Stanley 12-975 Bull Nose Plane - someone pleaseeee explain

[CroppyBoy1798]

Hi,

So I picked up a vintage model of the plane pictured below, blade marked for Connecticut USA. Thought it'd be a handy little plane to have!

But....I cant figure out how to use the friggin' thing!! I've the blade razor sharp, the sole flattened, the contact surfaces of the blade/plane body flattened and polished and still I cant make good use of it. Tried it for cleaning up rebates, removing the grove from floor boards and all I can seem to manage is a chattery, uneven cut!! I've tried the blade bevel up and down and still with no success.

I sorta' feel like just cutting off that small part that comes infront of the blade and using it to cut into corners, cleaning up joints etc because I cant seem to do much else with it.

Any thoughts?! :|

 

[matthewwh]

It's not the finest piece of design ever.

The more successful bullnose planes were bullnose shoulder planes - low bedding angle, blade bevel up. (this is a bullnose rebate plane - high bedding angle, bevel down). Along the grain it should work fine, across the grain it will struggle. Hence there are lots of 'mint condition, virtually unused' examples floating about. Handy for tidying up long grain routed rebates to a final fit but that's about it.

 

[Jacob]

I've had one for years but hardly ever used it except for the odd little job.
Little planes: little jobs.
Such as removing little bumps from rebates cut with bigger planes or machines.
It has it's uses - if it chatters you just aint doing it right - don't blame the plane!

 

[matthewwh]

One other thought, how thick of a shaving are you trying to take? These will only take a teeny smidge off at a time, less than a thou. If you loosen the blade, slip a single ply of tissue paper or similar under the nose and then tighten it back up you should be about right.