Thanks to all for those thoughts, it’s a pity what we seem to think is common sense is not more widely promulgated.
Now the original post came from looking at a high speed photo of a planer cutter working and using a bit of reasoning. This next I have sent to a mag, but if they publish it then it will have a wider audience.
From the same image I decided to try planing difficult grain with a No 4 smoother in normal mode, and the grain crumbled. Then I removed the iron, switched the cap iron to the back to just above the bevel and put all back now with the bevel on top. I had to adjust the throat slightly, but with something like a 65 degree cutting angle and skewing the plane it worked very well and cleaned up the wood. I was going to ask at Xmas for a York pitch frog for my L-N but not now. The iron is slightly crowned with one bevel.
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David,
Common sense is exactly that. Once everyone in Europe and elsewhere thought the world was flat.
As to its wide promulgation, the word for that is "propaganda", which may serve many motives, good and bad, depending on the common "sense" being recommended or, indeed, enforced. (I often recall what was once common sense in South Africa, Soviet Russia and the Third Reich).
Happily, opinions on sharpening are unlikely to have such heavy consequences, even in the lives of avid woodworkers.
Anyhow, as you mention, experience is a wonderful thing, especially when experienced without any mental blinkers of the dogmatic or ideological kind. Often, it sweeps common sense aside and ideas change. Just as well, as I would not want to be worried about sailing off the edge of the Earth, as so many Creationists must be.
Lataxe, an armchair historian.
Now David just holster your iron there. I said promulgatus, not propagare although I have thought all these wise opinions (not mine, I just stir the pot) should be more easily accessible. Any why not go over the edge, it might be fun.
I count myself very fortunate to be allowed to share the serious opinions and advice of so many and to enjoy their goodwill. I had a job spelling the word though!
Do try the iron switch, it works.
Best wishes, David
I
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