Jim Koepke
09-13-2010, 12:12 PM
Often those new to woodworking have no experience with hand planes and have no idea how to start. Others may have been using power tools in their wood working and are curious about how wood was worked in the olden days. This post is directed to the person who is new to hand planes, though those who have used planes for a while may find some of this information sheds light from a different angle than to which they are accustomed. Hopefully those who have techniques or ideas different than those presented will share their ideas and comments.
Some of the details in this disscusion may be presented in a right handed format. If you are left handed, you may need to adjust these details to your own liking.
One requirement all planes have in common is for the blade to be sharp. That is a discussion all in itself and has been pondered many times in many places. Though it will be mentioned in passing, there is enough to discuss about sharpening, blade camber, ruler tricks and all the other edge enhancement techniques to have their own documentation.
This discussion will only touch lightly on tuning or trouble shooting problems with planes. For more details on tuning up planes try the following links.
Block planes:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=60970
Bench planes:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=5867
and more bench planes:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=114373
Solutions to some of the mechanical problems encountered with a plane may be found in those posts.
What planes should a woodworker have?
The type of projects will determine the needs of the individual wood worker. The most often suggested "starter set" is usually a #4 smoother, a #5 jack and either a #7 or #8 jointer. These and a low angle block plane will get one through many planing tasks.
If a person is working with rough milled wood, they may want to get a second #5 to set up as a scrub plane.
If smaller projects are more your style a #3 may be preferred over the #4. If larger panels and such are more likely to be in your designs, then maybe a #4-1/2 a #5-1/2 or a #6 will better fill your needs. I like them all, so over time I have acquired the whole line of bench planes.
To learn more about what these numbers mean, visit Patrick Leach's site, (Blood & Gore):
http://www.supertool.com/
So, now you have strained your fingers and have applied six bandaides to your arm in attempts to get as sharp an edge as possible on your blade, what's next?
Setting the cap iron.
I am sure many people have not paid attention to what is taking place and lost skin and blood by being careless at this point. I have had way too many moments of inattention around a sharp piece of steel on my bench and paid the price for such. That edge deserves respect. Even when clearing shavings from a plane, a lax moment, while paying attention to the two or three fingers above the plane forgetting about those under the plane may find them getting snagged by the corner of the blade. Been there, done that, OUCH!!!
My method to put the cap iron on is to have it perpendicular to the blade while inserting the loosened screw through the large hole in the blade. Then draw the cap iron up the blade away from the cutting edge. It is then turned into alignment with the blade and carefully slid along the blade until it is the desired distance from the edge. This varies with the use. For a smoothing plane and fine shavings, I set it at about 1/32" from the edge. For a jointer and a bit thicker shaving as much as a 1/16" will do. Then the blade and cap are set on a piece of wood or on the bench with the sharpened edge pointing to the right with the assembly on its side while the screw is tightened. This is done in this manner to avoid mishaps if anything slips. Since the screw is being turned clockwise, if there is a slip, the sharp end will turn down instead of coming up under the palm of your hand. It is always a good idea to think about where sharp things will go if there is slippage or error, then keep any part of your body away from that area.
161167
The blade assembly can now be set into the plane. I usually have a piece of scrap wood under the toe of the plane to elevate the blade area. This prevents damage to the bench.
There is a cavity for the cap screw to set in and the lateral lever disk (in the case of Stanley and some others) rests in the slot of the blade. The depth adjuster will engage the rectangular hole in the cap iron.
161168
Often people will be heard talking about backlash in the depth adjusters on their planes. For some it is bothersome, for others it is just another aspect of life. To make planes with zero backlash requires very exact machining and can increase costs. Some production models of planes may achieve this by chance. Some of my more used planes have as much as two or more turns of backlash in the adjustment nut. The Bailey style adjuster is more prone to backlash than the Norris style and many others.
In the image above we can see one of the factors that contributes to the backlash in blade adjustment. The pawl in the rectangular hole of the cap iron has to have some room for movement. If it was a perfect fit, it would bind during adjustment. The space between the lands of the adjusting nut and the followers on the yoke also contribute to the backlash, also known as slop or play.
In this picture the disk of the lateral adjustment mechanism can not be seen, but it needs to rest in the slot of the plane blade. If it doesn't, the blade will not seat properly on the frog.
The blade should be centered between the sides of the plane.
Blade Holding
Another requirement common to all planes is a way to hold the blade in place on its bed. From a simple wedge to the more complex knuckle joint leverage cap, they all perform the same job, to keep the blade in the same place through multiple passes of the plane on the wood being worked. A wedge uses pressure and friction to do this job. Most of the other blade holding designs use leverage in various ways to hold a blade in place.
