Replies

1. 
   philip | Dec 22, 2005 11:08am | #1

   I just have it straight, and don't worry about the corners, because I only use that plane for shooting the edges of boards prior to glue-up.

   Philip Marcou
2. 
   hammer1 | Dec 22, 2005 04:02pm | #2

   Generally, it's the scrub plane that has a somewhat rounded blade edge for heavy stock removal, and the smoother that has the corners just nicked so that it doesn't leave a tiny ridge. The other straight bladed planes are left with square corners. I suppose it depends on the user as to their preference but I don't nick the corners on my block or jointer.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   highfigh | Dec 23, 2005 12:53am | #3

   So for those of you who have a scrub plane or converted a smoother into one (maybe by grinding the curve in a spare blade so you can use the same plane for two different operations), what radius do you use set the corners of the iron back 1/16" - 1/8" with a smooth curve?
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

1. 
   hammer1 | Dec 23, 2005 08:01am | #5

   My scrub plane isn't actually straight at any point. It is more of a convex, elliptical shape. I sharpen it by holding it on the bevel and rubbing it on the stone in a sideways arc motion. A little like trying to twist the blade into the stone. The corners are lower than the high area in the center of the blade 3/32" +-, maybe about a 4" radius. I don't nick the corners because they don't touch the lumber. I use a scrub to hog off high spots. I use a hard stroke across the board in a diagonal pattern, literally scrubbing. Since you are taking thick slices off the lumber, a wide blade would be hard to push. Most scrub planes are only about 1 1/4" wide. The blades are extra thick and there is no cap iron. This is used as a rough surfacing tool. The mouths are extra deep so that slivers and chunky shavings are free to pass. There is no attempt to take nice shavings with a scrub plane, It's more like an adze or scorp. A #2 might make a good candidate for a scrub, I don't think I'd want to push a #4 on hardwood. For smaller pieces I have used a low angle block plane. They are a little hard to hold on to but do an OK job if you don't have much material to take down. All these planes work best when held askew and sliced either with or diagonally across the grain. I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that scrub planes were japanned on the outside too because of the dripping sweat they helped to generate. Handplaning a rough board to smooth is a work out.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   highfigh | Dec 23, 2005 08:32am | #6

   I know what a scrub plane is used for, I was just wondering what radius was typical. I looked on the L-N site after I posted the question and saw that they grind their scrub planes to a 6" radius. The real reason I asked is that I bought a wooden plane about a month ago and since it has a nice, thick iron with a slight curve to it, I thought about making it into a scrub. It has a horn on the front that I think would make it easier for this kind of duty. It's a wider iron, but since it doesn't need to cut across the whole width to be effective, I could just raise the iron if it takes off too much wood. I don't really need it to work as a smoother since I picked up a Bailey #4 (made in England) that's in really good shape and the iron turned out really nicely. I got a #7 from the same place and it's extremely clean (Japanning cleaned up with a towel moistened with water) so I'm set for jointing.

   I was doing some low voltage work recently and all of the wood flooring looks like a scrub plane was used on it, lengthwise. I think it must have been done on a machine since there's about 3000 square feet of it.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

1. 
   DCarr10760 | Dec 23, 2005 06:21pm | #7

   A few years ago I bought an inexpensive, no-recognizeable-name European horned smooth plane from Stewart MacDonald (Luthiers Supplies). 

   The plane was well-enough made, with a thick iron , but even so, the mouth was so open that as a smoother it was essentially useless.  Eventually I did what you plan to do, turn it into a scrub plane.  I agonized over the radius also, and after exhaustive research I decided to go with a tightly controlled, 3 pound coffee can-traced arc.

   Five minutes on a belt grinder, and  a quick hone and I was in business.  It works beautifully!

   I do notice that the commercial scrubs are all narrower than mine and I don't quite understand the thinking behind that.  Perhaps since only a portion of the iron does any cutting I guess there is just no need for the extra width, but I can't see that it harms anything either.

   Happy Holidays!

   David C.

3. 
   kesac | Dec 23, 2005 05:31am | #4

   I keep #7s and 8s straight all the way across.

4. 
   Midnight | Dec 24, 2005 12:41am | #8

   When sharpening a blade for a jointer plane do I grind a slight curve like my #4 smoothing plane, or do I do a straight grind and knock of the corners with the stone like a block plane?

   I use my jointer to work the faces of my boards... with that in mind I'll hole the blade straight and square, relieving the corners slightly... I tend to shoot edges with my #9

   Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

1. 
   philip | Dec 24, 2005 09:49am | #9

   Mike- #9??Philip Marcou

1. 
   Midnight | Dec 24, 2005 08:36pm | #10

   http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=9Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

1. 
   philip | Dec 24, 2005 10:51pm | #11

   O.K, I see the problem-the #8 is too long for your workshop.(;)Philip Marcou

1. 
   Midnight | Dec 24, 2005 11:16pm | #12

   <le sigh...

   yupp.... that's about the size of it... we canna all have hangers for workshops...

