Hand Plane Issues

[Bond]

Hi,

Im fairly inexperienced woodworker, although I have been on a course in Kent sometime ago where I learnt to sharpen properly.

My issue is that with Stanley Planes No 4, 5&1/2 do not seem to be able to plane a flat edge compared to the face, ie not 90 Degrees.
Is it my technique, the blade or what? Really annoying as I spent ages flattening the sole etc, sharpening the blade.

Im also unsire about my 2 Straight edges, are they right? how do I check? ie is the glass or the surface I use to flatten on actually flat?

The shavings are wafer thin see-through so Id say the blade is sharp!

I am using practice pieces but I end up planing most of the wood away lol!

Thanks for any advice hints /tips etc!

 

[dunbarhamlin]

There are a multitude of techniques for truing an edge, some of which require a cambered (convex) edge on the iron. Run a search on the site for jointing, and you're sure to find a heap of references. If you're getting through a lot of stock trying to square it, it sounds like you aren't targetting those parts of the edge which need attention. Note that "straight" and "true" are separate.

Check a straight edge against itself, the same way you'd check a square. Use it to scribe a line, roll the staight edge over (like turning the page of a very tall but narrow book) and scribe another line on top of the last one using the same edge. If the two scribe lines match (i.e. you have only one line with no divergence) then that edge is straight.

 

[woodbloke]

There's a humungous amount of stuff hereabouts on making an edge square, which is easy enough when you know how to do it :wink: One thing I'll chip in is that's much easier if your wood is held at 90deg. In other words, the top of the bench needs to be flat and level (by shimming the legs) and the front apron of the top should be square to it. Provided the vice has been intalled correctly, the wood (if you use the vice) should then be plumb. We instinctively know when stuff is flat and level so it makes it easier to use the plane to take of the high edges on a board - Rob

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Bond,

If the shavings are seethrough thin then your plane must be flat as well as sharp. Planes do not automatically plane square to an edge (unless they have a fence like the Veritas jointer).

If you are planing for edge to edge joints, you can put the two boards together face to face in the vice and plane both edges simultaneously. As long as the surface is flat any inconsistencies in squareness will cancel each other out when the boards are joined.

For small components you can use a shooting board to ensure squareness.

Other than that, it's regular checks with a small engineers square, mark the high spots and then drift the centre of your camber through them with the next pass and check again until it's right.

DC taught me that pinching the nose of the plane and making a fence with your fingernails rather than holding the front knob will greatly increase your sensativity for when things are sneaking out of line - it makes a big difference.

Once you have one side square you can gauge all the way around for the opposite edge and then work down to your gauge lines.

 

[Bond]

Many thanks for taking the time to reply,

Points taken onboard !

Yes Im pleased with my Stanley no 5 , its new out the box from ebay,(albeit hidden away for a year) and rather than keeping it hidden away with all its tags decided to see if it was better than another old No 5 I have. After some time fettling in the garage to get the bottom flat, albeit still not 100% there , the 4 crtitical points seem to be there. It shaves wisper thin , I instantly knew I could replace the old one with this.

I flattened the back of the blade first going from 80G green Oxide paper, 240 or 400 then 1200G until mirror like, all stuck to glass.

After that in the honing jig , up the grits 240G, 400, 1200 then 6000 Waterstone to finish. Beautiful

Thats all I seem to do is sharpen and fettle planes, Id love to make something else one day...apart from an oak coffee table and lamp table!
But Im getting quicker, so it shouldnt be longer till im happy with the kit to start work on a nice bathroom cabinet - design courtesy of B & Q !!!

 

[Jacob]

Edge planing (and most woodwork) easier if you mark it up and work to the lines. Pencil a line square across both ends then join these up along the length with a straight edge. If your purpose made straight-edges aren't long enough then use a bit of board or something. The ultimate decision on straightness comes from squinting down the length of board, matching two edges together, and trying across the width with a square, so straight-edges are not essential
Drawing a long line with a 2H pencil comes out better if you kind of roll it as you pull it across - then it wears evenly. Don't be tempted to use a knife - they are unnecessary for most purposes and aren't really for "marking" at all.
Having put in your pencil lines you can then see where you are going wrong and correct your technique accordingly. A cambered blade helps a lot - without altering anything except your plane position you can remove a different shape of shaving with different parts of the blade, which gives you very good control.
Practice, practice!

 

[bugbear]

Hi,

Im fairly inexperienced woodworker, although I have been on a course in Kent sometime ago where I learnt to sharpen properly.

My issue is that with Stanley Planes No 4, 5&1/2 do not seem to be able to plane a flat edge compared to the face, ie not 90 Degrees.
Is it my technique, the blade or what? Really annoying as I spent ages flattening the sole etc, sharpening the blade.

Im also unsire about my 2 Straight edges, are they right? how do I check? ie is the glass or the surface I use to flatten on actually flat?

The shavings are wafer thin see-through so Id say the blade is sharp!

I am using practice pieces but I end up planing most of the wood away lol!

Thanks for any advice hints /tips etc!

David Charleworth created an excellent write up on edge jointing (which is the "craft name" for what you're doing), originally in Furniture & Cabinet Making magazine, but also included in one of his books *. I would recommend reading it (from a library, unless you're feeling cash-flush).

BugBear

(*) anyone remember which one? I think it's volume II

 

[Alf]

I believe you think correctly, BB. I'd go further and suggest investing in DC's DVD on the subject. Very thorough, as you'd expect, and it does so help to see it done.

 

[David C]

Thank's chaps.

I find the secret of square edge planing is the slightly cambered blade, combined with steering the plane to the high sides of the edge.

I bet Bond's edge is straight?

David Charlesworth

 

[Jeff Gorman]

Bond wrote:

with Stanley Planes No 4, 5&1/2 do not seem to be able to plane a flat edge compared to the face, ie not 90 Degrees.

The drawings at http://tinyurl.com/27lwtxn might help you to understand the use of the cambered edge.

Jeff
http://www.amgron.clara.net

 

[bugbear]

There was a thread describing various techniques a while ago on Woodcentral. This included some diagrams that may be helpful:

first post

additional "animated" sequence by Andrew F

BugBear