161171
There are always exceptions. On the right in this picture is a Stanley #90 rabbet plane. It uses tension on the cap to hold the blade. This plane was modified by a previous owner. The removal of the side lets us see the cap on the blade. The cap in this plane is tensioned by the wing nut at the heel of the plane pulling on a bolt that is through the cap. This plane can be expensive in its unaltered state. If a previous owner has opened up the side and the mouth, it can be had at a reasonable price and can be a good plane for trimming tenons, lap joints and cutting rabbets.
It wasn't realized until after taking the photograph that there are actually two Stanley #90 planes in this picture. One is a bull nosed rabbet/shoulder plane and the other is a wood and steel skew blade rabbet. The skew blade rabbet is the one with the different blade holding style.
I have seen other methods of securing blades, but they are outside the realm of this post.
Also in the picture is a small hammer for tapping blades on planes that do not have adjusting mechanisms.
The setting of the blade holding device whether it is a wedge, leverage cap or a tension cap should be forceful enough to hold the blade in position, but not so forceful as to stress the body of the plane. I have seen a few planes that have been damaged due to over enthusiastic tightening of the blade holding mechanism.
In my experience only planes fitted with a wooden wedge or the Bailey style adjuster with a lever cap can have the blade's depth adjusted without loosening the cap. Failure to loosen the cap on these other planes can cause excess wear to the plane's adjusting mechanism. Others may have different experiences.
Leverage Cap Adjustment
My general rule of thumb with planes is if something is so tight as to be difficult to operate, then something is not right. A common problem with block planes is a lever cap gets switched with a knuckle joint cap. The screws may be the wrong length and the plane never works quite right.
For most planes my method is to start on the loose side and then tighten the holding screw about an eighth of a turn, or less, at a time. To do this, the cap is placed in position with the holding screw loose and the cap in the locked position. At this point, the blade and cap should move freely. The screw is tightened until it just barely puts pressure on the cap and blade. The cap is then released to its open position and the screw is given about a sixteenth to an eighth of a turn. The cap is closed and the blade and cap are checked for freedom of movement. The amount of movement depends on the type of plane. Bench planes should have some ease of movement, block planes less. Though until one gets the feel for this adjustment, loose is better than tight. The important aspect of the cap tightness is that the blade does not move while planing. If the lateral adjustment changes or the blade slips while in use, then there needs to be a little more pressure. I often set my blade adjustment and then back off the adjuster into the area of backlash to check the adjustment of the lever cap screw. The blade may move under this condition, but it usually will take a few passes. It should not be difficult to move the lateral lever on a properly adjusted bench plane. If the lever cap is over tight, it can introduce wear into the adjustment mechanisms.
For block planes, I like to set mine so the knuckle cap can be lifted half way to make a blade adjustment either for the depth or lateral setting. With the lever caps, I like to be able to change settings with the lever in the midway position.
Another point to consider, I often have spare blades so a sharp one can be at the ready. If a blade is changed, even though they are of the same vintage, the lever screw may need adjusting. Usually only a sixteenth or so of a turn unless one is switching from a Stanley cap and blade to a Hock cap and blade.
Making Shavings
At this point, the blade is likely well below the sole of the plane. Retract the blade by turning the depth adjusting nut. Stanley planes made after 1891 will turn counter clockwise to lift the blade. Before we start, one needs to read the grain on the wood. Sometimes it will fool you, but most of the time, you will want the grain to rise in the direction you are planing. So find a piece of scrap 1X or 2X and clamp it in your vise. Start with the business part of the plane off the wood and just the toe (the part of the sole in front of the blade) on the work piece. This is how one usually starts a plane on a work piece. This is especially true when using a jointer. With a smoothing plane, one may at times just be working a small area on a large piece.
161174
When it is flat on the wood and pushed forward, nothing should happen because the blade is retracted.
Some set their blades by sighting down the sole and turning the adjuster until they see the blade. When you get to wearing bifocals and your close up sight needs different glasses, you may want to find a different way. I am not knocking the sight set method. I envy those whose eyesight is still that good.
My method is to adjust the depth while pushing the plane on the edge of the scrap wood.
161169
This plane is a type 6. The depth adjuster turns to the left to lower the blade. Shavings are just beginning to appear in the mouth.
At this point take a shaving on the one side of the plane and then the other to check the lateral adjustment.
161173
Notice that the shaving on the left are visibly heavier than on the right. With the Stanley plane, the lever is moved to the side that is cutting heavier to even out the cut.
(The image that should be here was incorrectly labeled. This caused the wrong image to be uploaded. The correct image will be added later)
Notice that the blade is being held on both sides by my fingers. This is so that any movement can be felt. Over time, you will get used to feeling how much movement is needed. Though some times a blade that is not straight or other factors can make setting the lateral adjustment a pain in the tukus.
My preference is to set the lateral adjustment with very thin shavings. It just seems easier to tell if they are the same. After a bit of experience, you will likely be able to determine by feel if one side of the blade is cutting deeper than the other.
