Plough plane setup

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

tibi

Established Member
UKW Supporter
Joined
27 Nov 2020
Messages
893
Reaction score
352
Location
Slovakia
Hello,

I am working on a "special" project which is a cover board for a TV-R wall socket to obscure the cable going from the wall socket to the floor as my son & partners always try to pull the cable out of the wall. I needed to make a groove for a satellite cable into the cover board. I had an ingenuous idea to use the Record 044 plough plane, which I had bought earlier this year, instead of chiseling the groove like a mortice.

If the plough plane is a roughing tool, I did great. However, if it is a precision tool, I have a lot to improve. I have even watched a lone youtube video of Paul Sellers on how to set up and use a plough plane.

Here is a random picture of the plane from the internet.
1669404016367.png


For my project, I have used 9/16 cutter, as this one is the biggest I have.
I have a few questions:

1. Should the side screw that secures the iron push it to the side or go underneath the iron? There is so little area on the screw head that can push the iron to the skate, that it twists and lifts the iron up (unless the top screw is secured first). Paul Sellers secured first the side screw, so I did the same.
2. Paul Sellers told in his video that the iron should protrude a bit over the skate, otherwise it will not work. However, there is no gap to let the iron protrude by moving it to the side. I can only skew the iron.
I can only do this when the side screw is undone. When I tighten the side screw, the iron straighten ups and no longer protrudes the face of the skate.
3. The top screw touches the iron very close to the edge of the side of the iron (not near the center of the iron). When I skew the iron to protrude the skate, the top screw only touches the iron at the very edge of the iron, or even just partially, which is rather flimsy.

Can you please advice what is the correct procedure for setting up the plough plane regarding the questions above?

Maybe it would be better to create an auxiliary wooden fence, as the plane was pushing itself out of the cut and the groove was wider than the cutter with various marks on the sides, that I had to clean up with the chisel.

Or maybe I should save up for something like this
1669404857394.png


Thank you for your answers.
 
Fence on the wrong side. Unless you are using it left handed and going from left to right the opposite way to your first picture. The right (handed) way shown in your second picture.
 
Fence on the wrong side. Unless you are using it left handed and going from left to right the opposite way to your first picture. The right (handed) way shown in your second picture.
I am using it right handed (as in the second picture, even though I am a leftie), the first picture is from the internet just for illustration of the model, not my actual plane.
 
I found the no44 very tricky to use, you aren't the only one, I think this is one area where having an end vice and square dogs would be very useful instead of the vice in the clamp which is what p.sellers recommends.
 
Last edited:
I found the no44 very tricky to use, you aren't the only one, I think this is one area where having an end vice and square dogs would be very useful instead of the vice in the clamp which is what sellers recommends.
I have both on different benches (albeit with round dogs). I will figure it out later,
 
tibi, there is a reasonably detailed set of set up instructions on my. website. The article is a r3view of the Veritas Small Plow, but with comparisons to the Records #043 and #044.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/The Veritas Small Plow Plane.html
Regards from Perth

Derek
Thank you Derek, I have read your article when I was deciding what plow plane to buy, but I have forgotten about the details about the set up and comparison to Record 043 and 044. Time to read it again.
 
I have a Veritas small plough plane and I like it a lot. I also have a couple of wooden screw stem ones which are equally as good.

The screw stem ones can be used both left and right handed by switching the fence over and not using the depth stop, which is quite handy.
 
No experience with the 044, but, if you find the iron is lifting, try lightly tightening the lever cap screw (the top one), just enough to "place" the iron, then the side screw just enough to align the iron, then a little more on the lever cap screw before adjusting the iron for exposure (how deep), finishing by tightening the screws all around.

Pictures might help, if you've got a digital camera.
 
No experience with the 044, but, if you find the iron is lifting, try lightly tightening the lever cap screw (the top one), just enough to "place" the iron, then the side screw just enough to align the iron, then a little more on the lever cap screw before adjusting the iron for exposure (how deep), finishing by tightening the screws all around.

Pictures might help, if you've got a digital camera.
Thank you. This is the procedure I think I would have to use. I will try it next time I will be going to make the groove.
 
It's a somewhat awkward retaining method, but Lee Valley of Canada replicated it in their small plough plane; and their engineers don't hesitate to re-engineer designs for maximum utility, so they must have concluded that it has its benefits.
 
Back
Top