wooden plane - carrugated bottom?

[Matthew N. Masail]

my local saw mill has a stash of pre-cut 3/4 thick (slightly more) teak, that has been sitting there for several years...... I bought a slab that has no growth rings on the end grain, it seems like wonderful stuff, hard and dry, and the bottom is carrogated....

so should I inlay a mouth piece and leave the sole carrugated?

224677

[Zach Dillinger]

Honestly, I wouldn't. Those "corrugations" will wear down rather quickly with a wooden plane, especially if you use the plane on board edges. I'd plane them off and make a smooth sole, but then again I'm anti-corrugation on metal planes as well. But, if you did it, you'd have the only corrugated wooden plane that I've ever heard of.

[Matthew N. Masail]

good point about the board edges.... wouldn't that be annoying with a metal plane too? I don't care too much if it's unique, because anyone can do that, I care if it works well.

[David Weaver]

Corrugated metal planes do get a bizarre wear pattern near the mouth if they're used heavily, one that I haven't seen on metal planes without corrugations.

The intention of the corrugations isn't needed (or wanted) on a wooden plane, as soon as you put any wax to your wooden plane, you'll possibly feel it is even too slick if you're used to metal planes, especially on light cuts.

You want a flat bottom on wood planes to slow wear, even with a mouth insert.

[Zach Dillinger]

Corrugated metal planes do get a bizarre wear pattern near the mouth if they're used heavily, one that I haven't seen on metal planes without corrugations.

The intention of the corrugations isn't needed (or wanted) on a wooden plane, as soon as you put any wax to your wooden plane, you'll possibly feel it is even too slick if you're used to metal planes, especially on light cuts.

You want a flat bottom on wood planes to slow wear, even with a mouth insert.

Agree 100%. I exclusively use wooden planes in my work and a little paraffin wax makes the planes slide across the wood quite nicely. No need for corrugations on metal planes either, the wax trick works there too.

[Matthew N. Masail]

Great.... thanks guy. will a regular candle work well to lubricate the sole?

[David Weaver]

candle, beeswax, paraffin, they all work....a little differently in feel maybe, but they all work.

Zach, I don't see the point of corrugations on the metal planes, either - I was fascinated with them when I first started, but wax or no wax is on the order of 25 times more effective than corrugations vs. no corrugations. And you don't get bizarre erosion in front of the mouth without. My corrugated planes are gone now, save for one that I wouldn't sell to anyone because it's a turd with a capital T for other reasons.

[Zach Dillinger]

Pretty much any type of wax will work, like David said. I can't comment on ear wax, though I suppose it would... gross.

You can also use oil, like linseed. Mutton tallow was also popular, according to some. I have a few planes that are completely and totally coated in old nasty black concretions that are the result of planes being slathered with tallow and linseed oil.

[Greg Wease]

I have also seen Japanese woodworkers lube both the sole of their planes and the wood being planed with camellia oil. Kind of an expensive alternative but effective.

I use paste wax on wooden soles and paraffin on metal soles. Works for me.

[Jim Koepke]

I am another who doesn't favor corrugated soles. Currently two reside in my shop. One is a #4 broken piece of junk Frankenplane that works quite well. The other is a #5 that also does well.

I do have a flat soled #5-1/2 with a mouth worn like none I have ever seen. Even after a lot of sole lapping there is remnants of the wear.

My thoughts on corrugated soles is they were a gimmick of more value to the salesperson than the user.

My plane's soles are often rubbed with old candles or what ever lubricant is close at hand.

jtk

[Leigh Betsch]

I wouldn't corrugate a wooden plane, as I see no benefit to working wood. But I did corrugate the last metal infill I made. I did this for a different reason that I've ever heard postulated. Contrary to what some people (my wife) might think, I do not have every metal working machine I could ever need. I do not have surface grinder. So I must hand lap my plane soles to remove the milling cutter marks and attain the final flatness. By corrugating the soles this becomes easier for me, the plane maker. I think the corrugated sole on any plane offer little advantage to the woodworker, and quite possibly some negatives.

[Jerome Hanby]

I wouldn't corrugate a wooden plane, as I see no benefit to working wood. But I did corrugate the last metal infill I made. I did this for a different reason that I've ever heard postulated. Contrary to what some people (my wife) might think, I do not have every metal working machine I could ever need. I do not have surface grinder. So I must hand lap my plane soles to remove the milling cutter marks and attain the final flatness. By corrugating the soles this becomes easier for me, the plane maker. I think the corrugated sole on any plane offer little advantage to the woodworker, and quite possibly some negatives.