161170
The shavings shown are for all purposes equal.
This will be continued at a later date with similar discussion of block planes and some planing techniques.
Comments and questions are welcome.
jtk
To be continued.
Some of the details in this disscusion may be presented in a right handed format. If you are left handed, you may need to adjust these details to your own liking.
One requirement all planes have in common is for the blade to be sharp. That is a discussion all in itself and has been pondered many times in many places. Though it will be mentioned in passing, there is enough to discuss about sharpening, blade camber, ruler tricks and all the other edge enhancement techniques to have their own documentation.
This discussion will only touch lightly on tuning or trouble shooting problems with planes. For more details on tuning up planes try the following links.
Block planes:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=60970
Bench planes:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=5867
and more bench planes:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=114373
Solutions to some of the mechanical problems encountered with a plane may be found in those posts.
What planes should a woodworker have?
The type of projects will determine the needs of the individual wood worker. The most often suggested "starter set" is usually a #4 smoother, a #5 jack and either a #7 or #8 jointer. These and a low angle block plane will get one through many planing tasks.
If a person is working with rough milled wood, they may want to get a second #5 to set up as a scrub plane.
If smaller projects are more your style a #3 may be preferred over the #4. If larger panels and such are more likely to be in your designs, then maybe a #4-1/2 a #5-1/2 or a #6 will better fill your needs. I like them all, so over time I have acquired the whole line of bench planes.
To learn more about what these numbers mean, visit Patrick Leach's site, (Blood & Gore):
http://www.supertool.com/
So, now you have strained your fingers and have applied six bandaides to your arm in attempts to get as sharp an edge as possible on your blade, what's next?
Setting the cap iron.
I am sure many people have not paid attention to what is taking place and lost skin and blood by being careless at this point. I have had way too many moments of inattention around a sharp piece of steel on my bench and paid the price for such. That edge deserves respect. Even when clearing shavings from a plane, a lax moment, while paying attention to the two or three fingers above the plane forgetting about those under the plane may find them getting snagged by the corner of the blade. Been there, done that, OUCH!!!
My method to put the cap iron on is to have it perpendicular to the blade while inserting the loosened screw through the large hole in the blade. Then draw the cap iron up the blade away from the cutting edge. It is then turned into alignment with the blade and carefully slid along the blade until it is the desired distance from the edge. This varies with the use. For a smoothing plane and fine shavings, I set it at about 1/32" from the edge. For a jointer and a bit thicker shaving as much as a 1/16" will do. Then the blade and cap are set on a piece of wood or on the bench with the sharpened edge pointing to the right with the assembly on its side while the screw is tightened. This is done in this manner to avoid mishaps if anything slips. Since the screw is being turned clockwise, if there is a slip, the sharp end will turn down instead of coming up under the palm of your hand. It is always a good idea to think about where sharp things will go if there is slippage or error, then keep any part of your body away from that area.
161167
The blade assembly can now be set into the plane. I usually have a piece of scrap wood under the toe of the plane to elevate the blade area. This prevents damage to the bench.
There is a cavity for the cap screw to set in and the lateral lever disk (in the case of Stanley and some others) rests in the slot of the blade. The depth adjuster will engage the rectangular hole in the cap iron.
161168
Often people will be heard talking about backlash in the depth adjusters on their planes. For some it is bothersome, for others it is just another aspect of life. To make planes with zero backlash requires very exact machining and can increase costs. Some production models of planes may achieve this by chance. Some of my more used planes have as much as two or more turns of backlash in the adjustment nut. The Bailey style adjuster is more prone to backlash than the Norris style and many others.
In the image above we can see one of the factors that contributes to the backlash in blade adjustment. The pawl in the rectangular hole of the cap iron has to have some room for movement. If it was a perfect fit, it would bind during adjustment. The space between the lands of the adjusting nut and the followers on the yoke also contribute to the backlash, also known as slop or play.
In this picture the disk of the lateral adjustment mechanism can not be seen, but it needs to rest in the slot of the plane blade. If it doesn't, the blade will not seat properly on the frog.
The blade should be centered between the sides of the plane.
Blade Holding
Another requirement common to all planes is a way to hold the blade in place on its bed. From a simple wedge to the more complex knuckle joint leverage cap, they all perform the same job, to keep the blade in the same place through multiple passes of the plane on the wood being worked. A wedge uses pressure and friction to do this job. Most of the other blade holding designs use leverage in various ways to hold a blade in place.
161171
There are always exceptions. On the right in this picture is a Stanley #90 rabbet plane. It uses tension on the cap to hold the blade. This plane was modified by a previous owner. The removal of the side lets us see the cap on the blade. The cap in this plane is tensioned by the wing nut at the heel of the plane pulling on a bolt that is through the cap. This plane can be expensive in its unaltered state. If a previous owner has opened up the side and the mouth, it can be had at a reasonable price and can be a good plane for trimming tenons, lap joints and cutting rabbets.
