Planes are hard to push

[Dale Cruea]

I have been using hand tools for a few months now. I have several different types of hand planes. All are either old Stanleys or LN.
I have used each of these planes on several projects with good results.
Starting about 2 weeks ago all of the planes got very hard to push.

All planes have had their soles waxed and push easily across the wood Until I start a cut.
None of these planes has ever been very hard to push while cutting.
My feet will slide across the floor sometimes.

I have checked all cutting angles, 30 degrees as always.
I have sharpened all of them at least 3 times and they will shave hair easily.
They all will make a very nice full width shaving about .002" thick.

The wood I am planing now is soft maple and it is like pushing a truck with the brakes locked up to get through it.
Last project was some old, old walnut. Straight grain. It was not as bad but still worse than some of the wavy grained 1/4 sawn oak I had done earlier.

This old newbie needs some help.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Dale

[Jim Koepke]

I have been using hand tools for a few months now. I have several different types of hand planes. All are either old Stanleys or LN.
I have used each of these planes on several projects with good results.
Starting about 2 weeks ago all of the planes got very hard to push.

All planes have had their soles waxed and push easily across the wood Until I start a cut.
None of these planes has ever been very hard to push while cutting.
My feet will slide across the floor sometimes.

I have checked all cutting angles, 30 degrees as always.
I have sharpened all of them at least 3 times and they will shave hair easily.
They all will make a very nice full width shaving about .002" thick.

The wood I am planing now is soft maple and it is like pushing a truck with the brakes locked up to get through it.
Last project was some old, old walnut. Straight grain. It was not as bad but still worse than some of the wavy grained 1/4 sawn oak I had done earlier.

This old newbie needs some help.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Dale


My first step would be to ask, "has anything changed that could be the cause?"
Did the blade get a back bevel? This would increase the angle of attack and would make a plane harder to push.
Even little things like the kind of wax or going against the grain could have an effect on the difficulty or ease of pushing a plane.

My next step would be to push the plane across the work with the blade retracted to see if the plane's sole was responsible or if it was all in the blade.

Knowing where or how the resistance originates is the first part of working to overcome it.

It could be the wood if it is resinous.

It could also be due to temp/humidity changes.

After honing a blade, my method of setting the blade is to set the plane on a piece of scrap and push the plane while lowering the blade. When it first starts to take a cut the depth adjustment is stopped and the lateral is checked.

Your statement that the planes slide easily until the cut starts, at ~.002" makes me think your blade may have a back bevel or the chip breaker is getting in on the cut.

To offer any thoughts beyond this will require more information.

jtk

[John A. Callaway]

curly wood ? tiger stripe? ribbon grain ? if not go for a thinner shaving... But I agree with Jim... Think carefully and see if something has changed beyond the wood species...

[Jim Koepke]

Think carefully and see if something has changed beyond the wood species...

Or something that slipped my mind… Go back and try some of the wood that was easier to plane a few weeks ago.

jtk

[Dale Cruea]

Jim,
after reading your post I started thinking.
Over Christmas my youngest son and I were in the shop planing the walnut.
My son was doing most of the planing and I was showing him how I set up a plane after sharpening.
For some reason I sat all the chip breakers way low. Looked like less than 1/32 and, again reason unknown, I readjusted the mouth an all planes closer also.
I have not a clue as to my reasoning for this.
Since I was not planing I did not notice this until after my son had gone home and did not remember re-setting chip breakers and closing up the mouths.

Anyway, all appears to be well now. reset chip breaker on #4 and it works like it did before.
I will check and reset the others as I us them.

Thanks for your help,

Dale

[Bob Jones]

Also check for mouth openings. If shavings get stuck, the mouth is too narrow. Also, if sharpness is in question, the blade is dull. Good luck

[Zach Dillinger]

Bear in mind, also, that even soft maple can be pretty hard. Even harder to plane than walnut. Shaving hair isn't that hard to do with a plane iron, a better test is if it will pare end grain pine cleanly without crushing the fibers. If your blade can do that, and you are taking a reasonable shaving, there is no reason for a plane to be hard to push.