That makes the most sense of any explanation I've heard!

[Roderick Gentry]

I have never bought the corrugated soles, though I have used them. I prefer Bronze for slipperiness, I don't like the bother of wax, and it may not have been as convenient for some as corrugations. I don't now if some preferred it for the yard or job site, since it might well help, and would be built into the plane.

The obvious similar approach to corrugations is the wave pattern on the sole of a wooden plane. Some people use these without bottom finish since they do need to be regularly scraped. I finish mine. I find a regular bottom on a wooden plane, finished, is almost too slippery, so I don't use the wave pattern for that, but I do use it for it's other benefits.

[Roderick Gentry]

"so should I inlay a mouth piece and leave the sole carrugated?"

I think that would be fun. I did make one plane out of teak, and felt it was too light in the hand, and too soft, but it was a Japanese style plane, and they have a lot of wedge pressure. I don't really see a problem with trying this out. Ideally a wear strip in front of the mouth and at either end of the plane would best. That way you would have support even when the plane was working a corner. A hard point behind the blade is ok as long as you have dressed it with the blade and wedge in place, but it isn't necessary either. Sole wear is exaggerated particular for tinkerers who will never wear most planes out. I have only worn one plane out in 30 years, and took really rough use to wear away the sole. It was quickly brought back since all I had to do was apply a 3mm veneer to the sole. I don't bother with wears strips on the sole, seems the harder use plane cultures for the most part haven't bothered with them while the closer we get to occasional users the more we see them. Very old planes do show signs of severe wear, but I know that I will for the most part make a new plane before I wear one out.

[Sean Richards]

That looks more like Kwila (also known as Merbau) and I don't think that would be the best choice for a plane sole given its open grain structure.

[george wilson]

I never liked corrugations either. They track all over the place when you are starting to bevel an edge.

[Klaus Kretschmar]

The main advantage of a corrugated sole on a metal plane I can see, is the less difficult honing of the sole. There's less metal to remove. On a wooden plane that doesn't count. The truing of the sole is easyly to do without corrugation. The gliding characteristic of a woodie is that good that there's no need to improve it - nor can it be improved by corrugating the sole IMHO.

Klaus

[Matthew N. Masail]

That looks more like Kwila (also known as Merbau) and I don't think that would be the best choice for a plane sole given its open grain structure.

hum...... well... there is little chance that it isn't teak, it's used for decking here. is it the color that makes you think that? I choose a very light colored piece. and it's the hardest wood I could get. why would the open grain structure be a problem if I orient it properly and smooth it well? I have some beech and got some quite dense and heavy Spele (mahogany) for the body. I was going to make the cheeks and sole out of the teak.

[Sean Richards]

hum...... well... there is little chance that it isn't teak, it's used for decking here. is it the color that makes you think that? I choose a very light colored piece. and it's the hardest wood I could get. why would the open grain structure be a problem if I orient it properly and smooth it well? I have some beech and got some quite dense and heavy Spele (mahogany) for the body. I was going to make the cheeks and sole out of the teak.

I have worked with quite a bit of kwila/merbau and it is not a very 'slippery' wood - so it might not be the best choice for a plane sole. Traditionally wooden planes have been made from european beech, fruitwoods, boxwood, etc - all woods with tight close grain. The tighter and closer grain woods will finish to a much smoother surface which is a desirable feature in the sole of a plane. On the other hand sometimes you just have to use what you have got or is locally available.

[Matthew N. Masail]

so I'll use it for the cheeks, should I use beech for the sole? and realistically, how much of a difference does it make? I'm guessing a porous wood sole still glides much easier than a iron one? BTW this will be my first

[Zahid Naqvi]

Also keep in mind even on corrugated metal planes the area around the mouth (front and back) is not corrugated. It doesn't seem like you have that option based on the look of the boards. I'd get the teak as it is a very sturdy wood and just planes off the corrugations.

[James Taglienti]

Corrugated metal planes do get a bizarre wear pattern near the mouth if they're used heavily, one that I haven't seen on metal planes without corrugations.

The intention of the corrugations isn't needed (or wanted) on a wooden plane, as soon as you put any wax to your wooden plane, you'll possibly feel it is even too slick if you're used to metal planes, especially on light cuts.

You want a flat bottom on wood planes to slow wear, even with a mouth insert.

What does the wear look like David? The only wear i have seen is furrows from people wire wheeling the soles of the plane... The corrugations capture and tightly stack the wires of the wheel and they score the sole as they exit the groove