It wasn't realized until after taking the photograph that there are actually two Stanley #90 planes in this picture. One is a bull nosed rabbet/shoulder plane and the other is a wood and steel skew blade rabbet. The skew blade rabbet is the one with the different blade holding style.
I have seen other methods of securing blades, but they are outside the realm of this post.
Also in the picture is a small hammer for tapping blades on planes that do not have adjusting mechanisms.
The setting of the blade holding device whether it is a wedge, leverage cap or a tension cap should be forceful enough to hold the blade in position, but not so forceful as to stress the body of the plane. I have seen a few planes that have been damaged due to over enthusiastic tightening of the blade holding mechanism.
In my experience only planes fitted with a wooden wedge or the Bailey style adjuster with a lever cap can have the blade's depth adjusted without loosening the cap. Failure to loosen the cap on these other planes can cause excess wear to the plane's adjusting mechanism. Others may have different experiences.
Leverage Cap Adjustment
My general rule of thumb with planes is if something is so tight as to be difficult to operate, then something is not right. A common problem with block planes is a lever cap gets switched with a knuckle joint cap. The screws may be the wrong length and the plane never works quite right.
For most planes my method is to start on the loose side and then tighten the holding screw about an eighth of a turn, or less, at a time. To do this, the cap is placed in position with the holding screw loose and the cap in the locked position. At this point, the blade and cap should move freely. The screw is tightened until it just barely puts pressure on the cap and blade. The cap is then released to its open position and the screw is given about a sixteenth to an eighth of a turn. The cap is closed and the blade and cap are checked for freedom of movement. The amount of movement depends on the type of plane. Bench planes should have some ease of movement, block planes less. Though until one gets the feel for this adjustment, loose is better than tight. The important aspect of the cap tightness is that the blade does not move while planing. If the lateral adjustment changes or the blade slips while in use, then there needs to be a little more pressure. I often set my blade adjustment and then back off the adjuster into the area of backlash to check the adjustment of the lever cap screw. The blade may move under this condition, but it usually will take a few passes. It should not be difficult to move the lateral lever on a properly adjusted bench plane. If the lever cap is over tight, it can introduce wear into the adjustment mechanisms.
For block planes, I like to set mine so the knuckle cap can be lifted half way to make a blade adjustment either for the depth or lateral setting. With the lever caps, I like to be able to change settings with the lever in the midway position.
Another point to consider, I often have spare blades so a sharp one can be at the ready. If a blade is changed, even though they are of the same vintage, the lever screw may need adjusting. Usually only a sixteenth or so of a turn unless one is switching from a Stanley cap and blade to a Hock cap and blade.
Making Shavings
At this point, the blade is likely well below the sole of the plane. Retract the blade by turning the depth adjusting nut. Stanley planes made after 1891 will turn counter clockwise to lift the blade. Before we start, one needs to read the grain on the wood. Sometimes it will fool you, but most of the time, you will want the grain to rise in the direction you are planing. So find a piece of scrap 1X or 2X and clamp it in your vise. Start with the business part of the plane off the wood and just the toe (the part of the sole in front of the blade) on the work piece. This is how one usually starts a plane on a work piece. This is especially true when using a jointer. With a smoothing plane, one may at times just be working a small area on a large piece.
161174
When it is flat on the wood and pushed forward, nothing should happen because the blade is retracted.
Some set their blades by sighting down the sole and turning the adjuster until they see the blade. When you get to wearing bifocals and your close up sight needs different glasses, you may want to find a different way. I am not knocking the sight set method. I envy those whose eyesight is still that good.
My method is to adjust the depth while pushing the plane on the edge of the scrap wood.
161169
This plane is a type 6. The depth adjuster turns to the left to lower the blade. Shavings are just beginning to appear in the mouth.
At this point take a shaving on the one side of the plane and then the other to check the lateral adjustment.
161173
Notice that the shaving on the left are visibly heavier than on the right. With the Stanley plane, the lever is moved to the side that is cutting heavier to even out the cut.
(The image that should be here was incorrectly labeled. This caused the wrong image to be uploaded. The correct image will be added later)
Notice that the blade is being held on both sides by my fingers. This is so that any movement can be felt. Over time, you will get used to feeling how much movement is needed. Though some times a blade that is not straight or other factors can make setting the lateral adjustment a pain in the tukus.
My preference is to set the lateral adjustment with very thin shavings. It just seems easier to tell if they are the same. After a bit of experience, you will likely be able to determine by feel if one side of the blade is cutting deeper than the other.
161170
The shavings shown are for all purposes equal.
This will be continued at a later date with similar discussion of block planes and some planing techniques.
Comments and questions are welcome.
jtk
To be continued.