midnight there, I suspect he requires a small introduction to the use of a slight camber on his blades- because as sure as dammit if he persists with those
   deadflat ones one day he will finish a piece, stand back to admire it , and @#$! all those trenches he has ploughed and missed will appear. (and all because he failed to set that deadflat blade // to the sole-just once).On the other hand , he may be shy of taking any but the filmiest of shavings....
   Seriously , I do much as you do when honing, and the result is not visible on some woods, but one can feel it . Nothing that a few passes of a scraper or the poxy sand paper doesn't fix.Philip Marcou

7. 
   Midnight | Nov 29, 2005 12:25am | #18

   <chucklin...

   lessons huh...?? I donno if you could improve on Mr Charlesworth''s technique... I still use it for the course jack if I'm struggling with the scrub plane.. Don't see much point to it otherwise.. Maybe it's the Scot in me but I canna see the point in having a 2 3/8" blade and only using half o' it...

   As for yer trenches.. can ya really call something that's 1 thou deep a trench....??

   ;P~~

   Ohh.... btw... sandpaper..??? whazzat then...??????

   ;)Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

8. 
   Patto | Nov 29, 2005 05:09am | #19

   Phillip,

   DS slipped out from my first career. Always heard in context it means one or all of the following at once:

   Dead S**T, Deadly Serious, The Directing Staff (instructors on a military course or ecercise), The Directing Staff's official answer to a problem (correct tactics being the opinion of the senior officer present).

   In this case the last meaning only.

   I think that the biggest advantage of a camber is reducing the probablility of setup error in the lateral adjustment of the plane. If I have a straight edge I identify the inevitable error after the best adjustment I can make (which will only be on one side - the shaving will be a very thin triangle in cross section), and then finish planing by working across the board and taking out the embankment (to the trench) on each successive stroke.

   dave