Help with Stanley Plough Plane

[GizmoDuck]

Hey, all.

I've gotten my hands on a Stanley 3-blade Plough plane, looks like it was never used, just kept in its box for years.

I've used a Plough plane before, so thought I'd be fine. I sharpened up the 4mil blade and practiced on some rough pine, pic below, and all good.

Without changing the plane I moved onto my work piece and I could not get it to cut, it just glides over the wood, again, pine.

I've tried with the grain, againts the grain, pulling the plane, pushing the plane, adjusting the cutting depth and nothing. What in the blimin' heck is happening? I assume the answer is; me, but I cant figure it out.

Can anyone help, please. Cheers, guys.

Fig1: Test piece

Fig2: Work piece

 

[joshvegas]

It's really hard to tell from the photoo. But are you starting at the end closest to you? As you are knew forgive me if you know this but you start at the end furthest away and work backwards as you achieved the desired depth.

The I THINK you are doing it means the plane is trying to take on that mega hard growth ring and taking the pathe of least resistance upwards.

 

[GizmoDuck]

It's really hard to tell from the photoo. But are you starting at the end closest to you? As you are knew forgive me if you know this but you start at the end furthest away and work backwards as you achieved the desired depth.

The I THINK you are doing it means the plane is trying to take on that mega hard growth ring and taking the pathe of least resistance upwards.

No worries.

Yes, I'm starting at the front and working backwards, making longer strokes as I go.

Can't figure it out, I can get a deep groove on the test pine beam, but can't get a cut on the work piece.

 

[Orraloon]

How was the board secured? Are you sure the fence was not contacting the edge of the bench? Looking at the test piece the plane does work.
Regards
John

 

[GizmoDuck]

How was the board secured? Are you sure the fence was not contacting the edge of the bench? Looking at the test piece the plane does work.
Regards
John

It was tricky. The photo of the work piece is kinda misleading, it's only 100mil long by 70 or so wide.

I didn't know how to secure it, so double-sided taped it on top of another piece to give the fence clearance.

I've been trying to think of a decent way of securing it, it's only 12mil thick, so it won't really sit in my vise either.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Can you show a picture of the plane?

 

[steve355]

Picture of the *side* of the workpiece, next to the cut you are trying to make? Just to see how the grain really runs.

You might like to look at the edges of the iron also. You want it to come to a nice sharp corner with a relief angle of about 5 deg (95 deg overall).

 

[RobNichols]

It looks to me like you are planing into the grain. That is, the grain is rising in the opposite direction to which you are planing. Is Fig2 a test piece? I think you'll get a better cut if you try the opposite side as then the plane will be cutting in the direction the grain is rising.

 

[Jacob]

..

I've been trying to think of a decent way of securing it, it's only 12mil thick, so it won't really sit in my vise either.

Tack an end stop and a far side stop on to your bench top - bits of lath well under your 12mm thickness.
Then as you plane you are pressing the workpiece towards both stops.

 

[GizmoDuck]

Can you show a picture of the plane?

Sure, here be my Stanley. Never used this pattern of plough before, seems a bit hard to keep it level on the work piece.

 

[GizmoDuck]

Picture of the *side* of the workpiece, next to the cut you are trying to make? Just to see how the grain really runs.

The deep edge, the "front" I was working on is on the right. Looking at it with fresh eyes, could I be going against the grain?

 

[paulrbarnard]

Sure, here be my Stanley. Never used this pattern of plough before, seems a bit hard to keep it level on the work piece.

View attachment 168244

Thanks. Not sure if it is just the image but the edge on the blade doesn’t look good. Not wanting to sound rude but have you sharpened it or is it straight from the box?

 

[Jacob]

Sellers talks about it here but doesn't say anything very interesting Ploughing grooves using a simpler Stanley
Maybe you are trying too hard with it? Set it fine and take a very gentle first few cuts? Or mark the slot with a mortice gauge so it has a defined edge before you start planing?

 

[profchris]

I'd say you're planing in the right direction. So two things:

Your workpiece has wide and soft grain, so it's going to be hard to work. Your test piece is much more even and straight grained.

To succeed on that workpiece you'll need to be as sharp as you can (don't forget to remove the burr on the back of the blade), and take a very fine cut to start with.

If you take a chisel and try to pare a sliver off each, you'll feel the difference straight away.

 

[GizmoDuck]

Thanks. Not sure if it is just the image but the edge on the blade doesn’t look good. Not wanting to sound rude but have you sharpened it or is it straight from the box?

No worries.

I sharpened it. Looks to be dead square across the cutting face when held up to a square, and I can pare with it outside of the plane.

Maybe it's my hold on the plane

 

[paulrbarnard]

No worries.

I sharpened it. Looks to be dead square across the cutting face when held up to a square, and I can pare with it outside of the plane.

Maybe it's my hold on the plane

In a plough plane being perfectly square is a nice to have rather than essential.

From my experience if the plane is sharp and protrudes below the sole it will cut. The only caveat to that is if it’s too far below then you might lack the strength to move it…

Because you have cut one groove with it some of the other suggestions like concave sole don’t apply. I’m struggling with ideas on this on. Having mentioned concave sole if it was convex and you put weight on the front as you start and on the back as it engages I suppose the blade could fail to engage. If you held it at the perfect angle it would cut. Worth putting it in a flat surface just to see.

 

[Setch]

Is the fence bottoming out because the workpiece is so thin?

 

[steve355]

Looks to me like the wood is soft and the grain is the right direction but wide. It could be easy to take too deep a cut/push the blade down too far and effectively end up “parting” the wood rather than cutting it. A bit like trying to force a saw through a cut faster than it wants to go and ending up with a sticking blade.

Likely that a very sharp edge and very light cuts needed.

Interestingly if you look half way down the workpiece the grain does level and may be slightly reversed at the point in the wood you are cutting.

 

[Jarno]

When you put the plane iron in the plane, is it sticking out ever so slightly on the right side?
Also, even though you can take pretty heavy cuts with a plough plane, i found it drifts easier when you do. Take a lighter cut, and focus on pushing the fence against the work. You shouldn't need much force to push the plane along. I always start at the far end, rather than the near end.
Edit:
As others have said on the light cuts
On grain direction, you do not have the luxury of choosing which direction you plane in, if planing the groove for bottom and top of a box, one groove goes with the grain, and one against. (With narrow pieces you could reset the fence, but I never do, I simply grab my plane from the box 1/4" groove 6mm from the edge, ready to go, much faster than setting up the electric router).

 

[steve355]

(With narrow pieces you could reset the fence, but I never do, I simply grab my plane from the box 1/4" groove 6mm from the edge, ready to go, much faster than setting up the electric router).

plus.... silent, can’t remove fingers and doesn’t try to kill children, doesn’t make dust, much better finish from a blade, much more controllable, easily sharpenable, takes up less space, no power cord to trip over, doesnt need power, infinitely cooler and you have the pleasure of actually having done it by hand.