   ;P~

   upside is my shop has wooden floors c/w carpet... and central heating... the #8 I can live without..

   ;)Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

2. 
   highfigh | Dec 28, 2005 12:32am | #13

   I was looking at some books yesterday and one of them recommends grinding a slight curve into the iron, because it's easy to compensate for uneven surfaces, and also because the writer said he usually angles the blade the wrong way if it's ground straight. This makes no sense to me. It sounds like there could be some wavering of the surface if the boards are jointed one at a time. I would think that both boards would be jointed at the same time so any variations would be complimentary along the edges that are touching during the jointing process, as long as the plane isn't rocking and rolling all over the place.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

3. 
   Midnight | Dec 28, 2005 01:02am | #14

   I don't pretend to understand what uneven surfaces are involved that need compensating for... While I agree that there's an occasion for using a curved blade, personally I don't think that jointing a board is one of them.. A straight blade is far harder to set up, but once done it'll make a much truer board...

   There's some that argue the opposite point.. that a curved blade is preferable.. I believe that its one of those situations where there are no wrong answers.. the correct one being whatever method works best for you..

   Personally I start working a board from rough with an agressivly radiused blade, successive planes having progressivly flatter angles honed into them. I use a dead square blade simply to prevent creating more work for my smoother than needs must...

   As for shooting edges, as I said earlier, I use a shooting board and #9 plane..Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

4. 
   highfigh | Dec 28, 2005 03:42am | #15

   I bought a sharpening guide at Woodcraft and when I started sharpening my irons, none of them were square across the leading edge. Now, they all are. I use a 12"x12" granite tile (checked for flatness) with wet silicon carbide sandpaper. It's really not bad, even when I have something that needs heavy tuning. The guide I have works pretty well, but I think I may get the L-V guide with the angle gauge. It's wider and it would seem to be more stable.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

5. 
   John_D | Dec 28, 2005 04:07am | #17

   Still, keep the old guide because it's easier to use when you want to camber the blade.My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

6. 
   Midnight | Dec 28, 2005 05:20am | #18

   Like John D said.... there's occasions when narrow guides come into their own... I tend to work with 3... real narrow wheel when I need an aggressive camber... the Mk1 Veritas when it needs to be fairly gentle and the Mk2 Veritas when I need straight or minute camber... I don't have the shop space for anything but waterstones... they get the job done and the mess isn't too bad...Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

7. 
   highfigh | Dec 28, 2005 03:59am | #16

   The uneven surfaces O was referring to are on the board edges, from rocking the plane as it moves along. With experience, the plane will be more stable, but at first, it won't. This doesn't apply as much when a shooting board is used. There are some guides out there for keeping the sole square to the edge and they would be kind of like training wheels, but it's all muscle memory that makes us better when planing freehand.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

8. 
   Midnight | Dec 28, 2005 05:24am | #19

   The uneven surfaces O was referring to are on the board edges, from rocking the plane as it moves along.

   ahhhhhh now I gotchya... Stanley used to make an adjustable angle jointer guide that'd clamp onto the side of your plane... I think Lee Valley make a magnetic fixed angle one too... My bench is on castors through necessety... trying to edge joint without the shooting board was nigh on impossible with the bench dancing around like a go-go dancer... ended up with a massive shooting board to compensate... Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

9. 
   highfigh | Dec 28, 2005 05:38am | #20

   I still need to make my shooting board(s). One for short and one for longer boards. I doubt that I'll use it all the time since my TS cuts as cleanly as it does, but when I just need to do a couple of edges,there are things on the saw and would need to move it to use it, the hand plane is gonna get the job. I still haven't seen a jointer that can cut as clean of an edge as a hand plane, even with 3 knives. I would like to see the cut from a rotary cutting head, though.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

10. 
    highfigh | Dec 28, 2005 05:47am | #21

    Did you get locking casters? I haven't seen a L-V catalog lately and I remember seeing a magnetic plane fence, but don't remember if it was adjustable. I do have a smaller catalog with a jointer plane with optional right angle fence that screws on and the plane comes drilled for it. Anybody out there have an adjustable angle shooting board? Not for miters, but for jointing.
    "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

11. 
    Midnight | Dec 29, 2005 12:54am | #22

    Did you get locking casters?

    yupp.... swivel and locking... but they're pretty cheap and nasty... get what you pay for I guess... They'll do till I get a proper bench built...Mike Wallace

    Stay safe....Have fun