sunnybob":x7dlzepg said:
Every time I learn one thing, i find two others I'm ignorant about.
I'm finally getting to grips with sharpening my plane blades, but realise i know absolutely nothing about the chip breaker blade.
What does it do?
how does it do it?
should it be sharp?
what distance from the blade edge?
and all the other things I dont know to ask questions about yet.
What kind of plane are you talking about, a stanley record pattern?
* Stick with the stock profile, but clean it up with a medium stone - polish it if you'd like and ensure no gaps between it and the iron
* put it very close if you're getting tearout. If the shaving refuses to feed, goes under the cap or is very bunched up like an accordion, back it off (the cap iron)
* when the cap is set properly, the shaving will straighten out - presuming the shaving is thick enough to hold some straightness
That's pretty much it. If you keep at it, you'll find a setting where you can pretty much plane everything without having to reset the cap except at sharpening
You can smooth more wood into a duller state with the cap iron set (and without any quality loss), it's worth the trouble. And you can work a thicker shaving safely which should also save time.
Other than knowing the cap iron should be set close, don't rely too much on instructionals - it's a simple concept that just takes some experience.
