Replies

1. 
   ted | Apr 16, 2010 09:34pm | #1

   wooden plane

   I have found the Chip-Breaker to be a vital component in the hand planes I make.  Partly to help the shaving roll past the wedge but more so to back up and stiffen the iron right at the cutting edge.  Can't say how other planes would fair without a chipbreaker though.

2. 
   lwilliams | Apr 16, 2010 11:13pm | #2

   "...Does anyone have any

   "...Does anyone have any hands on experience  NOT using  chip breaker?"

   Yes. Cap irons cause more problems then they solve.

   If you understand the history of hand planes you'll realize that the supposed "improvement" of cap irons came at the expense of traditional pitches and cutting geometry. You won't find an old plane double iron at anything other than common pitch, 45º or 47 1/2º for British planes. Cap irons and common pitch for everything was one of the first compromises made to hand planes as plane making moved toward mass production in the last half of the 18th Century.

   As to performance, check out most of the small comtemporary plane makers. You'll find single iron planes and traditional pitches are the most common. There's a reason for this and it's not because double irons are difficult to make or find.

3. 
   gdblake | Apr 17, 2010 01:25am | #3

   How does a wooden plane work without a chipbreaker?

   John:

   In answer to your question I have attached a picture of a European style plane which doesn't have a chipbreaker.  The plane is pitched at 50 degrees.  "How well does a plane like this work", very well thank you.

   gdblake

   
1. 
   jpat | Apr 22, 2010 01:22pm | #6

   woden plane

   gd,

   I just received my O-1 steel.

   I don't want to assume anything... the iron in the pictured plane is set bevel up or  bevel down, and am I correct in the assumption that irons without a chip breaker are bevel up

   The plane you  have pictured looks great did you make it ?

   Thank you,

   John

1. 
   lwilliams | Apr 22, 2010 08:00pm | #9

   No, traditionally, Western planes were bevel down except for planes intended for end grain use.

2. 
   gdblake | Apr 22, 2010 11:29pm | #10

   Wooden planes are normally bevel down

   John:

   Wooden planes are typically made to have the iron bevel down because bedding the iron bevel up requires a low bed angle.  This low angle puts the rear of the mouth at risk of chipping out.  With metal planes I prefer to use bevel up planes as smoothers because I can get a more polished surface from them.  However, I have discovered that wooden planes tend to vibrate (chatter) less than metal planes and I get the same results from my bevel down wooden smoothers. 

   Yes, I made the European plane in the previous post.

   gdblake

4. 
   mvflaim | Apr 17, 2010 07:07pm | #4

   I can't comment on whether they help or hinder but apparently the Japanese have found no use for them for the past thousand years or so.

5. 
   roc | Apr 18, 2010 02:11am | #5

   Chip breaker . . . baahhh extra fiddle faddle

   John,

   Yep I agree that chip breakers are over rated.  A properly sharp and properly thought out blade geometry are the key.  Sorry Larry for the lame example but:

   take the bevel up bladed plane.  No chip breaker.  Works great.  Works great on all the difficult wood (for me that means rowed very hard wood ).  A thick well supported blade is a good idea though.

   An exception, maybe maaaayyyyybe a few types of wood that are stringy.  (I might have this wrong; something I read; no first hand with stringy wood )  If I could make this search thing reach way back in the old posts maybe I could bring up some of those posts . . . but alas . . . so much good info just gone seems like.

6. 
   jpat | Apr 22, 2010 01:30pm | #7

   wooden planes

     

   Thank you all for your thoughts and comments !

   It's always great to get help from the others that hang out here.

   Thanks again,

   John

1. 
   Eef | Apr 22, 2010 04:15pm | #8

   john,

   some months ago mr gdblake, of the afore -mentioned and pictured wood plane, turned me on to david finck's book "making and mastering wood hand planes".  the book is very well written,  informative and unassuming.  i am currently studying it and soon will begin tuning the various tools needed to make wood planes.  you may want to have a look at it.

   eef