plane old question

[phil harold]

in typical planes:
Smooth
Jack
Fore
Jointer


is corrugated bottom better than smooth?

[Sam Takeuchi]

No. You won't be able to tell the difference between smooth bottom and corrugated bottom. There's very little to no difference in performance. Only thing corrugated bottom differs from its smooth counterpart is that the plane doesn't stick to the work piece when you try to lift it up.

You could go either way, but don't pay extra for corrugated bottom unless you are looking for a rare collector piece.

[george wilson]

I prefer smooth bottom,because the grooved bottoms "trolley track" sometimes when knocking off a sharp edge.

[Lynn Dowd]

There has been quite a bit of discussion about this, but, speaking from personal experience, this is my take on the issue.

Corrugated soles are a little better on more resinous woods. It is also easier to lap out the soles when needed ( not as much metal to remove ), although your plane sole does not need to be dead flat to work. If anything, a dead flat sole creates more friction, thereby more drag, which makes it a little harder to plane. Not a big issue if you are taking one or two swipes with a plane, but if you are doing a lot of planing over the course of a day, the cumulative effect can be noticeable.

Corrugated soles, in older planes, will sell for slightly more than a smooth soled plane, simply because they are not as common.

That being said, a corrugated sole smoother, or even jack, might have a slight advantage over a smooth sole, but in the fore and jointer planes, the advantage is negligible.

Lynn

[Richard Dooling]

I have both in the #4, #5 and #8. The only disadvantage, and not a real big one, is as George said, the corrugations occasionally track on edges. I have not seen any real advantage to them either although Lynn and Sam make what seem like good points.

Well there is one other big advantage - corrugated planes got soul. :cool:

[Bill Houghton]

I prefer smooth bottom,because the grooved bottoms "trolley track" sometimes when knocking off a sharp edge.

I wouldn't walk by one, especially at a competitive price (how do I know this? Because I've got several); but, offered two otherwise identical planes, I'd take the smooth sole. Kept waxed, a smooth sole will glide like mad over about anything.

[jerry nazard]

Well there is one other big advantage - corrugated planes got soul. :cool:


No Richard. Corrugated planes don't got soul....

[John Keeton]

No Richard. Corrugated planes don't got soul....Well, Jerry, I guess they got half a sole, or perhaps 60%!?!:D

[jerry nazard]

Well, Jerry, I guess they got half a sole, or perhaps 60%!?!:D

Fillet of sole?

Somebody should stop this....

[Richard Dooling]

"Somebody should stop this.... "

Sorry, I blame myself. I think I burned out on the last sharpening thread and was desperate for some plain plane humor. And no, on my soul, I'm not sold on a particular sole.

[Doug Shepard]

...
That being said, a corrugated sole smoother, or even jack, might have a slight advantage over a smooth sole, but in the fore and jointer planes, the advantage is negligible.

Lynn

Not that I know, but I would have thought the reverse to be true. More surface area = more stiction and more reason to maybe go corrugated with a fore or jointer and less reason on a smoother?? Why would the advantage decrease instead of increase with size?

[george wilson]

I have never noticed planes sticking to wood! And if it did,I was strong enough to pull it loose for another stroke :).

[Jim Koepke]

I have never noticed planes sticking to wood! And if it did,I was strong enough to pull it loose for another stroke :).

It only happens when the plane sole is polished perfectly flat to a mirror finish and the surface being worked has also reached this perfect stage. This is said to come from the "Gods" of woodworking saying, "stop already, for heavens sake, it ain't gonna get any smoother."

jim

[Lynn Dowd]

Not that I know, but I would have thought the reverse to be true. More surface area = more stiction and more reason to maybe go corrugated with a fore or jointer and less reason on a smoother?? Why would the advantage decrease instead of increase with size?

Jointer planes are for, well, jointing, which invloves a narrow edge, as a rule. They are also used to flatten panels, as are fore planes, where the majority of the cutting involves taking high spots down, hence less actual surface contact, for the most part. When you get to the point where the length and width of the sole makes full contact with the surface of the wood being planed, you switch to a jack, or go straight to the smoothing plane.

Lynn

[phil harold]

Thanks for clearing the fog

sounds like six of one, half a dozen of the other